In this presentation I will show how technology is a positive influence on students through research and data. Technology used alongside instructional strategies provide students with the best of both worlds and prepare them for higher education and the workforce. The four main areas I would like to focus on are student achievement in content areas, the development of higher order thinking skills, preparation for higher education and the workforce and finally staff training and implementation. I will be delving farther into each of these main points and how they support the use of technology in education. Give a brief introduction to each of the key talking points.
Using information provided by the “Technology as a fence and a bridge” article, demonstrate uses of technology that will be beneficial to students not only in the classroom but in outside of school as well. Introduce some of the new technology applications that you would like to see used in schools. Use of Cell Phones, laptops, internet and social networking sites to bridge the gab between teacher and student communication. Use of smartboards, clickers, elmo’s and various interactive projection devices to enhance classroom discussions. New and emerging technologies – focus on free resources – jing, google aps, wiki’s etc. Demonstrate a few of the uses that you have found useful in the classroom – smartboard examples, jing tutorials, google docs.
During the discussion of this area I will be using instructional models to represent how technology can be applied to the educational setting. I will also be using research and data supporting the use of technology by demonstrating an increase in student achievement. This will demonstrate to the school board that technology can be a positive influence in the classroom. The data I will be using will come from the required articles and readings as well as a few supplemental resources that I have found. Some of the information will be used again in subsequent discussion points to illustrate other concepts. Instructionist model – suggests that schools were designed to control the learning experience, teachers are technicians who dole out knowledge, and students are judged according to how they achieve in terms of the instructional model. Researchers have found that instruction in many schools looks shockingly similar to instruction from 20, 50 even 100 years ago. CAST – Center for Applied Special Technology researchers assessed the effect of internet use on student performance by looking at the benefits it had on student projects. According to the research the students with access to scholastic network and the internet produced better projects that students without online access. Research and evaluation shows that technology can enable the development of critical thinking skills when students use technology presentation and communication tools to present, publish, and share results of projects. NAEP – National Assessment of Education Progress – a landmark study analyzing a national database of student test scores, determined that technology can have a positive effect on students’ math scores. Data gathered from a student base of 4 th through 8 th graders who took a standardized math test scored higher when computers were used during learning and review. CARET Study – a group of individuals who review and interpret data based on a larger body of evidence from similar studies. Research is providing more and more clarity about how to effectively use technology within out school communitiies to support and enhace the academic performance of today’s youth.
Nonlinguistic representations – the primary way teachers present new knowledge to students is through speaking and reading. Psychologists theorize that humans store knowledge in 2 forms, linguistic and nonlinguistic. Nonlinguistic representations of knowledge can take a variety of forms, including graphic representations, physical models, mental pictures etc. A number of studies indicate that each of these types of activities helps students to develop nonlinguistic representations that enhance their learning of the content. Cooperative learning groups – Grouping students for cooperative learning activities can be a very powerful instructional strategy. These groupings can be informal, lasting only a few minutes or a class hour. They can also be more formal and last the course of a unit, a quarter, or a semester. These groups offer support between students and by talking about and working out new concepts or problems students have a higher retention rate than if they were working on their own. Cues, questions and advance organizers – these tools provide students with a preview of what they are about to learn and activate the student’s prior knowledge. Cues and questions should focus on what is central and important, as opposed to what is unusual. Higher level questions can deepen students learning, because they require students to restructure information or apply knowledge. These methods can strongly impact student achievement. Web resources – there is a wide range of excellent online tools for teachers. Here are some of the more interesting ones. NoteStar – allows teachers to create online research projects for their students. Students can then use these projects to take notes from online sources and organize their notes by subject or topic. RubiStar – is an online resource that provides generic rubrics and then allows the user to create rubrics unique to their situation. Webquests, scavenger hunts and guided tours are all ways that teachers can utilize online resources while allowing their students some freedom to work at their own pace, while still providing some guidance. Organizing and brainstorming – Here are some examples of web based and online brainstorming and organizing resources. Kidspirations, inspiration, Rapidfire, wordle, Timeliner etc. There are many many different online resources that can be utilized for free. They are easy to use and require very little training or instruction.
During this main point I will be discussing how the use of technology can help students develop more advanced critical thinking skills, or higher-order thinking skills. I will be using Bloom’s taxonomy to connect technology skills to higher-order thinking. I will be using research from several studies to demonstrate how technology can be an effective instructional strategy. I will also be discussing the HOTS program and some research and data that they have completed that supports technology in the classroom. I will also be demonstrating the different tasks that students will be able to complete by using their critical thinking skills. Higher order thinking and problem solving skills enable learners to apply their content knowledge in a variety of ways leading to innovation and deeper understanding of content domains. Some technology applications are designed for use in specific areas, educators have also found valuable thinking tools among the technology applications for educational purposes. Research and evaluation shows that technology tools for constructing artifacts and electronic information and communication resources support the development of higher order thinking skills. These findings hold true when students are taught to apply the processes of problem solving and then are allowed opportunities to apply technology tools to develop solutions. Discuss the new top two tiers of Blooms pyramid. Discuss how they are action verbs and how they are more appropriately applied to todays teaching and learning.
Cognition and Technology Group – comparative research that demonstrates that the students in classrooms who used video programs were better able to complete complex problem solving tasks. Interactive programs were used to reinforce key classroom concepts and topics with students across 9 states. CAST Research – the CAST study shows that when students used the internet to research topics, share information, and complete a final project within the context of a semi-structured lesson, they became independent critical thinkers. HOTS Research – The higher order thinking skills pullout program was developed ion the early 1980’s to build the thinking skills of students, combined technology with drama and socratic dialogue. By using this combination disadvantaged students in Grades 4-7 achieved twice the national average gains on reading and math test scores. 10-15% of the students also achieved honor roll statuses. The students who used HOTS also increased performance on measures of reading comprehension, metacognition, writing and grade point average.
During this main area I will be focusing on information that supports the idea that quality technology skills creates a better-rounded individual. I will be discussing the expectations that higher education institutes have of incoming students as well as expectations that today’s employers can have of potential employees. I will then be demonstrating some of the skills that students who have been trained to savy in technology can complete that will help then further down the road. Then I will be introducing the concept of Digital Learning Now!, an initiative that is progressing through schools and how this initiative can benefit our students. Preparing students for the workforces is an area where technology plays a pivotal role in helping school communities reach their educational goals. Research shows that when students learn to use and apply applications used in the world of work, such as word processors, spreadsheets, computer aided drawing. Web site development programs and the internet, they acquire some of the prerequisite skills for workforce preparedness. Integration of technology with thematic and interdisciplinary projects can enhance career preparation. A study of four health career programs in California demonstrated the effectiveness of work-based learning models and career academies that integrate students’ work experience. Microsoft office productions, openoffice, microsoft live, along with many other free resources.
Digital Learning Now! is a reform that stresses the use of technology in the schools. The reform was written by Jeb Bush and Bob Wise, former governors. This reform is expressly targeting lawmakers and policymakers, fiving them an explicit set of policy orientated actions to take in order to achieve the 10 elements of Digital Learning. 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning Student Eligibility Student Access Personalized Learning Advancement Content Instruction Providers Assessment and Accountability Funding Delivery Challenging Assumptions – Measuring student progress Teacher Preparation Regulations
During this last main point I will be discussing the necessary training that staff would need in order to successfully implement these technologies and strategies into their classrooms. I will be giving examples of inexpensive but effective training strategies that are available to educators. I will also be talking about different strategies that teachers can use. Equipment is just the start of these strategies and my focus will be geared more towards what teachers can do with this equipment once they have it. My main focus will be on free or inexpensive programs, websites, or resources that teachers can use to implement technology to the fullest. www.prezi.com www.jingporject.com www.wiki.com www.google.com Each of these applications need user accounts but are completely free. Free webinars can also be found online in a variety of different locations and by different organizations. Technology funding has to start at a local level, advocating for the need to have this for students and then progressing towards a larger reform. These are just suggested technology strategies that can be used, and training can be easily accessed. Contact your local Co-op about training and information.
To conclude my presentation I will review the four main points that I discussed. I will reiterate what I feel are the most important pieces of information that I want the school board to take away with them. I will also be opening up a time for questions at the end of the presentation if there were any points of the presentation that need additional explanations. Resources Brabec, K, Fisher, K & Pitler, H(2004). Building better instruction. Learning & Leading with Technology, 31(5), 6-11. Cradler, J, McNabb, M, Freemand, M & Burchett, R(2002). How does technology influence student learning?. Learning & Leading with Technology, 29(8), 46-49. Fletcher, G(2011). Digital learning - and school reform - now!. T.H.E. Journal, 38(3), 14-16. Halverson, R & Smith, A(2009). How new technologies have (and have not) changed teaching and learning in schools. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 26(2), 49-54. Wehril, B(2009). Technology as a fence and a bridge. Horace , 25 (1), Retrieved from http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/cespr/view/ces_res/615
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