Sunday, July 27, 2008
Reflections on TuttyTech 571
I will be taking quite a bit more than one thing from EdTech 571. This was not only my first EdTech class, but it was my first online learning experience. This class has been a series of firsts for me, which has made it an engaging process. Each time I found a new set of assignments posted on the site, I had no idea how I would complete the task. My lack of understanding what I had gotten myself in to made itself clear with every assignment. As I made my way through the work, I felt that I was unwrapping a glimpse into a new world, and one I found to be a challenge and an inspiration. I am rapidly coming to the realization that the world of the Educational Technologist is far more interactive than I'd previously thought. The image of working away in isolation is giving way to one of leadership. I am also discovering just how integral the role of the Education Technologist is beginning to play in the field of education. I feel I was fortunate to have the teacher and cohorts with whom I was able to work. I've enjoyed my firsts in this class and am hoping that the classes I will be taking further into this program will be of the same caliber both in quality of instruction and collaboration. Thank you, and now... back to my paper!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
To the members of the Vancouver School District School Board
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the digital divide is defined as : the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard to both their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities.
( http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=4719)
I would like to address the requirements set down by NCLB and the Washington State NCLB Grade 8 Technology Literacy Requirements, as well as the benefits of an increase in funding of extended day programs and the impact that would have on student technology proficiency.
Washington State's Technology Essential Conditions Rubric clearly states that in order to meet NCLB proficiency standards, at least 75% of students must be in Tier 3 in technology literacy and fluency.
Some of the standards laid out in Tier 3 are:
Students work individually or in teams to use hardware and software tools to support learning and creativity in all subject areas (e.g., use personal information management (PIM) software, personal digital assistants (PDAs), concept-mapping software, timeline development software, digital still and video cameras, probes, graphing calculators, digital microscopes).
Students initiate projects, design and develop content, and construct web-based and/or other electronic products (e.g., construct and publish a WebQuest, create a Flash movie).
Students work collaboratively using technology to develop and share ideas or information (e.g., use web-based collaborative tools such as wikis, discussion boards, weblogs; use interactive whiteboard for classroom brainstorming).
As we are approaching the end of the first decade of 21st century we have found that a generation of children are growing up in a technological age, with technological fluency requirements that have never before been witnessed. As we enter into the next decade, we need to be vigilant of the changing landscape of technology. We have been focused, as a community and as a nation, on trying to bridge the digital divide through our educational institutions in an effort to bring everyone into the information age on an equal access footing.
While we have achieved a moderate amount of success, there is still a lot of work to be done. According to the Us Census Bureau, Internet Access and Usage and Online Service Usage at home in 2006 was 44.9% nationwide. That indicates that as little as two years ago, half of the nation’s children still had no internet access at home.
Some of the benefits of technology access for students include:
Using educational technology for drill and practice of basic skills can be highly effective(Kulik, 1994) (http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-1/benefits.html)and a demonstrated significant positive impact on achievement in all major subject areas
Computer-aided instruction leads to an increased performance on standardized tests of basic skills by and average of 30 percent.
(Source: Kulik, Kulik, and Bangert-Downs, “Effectiveness of Computer-based Education in Elementary Schools,” Computers in Human Behavior, 1, (1991) 59-74; Kulik and Kulik, “Effectiveness of Computer-Based Instruction: An Updated Analysis,” Computers in Human Behavior, 7 (1991) 75-94).)
Technology use in the classroom improves students’ motivation and attitude toward learning. Schools have reported decreases in absence and drop- out rates.
(Source: David Dwyer, “Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow: What We’ve Learned.”)
Information access through technology allows for up-to-date data, information and resources that otherwise would never be fiscally possible to obtain through the district’s budget. (Source: Honey, M. et.al. (1996). Digital archives: Creating effective designs for elementary and secondary educators prepared for the United States Department of Education. http://www.ed.gov/Technology/Futures/honey.html).
The unskilled labor market is disappearing. Basic, technology literacy is and will be fundamental for employability. (Source: Dr. Willard R. Daggett, International Center for Leadership in Education: http://www.leadered.com/).
Sixty percent of today’s jobs require technology skills and the number is estimated to grow to 90 percent in the next 50 years.(Source: U.S. Department of Commerce:
Eight out of ten of the fastest-growing occupations are computer-related.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/ ).
With the rising cost of living, it will be no surprise that many of our poorer households, especially those households led by adults with limited exposure to technology, will discontinue internet access in favor of more basic needs. As schools in Washington State are moving toward “Sustainable Schools” models, and we see an increased dependency on carpooling and public transportation, the ability for students to meet one of the most essential goals for NCLB proficiency standards will continue to be unmet. This goal is:
All students have access to computers before or after school over 5 hours per week.
The current transportation model in Vancouver requires extensive busing. In the middle schools, transportation is provided for all students, but the current transportation mode is failing our middle school students. Gaiser Middle School is an example of the struggle students face in order to meet technology proficiency standards as a result of transportaion.
The current district boundary line is drawn in such a way as to bring students from the southernmost point in the district, to almost the northern most point. This means that, not only are students on the bus for an average of 1 hour a day, these students have no way to access technology, instructional support and other services offered by the school either before or after school. Busses arrive approximately 15 minutes before the start of the academic day, and leave within 10 minutes of its conclusion. How can students be expected to meet the standards laid by NCLB and the state of Washington if they have no time to do so?
The current transportation model has eliminated the prospect for a “community school” and has forced the students who fall within the southernmost boundaries to be unable to have equal access to technology. As we are placing an ever increasing priority on our technology programs and access for student growth, how can we continue the active prevention of participation by some of the district’s most needy populations?
In order to address this and the other challenges set forth by NCLB, I recommend the following:
1. Regular year round extended day programs need to be implemented in all middle schools in the district. These days need to be provided for learning support and access to technology. The extended day programs need to available in order to meet the required minimum of 5 hours per week of student access to technology.
(See the © 2008 Education Commission of the States website on Extended Day programs http://www.ecs.org/html/issue.asp?issueID=43)
2. The district needs to provide equal access to technology to middle school students through transportation. This means that busses need to be made available year round for transportation not only at the end of the academic day, but also at the conclusion of an extended day. (see The Department of Education’s website on 21st Century Learning Centers: http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/index.html)
3. VSD needs to reexamine district’s boundary lines and try to adjust the boundaries so that students are within the closest possible distance to their neighborhood school, creating the least restrictive environment for student learning support and access to technology. (Please see the VSD middle school boundary map: )
4. Vancouver School district needs to start implementing the strategy for planning the funding of the construction of an additional middle school in the Vancouver School District. A look at the boundary map points to a glaring geographical need for a school placement in the Southeast, Van Mall area.
Our focus needs to be on creating true neighborhood schools for our students. It is essential, in today’s economy that Vancouver schools make a concerted effort to reduce commute time and increase building resource availability to students. Without these steps we have no chance of achieving proficiency in technology, and will be placing our most needy students at risk of failing to reach the technological fluency necessary to be contributing members of our community. It is vital that planning for the future be focused on the greatest need rather than the greatest ease.
Please consider my suggestions, and I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Shanda Veatch- Teacher, Vancouver School District
Additional resources:
Washington State Department of Educational Technology: http://www.k12.wa.us/EdTech/
Northwest Council for Computer Education: http://www.ncce.org/
Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol Criteria for High Performance Schools (http://www.k12.wa.us/SchFacilities/pubdocs/HighPerformanceSchools/WSSPFinalDraft2006.pdf)
( http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=4719)
I would like to address the requirements set down by NCLB and the Washington State NCLB Grade 8 Technology Literacy Requirements, as well as the benefits of an increase in funding of extended day programs and the impact that would have on student technology proficiency.
Washington State's Technology Essential Conditions Rubric clearly states that in order to meet NCLB proficiency standards, at least 75% of students must be in Tier 3 in technology literacy and fluency.
Some of the standards laid out in Tier 3 are:
Students work individually or in teams to use hardware and software tools to support learning and creativity in all subject areas (e.g., use personal information management (PIM) software, personal digital assistants (PDAs), concept-mapping software, timeline development software, digital still and video cameras, probes, graphing calculators, digital microscopes).
Students initiate projects, design and develop content, and construct web-based and/or other electronic products (e.g., construct and publish a WebQuest, create a Flash movie).
Students work collaboratively using technology to develop and share ideas or information (e.g., use web-based collaborative tools such as wikis, discussion boards, weblogs; use interactive whiteboard for classroom brainstorming).
As we are approaching the end of the first decade of 21st century we have found that a generation of children are growing up in a technological age, with technological fluency requirements that have never before been witnessed. As we enter into the next decade, we need to be vigilant of the changing landscape of technology. We have been focused, as a community and as a nation, on trying to bridge the digital divide through our educational institutions in an effort to bring everyone into the information age on an equal access footing.
While we have achieved a moderate amount of success, there is still a lot of work to be done. According to the Us Census Bureau, Internet Access and Usage and Online Service Usage at home in 2006 was 44.9% nationwide. That indicates that as little as two years ago, half of the nation’s children still had no internet access at home.
Some of the benefits of technology access for students include:
Using educational technology for drill and practice of basic skills can be highly effective(Kulik, 1994) (http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-1/benefits.html)and a demonstrated significant positive impact on achievement in all major subject areas
Computer-aided instruction leads to an increased performance on standardized tests of basic skills by and average of 30 percent.
(Source: Kulik, Kulik, and Bangert-Downs, “Effectiveness of Computer-based Education in Elementary Schools,” Computers in Human Behavior, 1, (1991) 59-74; Kulik and Kulik, “Effectiveness of Computer-Based Instruction: An Updated Analysis,” Computers in Human Behavior, 7 (1991) 75-94).)
Technology use in the classroom improves students’ motivation and attitude toward learning. Schools have reported decreases in absence and drop- out rates.
(Source: David Dwyer, “Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow: What We’ve Learned.”)
Information access through technology allows for up-to-date data, information and resources that otherwise would never be fiscally possible to obtain through the district’s budget. (Source: Honey, M. et.al. (1996). Digital archives: Creating effective designs for elementary and secondary educators prepared for the United States Department of Education. http://www.ed.gov/Technology/Futures/honey.html).
The unskilled labor market is disappearing. Basic, technology literacy is and will be fundamental for employability. (Source: Dr. Willard R. Daggett, International Center for Leadership in Education: http://www.leadered.com/).
Sixty percent of today’s jobs require technology skills and the number is estimated to grow to 90 percent in the next 50 years.(Source: U.S. Department of Commerce:
Eight out of ten of the fastest-growing occupations are computer-related.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/ ).
With the rising cost of living, it will be no surprise that many of our poorer households, especially those households led by adults with limited exposure to technology, will discontinue internet access in favor of more basic needs. As schools in Washington State are moving toward “Sustainable Schools” models, and we see an increased dependency on carpooling and public transportation, the ability for students to meet one of the most essential goals for NCLB proficiency standards will continue to be unmet. This goal is:
All students have access to computers before or after school over 5 hours per week.
The current transportation model in Vancouver requires extensive busing. In the middle schools, transportation is provided for all students, but the current transportation mode is failing our middle school students. Gaiser Middle School is an example of the struggle students face in order to meet technology proficiency standards as a result of transportaion.
The current district boundary line is drawn in such a way as to bring students from the southernmost point in the district, to almost the northern most point. This means that, not only are students on the bus for an average of 1 hour a day, these students have no way to access technology, instructional support and other services offered by the school either before or after school. Busses arrive approximately 15 minutes before the start of the academic day, and leave within 10 minutes of its conclusion. How can students be expected to meet the standards laid by NCLB and the state of Washington if they have no time to do so?
The current transportation model has eliminated the prospect for a “community school” and has forced the students who fall within the southernmost boundaries to be unable to have equal access to technology. As we are placing an ever increasing priority on our technology programs and access for student growth, how can we continue the active prevention of participation by some of the district’s most needy populations?
In order to address this and the other challenges set forth by NCLB, I recommend the following:
1. Regular year round extended day programs need to be implemented in all middle schools in the district. These days need to be provided for learning support and access to technology. The extended day programs need to available in order to meet the required minimum of 5 hours per week of student access to technology.
(See the © 2008 Education Commission of the States website on Extended Day programs http://www.ecs.org/html/issue.asp?issueID=43)
2. The district needs to provide equal access to technology to middle school students through transportation. This means that busses need to be made available year round for transportation not only at the end of the academic day, but also at the conclusion of an extended day. (see The Department of Education’s website on 21st Century Learning Centers: http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/index.html)
3. VSD needs to reexamine district’s boundary lines and try to adjust the boundaries so that students are within the closest possible distance to their neighborhood school, creating the least restrictive environment for student learning support and access to technology. (Please see the VSD middle school boundary map: )
4. Vancouver School district needs to start implementing the strategy for planning the funding of the construction of an additional middle school in the Vancouver School District. A look at the boundary map points to a glaring geographical need for a school placement in the Southeast, Van Mall area.
Our focus needs to be on creating true neighborhood schools for our students. It is essential, in today’s economy that Vancouver schools make a concerted effort to reduce commute time and increase building resource availability to students. Without these steps we have no chance of achieving proficiency in technology, and will be placing our most needy students at risk of failing to reach the technological fluency necessary to be contributing members of our community. It is vital that planning for the future be focused on the greatest need rather than the greatest ease.
Please consider my suggestions, and I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Shanda Veatch- Teacher, Vancouver School District
Additional resources:
Washington State Department of Educational Technology: http://www.k12.wa.us/EdTech/
Northwest Council for Computer Education: http://www.ncce.org/
Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol Criteria for High Performance Schools (http://www.k12.wa.us/SchFacilities/pubdocs/HighPerformanceSchools/WSSPFinalDraft2006.pdf)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Ed Tech Island
This is my favorite spot on Ed Tech Island. My name is Kafkahead Whybrow. I like to deposit my character there before I sign off. Looks lovely, doesn't it?
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
eDesign and 2.0
I was just thinking about the impact of Ajax and 2.0 on my world, which led me to remember a new program that I'll be using next year in my yearbook class. Usually we create our books on Adobe InDesign with an embedded feature that is compatible with our publisher, Herff Jones. My in-school IT gal has been one of my greatest allies in helping me to secure enough licenses to put on computers in our school to create a classroom set for both my publications classes. At 100 dollars a piece, it wasn't easy getting the money to secure these licenses. Just as we were submitting our last pages for print this year, my representative from HJ told me that we will be using a new program next year called eDesign. This will allow us to work on our pages from any computer with a reasonable connection. This means that not only can my students work on their pages on any computer in the school, they, and I, can work from any computer anywhere. This is a revelation when it comes to my yearbook class. I know that the nature and quality of next year's book will be significantly altered as a result of this new opportunity. I have this rosy vision that my students will have their page open while they are working and chatting on their MySpace pages. I'm probably being overly optimistic, but I do have a strong belief that this program will greatly improve publishing across the board. I've not been trained in the program as yet, but I can't wait to start. All this is obviously a result of Ajax capabilities and 2.0. This is just a tiny glimmer of what's to come in the classroom across the country, and makes me even more excited about the field of education technology. My poor IT gal bemoaned the fact that we'd gone to so much trouble to get the licenses for our computers. I had to reassure her that I would utilize our existing InDesign programs in my other publications classes. Just like that, cutting edge technology made obsolete. Amazing.
Monday, July 7, 2008
National Educational Technology Trends Study State Strategies Report- are we ready?
According to the National Educational Technology Trends Study State Strategies Report: Vol. 1, states are moving towards implementing technology standards through the Enhancing Education Through Technology program (EETT). This federal grant program has been created to assist student learning through technology and is focused on helping to establish proficiency by 8th grade. I noticed some interesting trends as a result of the state data acquired through the formula grants in 2004-05. The report was part of the U.S. Department of Education's National Educational Technology Trends Study (NETTS).
What I found surprising was that 45 states have student technology proficiency standards. “18 reported having "stand-alone" standards, and 16 reported embedding technology standards with other academic content standards. The remaining eight states reported having both stand-alone technology standards and integrated standards.” I did not realize that many states were prioritizing technology to such an extent. The report indicates that many more states are working toward implementing technology standards or are “assessing student progress toward” technology proficiency. In my district, while I’ve noticed a move toward an emphasis on technology through the soon to be implemented “Gateway to Technology”, I have not heard mention of stand-alone technology standards. Things are changing very quickly, and I don’t believe that many of my colleagues are prepared for this change.
This leads me to another point the report made about different state technology standards, which was that some states are actually requiring technology proficiency for educators as well. “Many states have put in place minimum standards for teachers' use of technology, and five states reporting (sic) using statewide assessments of teachers' technology proficiency in FY 2004. Five other states that do not assess the technology skills of teachers reported that they were planning to do so.” That will certainly come as a surprise to many educators. While the number of teachers who are not comfortable with technology is waning, there are still many who have not managed to integrate it into the classroom.
An example of this is in my district, as with most in the state of Washington, we are using a statewide grading and reporting system called Skyward. This program is only in its second year in many schools, and still many teachers have not managed to make the switch from pen and paper grading, leaving the grades to be entered into the system at the end of each grading period. The fact that statewide assessments of teacher technology proficiency may be looming on the horizon may make for challenging implementation to say the least.
The report mentioned that in 2004 and 2005, “Just over half of (the)states reported the provision of activities related to online education, with 26 states reporting that they provided online courses, tutorials, software, and other academic content and resources in core subject areas.” This is a number I find rather small considering the online programs I see being offered in my district as well as others in the area. I believe this number will be proven to be much higher as we enter into the next academic year.
As with any report, this is subject to missing variables which are cause it to overlook states that may not have been included in the report due to budgetary concerns or for other reasons, but the trends in the growth of technology proficiency standards cannot be overlooked, and are reflecting the national prioritization of technology in instruction and learning. The impact on the learning community will be undeniable and will be a challenge to many who are unprepared to make the adjustment.
~link to the executive summary~
~Learning.com Creates New Technology Literacy Assessment to Align to Refreshed ISTE Standards~
~Washington State Tiers of 8th Grade Technology Literacy Indicators - with examples~
~Tiers of Technology Integration into the Classroom Indicators - with examples as they appear on the OSPI website~
What I found surprising was that 45 states have student technology proficiency standards. “18 reported having "stand-alone" standards, and 16 reported embedding technology standards with other academic content standards. The remaining eight states reported having both stand-alone technology standards and integrated standards.” I did not realize that many states were prioritizing technology to such an extent. The report indicates that many more states are working toward implementing technology standards or are “assessing student progress toward” technology proficiency. In my district, while I’ve noticed a move toward an emphasis on technology through the soon to be implemented “Gateway to Technology”, I have not heard mention of stand-alone technology standards. Things are changing very quickly, and I don’t believe that many of my colleagues are prepared for this change.
This leads me to another point the report made about different state technology standards, which was that some states are actually requiring technology proficiency for educators as well. “Many states have put in place minimum standards for teachers' use of technology, and five states reporting (sic) using statewide assessments of teachers' technology proficiency in FY 2004. Five other states that do not assess the technology skills of teachers reported that they were planning to do so.” That will certainly come as a surprise to many educators. While the number of teachers who are not comfortable with technology is waning, there are still many who have not managed to integrate it into the classroom.
An example of this is in my district, as with most in the state of Washington, we are using a statewide grading and reporting system called Skyward. This program is only in its second year in many schools, and still many teachers have not managed to make the switch from pen and paper grading, leaving the grades to be entered into the system at the end of each grading period. The fact that statewide assessments of teacher technology proficiency may be looming on the horizon may make for challenging implementation to say the least.
The report mentioned that in 2004 and 2005, “Just over half of (the)states reported the provision of activities related to online education, with 26 states reporting that they provided online courses, tutorials, software, and other academic content and resources in core subject areas.” This is a number I find rather small considering the online programs I see being offered in my district as well as others in the area. I believe this number will be proven to be much higher as we enter into the next academic year.
As with any report, this is subject to missing variables which are cause it to overlook states that may not have been included in the report due to budgetary concerns or for other reasons, but the trends in the growth of technology proficiency standards cannot be overlooked, and are reflecting the national prioritization of technology in instruction and learning. The impact on the learning community will be undeniable and will be a challenge to many who are unprepared to make the adjustment.
~link to the executive summary~
~Learning.com Creates New Technology Literacy Assessment to Align to Refreshed ISTE Standards~
~Washington State Tiers of 8th Grade Technology Literacy Indicators - with examples~
~Tiers of Technology Integration into the Classroom Indicators - with examples as they appear on the OSPI website~
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Reiser Response
It makes sense to me that Reiser would emphasize a broad interpretation of the term “instructional design” to include the teacher and the means of instruction along with instructional media, as the trend within the instructional design and technology world indicates “that (a) teachers should be viewed on an equal footing with instructional media—as just one of many possible means of presenting instruction; and (b) teachers should not be given sole authority for deciding what instructional media will be employed in classrooms.”
Instructional Technology is defined as “the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning.” Reiser's use of the terms as interchangeable, the synonymous nature of instructional technology with educational technology, has altered my personal understanding of the definition of instructional technology and has therefore broadened my view of the field of educational technology.
As Reiser has pointed out, the rise of instructional media from a tool to be selected and utilized by a teacher to that of a viable means of instructional delivery in and of itself has been slow, but is becoming more the case. Teachers are not in the position they were prior to the 90’s, where curriculum planning and implementation was created and implemented by individual teachers. Now, as a result of NCLB, state educational authorities are demanding that district-wide alignment in content areas conform directly to state guidelines and benchmarks. In Washington state conformation to the Essential Learning and Academic Requirements and the Grade Level Expectations is mandatory in most content areas and is being implemented in the rest, including the arts. Quantifiable and measurable progress needs to be documented using state mandated standardized measuring tools such as the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) and CBAs (Classroom Based Assessments). This is having an effect on the classroom in that has led to a greater emphasis on the systems approach to education. While the implementation of instructional media has been relatively slow over the last 50 years, these changes in education are forcing a greater focus on instructional technology and design in the classroom, leading to an exponential rate of increase in the use of technology and media based instruction as a means for instructional delivery.
Instructional Technology is defined as “the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning.” Reiser's use of the terms as interchangeable, the synonymous nature of instructional technology with educational technology, has altered my personal understanding of the definition of instructional technology and has therefore broadened my view of the field of educational technology.
As Reiser has pointed out, the rise of instructional media from a tool to be selected and utilized by a teacher to that of a viable means of instructional delivery in and of itself has been slow, but is becoming more the case. Teachers are not in the position they were prior to the 90’s, where curriculum planning and implementation was created and implemented by individual teachers. Now, as a result of NCLB, state educational authorities are demanding that district-wide alignment in content areas conform directly to state guidelines and benchmarks. In Washington state conformation to the Essential Learning and Academic Requirements and the Grade Level Expectations is mandatory in most content areas and is being implemented in the rest, including the arts. Quantifiable and measurable progress needs to be documented using state mandated standardized measuring tools such as the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) and CBAs (Classroom Based Assessments). This is having an effect on the classroom in that has led to a greater emphasis on the systems approach to education. While the implementation of instructional media has been relatively slow over the last 50 years, these changes in education are forcing a greater focus on instructional technology and design in the classroom, leading to an exponential rate of increase in the use of technology and media based instruction as a means for instructional delivery.
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