Make the Case to Teachers

Which teachers need to understand and support educational technology? All of them! Tech-savvy new teachers need to think about careful application of technology to meet important learning aims; teachers for whom technology is more a problem than a solution need to learn how technology can increase their productivity and teaching power; and teacher-leaders need to recognize their potential as models and advocates for effective technology integration. Use the tools below to make a strong case for educational technology for this important audience.

NOTE: Where indicated, resource files are in PDF format (view PDF instructions).

Starter Kits

Use this collection of targeted strategies, nuggets of research data, and talking points to make the case to the teachers.

Tools for Making the Case to Teachers

(PDF, 139 KB, 22 seconds)
Teachers are the cornerstone of any education program, and their support for education technology is essential. Use this starter kit to make the case to teacher leaders, new teachers and veteran teachers alike.

Use these research reports, articles, presentations, video case studies, and resource links to make the case for educational technology.

2004 Leadership Symposium Onsite PowerPoint Presentation

(PDF, 277 KB, 44 seconds)
This PowerPoint presentation outlines the charge of the day from the 2004 ISTE Leadership Symposium at NECC.

A Change in Attitude

(PDF, 23 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how a group of parents and educators working together helped students understand and evaluate the many messages they receive on a daily basis from television, the Internet and other forms of media.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org

A Remarkable Transformation

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_1017&key=137
"A Remarkable Transformation" links to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Web site. It took time, teacher buy-in, and technology, but this urban school district in New Jersey has gone from dismal to dazzling. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

A Sampler of International Web Projects

(PDF, 25 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) highlights various programs connecting students and teachers from around the world, allowing them to share ideas, data, and an understanding of one another.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org/

Center for Applied Research in Education Technology (CARET)

http://caret.iste.org/
CARET bridges education technology research to practice by offering research-based answers to critical questions. Browse Questions & Answers to learn what studies show about topics such as student learning, curriculum and instruction, and professional development.

Computer Use by Teachers: Are Cuban’s Predictions Correct?

(PDF, 147 KB, 23 seconds)
Countering the argument that computers will not play a significant role in teachers’ instructional practices, Henry Jay Becker of California State University, Irvine, explains that when essential conditions are met, technology is a significant tool for improving teaching and learning.
Copyright © 2000, Originally published in Educational Policy Analysis Archives, Vol. 8 No. 51: http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v8n51/. Used with permission.

Does it Compute? The Relationship Between Educational Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics

(PDF, 766 KB, 2 minutes)
A report published by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), presents evidence for the efficacy of educational technology, using data from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Copyright © 1998, Educational Testing Service (ETS), http://www.ets.org/. Used with permission.

Eager to Learn

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_1047&key=137
This is a link to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Website. At Moanalua High School, students use multimedia tools to shoot, edit, and narrate documentaries on topics such as child labor. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

Exploring History, Understanding Ourselves

(PDF, 20 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how students from across the nation are using technology to connect with students from around the world, sharing lessons about culture and history, and forming a learning community that transcends race, class, religion and nationality.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org/

Highlights from NetDay’s National Report on Speak Up Day 2003

http://www.netday.org/speakupday2003_report.htm
This summary report highlights major findings from NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003, where 210,000 K-12 students submitted surveys on technology and education. Analysis shows that today’s students feel strongly about the value of technology, and rely on technology as an essential and preferred component of every aspect of their lives.

Information Literacy Primer

(PDF, 21 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) highlights the increasing need for students to become “information literate”. The author, Kathy Schrock, created a web site that helps teachers guide students as they learn to evaluate new information resources.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org/

Invigorating Science Teaching with a High-Tech, Low-Cost Tool

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_942&key=137
This is a link to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Website. Preservice teachers at the Curry School of Education demonstrate new technologies for veteran teachers, and bring them up to date on the latest advances. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

Making the Case for Making the Case (PDF)

March of the Monarchs

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_965&key=137
This is a link to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Website. The Journey North project involves thousands of students in monitoring migration patterns of butterflies and other species. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

Media Literacy “Starting Points”

(PDF, 19 KB, 3 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) provides teachers and parents with recommendations for building media literacy at school and in the home.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org/

New Technologies Link Ancient Cultures

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_979&key=137
This is a link to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Website. The First People’s Project enables indigenous students on five continents to share the wisdom of their respective cultures. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

Practical Guide to Promoting America’s Public Schools

http://www.learningfirst.org/lfa-web/rp?pa=doc&docId=72
Prepared by the Learning First Alliance, a permanent partnership of 12 leading U.S. education associations, this advocacy resource is intended to assist educators and others interested in education to promote the value of public education to our nation.
(Requires free registration)

Preparing to Teach with Technology

(PDF, 23 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) explains how the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development uses educational technology as a tool in their preparation of teachers.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org/

Schools as Hubs of Technology

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_643&key=137
This is a link to an article and companion video on The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) Website. It describes how and why schools in West Des Moines, Iowa provided community members access to information technology and distance learning. You will need QuickTime to view the video.

Students Find Their Voices through Multimedia

http://www.glef.org/php/article.php?id=Art_980
This descriptive article and video clip from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) shows how the use of multimedia in school projects serves to engage previously disinterested students in schoolwork.

Teacher Use of Computers and Internet in Public Schools

(PDF, 49 KB, 8 seconds)
This Statistics in Brief discusses public school teachers use of computers and the Internet and their feelings of preparedness to do so. The Brief examines teachers applications of technology tools as well as the assignments they give their students that integrate technology.

The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between Internet-Savvy Students and Their Schools

(PDF, 173 KB, 27 seconds)
A report by the American Institutes for Research for the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that students who are sophisticated Internet users feel their schools fail to integrate its many resources into school learning and assignments.
Copyright © 2002, Pew Internet & American Life, http://www.pewinternet.org/. Used with permission.

The World at Your Fingertips

(PDF, 24 KB, 4 seconds)
This article from The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) describes how interactive multimedia and telecommunications technologies offer rich opportunities for learning, affect the way time is used in schools, and support ongoing professional development for teachers.
Copyright © 2004 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, all rights reserved. Printed with permission. http://www.glef.org/

More Information

Do you have ideas for extending our advocacy efforts or improving these Web pages? Please contact ISTE Professional Development Services at profdev@iste.org.