Implementation

= = =**MOVING PAST PROMISE AND PROBLEMS**=


 * 1) Turning Promise into Opportunities
 * 2) Increased Interaction
 * 3) A Level Playing Field
 * 4) Training Programs in a Flat World
 * 5) Formal, Ongoing Assessment I took out the section on assessment as they were not written can you see the structure in the outline? So this section will need to be morphed into something that talks about working as a collective....maybe peering from wikinomics...what do you think?
 * 6) Planning for the Future (not written) (this should focus on helping people prepare for a world that changes)

//I think this section could be improved by acknowledging the above discussion of the potential tempered by the problems and why we think it is makes sense to continue forward. Note that have moved paragraphs that parallel the above sections but they will need so editing to make them fit better (smile) -mr//

Like the film projectors that illustrated complex, abstract information to the students of the past, today's technology is also changing the way that students learn. Use of technology in the future is any one's guess, but we will attempt to examine and predict some paths that seem particularly promising. Technology will continue to expand into other fields, allowing for increased communication and collaboration. As technology improves, some technology will become discontinued, offering ramifications for students. Finally, technology will continue to grow, develop and advance. The development of high performance computing and communications is creating new media, such as the World Wide Web and virtual realities. In turn, these new media enable new types of messages and experiences; for example, interpersonal interactions in immersive, synthetic environments lead to the formation of virtual communities. The innovative kinds of pedagogy empowered by these emerging media, messages, and experiences are driving a transformation of traditional "teaching by telling" to an alternative instructional paradigm: distributed learning. If the substantial barriers to change discussed later in this testimony are overcome, within two decades American schooling will shift to new models of teaching/learning better suited to developing 21st century workers and citizens for a knowledge-based society (Dede, 2005).

We have identified four options for educators to implement that will allow students to take advantage of all that technology has to offer safely and efficiently:

1) Consider carefully how to transform promise to practice while avoiding the problems that we cited. Provide teachers with technological help as well as programming to keep pace with today's student. Emphasize teamwork.

2) Remind teachers to never overlook the human aspect of teaching by showing teachers how to best integrate human interaction alongside technology. After all, interpersonal skills need to be developed.

3) We identify different ways that schools can maintain an even playing field in regards to technology for all students regardless of socio-economic status (SES).

4) Consider the strategies for using technology to increase professional development through learning communities. 5) Support continuous evaluation of the role of technology in every classroom to monitor the role that technology is playing within the school.



1. Turning Promise into Opportunities (TOP)
Looking to the future is not an easy task, but one way is to look at what has the potential to expand or has room for further development. One has to look at what is popular, such as Virtual Reality gaming, which will continue to be on of the most popular uses of technology (Pesce, 2000). According to Chris Dede, he believes that VR environment will become more enhanced to a point where they can actually augment reality with interfaces that depict actual scenes from the physical world (Dede, 2006). Expanding that concept, multi-user virtual environments such as the River City Project,[|http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/], have excellent potential for authentic learning (Dede, 2006). More and more we will be able to bring distant parts of the world or universe into the classroom, places that students would not normally be able to experience. From the bush schools in Alaska to different tribes in the nations of Africa, technology can play a part of all peoples development and education. Modern day examples would be NASA's K-12 Quest Initiative, [|http://education.nasa.gov], or the JASON project, [|www.jason.org](Lucas, 2002). While some areas will be expanding, others will be shrinking, literally, as technology will continue to become smaller with smaller components containing more memory (Pesce, 2000). This will improve mobility and allow the technology to be easily carried and used more in the field. This too is already being seen today with the use of [|PDAs]and research on the natural environment at the Carl Sandburg High School (Lucas, 2002). PDAs are also intregral in communications, another area where technology will be expanding. Smaller lighter weight devices will allow an expansion of communications with students, parents and the community. Some principals currently use their PDAs all day long to stay in close communications with staff and parents which helps them "fulfill the expectations of the community" (Lucas, 2002). Communications will also be important among students. We will see that the importance of peer to peer communication as group communication will be key (Rheingold 2002).

In writing __The Playful World: How Technology is Transforming Our Imagination__, Mark Pesce clearly indicates his vision of future technology use saying, "Most of us will carry on much as before, but with a far more comprehensive awareness of the world around us: the entire world around us, in all of its richness, its depth, and its wonder. We will make more informed decisions, accounting for the comprehensive repercussions of our actions, or we will soon learn if these acts have caused harm to another.” His words bring an optimistic view to the forefront. Researchers indicate a belief that this use will provide a critical factor in the field of education. In the formative years of a child's education technology will provide "creative play [which is a part of] a fundamental learning experience for children" (Pesce, 2000). The opportunities provided will, in fact, allow more advanced students to seek a higher education as Pesce states, "More students will be participating in part time education where students have jobs and go to school part time on line because it's more convenient and efficient" (Pesce, 2000). Tapscott adds to this notion saying, "Many students need to work to fund university attendance. Many more in the workforce are registering in university courses as part of the trend of life-long learning (Tapscott, 1998). This is critical he believes because N-Geners will perform knowledge work requiring life-long learning. Computers will, Pesce believes, continue to augment human intelligence for these workers (Pesce, 2000).

Technology in education will continue to expand in vast ways. Technology will develop within every educational institution at every levels. Schools will secure more technology so "they so that they can operate more efficiently and faster and support better teaching and learning (Cuban, 2001). "School officials and educators will see increased benefits of technology and they will "continue to encourage people to contribute and give to the advancement of technology" (Rheingold 2002). Schools will be [|wireless]and students will be able to access the internet, their homework, and their classes from virtually anywhere. This could also cut down on the paper usage in the world, potentially helping our global environment conserving trees that provide oxygen and shelter for wildlife. The next generation of students will be more technologically advanced then their own teachers. Students of tomorrow will have grown up during the technology boom and will expect nothing less that technology based learning and virtual classrooms. Technology will expand at rapid rate while students and teachers alike will be challenged and pushed with the vast array of technology that will be used in the classroom.


 * Increased Interaction ( Edited by Dijlah Benjamin) ** (TOP) **

Technology booms and expansions are occurring at rapid rates. Often, changes to technology can occur within months after their original platforms were introduced. In our more technology-advanced societies, more components of life are being added to the technology picture: digital organizers; cell phones with GPS, internet, and software capabilities; multimedia devices that can tap into the world’s wealth of educational information. As more and more students of tomorrow have access to such tools, it is important to compliment this technology with humanistic based instruction. ** Technology has its place, but we can never lose the human touch—the “psychic” elements of teaching. (Cuban, 2001)


 * And there is great reason to keep the human touch alive in the classroom. In a recent article in the New York Times (Samual Freedman, November 7th, 2007), it was mentioned that “baby boomers seem to see technology as information and communication,” while “their offspring and the emerging generation seem to see the same devices as entertainment and socializing.” It has become a great challenge for teachers to focus this new found “electric” energy in the right direction; it will be the human touch that entwines traditional classroom methodology with the new. ** A well thought out and balanced approach to technological innovation in the classroom **is** critical in compliment**ing** instruction, not replacing it. We should build a balance between the real world and cyberspace, and students should get the proper dose of each, which in itself is yet to be determined (Stoll, 1995). The lack of guidance and close interactions with educators, student revert to cheating, copy and paste method of learning. Students and educators must connect to have "moral literacy" as well as "computer literacy".



4.3 A Level Playing Field **(TOP)**
Although substantial progress has been made in installing computers in schools and in convincing the public that facility in using them is vital to students’ success in school and jobs, there are quantifiable social inequalities in the use of computers in schools. Students from high-income families have far more access to computers and to sophisticated uses of them than do students from low-income families. Black students use them less than whites, females less than males, and pupils whose native language is not English less than those who are proficient in English. Charles Pillar, who investigated use of computers in schools for the magazine Macworld, lamented “the creation of the technological underclass in America’s public schools.” He observed that “computer-based education in poor schools is in deep trouble. Inner-city and rural school districts lack the training and social support to use computers effectively. In most cases, computers simply perpetuate a two-tier system of education for the rich and poor. (Pillar, “Separate Realities,” pp. 218-219) Providing more technology grants to lower SES schools keeps students on fair playing grounds regardless of socio-economic status. “To ensure that poor and minority children will not be left behind in the technological expertise” technology has brought about a social inequality between the schools that can afford computers and those that cannot. (Tyack and Cuban, 1995) The final disappointment that Stoll illuminates is the myth that the Internet would help to make a more egalitarian society. He writes, “The myth holds that our networks are the ultimate in democracy –all voices can be heard. Bytes have no race, gender, age, or religion” ( Stoll, 1995). However, “for all its egalitarian promise, whole groups of people hardly show up on the networks. Women, blacks, elderly, and the poor are underrepresented” (Stoll, 1995). The clear academic advantage of students who have had computers at home with those students whose only encounter with technology has been at school is significant. “It was clear to us that having a computer at home added considerably to the child’s competence and confidence” (Cuban, 2001).

For information on Latinos and the digital divide, go to http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/downloads/Latinos_and_IT.pdf



**4.4 Professional Development Programs (TOP)**

 * Teachers have the greatest influence of how educational technology is used in the classrooms, therefore, it is important that they are as knowledgeable about the content as the person who wrote it. According to Stoll, it's impossible to browse the web without swimming in a river of flashing advertisements (Stoll, 1999). Teachers need to be mindful of the following when implementing technology: It's important that when we delegate assignments that we are prepared to expect the unexpected, content can be confusing and misleading, and students may not be able to determine conscious reality from virtual reality. Parent's, teachers and practitioners must be confident that they understand the dangers of distributed learning.

How then, with the growing demand for technical proficiency, can educators be brought to a place of comfort and efficiency in classroom technological use? Possibly the first and most critical factor will be in providing increased on-demand technical support for the hardware and related applications (Cuban, 2001). Only with reliable hardware, software, and network infrastructure, will teachers move beyond using technology for running the business of classrooms only. Moving hand-in-hand with the reliability concept is the need for support personnel who are readily available to classrooms when problems arise. After the hurdle of reliability is passed, the next area of concern may be professional development. Teachers spend a great deal of time planning for successful learning experiences in the classroom, but without appropriate training in available technologies, most cannot be expected to integrate them successfully into activities (Cuban, 2001). Such training must include not only hands-on technical elements with experts, but also offer opportunities for collaboration with successful users as well as time for planning and reflection. Additionally, resources that represent or outline practices and steps learned during training should be made available to the teachers after training to reinforce and recall proper useage. Follow-up, advanced and/or ‘refresher’ training is just as critical as the training itself, and successful programs often offer such combined opportunities. Will technology be readily infused with reliability and training alone? Most likely it will not, unless teachers are given a buy-in in some fashion. Cuban suggests that this is possible as evidenced in the TLTC program in Berkeley schools which, designed and anchored by teachers, seemed to show progress in several areas until federal funding disappeared (Cuban, 2001). "There are," he notes, "a few instances of reformers taking teachers' perspectives seriously, especially in using technologies that build programs around their classroom expertise" (Cuban, 2001).

Educational technology is not necessarily designed with the user (teacher) in mind. Using the state and national standards, programs are designed assuming that it is generic to fit all the needs of educators and learners. With out the input of the people who use the products on a daily basis, educational hardware and software will render itself useless to the masses.**



4.5 Formal, Ongoing Assessment **(TOP)**
Educators need to be cognoscente of the value and applications for the technology that they introduce and use in the classroom. The ultimate responsibility of utilizing technology that addresses the needs of the students and provide optimal learning opportunities falls on the shoulders of educators. Experts have questioned the use of technology without evidence of their value. Stoll (1995) believes evidence should come in the form of true data in order to support infusion of such strategies. Included within this evidence would be the impact of technology on the different learning styles. With this in mind, questions about what problems may be created when teachers and students continue to spend even more time connected to electronic devices (Stoll, 1995). The potential of these perils of technology are real and the consequences of unawareness or irresponsibility are great, thus it is up to the educational community to implement the checks and balances (Stoll, 1999).

Continuous evaluation of technology requires a cohesive school community which needs to reach a consensus on what the ultimate goals are for technology in education. This cohesive school community must know its student demographic and must find answers to some tough questions. In a June, 2000 interview, [|Larry Cuban] specified, "The questions really break down into: What are we after? How can technology help? What do we have to change to make use of it?"

===**4.6 Planning for the Future (TOP) **===

As the United States becomes intertwined with the global community it is imperative for all citizens to display technological prowess. In order to continue our status as a major player in the economic playing field we must be a contributing force in the global market place. A shift in access is imperative for the wealth of this nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2042, current-day minorities will become the majority population; it will be necessary to educate and secure access amongst these groups to ensure the well being of this nation. For example, Latinos make up 14% of the U.S. adult population and only about half of this growing group (56%) goes online. Hispanics with inferior English proficiency and lower levels of education remain largely disconnected from the internet. (Fox, 2007). The gap in internet usage between Hispanics and non-Hispanics is elucidated by the socio-economic composition of each group (Fox, 2007). Computers and access can be costly and the repercussions are the division of society into an “information rich upper-class with an information poor under-class” (Gershenfield, 1999). Large ethnic groups can remain in the shadows if the divide is not conquered. To promote an information rich and inclusive society, issues of access must be eliminated. Technological literacy is becoming as important as literacy itself and in the near future they will be synonymous in importance.

Although distribution of technology remains a significant factor in regards to technological literacy, many new programs are emerging within communities that attempt to bridge the divide among minority and low-income families. Programs on a large scale factor are just now being implemented to help this divide. One such program is being utilized in Riverside, CA. The program is two-fold; the first part offers free wireless access to all residents and people visiting within the city limits http://www.smartriverside.com/wr_about.asp. The second portion of the program provides eight hours of basic computer training, free wireless antenna, and refurbished computers to city residents who qualify http://www.smartriverside.com/sp_dip.asp. Currently, the city of Riverside gives away 1,000 computers annually, however soon hopes to reach its goal of 3,000 annually. Although programs such as this still appear to be in their infancy, their ability to attempt to bridge the divide, as well as their ability to reuse e-waste http://www.smartriverside.com/sp_e-waste.asp gives us hope in the future of technology literacy.


 * As more and more business, begin to move away from traditional “brick and mortar” locations; education will begin to take a parallel course. As technological advances continue, the idea of a centralized place of learning may be a 20th century paradigm. The U.S Department of Education’s “Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students: 2002-03,” study indicated that “More than one-third (36 percent) of public school districts and 9 percent of public schools had students enrolled in online distance education courses in 2002-03, according to the study, which also reported an estimated 328,000 enrollments in online courses—most of them at the high school level. (Rivero,V, 2005). Learning will no longer limited to brick and mortar buildings. Students use technology in their everyday lives, texting, IMing, videochat; at concurrent times as well. Education will need to adapt to teach them “where they live.” Trends in business tell the story; elimination of the middleman, consumers are now buying direct from the manufacturer. Should the parallel continue, students will begin to cut out the middleman (schools) and receive their “training” via specialized educational coaches (teachers).**