EDT 547 - Leah

Week 13 Readings – Technology Integration and Success Stories

2005-11-30T19:00:00.000-08:00

This week’s readings about technology integration and success stories were not really readings. I would consider them more of an exploration of educators integrating technology in different ways into their classrooms. There were examples of all age groups as well as with ELL (English Language Learners) students. For the higher level, What Did You Do in the War, Grandma? , was a great example. For the elementary age group, Martin Luther King Jr. Timeline Page was an example that could be used for any group. I especially liked the way the Mr. Montaño's class integrated the technology into their own personal lives (Spanish Family History Project). I really wished it were in English so I was able to read them as well.

I wonder when the rest of the world is going to realize that the world is changing and we cannot stop evolving with it. At High Tech High they are staying in the ‘grove’ of things. The school is offering a school that is totally online. I think that it is great that some of the business world is buying into the students of today. They have the right idea. These students are the employees of the near future….what better way to recruit your staff.

Week 12 Readings – Technology and Student Performance

2005-11-28T17:02:00.000-08:00

I really felt that the reading on technology and student performance stuck with me. Most educators want their students to enhance their thinking skills, decision-making skill, and problem solving skills. In the article (Beyond Technology: Making a difference in student performance), Jamie McKenzie offered ten need-to-know strategies with two important ideas.
1. The Primacy of Literacy
If the emphasis is on literacy - “showing students how to think for themselves, how to make up their minds, and how to interpret the information flowing into their classrooms - that will translate into higher scores on demanding new state tests as well as the most important test of all: their future.”
2. The Urgency of Professional Development
The educators need support, understanding, and enthusiasm. Professional development needs to be addressed – wisely. The important professional development needs to focus on how to bring information literacy skills and experiences into the daily routines. Overall, devoting more developmental time and attention to curriculum opportunities and teaching strategies.

I think that McKenzie put it well when he said: an emphasis on literacy, combined with a robust commitment to professional development, is the key to a successful experience with network and new technologies. Students and teachers alike will benefit from such a focus and such an opportunity”. Talk about hitting the nail on the head.

There has been evidence of disappointing results. There are a large percentage of teachers that fell they are unprepared to make effective use of the technology in their classrooms. Reports have also shown that there was an increase in the use of technology, but not many indications of the use being student use. The teachers that have taken more of a ‘constructivist’ approach rather than a ‘traditional’ approach are more likely to allow students to use technology. (Becker) The relationship between teacher style and classroom practice with new technology is evident. The constructivist classroom is more likely to encourage active, not passive learning, more likely to encourage creativity, and more likely to emphasizing the process of problem solving, decision making, and evaluation skills. (Rakes) There is a lack of “credible” studies showing how student learning and performance has changed. The lack of research makes it difficult for school leaders to know which strategies are worth pursuing. There are ten Effective Strategies:
1. Put learning First
2. Build Support
3. Invest in staff growth
4. Slow down
5. Focus and Provide adequate resources
6. Use assessment to steer programs
7. Shed the ineffectual
8. Remember the lessons of the past
9. Heed research
10.Ask good questions

Week 11 Readings – One Computer Classrooms

2005-11-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

The readings these weeks were about one-computer classrooms, which apply to me. I have one computer in my classroom and it is used as a teacher workstation. According to the article (One Computer Classroom - Article 1 / One Computer Classroom - Article 2) you can use the single computer as a presentation stations, as a learning or research center, and as a way to telecommunicate with the world. I would most likely use the single computer as a presentation station as I need to be able to take attendance each period on it as well as check email throughout the class period.

Presentation Station: a computer connected to a television or video projector to be able to integrate technology into instruction

Uses:
· Introduce the unit to the class at one time
· Model skills needed to navigate the web
· Demonstrate how to complete a task
· Discuss the assessment rubric
· Telecommunicate information with others
· Quick reference using the web

Computer Learning Stations: supports and enhances what you teach by creating a Topic Hotlist or InfomationQuest of useful sites for students’ use.

Uses:
· Research stations
· Rotations
o Jigsaw readings
o Divide and conquer
· General information

Telecollaboration: a way for your students to communicate with other students or experts in your area, other states, or around the world.

Uses:
· Modeled by the teacher
· Compare data that is retrieved

According to the article (Strategies and Implications for the One-Computer Classroom) detailing about strategies and applications for the one-computer classroom. I picked out a few of the strategies and applications that I felt would apply to me in my classroom.
Use the Computer as Teacher Tool

Keeping records
Create customized follow up work for lessons
Communicate with other processionals and subject experts via email

Use the Computer as Multimedia Chalk Board or Flip Chart

Demonstrate Math Concepts
Group brainstorming session to introduce a new unit
Live access to selected internet sites to enhance discussion or illustrate a point
o Have Students use the Computer as a Tool for Individual Input as Part of a Larger Group
Each student could add one item related to a topic to be used for discussion

Use the Computer as Learning Center or Station (I most likely would not use this method in my classroom)

Calculator for math to check work
Tanagrams

Use the Computer as Cooperative Learning Tool

Poll the class on a topic
Make a graph to compare the results

Have Students Use the Computer to do Individual Work for Practice or Assessment

Take a Quiz
Type a procedure to solving a problem.

Week 10 Readings – Assessments

2005-11-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

Most of these articles talked about Authentic Assessment. The first two (Authentic Assessment Overview part I and Authentic Assessment Overview part II) helped me both to get a clear insight into what authentic assessment is and also how I can use it in the classroom. Authentic assessment is a way of evaluating student’s abilities in “real world” contexts. It stresses not only the final test, but also the entire learning process. I believe that this is a good method because all too often students are just memorizing information, relaying it back on the test, and then forget it. The article gives you five types of performance samples:

Performance assessment,
Short investigations,
Open-response questions,
Portfolios,
Self-assessment.

The second article (The Case for Authentic Assessment) gives some valid reasons as to why authentic assessment is a good way to evaluate student’s learning over other testing methods, such as multiple-choice tests. For one, traditional tests only make students recognize or recall what they learned out of context. However, authentic assessment forces students to use the knowledge they have obtained in practical, real world ways. This is extremely true. Anybody can pass a multiple-choice test with enough studying and memorization, but that does not mean that the student understands the material. In using authentic assessment though it can be made clear that the student does understand the material and knows how to apply it in a real world setting.

Another thing that was talked about in was designing rubrics for grading students’ work (Designing Scoring Rubrics for Your Classroom). There are two general types of rubrics: holistic and analytical. A holistic rubric means that the teacher scores the entire project as a whole, not in parts. The analytic rubric, which is what I personally prefer, has teachers score separate, individual parts of the project first, and then adds all of these scores to obtain the final grade. The reason I like this way better is because I feel that it helps the student learn more. They can see where there weaknesses were along the way, and if they are off to a bad start, can see this by their grade and adjust to fix whatever it is that they need to fix. This article also gives a good process for designing a scoring rubric. The steps are as follows (this is for an analytic rubric):
1. Re-examine the learning objectives,
2. Identify specific things that you want to see,
3. Brainstorm characteristics that describe each attribute,
4. Write thorough descriptions for excellent and poor work for each stage of the process,
5. Fill in other levels between excellent and poor work,
6. Collect samples of prior student work that exemplify each level, and
7. Revise the rubric if necessary.

Week 9 Readings – Information Literacy

2005-11-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

In reading the first article (Authenticating Online Information) on finding reliable information online there were many useful tips. The five W’s of cyberspace (who, what, when, where, and why) allow for students to be better able to navigate through all the information that is presented to them. I believe that many students feel overwhelmed with all of the information and many times also believe that all of it is true. By providing them with these simple questions of the five W’s we can help students to narrow down some of the unreliable sources that are out there.
In the second article (Fishing the Net: Teach kids what to keep and what to throw back) we are given ways that as teachers we can help students to organize and get the most out of the internet. The seven-step model has the following stages:

Identifying the right stages
Organizing the search
Selecting appropriate search tools
Analyzing online resources
Synthesizing, sorting, and sifting
Publishing new information
Getting feedback.

I feel that one of the most useful steps in this process is step number two: organizing the search. Many times students will just go to google and start typing in words and clicking on the first web page that comes up. I think that as a teacher it would be very helpful if we would help the students learn to use bookmarks, folders, and the appropriate search engines for the type of information they are looking for. At the end of the article I think the most valid point of all is made. That is that teachers should teach with technology, that is incorporate it into the curriculum of other subjects.

The last article (We Have the Information You Want, But Getting It Will Cost You: Being Held Hostage by Information Overload) talks about things that I think everybody can relate to, too much information on the internet, much of which is not even valid. The article does not really give any specifics to help solve the problem, except that there needs to be better information retrieval systems. This is more in the hands of those creating search engines and so forth, and not really something we as teachers can accomplish. However, when realizing this “information overload” problem and using the steps in the first two articles a good foundation is laid for us as teachers that we can pass onto our students.

Week 8 Readings - Learning with Technology

2005-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

When reading this article (Learning With Confidence: Encouraging Risk and Failure in Learning ) I really reflected back on my own teaching. I think it is true that many students do not answer questions in a fear of being wrong. Especially in math, you notice that it’s always the same students answering questions and the rest of the class just kind of sits there. This could definitely be because those students are afraid that if they answer wrong others will judge them. However, learning does involve “moments of pain and faltering” and teachers must acknowledge these moments, not with judgment but instead as part of the learning process. Training teachers and is one way to overcome this problem. One idea that the article gives is to initially give students a problem that they cannot solve. This will make them realize that there is a “gap in their knowledge” and that they must learn to close this gap.
The last two articles (Laptop Lessons) talk about incorporating technology into the classroom and students education. Having laptops in the classroom can have its benefits, as it may open the door for students to collaborate more. Emails and chat rooms allow the more quite students who do not speak in class to voice their opinions, and not to mention it helps all student’s “craft their voices.” The integration of laptops in the classroom may be most beneficial to English teachers, but I think all teachers in any subjects could get use out of them. However, along with the benefits come the downfalls. Broken computers, printers not working, and then waiting for the tech department to come fix these problems can lead teachers to numerous headaches. So laptops are a wonderful learning tool, but beware they cause many more problems than paper and pencil.
One curriculum for using the World Wide Web in teaching is a five phase instructional approach developed primarily by Bill Robertson. (Integrating Technology into Instruction) These five phases are: planning, research, development, refinement, and implementation. All of these steps have a high-quality way of using multiple computer programs (such as inspiration and word) along with internet and e-mail as a guiding tool for students to learn. I believe that all teachers should be trying to incorporate, not necessarily just this technique, but technology in general, into their curriculum. Whether teachers like it or not this is the age of the internet and its best that we equip students with the knowledge they will need in higher education as well as careers in terms of technology use. Especially if we as teachers are able to incorporate technology as a way to help students learn the material and gain a deeper knowing in the subject, then why not.

Week 7 Readings – Understanding by Design and Electronic Portfolios

2005-11-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

The point that I found most interesting in the first article (Understanding by Design) was “teaching for understanding.” It talked about how teachers need to basically start with the big idea and then work their way through the smaller details. It is important for the teachers to make sure they incorporate multiple resources and use multiple forms of assessment. (Understanding by Design) Nowadays in teaching this has been a very big deal. Students learn in multiple ways, and what works for one may not work for another. As for the students they should be able to describe the big picture of what they are learning and not just retell facts that they memorized.
The backward design model is where the teacher first looks at the goals that the students need to learn by the end of the unit. So instead of just starting the unit off by planning a bunch of activities, the teacher first needs to assess what his/her goals are for the students. From there the teacher will better be able to plan activities and assessments that will more effectively help the students learn. There are three stages in the backward design model:

1. Identify desired results
2. Determine acceptable evidence
3. Plan learning experiences and instruction.

The article (Understanding by Design and Backwards Design ) also tells about Grant Wiggin’s six levels of true understanding. When a student can do the following then it tells the teacher that they truly understand: can explain, can interpret, can apply, has perspective, can empathize, and has self knowledge. As a teacher I feel that these are very good guidelines to go by. I have noticed that many times teachers teach to the test, just so their students can have enough knowledge to pass. However, this does the student no good. But if the student is able to do these six things, then it shows that they truly do understand and what they have learned will probably stick with them even after the test.
The article on constructing ePortfolios (ePortfolios: Constructing Meaning Across Time, Space and Curriculum) gave many reasons as to why efolios are helpful to students. The ePorfolio is specifically defined as “persons digital record containing information such as a personal profile and collection of achievements.” (ePortfolios: Constructing Meaning Across Time, Space and Curriculum) The e-folio is helpful to both students and teachers. For teachers this is a very good way to reflect on their career and evaluate what they need to improve on. It kind of does the same thing for the student; it helps them reflect on their work. But for students it is also a good way to prepare them for a future filled with lots of technology. More and more things are now being done on computers as opposed to paper and pencil. So I believe it is a great idea to start students in preparing their best works in a digital portfolio so they are better prepared when they are out of school.

Week 6 Readings – Technology in Language Arts and Social Studies

2005-11-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

The reading this week about technology in a language arts and social studies classroom was new to me as I teach math. How technology can enrich reading and writing instruction – a friend for the Language Arts was interesting. However, the information off to the side of the main article, seemed to be more relevant to the teacher of a language arts classroom.

The article Integrating Technology into the Language Arts Classroom was about various ways teachers can integrate technology into the language arts classroom. The main purpose of the article provided multiple lesson ideas for language arts. Sample lesson ideas included:

Digital presentations
Books Online
WebQuest
Discussion and focus on plagiarism with the Internet
Streaming Video
Grammar instruction (individual practice)
PowerPoint Presentations
Word Processing software available for writing projects

As a teacher, one of our evaluation areas is listing our objectives. Using powerpoint, this could be done in advanced and not needed to be rewritten each year – they would be already to be reused. I do give the students a calendar of the units activities for each day and list them on there as well. However, I would know that they objectives were in plain sight and I could reference to them thorughout the class period. I also found that being able to pay and submit a paper to see if the student plagerised is new to me as I do not grade papers. I do wonder how many teachers are willing to pull that money out of their own pocket to prove the student to be wrong and how accurate the results would be.
I agreed with the article Alaska Department of Education & Early Development: Technology: The Social Studies Enter the 21st Century. The Alaska Department of Education is stressing the need for their student to use technology and understand how technology affects individuals and society. Integrating technology into the classroom enhances the content area of learning. The article goes into more specifics on:

What technology is

Low tech vs. high tech
Maps, magazines, photographs, copiers,TV'slephones, TVs, VCRs, & overhead projectors most likely found in classrooms
Added as technology enhanced was fax machines, computers, photo and video digitizing, E-mail, Internet, scanners, etc
Teachers cannot wait on high tech solutions to arrive. They must use what is available to them.

Teacher resources for assessment and planning

Teachers should make use of all opportunities to further their own technology skills.
Technology should be used effectively
Don’t bite off more than you can chew: Do not purchase software and hardware that can be mastered in one shot.
Greater teacher mastery of technology is less effort needed for classroom use and student mastery.

Application considerations – seven types of computer-based applications teachers find useful

Simulations
Data Bases
Networks
Desktop Publishing
Presentations
Hypermedia/Interactive Multimedia
Color Printing

Evaluating and selecting computer software – that would best serve the educational needs

Determine what you need
Find out what products are out there
Techniques of Previewing Software
Sources of funding and grant-writing tips

Technology and civic responsibility in a Republic

Technology has effected not only education but the government has well.
The government has reflected on how to integrate technology into the daily operations to get more citizens involved.

Classroom examples

Any learning experience can be integrated with technology
Teachers are key to the success of technology integration
Teachers need support

The article Integrating Technology into the Curriculum: Technology in English/Language Arts Instruction offered a list of the different types of technology that can be used specifically for the subject areas. For instance, for English/Language Arts Instruction the ideas listed include:

Teachers can use drill and practice software for improving basic skills,
Word processing software or blogs to journal and keep records of personal growth
Developing and writing stories/articles/etc. including editing the writing piece using the word processing spelling and grammar checker, etc.
Multimedia/online reference tools for conducting research.
Online resource sites for games that improve students' vocabulary, phonics, and story mapping skills
Interactive books, reading skill building software
Network communities to participate in online learning-collaborative reading and writing.

Week 5 Readings – Classroom Strategies: WebQuests, Problem-Based Learning, and Virtual Field Trips

2005-11-27T13:38:00.000-08:00

The readings on classroom strategies: WebQuest, problem-based learning, and virtual field trips were very informative. I had first heard about a WebQuest about 3 years ago and cannot believe how much they have grown and developed. According to the article, WebQuest vs. Kleenex, the word ‘WebQuest’ was found far more often in an educational search than ‘standardizes test’, which surprised me. Standardized test, now a day, seems to be driving what and how educators teach in the classroom. If made properly, a WebQuest should teach the student what it is that they need to know – even if tested by a standardized test. According to the article Making WebQuests More Exciting, they hit it on the nose: “To excite is to entertain, to entertain is to captivate, to captivate is to inspire, to inspire is to teach."

The QuestGarden Overview is an outline authoring tool designed to make it quicker and easier to create a high quality WebQuest. Here you are able to join in with a community of educators with the same common goal. You are able to generate ideas for improvement that will benefit all that use the WebQuest. For about the next year, membership is free.

In the article Project, Problem, and Inquiry-based Learning project-based learning, problem-based learning, and inquiry-based learning are closely related and fit well with technology-rich learning environments. You could organize ideas, search for current information, and present ideas, while using multimedia. This is keeping the focus of the learning environment to the students’ excitement about solving a problem or addressing an issue they find meaningful. It can be challenging to create a classroom that has an environment that is spoken about, Combs (1976) says that three characteristics are needed (Learner-Centered Classrooms, Problem-Based Learning, and the Construction of Understanding and Meaning by Students):

1. The atmosphere should facilitate the exploration of meaning where learners feel safe and accepted.
2. Learners must be given frequent opportunities to confront new information and experiences in their search for meaning. The new to confront new challenges using their prior experiences.
3. New meaning should be acquired through a process of personal discover, adapting to the learner’s own style and pace for learning.

With the amount of days that the teacher has to teach the required material make is difficult to pull a student from a full day of learning and take them to a ‘place’ close to school. However, many reputable museums and organizations have created online experiences for students to learn in a multimedia environment. (Field Trips Go Virtual) The experience can include, but is not limited to, still photos, audio clips, streaming bideo, text, or interactive games. Like an actual field trip takes planning, to make a virtual field trip a success, the following guidelines are suggested: be sure the students know the URL address, spend time at the sites before attempting to lead the students there, build excitement around the virtual trip, and provide goals for the student to reach while on their trip. Student will be glad to have taken trips such as to the Pyramids in Egypt, as that is not a trip they would normally take with their 6th grade class. It provides an opportunity for the students to learn and explore.

Week 4 Readings – Curriculum Maps

2005-11-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

I was able to relate to this weeks reading about curriculum mapping. When I taught middle school, I was on the middle school math curriculum mapping committee for the Deer Valley Unified School District. This opportunity broadened my knowledge of what the students should know when they entered into my classroom. Ideally, a curriculum map is supposed to be designed to document the child’s learning from one grade level to another. Parents and educators should be able to look at the calendar-based compilation of the content, skills, and assessments, showing what that child has experienced at each grade level. (School Wide Curriculum Mapping: Improving Student Learning K-12).
Two groups of people, the team that organize the map and the educators, work very had to create this vision of what the map would be and investigates whether schools or district resources permit such a vision to become reality. (Roadmap to Success: A Curriculum Mapping Primer ) Once the vision is clear, the educators are then requested to chronologically map the important skills, content, and assessment addressed in each of the classes they teach. The map at that time can be simple or elaborate, addressing major ideas and projects, as well as be geared to the school calendar.
Curriculum maps can strengthen instruction school wide. Understanding that it is a work in progress as the factors that affect instruction such as new teachers, alteration to a program, or changes to the state standards manifest, making curriculum mapping much more of a focus on building skills and knowledge. Therefore, students naturally begin to link the information between and among courses. Then teachers can verify skills addressed in other courses, resulting in unit plans to have a higher level of thinking, making learning more relevant. Educators, then form a team within their grade level or department, improving instruction and learning. Sample Curriculum Maps by Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs is a great place to get started in your school if you are not already plugged in. (Sample Curriculum Maps )

Week 3 Readings – Theoretical Background, Technology Integration and Blogging

2005-10-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed the articles this week about theoretical background, technology integration and blogging. The first article (A summary of the new learning paradigms) gave a summary of the new learning paradigms. It is nice to be able to read something and be able to relate and compare to what I am doing in my classroom. It puts things into perspective. Constructivism in general is that the learner is actively creating their own meaning, the learners is collaborating by inputting their personal beliefs and hearing others perspective as well as able to build on their prior experiences. Student-centered learning environments are to addressing each individual, pin-pointing their unique needs and the students’ learning drives theory. Situated cognition is no set method for instruction and the students interact with their environment. Communities of practice are individuals sharing as participants, their beliefs and practices. Distributed cognition is a whole group being knowledgeable and they are working towards a consensus. Everyday cognition is used primary in mathematics and are learned through personal experience.
I was able to really relate to Kelly Scin that was trying to integrate technology into her curriculum. Along with her, I feel that I am one of those educators that are in between having a full technology classroom. “I do not believe that technology is the savior of public education. Nor do I believe it is an expensive frill. Used wisely, I believe, technology is a powerful learning tool.” (A Multimedia Odyssey: One teacher's journey into technology integration) When teaching classes are that required in order to graduate high school as well as needing the students to pass a state standardize test, it is difficult to do a full 180° turn and change my way of teaching to relay on technology. I have a very difficult time balancing time as it is since we have so many standards to cover in such little time. They are now granting bonuses on how well your students are doing with a paper and pencil. Don’t get me wrong, if used wisely, I do feel that technology can be integrated with the standards and the students can do just as well on the standardized tests. That is something that I am working towards mastering.
A few ways that multimedia can be used wisely was given in A Multimedia Odyssey: One teacher's journey into technology integration. First you should set up a well-coordinated system with other teachers. You may need to share equipment and who better to work with and bounce ideas off than you colleague, which brings me to the second step. Share ideas constantly, keeping in mind that the key to your success is not whether you use it, but how you use it. Thirdly, be aware of Murphy’s Law. Always have a backup plan just in case the technology malfunctions. Lastly, be prepare for more planning time. Integration always takes more time in the beginning. However, with the help of your colleagues and mastery, the planning time for each lesson will drop as time passes.
Integration of technology will help improve students skills in working with technology and their cooperative learning is enhances due to their interactions with each other. Students could be paired for projects. This seems more ideal for an elementary level classroom rather than a high school classroom. Some teachers feel that the assignments can become more individualized and they are able to work more independently resulting in a more enhanced learning experience.
The last articles were on Blogging. Blogging is difficult to define, but seems to be summed up to the connection and interaction of individuals based on a topic of choice. There are some guidelines for getting started. First, start blogging, practice makes perfect. Next, know your motivation, what is it that you are trying to accomplish? Then, link. Linking is communicating. Experiment and use your life experiences. Give your opinion and express your personality. Always post regularly so your readers do not drop off. Keep your writing clear and write for a reason.

Week 2 Readings – Constructivism and Technology

2005-10-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

When I first starting reading the articles, I was not too sure what to do with the table. (Constructivism and Technology ) As I continued to read the following articles, (Building Knowledge, School Reform: What Role can Technology Play in a Constructivist Setting?) I found the first article made much more sense once I reread it again. The constructivism theory that is impacting education can be described as: discovery learning, self evaluation, peer review, the student as the active learner, the teacher as the facilitator, and life-long learning being accomplished, just to mention a few. Using technology effectively in a classroom helps “move from a teacher-centered activity, lecture-oriented format to a more student-centered one devoted to problem-based activities.” (Building Knowledge) This allows the classroom to shift to small groups, coaching rather than direct instruction, keeping the student more actively engaged, and being collaborative rather than competitive.
As a teacher, I know that all children learn differently. A great way for students to show their ideas and interests, which can drive their learning process, is through a multimedia presentation. Students are driven to a higher-level of thinking and can use what they have learned to express themselves in a unique way through different technology projects. I still ask myself why aren’t more teachers jumping on board to this if it helps the student grow as a decision maker and they become an explorer of their generation.
Technology plays a large role in the efforts to reform education. There are “five goals to meaningful education reform that apply. Learning should be more: 1. Independent 2. Individualized 3. Interactive 4. Interdisciplinary and 5. Intuitive.”( School Reform: What Role can Technology Play in a Constructivist Setting?) This change is very hard for many educators to do. Elementary teachers seem to be using the constructive approach much more often than secondary teachers, which are using more didactic methods. This may be due to standardized testing that must be passed. I can tell you that in the school I teach in, many of the teachers are resistance to change, especially when it comes to technology. Not only do the teachers not want to differ from what they have experienced, but the students are required to perform well on the AIMS and other standardized tests in order to graduate.
Teachers that are interested in trying out the constructive approach combined with technology face some issues. Gaining access to a technology lab on campus can be difficult or impossible. In addition, utilizing technology in the classroom takes extra time for planning on the teacher’s part, which many are not willing to do. The lack of funding and no clear vision also makes it difficult for teachers to change their way of teaching, presenting new material and assessing the students. All we can hope for in the near future is for those teachers that are using the constructive approach combined with technology is to utilize it in their classrooms, helping to educate others.