On - CUE · ntap.k12.ca.us/cue Mendocino, Lake, Del Norte, Humboldt counties ... Office), the...

Winter 2005 | Vol. 27 | No. 4

Advancing Student Achievement Through Technology

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Mobile LearningINSIDE: • Range of Use • Classroom Observations • Personal Digital Assistant • Can You Hear Me Now?

Fall 2005 OnCUE www.cue.org

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These are the lessons they’ll never forget.With InFocus, no one escapes the power of inspiration.

FIND OUT MORE:1-888-InFocuswww.InFocus.com/education

InFocus LP®600

Imagine That.

AdvertisingPaid advertising accepted in accordance with editorial policy. For ad deadlines or additional information, pleasecontact CUE Inc., c/o WestEd, 300 Lakeside Drive, 25thFloor, Oakland, CA 94612, 510/814.6630.

OnCUE journal (ISSN 0739-9553) is published and bulk-mailed four times during the academic year byComputer-Using Educators, Inc., and is one of the benefitsof membership. Membership for CUE is $40/year, U.S. reg-ular rate, and $30/year, U.S. student rate. Corporate mem-berships are available.

Entire contents Copyright 2005 by CUE, Inc., unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. To reprint articlesthat are copyrighted by the author, you must contact theauthor for permission. All other items may be reprintedfor educational use, but not for sale, with the provisionthat proper credit is given to OnCUE and to the author, if any.

2005/2006 CUE, Inc. Board of Directors

Mike Lawrence, Executive Director [email protected] Educators, Inc.c/o WestEd300 Lakeside Drive, 25th FloorOakland, CA 94612Phone 510/814-6630 | Fax 510/814-0195

Scott Smith, President

[email protected]

Chuck Holland, V.P./[email protected]

Debra White, Secretary

[email protected]

Hall Davidson, Member at [email protected]

Jan Half, Member at [email protected]

Barbara Keenoy, Member

[email protected]

Michael Morrison, [email protected]

Doug Prouty, [email protected]

Sharon Sutton, [email protected]

ContentsW I N T E R 2 0 0 5

mission

CCUE promotes and supports theeffective use of technology in theeducational community.

Editor LayoutSara Armstrong, Ph.D. Maria [email protected]

Contributing WritersBarbara Bray, Brian Bridges, Sandra Burdick, Tim LandeckDoug Prouty, Linda Oaks, David Thornburg, Chris York

Up Front {4}

Bits & Bytes {8}

Features

Classroom Observations ................................................ 10K E V I N S I L B E R B E R G , E D . D .

A Range of Use .............................................................. 12C H E R Y L L E M K E

Students Strike Gold ......................................................13J O N C O R I P P O

Can You Hear Me Now? ................................................14C H R I S F I T Z G E R A L D W A L S H

Personal Digital Assistant: New Tool in Hand ..............15A L E X B I C K

Departments

Professional Development ............................................ 16B A R B A R A B R A Y

Technology Coordination................................................ 18T I M L A N D E C K

CUE Review .................................................................. 20S A N D R A B U R D I C K

Columns

The Bleeding Edge .......................................................... 6D A V I D T H O R N B U R G , P H . D .

On CTAP .......................................................................... 9P A U L H A A S A N D B R I A N B R I D G E S

Tech Legislation & Advocacy .......................................... 9C H R I S Y O R K

CUE Information and Applications

CUE Membership Application ........................................ 5

Calendar ..........................................................Back Cover

Cover Photo: Coarsegold Elementary School students use portable technology

tools to enhance their learning.

Right: High School student James uses his handheld Franklin Collegiate

Dictionary for writing.

4 U P F R O N T

by Mike LawrenceExecutive Director

[email protected]

Lifelong Learning at its Best

Ihave a confession to make: I’m not as clever

as you may think I am. It’s true — I confess, Ihave a few hidden resources in my journey toadvance student achievement through technolo-gy. Well, ok, one.

His name is Peter.

I first met Peter as a student in myFreshman English class in 1994. In the years following, he became my T.A., then a paidStudent Technician at Costa Mesa High School.

the spirit of lifelong learning. I believe it is inthis vein that the best teachers are found withinthe best learners. I encourage CUE members toseek out and embrace these two-way learningexperiences. They will outlast any course ofstudy, and provide a richness of learning andgrowth that helps to keep your work fresh andengaging.

“He who learns from one who is learningdrinks from a flowing river.” Native AmericanProverb

It is in this spirit that CUE is proud toannounce our CUEtoYOU ProfessionalDevelopment program. Our presenters are notmerely “trainers” or “techies.” We solicit onlythose who share the vision of active learningthrough leading. For this reason, we call them“Lead Learners.” If your school or districtwould like to bring these CUE Lead Learners toyour local school, library, district, or office, con-tact CUE, or visit <www.cue.org/cuetoyou/> formore information.✪

Two-Way Teaching & Learning

Winter 2005 OnCUE www.cue.org

I eventually was able to bring Peter on board asa Technical Intern at my next position at thecounty office and I continue to rely on his adviceand expertise to this day. It was Peter who firstintroduced me to blogs (back in 1999, by theway), Creative Commons, Web 2.0, Furl, Flickr,RSS feeds, Cascading Style Sheets, Firefox, cam-era phones, and countless other developmentsin the last decade. Yes — when we met, I was histeacher, but I’ve found that our relationship hasbenefited greatly from a two-way learning expe-rience. I taught him, but was open to learning atthe same time. He learned from me, but wascomfortable sharing a solution that he believedwas more efficient, elegant, and overall, better.

Recently, I’ve come to understand that thisrelationship is more common that I hadthought. I’ve found several other educators whohave happened upon this two-way learning rela-tionship and nurtured it, sharing innovationsand inspirations and growing together. All ittakes is a willingness to learn, and to embrace

NEW “BLEEDING EDGE” COLUMN

CUE’S COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE SUG-

GESTED THAT ONCUE INCLUDE A COLUMN

ABOUT TECHNOLOGY TOOLS FOR THE CLASS-

ROOM THAT ARE JUST STARTING TO BE USED, AND

THAT CUE MEMBERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.

THIS NEW COLUMN, THE BLEEDING EDGE,

BEGINS WITH THE CURRENT ISSUE, AND WILL BE

WRITTEN BY DAVID THORNBURG, LONG-TIME

CUE MEMBER AND INTERNATIONAL THOUGHT

LEADER. — EDITOR

❒ Beach Cities CUEwww.bccue.orgLos Angeles South Bay Area

❒ Cahuilla CUEwww.cahuillacue.orgCoachella Valley

❒ Capitol CUEwww.capcue.orgAlpine, Amador, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer,Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, andYuba counties

❒ Central California CUEwww.cccue.comSan Joaquin, Stanislaus, Mariposa,Merced, Tuolumne, and Calaverascounties

❒ Central Valley CUEwww.cvcue.orgFresno, Kings, Tulare and Madera counties

❒ CUELAwww.cuelosangeles.orgLos Angeles County

❒ East Bay CUEwww.ebcue.orgAlameda and Contra Costa counties

❒ East San Gabriel Valley CUEwww.esgvcue.netEast San Gabriel Valley

❒ Gold Coast CUEgoldcoastcue.orgVentura County

❒ iCUE Silicon Valleyhomepage.mac.com/icuesvSan Mateo and Santa Clara counties

❒ Imperial Valley CUEwww.ivcue.orgImperial County

❒ Inland Area [email protected] Bernardino and Riverside countiesexcept Coachella Valley

❒ Kern [email protected] County

❒ Mission Trail CUEwww.slonet.org/~mtcueSan Luis Obispo County

❒ North Coast CUEntap.k12.ca.us/cueMendocino, Lake, Del Norte,Humboldt counties

❒ Orange County CUEwww.occue.orgOrange County

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❒ Tri CUEMonterey, Santa Cruz and San Benitocounties

❒ Wine Country CUEwww.winecountrycue.orgSonoma and Napa Counties

❒ None

Special Interest Groups

❒ Administrators’ SIG Support for technology-using schooladministrators.Michael [email protected]

❒ Independent Schools SIGPrivate, parochial, K-12, and highereducation organizations.Donna Dayton [email protected]

❒ Library Media Educators’ SIGA support group for learning resourceprofessionals.Lesley Farmer [email protected]

❒ TEC/ASTUTEProfessional development across theteaching continuumPam Redmond [email protected] Chiero [email protected]

❒ Technology Coordinators’ SIGSchool, district and county coordina-tors’ support.Doug Prouty [email protected] Landeck [email protected]

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Position: ❒ Teacher ❒ Administrator ❒ Classified ❒ TOSA/TechCoordinator ❒ Parent ❒ Retired ❒ Student ❒ Higher Ed. Faculty❒ IT Professional ❒ Executive or Director ❒ Other:

Organization: ❒ Elementary School ❒ Middle School ❒ High School❒ Community College ❒ University ❒ Business Sector ❒ Nonprofit❒ Government ❒ Other:

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CUE?

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Check payable to / Mail to: Computer-Using Educators, Inc. c/o WestEd300 Lakeside Drive, 25th FloorOakland, CA 94612

Benefits• Discounted registration fees on CUE

conference and other state and localCUE activities.

• Annual subscription to OnCUE, pub-lished four times a year.

• Recognition programs and LeRoy FinkelFellowship.

• Voting privileges. • Continuing Education Credit for attend-

ing CUE conference. • Membership to one Affiliate and/or any

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notice and up-to-date information. • Group Membership discounts. Please

call the CUE office for information. • Discounted NECC 2006 registration and

ISTE Membership • Discounts on other local resources (i.e.

Resource Center for Teachers (RAFT)including free access to the TechnologyCenter)

• myCUE suite of benefits

Affiliate Option for California ResidentsCUE supports many regional Affiliates and SIGs. As a CUE member, you not only gainaccess to a network of computer-using educators in your area, but are free to join an affil-iate, and any number of our special interest groups. To add more than one affiliate, thereis an additional $10 fee.

For more information, please email CUE at [email protected].

YYEARS AGO, DURING ONE OF MY SESSIONS AT CUE, I WAS ASKED TO WEIGH IN ON THE

WINDOWS VS. MAC CONTROVERSY — A PARTICIPANT ASKED WHICH OPERATING

SYSTEM WAS GOING TO PREVAIL. OVER THE LONG TERM. MY RESPONSE WAS UNIX —

A REPLY THAT (AT THE TIME) SEEMED QUITE STRANGE TO MOST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.

March of the PenquinsLinux Comes to the

Classroom

6 T H E B L E E D I N G E D G E

by David D. Thornburg, Ph.D.

(including several in Latin America) have start-ed to bring Linux to the classroom in a big way.This is triggering the development of more soft-ware for this OS suitable for use by children.

As a result, the State of Indiana haslaunched a program to provide Linux-basedcomputers to each of 300,000 high school stu-dents. Each of these computers will be usingLinspire <www.linspire.com>, an implementa-tion of Linux with an elegant graphical userinterface. The installer CD comes with OpenOffice (a suite compatible with MicrosoftOffice), the Firefox browser, a basic paint pro-gram, and several other tools likely to be usedby students. Furthermore, Linspire users haveaccess to thousands of other programs (includ-ing an implementation of Logo), with manynew programs coming every month.

An installation of the size of Indiana’s islikely to stimulate the development of evenmore educational software, which will increasethe popularity of this OS even more.

So what about the Mac and Windows OS?Right now, Windows holds the top spot, andMac users are fierce in their loyalty. That’stoday. What about the future?

Let’s start with the Macintosh. First, sincethe release of OS X, Mac users have been usinga version of UNIX with an elegant graphicaluser interface. But once Apple converts to theIntel chips (an extremely curious move leavingmany ardent Mac users feeling betrayed), youcan be sure that a “PC-like” BIOS will appearwithin about 45 minutes, opening the door toLinspire or anyone else who (by that time) willhave established a strong beachhead in themarket. Apple is likely to offer Linux-basedsystems to anyone who wants one, especially ifthis is the best way for them to remain in thecomputer business.

As for Windows, every new repair patch forXP introduces as many problems as it fixes, mak-ing life quite challenging for Windows users who

For those ofyou new to com-puting, UNIX isan operating sys-tem that was developed in the 1970’s and hasbeen used ever since, especially in higher edu-cation. More recently, a Scandinavian collegestudent, Linus Torvalds, wanted to run UNIXon his personal computer, so he wrote a ver-sion on his own called Linux <www.linux.org>.

By making the source codefor this operating systemavailable to anyone tomodify, Linux benefitedfrom thousands of eye-balls scanning the code forerrors, and fixing themright away. As a result,Linux became so robustthat it became the operat-

ing system of choice for many companies whoneeded their computers to function day in andday out without crashes.

While Linux (with its penguin logo) madeits way into the back rooms of enterprise com-puting, it did not move quickly onto desktops.Two reasons for this were the lack of recogniz-able software packages, and the absence of afamiliar desktop point-and-click user interface.

All that has changed and many countries


Low Cost Open Source Tools Engage Students and Teachers

… many countries (including several in Latin America) havestarted to bring Linux to the classroom in a big way. This istriggering the development ofmore software for this OS suit-able for use by children.

7T H E B L E E D I N G E D G E

actually want to get productive work accomplished. As forMicrosoft’s new version of Windows, Vista, I’m not holding mybreath for anything exciting coming out of Redmond.

The amazing thing about Linux is that it just works. Afresh installation on an old PC takes a few minutes. Settingup network access to the Internet involves two steps: launchyour browser, start browsing. That’s it. Setting up printersis transparently easy.

The reason Linux and other programs on this platformwork so well is because the source code is available to any-one who wants to see it. The beauty of open source is that,at any moment, thousands of eyeballs are looking for bugswhich, when found, are rapidly patched. Because UNIX-based computing is commonplace in higher education(especially in engineering and computer science depart-ments), these patches are made by the best and brightestwho do their work purely for the recognition of their peers.The same scrutiny is applied to open source applications,with the result that the user comes out ahead.

In addition to the open-source nature of the Linspiresoftware, it has one other feature that might make it appeal-

ing for your school: it is nearly free. The license for themajority of programs placed on the install CD allows thevendor to recover manufacturing and shipping costs, andnot much else. There is no password or copy protection onany of the programs I installed. While price should not be adriving force, it is nice to see that an operating system morereliable then Windows XP can be had for nearly nothing.

It remains to be seen how quickly the penguins marchonto student computers at your school! ✪

David Thornburg, Ph.D. <[email protected]>, Director,Global Operations, Thornburg Center for ProfessionalDevelopment, has spoken at almost every CUE conferencesince the beginning. He is an ISTE Pioneer, and rated as thepremiere futurist in educational technology by Paul Saffo atthe Institute for the Future. He is a CUE Gold Disk andPlatinum Disk recipient.

The Thornburg Center is one of the few staff developmentorganizations in the United States that helps educators workwith a variety of computer platforms — including Linux.

www.cue.org Winter 2005 OnCUE

Linspire Five-O

8 N E W S & U P D A T E S

Thin Client Tablets at School and Home

Since 1987, Lemon Grove SchoolDistrict in Lemon Grove, Calif., hasbeen a leader in technology integrationinto classrooms and curricula. Earlyadopters of thin client technology, theyquickly moved to a two-to-one student-to-computer ratio, which“moved us a lot further along in usingtechnology effectively in the class-room,” said Darryl LaGace, districtdirector of information systems.Spearheaded by Barbara Allen, LemonGrove’s Project LemonLINK director,

the district provided technology pro-fessional development for 100 percentof the district’s teachers over five sum-mers, 20 percent each year, keeping theinterest and excitement going.

Concerned with equity of accessfor students and parents, the district setup their own broadband towers, andprovided access from home. Teachersquickly saw improvement in languageskills, for instance, when students (andtheir parents) could work from homeas well as in school.

A next step is emerging in the formof the One-to-One at School and Home

Initiative. Started in 2003, a pilotgroup of students work with a small,interactive, wireless device they call a“tablet.” These students use theirdevices to get online, access, complete,and store homework assignments ontheir own Web pages — which are visi-ble to parents and teachers.

For the full story, see “One to Oneat School and Home,” by Terri PayneButler, originally published in the May,2004 edition of Cable in the Classroom’sAccess Learning <www.ciconline.org/AboutCIC/Publications/Archives/AL_may04.htm>. ✪

A Few Other PortableTechnology Tools

Berkeley, Calif., high school studentJames uses his handheld FranklinCollegiate Dictionary <www.franklin.com> to increase his reading and writ-ing skills. He says it really helps “if youhave trouble with words.”

Deborah Hungerford <[email protected]>, fifth grade teacher atSpring Hill School in Lafayette, Calif.,designed a “Colonial Voices” lessonin which her students use an iPod forrecording their narrative essays.Deborah’s lesson is available at<www.cue.org>.

San Diego Unified and East Side UnionHigh School Districts have signed upforty teachers to participate a two-yearstudy on the effectiveness of the use of

Texas Instruments graphing calcula-tor technology for algebra and geome-try, reports Dianne Pors <[email protected]>, subject area coordinatorfor math.

SCALAR (Scope on a Rope <www.scalarscopes.com/>) can be used as adocument camera, video and still cam-era, and a microscope that capturesdigital images.

Will Brigham, education specialist,Boome-Tioge BOCES in New York,promotes Vernier probes and LoggerPro software <www.vernier.com> thatallow students to collect data, analyzeit, and convey their findings, as theymonitored dissolved oxygen, pH levels,ammonia levels, and more.

Eva Le Mar’s third grade students useddigital cameras to photograph arti-

facts, which could then be developedinto 360 degree displays by high schoolstudents using QTVR for a collabora-tive Geo-Literacy project. (See Geo-Literacy: Forging New Ground at<www.glef.org>). ✪


Bits&Bytes

Purchasing ConsortiumCUE has partnered with CalSAVE. org

to provide statewide licensing discounts

on educational resources for California

schools. Our two founding consortium

partners are netTrekker and Atomic

Learning. These two companies provide

wonderful online resources for educators.

Site and district licensing discounts are

available during the 2005-2006 school

year. For more details, visit <www.cue.org/

consortium/>. ✪

OnCTAPBy Paul Haas & Brian Bridges

Palm Certified TrainingHow can a handheld computer help

organize contact information, calendar

events, and tasks? How are schools and

students using handheld computers to

improve student academic achievement?

Do your site administrators need a class-

room observation tool that can synchro-

nize between a handheld and their main

computer? These answers and more are

available from your local Palm Education

Training Coordinator (PETC).

CTAP consultants in every region

have attended an intensive three-day Palm

training to earn the PETC designation.

Many CTAP regions host training in

ACSA’s Walk’bout observation database.

This FileMaker Pro database is designed

to assist administrators in making short

(two or three minute) classroom observa-

tions. By adding FileMaker Mobile, many

administrators collect observation data

using their handheld computers, rather

than carrying a laptop from room to room.

CTAP regions offer a variety of handheld

professional development opportunities

including handheld basics, handhelds for

administrators, classroom observation

tools, and more. Contact your local CTAP

region for classes in your area or for cus-

tomized trainings on the Palm handheld

computer.

School Technology SurveyThe annual computer census, the

School Technology Survey (STS), begins

January 4, 2006 and concludes March 17,

2006. Required as one of the assurances

under the formula Enhancing Education

Through Technology (EETT) program, the

School Technology Survey provides district,

regional, and state programs with valuable

information about the current state of tech-

nology, technology access, and classroom

integration in our schools. Now would be a

good time to take stock of your school’s

technology infrastructure and begin collect-

ing data. While the 2006 survey will be

published shortly, last year’s template is still

available at the CDE website:

<www.cde.ca.gov/ ls/et/>. You’ll need your

school’s PIN and password to access both

the template and last year’s data. You can

also access the 2005 data by contacting your

local CTAP office. Each region has a com-

plete spreadsheet containing the replies to

all STS questions for all of the region’s

schools. ✪

For complete information, contact your local

regional office through the CTAP website

<www.ctap.k12.ca.us>. Paul Haas is chairper-

son of the State Coordinating Council and

director of CTAP Region 2. Brian Bridges is

program manager for CTAP Region 6.

9N E W S & U P D A T E S


Tech Legislation & AdvocacyCOMMITTEE REVIEWS IMPORTANT CA LEGISLATION

The first meeting of the CUE Legislative advocacy committee

was held August 31st. Updates included good news regarding the

passage of SB 1006 (Soto), which integrates the reporting of informa-

tion related to the educational technology access and instructional

integration into an annual educational technology accountability

report for use by stakeholders from the school level to legislature. SB

1006 was approved by both houses. Unfortunately, the bill was vetoed

by Governor Schwarzenegger. CUE will continue to work on this

issue to address the effective reporting of technology data. Senate

Joint Resolution (SJR) 8 (Soto), is a request by the California

Legislature to the Federal Government to fully restore EETT funding

to the original amount of about $700 million. It was approved by both

houses and is now being communicated to Congress and the

President. The U.S. Senate has recommended restoration to $450

million. Senator Nell Soto’s Chief of Staff, Paul Van Dyke, and John

Cradler, CUE Legislation Committee member, initiated both of these

measures.

The fact that any of these bills has moved towards passage is

a direct result of initiatives by concerned educators. Many support

letters have come from CUE members and other organizations to

California and national legislators advocating for instructional

technology funding.

One of the issues that has arisen in the Legislative Advocacy

Committee is the inability of California schools to purchase digital

versions of adopted texts using state textbook funds. Given the sit-

uation created by the Williams Settlement, which requires each

student to have a textbook for all core classes (among other

things), it seems to be fiscally questionable to require schools to

purchase a $50 to $80 textbook when a CD of the same textbook

can be created for pennies and sold for a fraction of the cost of a

traditional text book. This issue has been raised by legislators over

the past few years. However, textbook publishers have a very

strong lobby and have been very effective in quashing this kind of

legislation.

Now is the time for CUE to suggest ideas for new bills; fall is

when legislators prepare bills for introduction in late January of

2006.

We look forward to guidance from the CUE Board of Directors

regarding new bills, and would like to hear from any of you who

have ideas for legislation that CUE might be interesting in sup-

porting. Please e-mail me at <[email protected]>. ✪

Chris York, CUE Legislative Advocacy Committee Chair, is director of

technology and student assessment in the Del Norte County Office of

Education.

10 F E A T U R E

An Administrator’s Digital Solution to Collecting Data from Classrooms

CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS


The center of the universe for educators is theclassroom. As the school administrator, one ofyour responsibilities is to insure that teachersare teaching and that the curriculum is beingpresented. Instructional leadership at the site

level begins and ends with observing the instructional prac-tices. The site leader must make this a daily routine to rein-force the strategies that lead to student learning.

What Techniques Are Currently Used?Whether a school administrator plans a short five-

minute classroom visit, or a formal forty-five-minute obser-vation, there are two basic ways of collecting data: anecdo-tally and using checklists. Anecdotal observations are clas-sified as “wide” and “unrestricted.” The common tool usedfor this method is a blank sheet of paper. Checklist observa-tions on the other hand are “narrow” and “focused,” char-acterized by a checklist or form. Let’s briefly discuss whatthese methods are and consider an example of each.

Anecdotal Observations Anecdotal observations are simply writing down (or

scripting) the actions of the teacher and students. Alongwith the documented events, your comments are interjectedabout the actions of the teacher and how students respond.It is very important to document the verbal and nonverbalbehaviors of both the students and instructor. Preparing forthe post conference discussion is clearly one of the strongestreasons for using anecdotal observations. By reading mynotes, it takes me back to what occurred during my time inthe classroom. Also, anecdotal records constitute a wide,unrestricted instrument and are not limited to one set of cri-teria. One the other hand, very few administrators are givenadequate training to really analyze the collected data. Thislack of training affects analysis and is compounded by thenumber of pages generated by numerous observations con-ducted each year. Anecdotal records tend to be “analog” innature. We will discuss this in a minute.

Checklist Observations On the other hand, many school administrators are

using checklists, defined as a form with items that directyour attention and responses during the observation. Thisstrategy is usually tied to a proven set of criteria that lead tostudent learning. A checklist helps you follow a consistentpattern. The advantage of a checklist is that you can show itto your teachers before the observation so it broadcasts yourintentions to the teachers. They are clear on what you as theadministrator are looking for.

Technology SolutionsThe tools available to us today in the form of handheld

computers and laptops can be used for a variety of adminis-trative functions including classroom observations. Thesetools not only help you gather reliable data, but actuallyorganize the data in ways so it can be easily communicated.These digital devices can save you hours of transferringclassroom data into the computer. The tools are gettingsmaller, more powerful, and come with new software thatcan be used for the many tasks a site administrator facesduring their day, including classroom observations.

Classroom Observation in the Palm of Your HandThere are a growing number of products available for

handheld classroom observations. In this article we will onlyfocus on one, but will give information on others that sup-port the instructional practices at a school site. All of theseproducts are on the web and all have their specific purpose. Porta Data

Porta Data (<www.portadata.com>) has a suite of obser-vation tools. Let’s focus on one of them, T Observe. TObserve works on Palm, Windows® CE devices, and thenew Dana by AlphaSmart. All of the Porta Data tools inter-face with Microsoft Access and are based on key standardsfor the teaching profession: engagement, learning environ-ment, and time on task. T Observe provides an administra-tor with everything needed to make effective observations.

by Kevin Silberberg, Ed.D.

A Look Under the HoodWhen you open the program, the first screen offers you

a choice as to how long you are planning on visiting thisclassroom. If you select Basic the focus is narrowed down toone observable criterion. If you choose Advanced... well,lets take a look!

Porta Data Home ScreenData on the teacher is entered at the Home screen. The

questions you answer are: Who am I observing today? Whatsubject am I observing? What is the date and time of theclassroom visit? What did I focus on during my last visit?Information can be entered into the handheld in a variety ofways, including keyboard, stylus, and the camera feature insome handhelds.

Focus on StrategiesLet’s say that today

our focus will be on thedifferent strategies theteacher is using. Spe-cifically, is the teacherusing illustrations toexplain the concept? Isthe teacher checkingfor understanding? Isthe teacher using gra-phic organizers to ex-plain the concepts? Arethe students engaged?

Focus on Classroom EnvironmentAnother area we can focus on is the Classroom

Environment. The data collected answers the following ques-tions: Can you determine that a daily routine is present? Doesthe teacher praise and reinforce effort? Are there sufficientlearning materials available to all? Are there distractions?

Quantifying the DataYou might have noticed the 0, 1, and 2 on the right side

of the screen. Each down arrow gives you a way of collecting

quantifiable data. When you tap the triangles on the screen,you are given choices: 0-Did not observe during my visit, 1-Partially observed during my visit, or 2- Observed during myvisit. You will see a running count at the bottom of thescreen. Once the desktop software has been installed andyou send the information from the handheld to your com-puter, you can select from among a number of ways to dis-play and analyze the data.

Lessons LearnedWhile I have shown the Porta Data software here, every

program listed has strengths, and represents years ofresearch by experts in the field of handheld technology andclassroom observation. Portable tools help save time in oneof the most important roles of the school administrator —classroom observation.

From using this technology for the past five years, wehave found that1. Checklists are effective because they broadcast the inten-

tions of the site administrator to the staff. There is nosurprise what the administrator is looking for.

2. Anecdotal observation tools are effective for one-on-oneconversations and for capturing the essence of what isgoing on between the teacher and students.

3. Data that is gathered in a digital format can easily beassembled into graphs and charts that communicate trends.

4. Pocket PC’s, Palms, and Danas are all very effective toolsfor the administrator for maintaining calendars, memos,rolodexes, AND collecting data on instruction.

5. Software has been created to amplify the benefits ofchecklists as well as wide, anecdotal instruments.

Classroom Data Guiding Reformed PracticeThe road to effective teaching is strengthened by the col-

lection of data along with the analysis of the data by theinstructional leader and the practicing teacher. The analysiscan be enhanced with tools that make the data digital. Entiredistricts are implementing handheld teacher observations inorder to identify trends across the school and district.

The tools are getting smaller, more powerful, and come with new software that

can be used for the many tasks a site administrator faces during their day,

including classroom observations.

11F E A T U R E


“ O B S E R V E ” C O N T . on 22

12 F E A T U R E


Given the realities of globaliza-tion, knowledge work, andaccelerating societal change, it’s

obvious that what students learn — aswell as how and when they learn — ischanging.

Over the last decade, there weretremendous advances in the science oflearning, made possible by the conver-gence of research in the cognitive sciences, neuroscience, human develop-ment, and technology. As a result, weknow a great deal more today about howpeople think and learn (Bransford,Brown & Cocking, 2000).

For starters, studies show a clearcorrelation between student learn andengagement in meaningful, relevant,and intellectually stimulating work(Newmann, Bryk & Nagaoka, 2001).While all learning is deeply personal,the frequency and relevance of suchmoments increases when technologyenables us to tap outside experts, visu-alize and analyze data, link to real-world contexts, and take advantage ofopportunities for feedback, reflection,and analysis (Bransford, Brown &Cocking, 2000).

Technology influences learning inthree significant ways. A synthesis ofrecent research and national skill setsshows that it is a driver of change, abridge to academic excellence, and aplatform for informed decision-makingand accountability:

1. Driver for Change: 21st CenturySkills

Technology has catapulted us into aknowledge-based, global society. It isclear that success in this society willrequire significantly different skills than

in the past. However, policymakers andeducators have not yet clearly definedwhat it means to be “educated” in aDigital Age. The irony of a call for 21stcentury skills in this era of high stakestesting based on conventional metrics isnot lost on teachers. To fully realize theeducational opportunities 21st centuryskills can bring to students, educationleaders must formally incorporate theminto the mainstream of school curricu-lum, instruction, and assessment.

2. A Bridge to High AcademicAchievement

Technology serves as a bridge tomore engaged, relevant, meaningful, andpersonalized learning — all of whichlead to higher academic achievement.Research shows that when technology isused appropriately, children learn more,even as measured by conventional tests(Newmann, Bryk & Nagaoka, 2001;Weglinsky, 1998). It is important todemonstrate this research link to teach-ers, thereby encouraging them to incor-porate technology into the mainstreamof student learning.

3. A Platform for Informed Decision-Making and Accountability

Technology provides a platform formore informed decision-making usingtimely, meaningful data to shape learn-ing opportunities. This translates intomore personalized learning based oncontinuous feedback available to stu-dents, teachers, and parents.

The way students use technology inschool differs from school to school,classroom to classroom and student tostudent. While there is no ‘right’ way tofocus on technology use in schools,

some ‘rules of thumb’ are emerging thatclearly define a range of use every schoolshould consider — from productivitytools to digital imagery.

A Taxonomy of Technology Uses In his groundbreaking book, How

People Learn, John Bransford and colleagues contend that, “Computer-based technologies can be powerful pedagogical tools — not just richresources of information, but alsoextensions of human capabilities andcontexts for social interactions sup-porting learning.”

The question before teachers is,“which technologies, under what cir-cumstances, are apt to extend whichaspects of learning?” The range of use isdesigned to consider three importantaspects of technology use:• The Instruction, which determines

learner engagement • The Complexity of the Learning

(i.e., basic through higher order)• The Level of Authenticity of the

experience

The Y-axis: Complexity in Learning What learning are we trying to

extend?Technology use ranges across levels

of complexity of learning. At the basiclevels, technology can help to developautomaticity, whereas at higher levelstechnology can augment problem solv-ing, sound reasoning, and critical think-ing. This axis aligns to Bloom’sTaxonomy, a classification of levels ofintellectual behavior important in learn-ing, including three overlapping

CURRENT RESEARCH AFFIRMS THE BENEFITS OF STUDENT TECHNOLOGY USE

“ R A N G E ” C O N T . on 21

A RANGE OF USE: TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING

by Cheryl LemkeSee full article with illustration at <www.cue.org>.

13F E A T U R E

by Jon Corippo


STUDENTS STRIKE GOLD

When Jon Corippo won theFoundation for RuralEducation Development

(FRED) teacher of the year award in2003, he knew exactly how he wasgoing to spend the $5,000 prize.

Jon, a sixth grade language artsand history teacher at CoarsegoldElementary School near Yosemite,wanted to bring PDAs to his studentsto enhance their learning in all subjectareas.

An initial purchase of ten Palmswas made, including keyboards, aprinter, and software, and the littlehandhelds were loaned out to students.They had to be able to type, and Jon’sco-teacher, Tracey Hurd, who coversmath and science, assigned a sciencereport using a template developed forthe purpose. Jon says they used the sci-entific method: by requiring that the students prepare theirreports in class, variables could be limited, and he and Traceycould watch the kids improve in their work.

Next came reports students developed on ancient Greeceand ancient Rome — which took less time than usual becauseof the accessibility offered by the Palm.

Jon found that when parents in his low to medium incomedistrict “understood that it was a multi-year program thatwould get kids ready for high school,” they started purchasingPalms for their children — particularly when Jon offered toprovide technical support. During the first year of the project,85 percent of his students got their own Palms.

In the project’s second year, 90 percent of Jon’s studentsused the Palms, and they became Palm ambassadors, sharingwhat they were doing with other students, including highschoolers. This year, there will be more work on the Palms,and more sharing with other schools.

Jon hopes that California will mandate digital mediarather than textbooks. “Imagine a day,” he remarks, “when adistrict buys a kid a Palm for $130, with all their texts on it.All their base reading is on it, they can change fonts, annotate,scroll through on the fly. Imagine kids being able to do anno-

tation in fourth and fifth grade!” In Jon’s dream, textbook pub-lishers save on the postage of mailing heavy textbooksthroughout the state, and simply charge a service fee for updat-ing their material and supplying new DVDs every year. ✪

Jon Corippo <[email protected]> is a classroomteacher devoted to using Palms in instruction.

RURAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROMOTES HANDHELDS FOR ALL STUDENTS

Coarsegold Elementary School sixth graders use handheld computers for writing,social studies, science, and math.

ONCUE AdvertisingOnCUE is published four times a year and distributed to all CUE members,Education Partners, and Corporate Members. Advertising space is open to all.

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14 F E A T U R E


CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

With more than two billionmobile phone subscribersworld wide, it’s clear that

mobile phones are THE communica-tion tool of choice in the early twenty-first century. However, only a handfulof educators have started to use mobilephones to improve instruction.Leading the way is a group of publiccharter schools called KIPP — theKnowledge Is Power Program(<www.kipp.org>).

With more than 40 high-achievingschools nationwide (10 in California),many KIPP principals believe thatmobile phones are critical to their suc-cess in educationally underservedcommunities. From day one, everystaff member at a KIPP school is givena mobile phone to stay connected tostudents, parents, and other staff mem-bers around the clock. Students andparents can reach teachers and admin-istrators until 10 P.M. every night forhelp on homework or other schoolissues, eliminating the single biggestexcuse from students: “I didn’t knowwhat to do.”

Although KIPP leaders admit thatthis helps attract parents to theirschool, it’s no marketing gimmick. AtKIPP, students and teachers are expect-ed to call. Sehba Zhumkhawala, theprincipal of KIPP Heartwood Academyin San Jose, Calif., estimates that 75percent of her school’s students active-ly call their teachers to get help onhomework. “We really get on our kidsif they don’t call,” she says. From dayone, students are taught how to prop-erly greet their teachers on the phoneand clearly explain why they are call-ing. This makes conversations more

efficient while teaching valuable com-munication skills at the same time.

The use of mobile phones at KIPPevolved out of a desire to help kidssolve problems. KIPP’s co-founder,

Mike Feinberg, says toll-free numbersand home answering machines wereused heavily when the first two KIPPschools opened in the 1990s. But hesays that “coming home to 30 mes-sages of freaked-out kids” wasn’t verysustainable. So, when mobile phonecosts came down, KIPP teachersjumped on the technology. “Bad newsdoesn’t get better in time,” says Mr.Feinberg, so his staff was eager to usemobile phones to help students andparents solve problems in real time.

With mobile phones nowingrained in the school culture, teach-ers get between five and 20 calls anight at some KIPP schools. As aresult, most KIPP teachers spend anhour or more on the phone with stu-dents and parents after school. Thatlevel of commitment is appreciated byfamilies, and it sends a clear messagethat teachers really care. While teach-ers turn off their phones for personaltime, every phone call gets returnedbefore 10 P.M. the same day or theteacher responds as soon as possiblethe next day at school, making teach-ers just as accountable as students.

What do teachers think aboutbeing “on call” until late at night?They love it. Eliminating student

excuses makes teaching so much easi-er during school time. Kids rarelyabuse the privilege, and even a fewextra minutes on the phone can reallybuild strong student-teacher relation-

ships. “Kids know they can call whensomething is going on in their lives,”says Ms. Zhumkhawala. In fact, manyKIPP teachers field calls during summerbreaks and frequently receive calls fromformer students years after moving on.

All this convenience does comewith a sizable price tag. Today, a KIPPschool can spend more than $10,000 ayear on mobile phone charges, but thevast majority of that cost is defrayed bythe federal eRate program. Even with-out eRate, Mr. Feinberg thinks theinvestment is definitely worth the cost.A mobile phone is a KIPP teacher’s“whole life,” he says, and he thinks thatother schools “just need to get beyondthe fear to see how effective it can be.”

Obviously, mobile phones are notan answer by themselves. KIPP schoolshave extremely high expectations forstaff, students, and parents, and thephones are just one more way to elimi-nate barriers to student achievement.As Ms. Zhumkhawala states, “There areno excuses at this school. So, if youdon’t know how to do your homework— call. There’s no reason you shouldcome without your homework the nextday.”

After only one year in operation,

MOBILE PHONES ALLOW TEACHERS TO HELP STUDENTS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

by Chris Fitzgerald Walsh

“ M O B I L E ” C O N T . on 22

(S)TUDENTS ARE TAUGHT HOW TO PROPERLY GREET THEIR TEACHERS ON THE PHONE

AND CLEARLY EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE CALLING. THIS MAKES CONVERSATIONS MORE

EFFICIENT WHILE TEACHING VALUABLE COMMUNICATION SKILLS AT THE SAME TIME.

15F E A T U R E

by Alex Bick


PDA: NEW TOOL IN HAND

Handhelds Increase StudentPerformance

We are only beginning to realizethe potential of the Personal DigitalAssistant (PDA). Over the past fouryears, I conducted research with PDAsand found that devices such as PalmPilots and Pocket PCs have statisticallysignificantly increased Millburn HighSchool student academic achievementboth by filling old and new roles. Theresults suggest that PDAs have the abil-ity to increase academic achievementand change the high school learningenvironment.

Pocket PCs Increase Student GradePoint Average

Five semester-long trials show thatPDAs positively affect student gradepoint average (GPA). Forty-eight ran-domly selected students from a class ofthree hundred used Pocket PC devicesfor a semester. Before receiving PocketPCs, the group had similar grades tothe rest of the students in their class.Afterwards, their GPAs increased 13percent compared to the entire gradeand 14 percent compared to their priorperformance. This means a hypotheti-cal PDA user with a GPA of 3.3 (corre-sponding to a B+) would increase toapproximately a 3.7 or A- after the onesemester trial period. (See “Self Test” inMay 2005 Learning and Leading withTechnology for more details.)

Pocket PCs as Platform forParticipatory Simulations

Participatory simulations are activ-ities that teach by embedding learnersin life-size role-playing scenarios. MITProfessor Eric Klopfer found that par-

ticipatory simulation “thinking tags”— custom-produced infrared-enabledbadges — can increase student knowl-edge. Unfortunately, the tags are expen-sive and break easily.

I developed a genetics participato-ry simulation for the Pocket PC plat-form based on MIT’s tag protocols. ThePocket PCs enabled the simulation tobe robust and flexible because of thegraphical display, increased memory,and the ease of reprogramming thedevice.

In the simulation, students learnedMendelian genetics in an inquiry-basedenvironment. Each student’s Pocket PCwas a fly. Students viewed their fly’sgenes. The students would “mate”their flies by beaming infrared databetween the PDAs. Students sought todetermine how genes are passed fromone generation to the next and whatgenes stood for which characteristics— including sex, longevity, and child-hood disease.

Seventy-eight biology students atthe standard biology level through theAP level tested the simulation. Overall,there was a 32.5 percent increase inachievement on the post-trial test overpre-trial test of genetics knowledge.Active learners, as identified by theFelder and Soloman (1988) Index ofLearning Styles, increased 12 percentmore on the test than their reflectivelearning counterparts. There was nosignificant difference in achievementbetween boys and girls.

Pocket PCs as Intelligent TutorsResearch on intelligent tutors by

Koedinger and Anderson of CarnegieMellon University in the early 1990sfound a two sigma (95 percent)increase in academic achievementwhen students used PC based intelli-gent tutors. Since today’s PDAs are aspowerful as many 1998 computers,PDAs are capable of running intelligenttutor software.

In coordination with CMU’sPittsburgh Advanced Cognitive TutorCenter, this summer, I wrote the firstPDA intelligent tutor (as reported inthe scientific literature). The tutorteaches algebra.

PDAs have two advantages overdesktop computers. First, they cost afraction of the price of a desktop com-puter. Second, PDAs are portable,enabling students to learn math in areal-life environment. For example, thePDA tutor teaches math at the mall —a place where students would be loatheto lug a laptop.

Trials are currently underway withan underperforming Algebra 1 class oftwenty students. An analysis of verypreliminary results shows that studentsusing PDA tutors perform better thantheir peers; however, results on thelong-term impact of the PDA will notbe available for several months. Thestudents like the emphasis on prob-lems that are actually relevant to theirlife. The teacher, who assigns the tutorboth as homework and uses it in theclassroom, finds that students quicklyadapt to the PDA platform, eventhough none has had prior experiencewith PDAs.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT EXPLORES PDA USE

THE STUDENTS WOULD “MATE”THEIR FLIES BY BEAMING INFRARED

DATA BETWEEN THE PDAS.

“ P D A ” C O N T . on 22

ffective wireless and mobile technologies allownew opportunities for teachers and learners to beconnected. Mobile technologies can be used toorganize and manage daily activities, provide

assessment and data collection, capture images and sound,practice speech, share ideas, type essays, and more. Beforestudents can compete globally, they will need to learnmany social aspects of learning such as collaborativelearning and being part of communities of practice.Adding mobile technologies such as laptop labs and class-room bundles of handhelds along with probes and otherdevices to the classroom encourages students to take thenext step to sharing and learning with others.

How are educators using Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs)?

The low cost of handheld devices allows schools topurchase lab packs and provide a one-to-one ratio of stu-dent-to-handheld devices. There are different types ofPDAs to choose from including those on smart phonesthat come standard with four major software applications:the address book, date book, memo pad, and to-do list.Below are just a few ideas on how educators are usingPDAs:

• Use portable keyboards with the PDAs so students cantype drafts of their essays.

• Refer to the dictionary on PDAs instead of having stu-dents carry a heavy book.

• Beam spelling words to students so they can work ondefinitions and vocabulary usage.

• Beam homework assignments to students. When thehomework is due, students point their PDAs at a print-er with an infrared adapter and turn in the printouts oftheir work.

• Download Quizzler <www.pocketmobility.com/quiz-zler/>, free software so students can make their ownpractice quizzes and then beam them to others in theclass.

• Use quiz programs with more advanced features suchas multiple-choice questions or flash cards. QuizApp

<www.quizapp.com> or Quizzler Pro <www.quizzler-pro.com>

• For classroom management, try 4.0Student <www.handmark.com/products/> for class information man-agement and grade tracking. Parents can even access asecure website for grades, assignments, and due dates.

• Attach probes <www.probesight.concord.org> and sen-sors to a PDA so students can collect and record pHlevels, temperature, and dissolved oxygen of a nearbypond or creek.

• UC San Diego students ask questions anonymously andvote on the importance of another student’s questionsusing their PDAs and ActiveClass.<activecampus.ucsd.edu/>

How about using iPods in the classroom?iPod <www.apple.com/education/ipod/> is more than

a music player; it is a portable learning tool for dictationand sound recording, taking and reading notes, storingfiles and photos, and listening to audio books and news-papers. (See also <www.ipodined.org>.)

You can use your iPod and the Griffin iTalk VoiceRecorder to record any kind of audio files, from classroomlectures to poetry readings. Files recorded on an iPodautomatically sync back to iTunes.

• Students can use their iPod audio files to makeslideshow, soundtrack, and movie projects.

• Students can record and re-record reading selections orforeign language speaking samples to assess their fluen-cy.

• Students can practice oral presentations and speakingskills.

• Teachers can dictate lesson plans and research notes, orrecord to-do lists as they think of them.

• Faculty meetings can be recorded for convenient listen-ing by anyone who missed the meeting.

• Teachers can podcast their lessons and post them forstudents who missed class.

• Using additional software and an RSS feed, studentscan podcast their own radio shows.

E

T E A C H E R S A N D S T U D E N T S D I S C O V E R A N A R R A Y O F U S E S

Mobile Technologies Enhance Learning

P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T16

E


by Barbara Bray

P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T 17

The low cost of handheld devices allows schools to purchase lab packs

and provide a one-to-one ratio of student-to-handheld devices


With the iPod notes reader, news articles, classroomnotes, even flash cards for spelling tests can be right athand. You can even link audio files and notes files forenhanced audio/visual learning. Photos can be uploadeddirectly from your camera using the optional iPod CameraConnector accessory and then used with iPhoto andiTunes slide shows. Your iPod can also double as an extrahard drive.

Why do educators need to use mobile technologies?We need to catch up on learning the tools that our

students use today or the way we teach and learn will bedifferent in a few years. We may have students learning

from tutors in Bangalore, India instead of attending schooldown the street. Why not use iPods, PDAs, laptops, andprobes to bring learning into context and tie learning intothe real world? ✪

Barbara Bray <[email protected]> writes a regularcolumn on professional development for OnCUE, moderates alistserv ([email protected]), coordinates theProfessional Development QuickTips (PDQs) onTechlearning. com, and is president of My eCoach <www.my-ecoach.com> a coaching and mentoring program focusing onprofessional learning communities.

unding for education technolo-gy has improved considerablyin California with the assis-tance of Digital High School

funds, Knox grant money, eRate andother initiatives.

With the added resources avail-able, the issue of purchasing laptops forteacher use continues to be a topic ofdiscussion. Should schools purchasethese relatively vulnerable and expen-sive pieces of technology, or is it betterto stick with desktop computers?

BENEFITS:

Access From HomeWith an Internet connection at

home, a teacher can use a laptop to makeworking at home or from school seam-less. A teacher can update assignmentfolders for students, create a homeworkdrop box , develop curriculum folders toshare ideas and resources with othereducators, and maintain personal direc-tories to store curricula and resourcesfor future use on the school network.Easy and reliable access makes it morefeasible for teachers to truly integrate theschool's resources into their classes.

Staff DevelopmentIt is rare for a teacher to have

extra time during the school hours todevote to learning and exploring newtechnology skills and resources.Having a laptop allows 24/7 access tothe technology, and is sure to increasecomputer use both in and outside ofthe classroom — a goal of all technol-ogy staff development.

Docking Stations Increase UsabilityA docking station (at home and at

school, if possible) makes connectingthe laptop to the local area network sim-ple and quick. In addition to making thedaily transition from laptop to a net-worked computer simpler, a dockingstation offers the option of having a fullsize keyboard, mouse, and monitoravailable. In addition, the laptop that istoted back and forth between school andhome can be turned into a student work-station while at school.

Easy File TransportLaptops enable teachers to transport

files that are larger than the capacity of afloppy, and also avoid the need for trans-lation between applications and comput-er platforms.

Simplified LicensingThe need to purchase duplicate

licenses for applications is decreasedbecause the applications (and theirlicenses) travel with the laptop.

Broader UseLaptops can be brought to staff

meetings for lab-style instruction, to par-ent conferences to demonstrate studentmultimedia presentations, to educationconferences for note-taking and emailcommunication, on field trips, vaca-tions, and to many more places.

CONCERNS

Loss, Damage, and TheftLaptops can fit nicely into a back-

pack and thus could disappear easily, or

sustain damage if they fall on theground. Although loss, damage, andtheft are realistic and valid concerns, abrief “Caring for Your Laptop” sessioncan alert teachers to the threats.

Laptop GearTeachers should be supplied withpadded bags designed for their laptops.These bags are not very expensive andcan greatly reduce the damage inflictedby a rough landing on a tabletop or floor.It is advisable to purchase bags without alarge computer logo on the side or thatotherwise clearly indicate the contents ofthe bag. Airports and other public termi-nals are common places for laptops todisappear, so the more discrete the bag,the less of a target it will be.

Battery LifeLaptops use expensive batteries

when they are not plugged into an out-let. With a life of only two or three years,factor in the cost of replacing the battery(about $100/machine) when figuringout the total cost of your laptop pro-gram.

Technical SupportGenerally speaking, laptops are

more expensive to repair than desktops

18 T E C H C O O R D I N A T I O N

by Tim Landeck

Laptops for TeachersT H I N G S T O C O N S I D E R W H I L E P L A N N I N G A L A P T O P P R O G R A M

F


AN ADDED BENEFIT TO LAPTOPS IS

THAT THE NEED TO

PURCHASE DUPLICATE LICENSES FOR

APPLICATIONS IS DECREASED BECAUSE

THE APPLICATIONS

(AND THEIR LICENSES) TRAVEL WITH

THE LAPTOP.


JOIN US AT OUR 2006 CUE CONFERENCE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CUE.ORG OR EMAIL [email protected]

• Events • Networking• Advocacy • Professional Development• Awards

WITH FEATURED SPEAKERS: Robert X. CringleyDavid WarlickCheryl LemkeAlan November

PLUS HUNDREDS OF EXHIBITORS

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simply because the replacement parts are more expensive.Therefore, an extended warranty for your laptops can easily payfor itself within the first couple of years.

ResponsibilityEvery laptop program needs a tracking system. This can be

done through the library or with a database and an attentive per-son. Teachers fill out special forms to check out their computerthat emphasize that the teacher takes responsibility for the laptop.(This is an issue that should be raised with the teacher union toseek support.)

InsuranceTeachers can talk with their homeowner’s or renter’s insur-

ance provider to see how to cover the laptop under their planwhile it is in their possession. Also check to see if the districtinsurance policy will cover the laptops when off campus.

Laptop computers offer a tremendous amount of flexibilityfor the educator. With costs dropping almost weekly and the fund-

ing for education technology increasing, laptop programs hold apromising place in the school of today.

Tim Landeck <[email protected]> is director of technologyservices of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in Watsonville,Calif., a national conference presenter, and a consultant with variousschool districts nationwide.

ADVANCING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

CUE provides leadership and support to promote the effective use of technology in the educational community. For over 25 years,technology-using educators have been meeting at the CUE Conferences to advance student achievement at all levels of education andto address the use of Educational Technology in instruction, administration, curriculum and management.

LAPTOP SPECSDo not sacrifice quality for portability. A laptop with a CD-RW/DVD drive, 40-60GB

hard drive, 512MB RAM (1GB preferred), a fast processor, video out port (for pre-

sentations in the classroom), modem, wireless card, and an Ethernet card is quite

sufficient for the average teacher. A laptop with these specifications will cost

between $1,000 and $1,500. Screen and hard disk size are not as important for

most educators yet can affect the price considerably. Be sure to check for educa-

tional discounts.

20 C U E R E V I E W

by Sandra Burdick

The CUE Reviewhe CLRN website contains alarge number of standards-aligned videos, software, andInternet resources reviewed by

classroom teachers to help educatorssupport and supplement opportunitiesfor student learning using technologytools. For full reviews of all resources,go to the CLRN site <clrn.org>.

Classmate: Algebra 1 is an instruc-tor-based multimedia program withinteractive lessons, video example prob-lems, practice problems with step-by-step audio explanations, multiple-choice self-tests, printable extra problems, andprintable notes pages. It emphasizes one-on-one instruction for the feel of a “text-book with a teacher inside.” The standards-based program is designed forschools, home schools, and home tutor-ing, and Title 1 schools required to provide supplemental private tutoring.

Water explores Earth’s largest biomethrough live-action video. It investigatessalt water and freshwater biomes. Theprogram explores the ocean biome byshowing variations in ocean tempera-ture, salinity, and depth; highlights thedifferent groups of marine life includingbenthos, plankton, and nekton; anddescribes the characteristics of the inter-tidal zone, the neritic zone, and the openocean. It explains the adaptations ofplants and animals that enable them tosurvive in different parts of the ocean.The program explores estuaries, wherefresh and salt water mix; and freshwaterenvironments, such as streams, rivers,ponds, and lakes. Terminology and con-cepts covered include: marine, aquatic,sea anemone, running water, standingwater, and biological productivity.

The Age of Discovery is a two-partprogram, focusing on the period from1400 to 1550. It uses artwork, animat-ed maps, and live-action video fromaround the world to examine tradewith the Far East in the fifteenth cen-tury and to show how restrictions onthat trade helped bring about the Ageof Discovery. The program details theroles of Prince Henry the Navigator,Christopher Columbus, Vasco deGama, Bartholomew Diaz, Amerigo

Vespucchi, John Cabot, FerdinandMagellan, and Hernando Cortes. Thevideo describes the long-term effects ofEuropean colonization.

VectorWorks is a complete 2D and3D CAD (Computer Aided Drafting)program. It contains the programsVectorWorks, Architect, Spotlight,Landmark, Mechanical, andRenderWorks. Accompanying trainingCDs cover each program exceptMechanical, which does not need one.The programs have what is needed for2D drafting, 3D modeling, and presen-tations in landscaping, architecture,lighting, and scene design. Studentswill begin to produce basic drawings ina short period of time. ✪

The California Learning

Resource Network (CLRN) is

a statewide education technol-

ogy service of the California

Department of Education and

administrated by the Stanis-

laus County Office of

Education. Ellis Vance, Director. Search the

CLRN database at clrn.org. Permission is here-

by granted to California educators to copy this

material for instructional use. The document

may not be distributed for profit. © California

Department of Education.

T


Title: Classmate: Algebra 1

Publisher: Classmate LLC.

Grades: 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th

Media Type: Software / Internet

URL: www.classmatemath.com

Subject Area: Mathematics

Title: Water

Publisher: Visual Learning Company

Grades: 5th, 6th

Media Type: Video

URL: www.visuallearningco.com

Subject Area: Science

Title: Age of Discovery

Publisher: United Learning

Grades: 5th

Media Type: Video

URL: www.agcunitedlearning.com

Subject Area: History-Social Science

Title: VectorWorks

Publisher: Nemetschek NA

Grades: 10th, 11th, 12th

Media Type: Software

URL: www.nemetschek.net

Subject Area: Visual & Performing Arts

21F E A T U R E

domains: the cognitive, psychomotorand affective. Bloom’s taxonomy is notedfor its timelessness and universality —and it’s familiar to most educators. Itranges from basic skills to higher orderthinking.

The X-axis: Engagement in LearningWhat instructional approaches

work most effectively with which appli-cations of technology — and to whateffect?

With data emerging that students,especially in secondary schools, areincreasingly disenfranchised withschooling, this consideration of engage-ment in learning is especially critical.Wiggins and McTighe’s Taxonomy ofTeaching describes a continuum ofteaching styles and student learningmodalities. Their three general classifica-tions are:1. Didactic/Direct Instruction. (Students

receive, take in and respond)2. Coaching (Students refine skills,

deepen understanding)3. Facilitative/Constructivist/Reflective

Students construct, examine, extendmeaning)

In describing the added value thattechnology brings to teaching, manyresearchers (see Bransford et al; Shank;Means and Becker) report on the bene-fits of “learning by doing” instructionalapproaches (what Wiggins and McTigheclassify as constructivist). In terms oftechnology, these take advantage ofapplications such as simulations, visual-ization tools and the use of real data setsin problem solving.

At the other end of the scale aresoftware programs that employ didacticinstructional approaches. Despite thenegative reviews that drill and practiceprograms have received (Wenglinsky,1998), there are situations where suchdidactic instruction by computers hasbeen shown to result in positive gains

(see Hasselbring; Mann and Shankshaft)when used in appropriate circumstances,especially in developing fluency withbasic literacy skills.

The Z-Axis: AuthenticityWhat applications of technology

can serve as a springboard to a real-world context for student learning?

Roger Shank suggests that children’snatural learning mechanisms, “experi-mentation and reflection,” can beengaged through the “right computersystems.” He suggests that through suchsystems “we can show students theimplications of their individual deci-sions,” — allowing them to learn bydoing. Furthermore, Bransford et al sug-gest that the transfer from school toeveryday environments is the ultimatepurpose of school-based learning.

Fred Newmann et al have estab-lished three criteria for authentic teach-ing, learning and assessment. Whilethese three do not form a continuum,their combination determines the degreeof authenticity. • Value Beyond School• Disciplined Inquiry• Construction of Knowledge

This emphasis informs the thirdaxis of the Range of Use, which rangesfrom the contrived or artificial to thereal-world context of genuinely authen-tic learning. At the latter end, studentsuse processes of inquiry to solve realproblems and create knowledge that isvalued by persons or communities out-side the school environment.

School Uses of the Range of UseAs educators look across a students’

career, they should be able to trace thestudents’ experience in using each of thetypes of uses in this Range of Use taxon-omy. The research shows that all chil-dren, regardless of age, gender, socioeco-nomic and academic status need a bal-

ance between structured learning forautomaticity and the opportunity toexcel when immersed in relevant, mean-ingful, higher order, authentic work(see, for ex. Newmann, Bryk &Nagaoka, 2001). ✪

Cheryl Lemke, CEO, Metiri Group, <clemke@

metiri.com>. Metiri Group is a national consulting

firm that works with states, school districts, pri-

vate sector companies, and non-profit entities con-

ducting evaluations, analyzing research and public

policy, and advancing twenty-first Century learn-

ing. Check out their Technology Solutions That

Work and their Metiri TIPS (Technology

Integration Profile of Schools) at <www.

metiri.com>. This article is based on Metiri

Group’s development of enGauge for the North

Central Regional Educational Laboratory.

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REFERENCES

Bransford, John, Ann Brown, and Rodney Cocking, eds. HowPeople Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School. NationalAcademy Press, 1999.

Bruce, Bertram and James Levin. “Educational Technology:Media for Inquiry, Communication, Construction, andExpression”1999.

Goleman, Daniel P. Working With Emotional Intelligence.New York, NY: Bantam, Doubleday, Dell, 2000.

Hasselbring, Ted. “Presentation at 1999 Florida EducationTechnology Conference.” Orlando, Florida: February, 1999.

Krathwohl, David and Benjamin S. Bloom, eds. Taxonomy ofEducational Objectives, Handbook 1: Cognitive Domain.Addison-Wesley, 1984.

Mann, Dale and Carol Shankshaft, et al. “West VirginiaStory: Achievement Gains from at Statewide ComprehensiveInstructional Program.” The Milken Exchange on EducationTechnology, 1999.

Means, Barbara. Technology and Education Reform: TheReality Behind the Promise. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1994.

NCREL (2000), enGauge, Framework for Effective TechnologyUse. www.ncrel.engauge.org

Newmann, Fred, ed. Authentic Achievement: RestructuringSchools for Intellectual Quality. The Jossey-Bass EducationSeries, 1996.

Riel, Margaret, and Becker, Hank. University of California,Irvine. “The Beliefs, Practices, and Computer Use of TeacherLeaders.” Paper presented at the American EducationalResearch Association, New Orleans, April 26, 2000.

Shank, Roger C. Virtual Learning: A Revolutionary Approachto Building a Highly Skilled Workforce. New York, NY:McGraw Hill, 1997.Tapscott, Don. Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the NetGeneration. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, Inc. 1999.

Wenglinsky, Harold. “The Link to Higher Scores.” TechnologyCounts '98: Education Week. As reported to Jeff Archer,1998.

Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. Understanding By Design.Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development(ASCD), 1998.

22


If you are interested in making the jump to this excitingnew technology, visit the websites of the organizationsshown, or contact their representatives. For an investmentof about $350 (handheld: $250, portable keyboard: $50, andPorta Data software: $49), every school administrator canimprove protocols for collecting, analyzing, and communi-cating data that drives school wide decision making. ✪

Kevin Silberberg, Ed.D. <[email protected]> is coordinator forthe Kern County Superintendent of Schools, has had a variedcareer as a teacher, a principal of a state and nationally recog-nized school, superintendent, and a faculty member at threeuniversities. He has received numerous awards for school lead-ership from school districts, associations, state, and federaldepartments of education and in 2005 received the “LighthouseAward” as the outstanding alumni of Point Loma NazareneUniversity. A multimedia presentation of this article can befound on the TICAL website <www.portical.org/Presentations/silberberg2>.

“ O B S E R V E ” C O N T . from 11

“ P D A ” C O N T . from 15

Porta Data <www.portadata.com> Checklist classroom observation tool.

HanDBase <www.ddhsoftware.com> Customize templates for your use.

Walk’bout <www.acsa.org> Focuses on the effective implementation ofstate standards.

Media-X Systems <www.media-x. com/products/ewalk/ index.php> Letsyou create an easy-to-use Palm application to collect and store data withno programming involved.

GoObserve <goknow.com/Products/GoObserve/> is a software tool thatcan help you more efficiently schedule classroom observations and moreeffectively capture the salient instructional activities that occurred duringthese observations.

The Newest Tool?PDAs are but one device in the ecosystem of classroom

technology that will undoubtedly penetrate classrooms overthe next decade. PDAs, graphing calculators, and cell phoneswill have increasingly overlapping functionality. These deviceswill complement desktop and laptop computers. As new tech-nological tools find their way into the classroom, the questionto ask is not what can this tool do better — but what can I dowith this tool that could not be done before. ✪

Alex Bick is a 17-year-old senior attending Millburn High School,located in northern New Jersey. He is being mentored by Harvard

Graduate School of Education Professor Chris Dede and MIT

Professor Eric Klopfer. He presented his work at the 2005 NECCConference and the National Junior Science and HumanitiesSymposium. An online version of his research can be found at<www.millburn.org/science/pda/>.

This article was repurposed (updated by Alex Bick) with permis-sion from Learning & Leading with Technology, vol. 32, no. 8, (c)2005, ISTE (R) (International Society for Technology inEducation), <[email protected], www.iste.org>. All rightsreserved..

KIPP Heartwood students nearly doubled their reading andmath scores on the SAT 10, average daily attendance was99% for the year, and the school scored a 900 on theCalifornia API. With results like this, maybe it’s time we alldialed in to the power of mobile phones. ✪

Chris Fitzgerald Walsh is an education technology and mediaconsultant. Send any ideas, innovations, and inquiries to<chris@epochlearning. com>.

“ M O B I L E ” C O N T . from 14

Test Tools from Fall 05


2005Dec. 1 | Nominations for Gold Disk,Outstanding Teacher, and Technology inLearning Leadership awards due. www.

cue.org

Dec. 15 | Nominations for CUE Board due.

www.cue.org

2006January 13 | Macworld K-12 EducationSymposium, presented by CUE. Hosted at theMacworld Conference and Expo, Jan. 9-13Moscone Center, San Francisco.www.macworldexpo.com

January 21 | EBCUE, Alameda County Office

of Education, Hayward, Calif. www.ebcue.org

January 28 | OCCUE Technology Festival.Fisler Elementary School, Fullerton, Calif.

www.occue.org.

February 4 | iCUE Silicon Valley. WoodsideHigh School, Woodside, Calif.

homepage.mac.com/icuesv/

February 25 | ETC! (in collaboration withCCCUE). Johansen High School, Modesto,

Calif. www.cccue.net

March 3-5 | California Association for the

Gifted (CAG). www.cagifted.org

March 9-11 | CUE Annual Conference, PalmSprings, Calif. www.cue.org

March 22-25 | Alliance for DistanceEducation in California, Summit XVIIWestin Pasadena, Pasadena, Calif. www.adec-cal.org/

April 8 | Innovations in Education (CVCUE)California State University Fresnowww.cvcue.org

June 3 | 40th Annual California StudentMedia Festival, Foothill College

www.mediafestival.org

July 5-7 | NECC, San Diego.www.iste.org/necc.

Computer-Using Educators, Inc. | c/o WestEd, 300 Lakeside Drive, 25th Floor | Oakland, CA 94612phone 510/814.6630 | fax 510/814.0195 | email [email protected] | website www.cue.org

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAID ALAMEDA, CA

PERMIT NO. 81

Calendar

SAN DIEGO, JULY 5-7

CUE is the local affiliate host for NECC 2006, presented incollaboration with the International Society for Technology

in Education (ISTE). Through this partnership, CUEmembers will receive the ISTE member rate when

attending NECC, as well as discounted ISTE membership.For more information on CUE's involvement, or to

volunteer for NECC 2006, visit: www.cue.org/necc06/.

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