Promises-Benefits

Benefits to the Learning Process

 * (**//my sense is this section is weak... There is lots of evidence that computers increase reading and writing skills there is some evidence that it helps in problem solving. Game and simulation have been recently used to really impact learning. This is the place to make the strongest argument for why you might want to use technology. I reorganized the paragraphs which helps but this is place you would contribute.- Here is a site with studies of research that find some effect on writing but not strong effects. You have to pay attention to the type of technology --there is little effect for integrated learning systems...the types that people feared would replace teachers http://www.sri.com/policy/csted/reports/sandt/it/ All of these reports have summaries. mr)//

[|George Lucas]describes "mutually satisfying instructional mechanisms" that offer the student more responsibility and influence over his or her own educational experience. "Innovative classrooms are abuzz with productive discussions and the excitement of learning" (Lucas, 2002). The Internet offers students access to information not found in the physical classroom - they gain access to some of the most sophisticated labs and expertise through collaborative online networks. They can also experience virtual field trips to places they never imaged or dreamed existed (such as the Norko watering hole in South Africa through a 24 hour a day webcam).Technology, according to Cuban, allows students "direct access to facts, ideas, and primary sources, links images and concepts to sound and film and motivates students, especially those who would otherwise not be engaged" (2001).Technology attracts students to the learning process and allows for a more customized experience by supporting different learning styles to emerge such as audio, visual and kinesthetic.

Technology can also do more than just provide new ways of learning; it can also stir the creativity of students - in a [|2007 study] of the literacy practices of eight different students' use of the web in youth communities, it was shown that the technology became more than just a simple source of information - in some cases it became a scratchpad for ideas, or pointed the way to new areas of growth and exploration, and new perspectives. Use of the technology and tools in their online social lives led the students in the study to better their research skills - they did not just simply look up information, but had learned to evaluate the veracity of information by the source or by the comments others had about the information.

In the realm of education, one of the students in the study was having a hard time with his math assignments; he remarked that "This is easier to understand. I mean the math book just uses these big terms and half of them aren't in the book. You can't follow it" (Alvermann, Marshall, et al, 2007). His ability to not only search, but evaluate and decided which online math tutorial to use meant that he could get the help in the areas he needed - definitions and examples and interactivity that can't be offered in the classroom. This new paradigm of education (individualized instruction; learner-side decisions in course materials, etc...) has been brought about in part by the ready access to a whole host of online tools designed to make information more accessible and education more effective.

Tools such as [|video cameras]and consumer-grade [|video editing]software are technologies that can improve education by maximizing learning through the spawning of motivation and granting students opportunities to actively participate. Video conferencing, podcasting and Web 2.0 applications can connect students to the world by granting access to information not seen or heard prior to the Internet revolution. Access to this information will help students enhance their background knowledge on any topic. By having rapid access to virtually anything, teachers are afforded the opportunity to validate and promote student inquiries. Teachers can connect to the global community in a low cost way. The [|Flat Classroom Project] allows for American high school students to develop a partnership with students across the globe and conduct a series of activities that deal with globalization (Russo 2008). In addition, critical thinking skills are enhanced through computers; Moersh suggests that performance assessments that emphasize "components of content, process, and product" can use [|multimedia]capabilities of modern computers to encourage higher order thinking (Moersh, 2002). Tools that allow the maximization of learning in the physical classroom can increase the intelligence level of students as Eric Jenson suggests in his book, __The Learning Brain.__Many researchers confirm that the more often a certain neuropathway is used, the stronger the pathway becomes in the brain. By using pathways over and over in the brain, other pathways develop as offshoot connections to the main pathway, thus providing a larger percentage of brain use. //Does discussion of tools like bugscope go here? What about all of the application on Edutopia?//-mr

In a recent controlled experiment Roschelle and his colleagues (2007) compared the math curricula used traditionally in Texas with an innovated SimCalc computer tool approach. They found that students who use SimCalc gained 46% while those using traditional learning materials had an average gain of 19%. Statistically, the size of the SimCalc effect was measured at 0.84, which is considered a large effect in education. Another study measuring the impact of educational software on reading found positive results. Writing-based programs which attempt to teach young children to read by stimulating them to write found "strong, positive results" specifically in kindergartners (Kulik, 2003). Recent computer programs for writing can also facilitate success by helping students with pre-created web templates, brainstorming, developing ideas, outlining and organizing. "Templates provide a framework and reduce the physical effort spent on writing so that students can pay attention to organization and content" (Access Center, 2008). Students with disabilities are empowered by word processing software programs that yield their independence as writers (Montgomery, 2006). Accelerated Reader, another reading program that has demonstrated an increase in student motivation, allows students to self select books that are appropriate for their reading level. After completion of the book they are given a comprehension exam and then provided with an instant score. Although there is a significant correlation between Accelerated Reader and reading achievement, that correlation did not prove that Accelerated Reader caused reading scores to go up. However, schools that owned the Accelerated Reader program had reading scores that were higher than schools that did not own the program. The study suggested that Accelerated Reader had "positive effects" on students' reading development (Kulik, 2003). //(there are lots of studies that show increase in writing skills-mr)//

There is strong evidence that Web-Based Bulletin Board (WBB) discussions are improving the critical thinking skills of students. In a study by Yang, Newby, Bill (2008) evaluated students in a veterinary distance learning program with the findings indicating that WBBs significantly improved the student's critical thinking skills. Research also indicates that the success of WBB discussion is due to the collaboration process that is an integral component of this learning tool. To enhance technology being used with the goal of improving critical thinking skills, the students and teachers must become the driving force and creators of the information and not just the users of technology.

//Technology and Literacy// Recently, technology use in the classroom has had positive effects on reading and writing, especially for English language learners and students with special needs. Traditionally, computers in the classroom were used for literacy support activities such as reading comprehension using a computer-based question-answer type approach or Internet-based activities with few skills reinforcement or enrichment.

A new approach to using computers in the classroom is to provide activities and projects that simulate real-world experiences and authentic learning situations. Activities within this realm could include, Internet-based research projects (with real-time, up-to-date information), where a student is using the Internet for research, a word-processing program and other media to enhance the presentation of the final product. Of word processing, J.A. Kulik (2003) states that, “For two decades, then, evaluation studies have been reporting that students who use word processors for writing compositions demonstrate superior writing skills in later follow-up tests of writing skills.” These types of activities can be used with any type of learner.

Schools have also implemented computer based supplements to literacy curriculum, one example of these supplements is Write to Read (WTR). Write to Read is a supplement that allows first graders and kindergartners to work on their writing skills on the computer. According to a study conducted by Robert E. Salvin (1990), Two evaluations found strong positive WTR results at the end of kindergarten. The average effect of WTR in these two studies was to increase scores on reading tests by 0.84 standard deviations, equivalent to a boost from the 50th to the 80th percentile. Supplements to curriculum can be very powerful because they allow for individulized insturction. Therefore, meeting the needs of every student.

Other beneficial uses of technology in literacy instruction include:
 * Audiobooks: Books read to readers via different media sources such as CDs, tapes, or compressed audio (MP3). These books provide the reader with an example of appropriate intonation, expression and fluency. It also allows readers to read at a slightly higher decoding level because the decoding is already done for them. Audiobooks can be created by parents or by the students themselves. Student recorded audiobooks provides an opportunity for students to hear their own reading voices.
 * Text-to-Speech: Software that reads any typed text aloud. This tool can allow readers to read any webpages, online books, or typed text without the struggle associated with low fluency rate or word recognition. Students can also type up their own stories and have them read aloud during the writing process. This may improve recognition of possible editing and revising ideas. These software programs are great tools for low readers as well as students who struggle with dyslexia.
 * Graphic Organizer Software/Publishing Software: Programs designed to create a visual representation of ideas. Software, such as Inspiration, KidPix or Microsoft Publisher, can assist students who learn visually, including English language learners.