Education + Technology → Growth

The biggest impact will be on knowledge industries such as education and medicine, which are in great need of increased productivity. The impact on education will be profound, but first there will have to be a critical mass of technology in the classroom.

-Peter Drucker• Education is growth...Education is, not a

preparation for life; Education is life itself. • John Dewey

How Far We’ve Come

• These improvements are affordable.• As a tool for reaching the goal of

increasing student achievement, technology is more cost effective than:

$ Class size reduction

$Increasing instructional time

$ Cross age tutoring

How Far We’ve Come

• Technology = higher achievement– Testing– For students of all ages– Learning information– Connecting with the material– Classroom differentiation– Attitude about school– For the future

How Far We’ve Come

• Testing– Computer based

instruction shows a 14%-30% increase on achievement tests.

– Learn more in less time

– Positive attitude develops

How Far We’ve Come

• Technology rich environment research shows:

• Students of all ages are affected.– Increased achievement from pre-school to

higher education for both regular and special education students.

– All students show attitude toward learning improving and an improved self-concept

How Far We’ve Come

• Technology allows for better application of research proven strategies for improving student achievement.– Similarities and differences (patterns)– Organization of complex information– Overall hypothesizing and communicating– Fosters cooperative learning

Dr. Robert Marzano

Instructional Strategies That Affect Student Achievement

Category Avg. ES % Gain

Identify similarities/differences 1.61 45

Summarizing & note taking 1.00 34

Reinforce effort & recognition .80 29

Homework & practice .77 28

Nonlinguistic representations .75 27

Cooperative learning .73 27

Set objectives & feedback .61 23

Generate/test hypotheses .61 23

Questions, cues, organizers .59 22

Motivation

• An issue of concern that must be addressed

• Students learn best when highly motivated• Motivation increases retention and time on

task

Technology’s Role in Motivation

• Technology is greater than hardware and software

• Learning “from” computers vs. learning “with” computers

• Project-based learning activities – Tracking Arsonists– Saving Lives– Aqueduct mapping

Technology in Schools Today

• Inquiry based

• Student centered

• Student engagement

• Empowerment

• Achievement

Differentiation in the Classroom“Research on learning tasks suggests that activities and assignments should be sufficiently varied and interesting to motivate student engagement, sufficiently new or challenging to constitute meaningful learning experiences rather than needless repetition, and yet sufficiently easy to allow students to achieve high rates of success” (Brophy, 2000).

Student Assessment

• “Effective teachers use assessment for evaluating students’ progress in learning and for planning curriculum improvements, not just for generating grades. Good assessment includes data from many sources” (Brophy, 2000).

• Technology offers students instant feedback.

• Students can evaluate their own performance and identify areas of need.

• The time a teacher saves by using technology for some assessments, frees the instructor to develop assessment-driven curriculum.

Students with Special Needs

• “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires every school to provide its special needs students with whatever technologies are necessary for a “free and appropriate education” (Lankutis, 2004).

• In its Entry Level Standards for Michigan Teachers, the Michigan Department of Education (2002, pg. 4) demands that teachers, “Understand the equity, ethical, legal, social, physical, and psychological issues surrounding the use of technology in P-12 schools and apply that understanding in practice.”

“Show Me the Research!”

• A 2007 Taiwanese study evaluated the effects of a personalized computer-assisted mathematics problem-solving program (Chen & Liu, 2007)

• Researchers (Topping & Paul, 1999, Vollands, Topping & Evans, 1999, and VanderZee, Rue & Swanson, 1996) studied reading management programs.

• Starkman (2007) studied the effectiveness of technology combined with the Reading First program.

• DuBosq (2002) studied the effectiveness of technology to individualize instruction and encourage cooperative learning.

The future is about Change in Technology

Moore’s Law• The processing power and speed of any

electronic calculating device will double every 18 months.

• At the same time the price of technology will decline approximately 35% a year relative to the power. [Thornburg, 1996].

Examples of Moore’s Law

• The evolution from mainframe computers to PC’s to PDA’s.

• Nanotechnology, the use of atoms as the fundamental building block of technology. Nanotech is likely to continue to drive the same pace of development in future technology.

The future is about changes in Society• Longer life expectancies. By 2100 the

average life expectancy will be 107, and those over 55 will outnumber those under 20.

• The U.S. will be a nation of minorities by 2050.

• It is estimated that today’s youngest workers will hold 12 to 15 jobs in their lifetimes.

The future is about values

• “Social and intellectual capital will be the primary economic value in Society… It isn’t just what you know but who you know that will be of value. “You can’t use knowledge up . As you use it, it grows, creating a perpetual wealth machine” [Marx 2002].

The future is about new attitudes

The Millennials or Gen Xers born beginning in 1983 are a very technologically connected group of people according to Gary Marx (2002).

Gen Xers have been born into a more multicultural society that has seen a rise of violence and terrorism. He believes they as a group will insist on solutions to problems and injustices of the past.

The Future is about Competition

• Bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering make up 60% of total degrees earned in China.

• 5% of degrees in US in 2005 were in science and engineering.

• By 2010 it is predicted that 90% of all the world’s scientists and engineers will be in Asia.

• “The decline of US enrollment in science and engineering combined with the fact that scientist and engineers will be even more coveted in the U.S. at a great disadvantage as a nation.” [Dagget 2005]

The future is about new skills

“Twenty-first century businesses seek employees with a host of sophisticated skills, including the ability to solve problems, communicate effectively, think critically and grasp complex systems…workers need ongoing and timely training to meet the needs of the workplace-and to create opportunities for themselves. [Dagget 2005].

The Future is a new kind of Student

• must be editors of information• need to network with colleagues both locally and

across the world• must develop skills in problem solving, critical

thinking, technical reading and writing and applied technical reasoning. This type of learning is often referred to as “digital literacy”

• must be collaborative and flexible.• must be able to multitask• Most importantly they will need to develop a “learning

lifestyle”

How Far We’ve Come

• Let’s face it, the world has changed a lot. We need to change with it.

• Eight out of ten of the fastest-growing occupations are computer-related.

• Technology allows– Authentic materials at all times.– Creation of libraries unparalleled to what we’ve

seen in the past.– Resources on par with higher education

institutions

How Far We’ve Come

• The results are clear.

• Motivation: Technology is what drives students today.

• Differentiation: Instruction can be customized easier than ever. Now we can focus on maximizing impact.

• The Future: Technology is a constant. It continuously impacts and inspires life-long learning.

Bibliography

Bradford, M. (2005, January).Motivating Students Through Project-Based Service Learning. T.H.E. Journal. 32, 29-30.

Brophy, J. (2000). Teaching educational practices series—1. International Academy of Education, Geneva, Switzerland.

Chen, C. & Liu, P. (2007). Personalized computer-assisted mathematics problem-solving program and its impact on Taiwanese students. The Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching 26(2), 105-21.

Cradler, John, Mary McNabb, Molly Freeman, and Richard Burchett. "How Does Technology Influence Student Learning?" Learning and Leading with Technology (2002): 46-56.

Dagget W. President, International Center for Leadership in Education Preparing Students for their Future. June 2005.

Bibliography

DuBosq, J. (2002). Take it to the next level: Individualized instruction in technology education. Tech Directions 61(7), 29-31.

Harris, C., Kaff, M., Anderson, M., & Knackendoffel, A. (2007). Designing flexible instruction. Principal Leadership 7(9) 31-5.

Howell, R. (2002) Student Organizations: How Important are they to Technology Education? The Technology Teacher v62 no1 p.24-6

Judge, S. (2006). Constructing an assistive technology toolkit for young children: Views from the field. Journal of Special Education technology 21(24), 17-24.

Kachala, Jay Sivin. “The Effectiveness of Technology in Schools: A Summary of Recent Research.” SLMQ Volume 25, Number 1, Fall 1996.

Lankutis, T. (2004). Special needs technologies: An administrator’s guide. Technology & Learning 25(2), 30, 32, 34, 36.

Lumsden, L. S. (1994, June). Student Motivation to Learn. Eric Digest, 92, 1-2.

BibliographyMarx, G. (2002,March), Society for the Advancement of Education. USA Today

Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Alexandria, VA.

Michigan Department of Education, Office of Professional Preparation Services. (2004). Entry Level Standards for Michigan Teachers.

Paul, T., VanderZee, D., Rue, T., & Swanson, S. (1996). Impact of the Accelerated Reader technology-based literacy program on overall academic achievement and school attendance. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 15, 197-211.

Pitler, H. J. (2006, May/June). Viewing Technology Through Three Lenses. Principal, 85 no5, 38-42.

Schacter, John. "The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement." (1999): 1-12.

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Bibliography

Starkman, N. (2007). Reading first…technology second?. T.H.E. Journal, 34(5), 38-40, 42, 44-5.

Stillwater Area Public Schools, (2006, November). Benefits of Technology Facts. Retrieved February 26, 2008, Web site: www.stillwaterlevy.org.

Thornburg D (1996). 2020 Visions for the future of education. Florida Educational Technology Conference, Orlando Florida.

Topping, K., & Paul, T. (1999). Computer-assisted assessment of practice at reading: A large scale survey using Accelerated Reader data. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 15, 219-232.

Vollands, S. Topping, K., & Evans, R. (1999). Computerized self-assessment of reading comprehension with the Accelerated Reader: Action research. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 15, 197-211