Sunday, January 31, 2010

ISTE recommendations and my TechQuest project idea

In the ISTE policy brief, Techology and Student Achievement--The Indelible Link", there are 7 factors identified for successful technology implementation.
I have included these 7 factors along with a connection to my TechQuest project plan about Promethean Board use in our local schools and using this IWB tool to effectively teach lessons in creative and informational writing.
  1. Effective professional development for teachers in the integration of technology into instruction is necessary to support student learning. (On Feb 20th, I will participate in a day-long training at a state-wide ASTE confference on the effective integration of the Promethean Board technology. I will share resources from this training with my colleagues. I will participate in the trainings offered by our local tech staff members and seek one-on-one training from local mentors who are effectively using this IWB technology in their classrooms.)
  2. Teachers' direct application of technology must be aligned to local and/or state curriculum standards. (I plan to investigate how the NETS for teachers and students are being used in our schools, as well as how the use of the Promethean technology is aligned with curriculum standards in language arts and other subjects. I have 5 years of experience with a standards-based model of education as part of the award-winning Chugach School District in Alaska)
  3. Technology must be incorporated into the daily learning schedule (i.e., not as a supplement or after-school tutorial). (The school-wide expectation is that teachers will incorporate the Promethean Boards in their daily learning schedule. In my current role as an instructional aide, I will need to partner with other teachers to use this technology with students on a day-to-day basis.)
  4. Programs and applications must provide individualized feedback to students and teachers and must have the ability to tailor lessons to individual student needs. (I agree with the statement in this ISTE brief that "educational technology provides multiple avenues for assessing student learning and allowing students to communicate what they have learned to their teachers and parents." One goal of my TechQuest will be how to provide individualized feedback to students on their creative and informational writing, plus provide an opportunity for the students to share their writing projects with their families.)
  5. Student collaboration in the use of technology is more effective in influencing student achievement than strictly individual use. (I plan to focus on effective ways to use the Promethean Board to encourage student collaboration in the area of responding to and editing creative and informational writing.)
  6. Project-based learning and real-world simulations are more effective in changing student motivation and achievement than drill-and-practice applications. (I have read a number of articles and blog postings that are critical of the ways in which Promethean Boards and other IWBs are mis-used in classrooms. The criticisms point out how teachers are using this technology to do "old things in new ways" such as drill-and-practice worksheet type applications instead of using this technology in a transformational way with project-based and real-world simulations on the IWBs)
  7. Effective technology integration requires leadership, support and modeling from teachers, administrators, and the community/ parents. (I plan to research how our local middle school administration, staff and students are sharing the results of their effective use of Promethean Boards with community and School Board members. Our local middle school has been using this technology for more than 2 years, while some of our elementary classrooms just received their IWB at the end of last month.)
I hope that these 7 factors from the ISTE brief will help guide my research and training on the Promethean Board, which is an important tool that is being implemented district-wide in our local classrooms.

4 comments:

  1. I agree totally with what you say in #3, technology must be incorporated into the daily learning schedule, too many educators try to use it as a supplement and that just does not work well. Looks like you've got a great start, good luck!

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  2. I like how you have taken the 7 factors and blended the pieces of your project. It took me two times to go through this and find al the pieces for your first assignment, but you have met all the expectations for this first assignment. I liked your Blog earlier about the rant from another educator. You and he are correct that teachers are not always using the boards in a transformative way. I think this will take time and those who first received boards years ago did not have the wonderful software that is now coming with the boards. Unfortunately some of the teachers I know have abandoned the boards because they have never learned how to use the software nor has anyone loaded it on their machines for them. There are so many ways to make lessons interactive and make the lessons come alive. It is also another way for students to teach the lesson and take a more active part. That is another mistake that teachers make by not letting the students take over the lesson. Research shows that if students teach the lesson it will "stick". I think you have a great start!

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  3. I totally agree with number 5. Collaboration among students is key. I have found that cooperative learning creates a better learning community and gets students more involved in learning. I can't wait to hear more about the promethean boards.

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  4. I do like the way you have organized your TechQuest. I think by addressing these factors you will ensure that you are creating a educationally sound project. Using the factors to guide your research will be helpful as well. It can be overwhelming to wade through all that is available on technology in the classroom. I look forward to hearing more about this.

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