This week I was asked to reflect upon the nature of technology adoption in schools. The initial ideas that came to mind were thoughts about being able to authentically integrate technology so that it was part of the curriculum and not just an addition to it, or the level of faculty support and training that is provided, or the level of buy-in from the school leadership, but that isn’t where I ended up. Don’t get me wrong, those are all great points, but they leave one stark reality in the dust. In a world where school budgets are determined at the last possible second and monies are reduced by millions every year the big issue is the ability to plan for the long term.
Our schools as a whole are a great example. We know that the majority of schools systems in existence are physically and pedagogically designed around an industrialized teacher centered model. While some educators have tried to implement alternate models, the old inefficient model still remains. The integration of technology on a large scale will suffer much the same fate if long term commitments are not made up front.
These commitments need to allocate long term money to technology programs within the school systems that will not face cuts or compromises. Leadership must buy into the programs; teachers must be educated on the technology and how to integrate it into the curriculum without creating an extraneous load on the students. Students need to be supplied with new and relevant information that does not come from antiquated text books containing facts that are already out of date, and parents need to be brought into the loop as well.
The problem that exists is that we live in a world that revolves around immediate results. If we can’t test it with a bubble sheet then we probably won’t spend our money on it when it comes to education. The educational needs of our children have evolved and society, though quick to adapt technology on a personal or business level, is unwilling or unable to revolutionize the educational system in much the same way. Until we as a society are ready to recognize the need for change and drastically alter our philosophical perspective of knowledge and education, and make a long term commitment to funding and supporting the integration of technology as the medium, I fear that all of our efforts in the field will only serve as window dressing.
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting direction to take this. Do you feel that we are gearing our standardized testing to the wrong subjects? Could it be that the testing that we've grown so accustomed to is already an outdated concept?
I wonder if it matters how we rank worldwide in math. I'm thinking of that in terms of something like Excel. Is it necessary for everyone to test well in math, or is it more beneficial to have some who can formulate the equations and the rest just learn how and when to input them into the program?
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you discussed the industrialized design of education in our country and how that is a major source of problem for support with regard to curriculum design and implementation. Before even instructional technology can be successfully utilized, we must look at the setup of the system itself and where technology can perhaps assist with turning the problem areas into areas of success. The bureaucracy and inefficiencies cause massive delays in achievements, and I agree that until we find a way to cut a cleaner path in education for teachers in the areas that we can control such as planning and support, the students will continue to struggle.
Dyan Lester
@Joe: It isn't so much a question of standardized testing focusing on the wrong subjects as it is a question of standardized testing as a whole. Standardized tests cater to bureaucrats who need a numerical way to express progress or lack thereof. The problem is that the results are false since these types of tests do not actually measure the level of knowledge students have internalized in their long term memories. On the other hand we have research that proves things like projects, portfolios, and collaboration all lead to high levels of legitimate learning and serve as authentic assessment methods. Simply take a look at the Ed Tech program we are in and you can see how they have made strides to incorporate those ideas. I can personally testify that I have internalized and taken more away from these courses than any of my others.
ReplyDelete@Dyan: I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I fully believe that this is an issue that will need to be addressed from the top down. Not to say that individual educators and schools cannot make a difference, but in order for the changes to be long term and effective on a wide scale they will have to be massive in nature and hence from the top down.
Hi Aaron,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with your understanding of the use standardized testing in education. The primary reasons for standardized tests are that they are faster and less expensive to score. And, they are not new. I took a standardized test in the same format in the 1960s when I was in grade school as are used now.
At one point in the 1990s, California adopted the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) as a recognition that a clearer understanding of student thinking and articulation of knowledge. I was a scorer for the state in the 8th grade mathematics assessment. Students were given two open-ended questions that required them to explain the process of how to solve a particular problem. We scored the responses on a 4-point rubric. I spent an entire week of 8-hour days scoring these tests with a roomful of teachers.
Well, that process lasted just one year. It was too expensive, and it took too long for the state to get all of the tests scored. That's when we reverted back to solely using the machine-scored performance tests. Traditional education will not break away from this model of assessment. It's too big of a bureaucracy to change.
I believe that we now have the technology available to break away from public school old-model structures. ANd I say "Amen to that."
I see that you have a strong interest in addressing technology and the multiple intelligences. Yay for that. I would like to suggest a great book from ISTE that focuses on that. I use it in my full-time position. It is the foundation of why technology is effective - when used correctly by recognizing how people learn.
McKenzie, W. (2005). Multiple intelligences and instructional technology (2nd Edition). Eugene, OR: ISTE Publications.
Usually I would never suggest a book that is 6 years old for a technology program, but this is foundational understanding of the role of technology in the learning process. These key fundamentals in matching tech tools and strategies with each intelligence will not change, even as the tools continue to evolve.
Thanks for looking deeper.
Joanne