Lifelong Learning:
A Powerful Idea Shaping Education
by David Moursund
In this month's editorial, David describes in depth one of his
10 powerful ideas: lifelong learning. Read characteristics of a lifelong learner,
and learn how to foster a love of learning in your students.
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In this issue, we look at professional development for the integration
of technology in the curriculum from two perspectives. The first is more general
and the second is specific to particular curriculum areas. A general premise
is that technology uniquely supports the fairly new models of learning that
are more constructivist in nature, where less emphasis is on regurgitating facts,
and more emphasis is on integrating new knowledge with old, problem solving,
and collaboration.
Integrating Technology:
Some Things You Should Know
by Laurie B. Dias
On the big picture side, Laurie sets the stage for technology
professional development by raising four questions: What is technology integration
and what isn't it? Where does technology integration happen? What are the barriers
to technology integration? What are the stages of technology integration?
Subject: Stages of Technology Integration, Planning, Training, Scheduling,
Collaborative Learning, Mentoring
Grade Level: All
Technology: conferencing or collaborative work software, Internet/Web,
e-mail, simulation software, word processors, databases, spreadsheets, computer-assisted-instruction
software, graphics programs, hypermedia programs, videodiscs, scanners
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Eight Steps to Success:
Technology Staff Development that Works
by Barbara Bray
Barbara provides a practical plan for designing staff development
for a school or district.
Subject: Technology Staff Development, Self-Assessment, Needs Assessment,
Stages of Concern
Grade Level: K–12 (Ages 5–18)
Technology: Multimedia, database, and e-mail software, HyperStudio (Roger
Wagner Publishing), PowerPoint (Microsoft Corporation), FileMaker Pro (FileMaker,
Inc.)
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to Table of Contents.
From Computer Lab to Technology Class:
A Formula for Transformation
by Sandra Sherwood
Sandra describes what can happen when a certified teacher in
the building works with his or her colleagues to promote technology integration
throughout their school.
Subject: Technology Integration, Computer Labs, Professional Development
Grade Level: K–12 (Ages 5–18)
Technology: All
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to Table of Contents.
Linking Educators to Learning
by Beth Buchler and Guy Ballard
There are extensive resources available for professional development.
Those available through the Web are a special boon. Beth Buchler and Guy Ballard
discuss Link2Learn, a wonderful CD-ROM and Web resource for professional development.
Subject: School–University Collaboration, Funding Options, Engaged
Learning
Grade Level: All
Technology: Link2Learn CD-ROM
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to Table of Contents.
Professional Competencies for the Digital Age Classroom
by Ed Coughlin
Ed describes the many useful resources and projects from the
Milken Family Foundation Technology Exchange.
Subject: Professional Development, Improving Student Learning, Assessing
Professional Development Initiatives, Engaged Learning
Grade Level: K–12 (Ages 5–18)
Technology: Internet/Web
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Advanced Technology Training:
Multimedia Institutes Go to the Museum District
by Diane Garner and Richard Alan Smith
Diane Garner and Richard A. Smith describe a district and museum
collaboration to provide advanced multimedia training to K–12 science teachers.
(It is encouraging to know that we are getting to the point where advanced training
is needed.)
Subject: Science, Advanced Technology Staff Development
Technology: Internet/Web, mPower and Oceans Below (Mindscape), Calendar
Creator and Infopedia (Softkey), Print Pizazz (Creative Pursuits), Outline Map
Library (Nystrom), Media Street (Humanities Software), The Oceans (SVE)
Standards: NETS 1–6. (Learn more about the NETS project at www.iste.org/standards.) TEKS—varies by institute. (Find out
more about these Texas education standards at www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/.)
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Beyond Tool Training:
Professional Development for Elementary Math Teachers
by Cathy Miles Grant
Cathy writes about professional development work she did in Hanau,
Germany. The training she offered went further than just training teachers to
use the tools—it taught them to use the tools in their classrooms. Co-teaching
and encouraging collaboration among teachers were two keys to the success of
her work.
Subject: Elementary and Middle School Mathematics, Professional Development
Grade Level: K–8 (Ages 5–14)
Technology: The Graph Club (Tom Snyder Productions), The Cruncher (Knowledge
Adventure), Excel (Microsoft), overhead projector
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to Table of Contents.
Project-Based Student Technology Competencies:
Expanding Technology Infrastructure and the Need for Staff Development
by Catherine Collier
Catherine describes an innovative train-the-trainers model that
is also a university–district collaboration. The trainers are teacher leaders
charged with systemwide integration of student technology competencies throughout
the curriculum.
Subject: Multidisciplinary, Staff Development
Grade Level: K–8 (Ages 5–13)
Technology: Internet/Web; AppleWorks (Apple) or other integrated software
package with a word processor, a database, a spreadsheet, and some graphic or
desktop-publishing capabilities; Decisions, Decisions (Tom Snyder Productions);
PageMill (Adobe); The Writing Center (The Learning Company)
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First Steps in Telecollaboration
by Judi Harris
Judi discusses getting started in telecollaboration. With just
an e-mail program and a Web browser, you can have access to hundreds of projects
with students in other classrooms.
Subject: Collaborative Learning, Telecollaboration, Activity Structures
Grade Level: K–12 (Ages 5–18)
Technology: Internet/Web, e-mail
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to Table of Contents.
Software Reviews
by Judi Mathis Johnson
To fit with this issue's theme of staff development, Judi asked
various staff developers across the United States what they found to be effective.
They identified two types of software: (1) software that can be used directly
for staff development in various areas of teaching and (2) student software
that could stimulate change and motivate teachers to use technology.
One content area that has good staff development products is
mathematics. Three in particular stand out: math•ed•ology, Understanding
Teaching, and Teacher Change: Improving K–12 Mathematics.
Gary Bitter at Arizona State University produced both math•ed•ology
and Understanding Teaching, but they are packaged quite differently. math•ed•ology
is available from T.H.E. Institute (www.theedstore.com), and Understanding
Teaching can be purchased from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (ASCD, www.ascd.org).
They are both video-based and focus on understanding and meeting the National
Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards. Teacher Change is a free
CD-ROM containing a collection of materials and ideas for conducting workshops.
This last CD-ROM is available from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse (ENC)
or any of its access centers. Or you can read and download all of its contents
from the Internet (www.enc.org).
For student software, the products mentioned most frequently
were Kid Pix; Inspiration®; HyperStudio; the Decisions, Decisions
series; and Knowledge Forum. Four new packages contain Kid Pix, and a short
description follows. Inspiration now comes in an education package that includes
Exploring Inspiration for learning how to use the software and some of its educational
applications. Knowledge Forum is the third program explored more fully in this
month's column. Although the program has been around for a few years, the upcoming
version called Web Knowledge Forum has exciting new prospects for the classroom.
The Kid Pix Activity Kits are excellent examples of curriculum fit. Inspiration
and Knowledge Forum are software tools that develop student thinking by organizing
information so it can become useful knowledge.
Kid Pix Activity Kit Volume 1
Brøderbund (a division of The Learning Company), 88 Rowland
Way, Novato, CA 94945; 800.685.6322 or 415.895.2000; www.broderbund.com
Exploring Inspiration® (CD-ROM Tutorial) and Classroom
Ideas Using Inspiration®: For Teachers By Teachers (80-page booklet)
Inspiration Software, 7412 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, Suite
102, Portland, OR 97225-2167; 503.297.3004 or 800.877.4292; www.inspiration.com
Knowledge Forum and Web Knowledge Forum
Learning in Motion, 500 Seabright Avenue, Suite 105, Santa Cruz,
CA 95062-3481; 831.457.5600 or 800.560.5670; www.learn.motion.com
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to Table of Contents.
Software Releases
by Judi Mathis Johnson
This month, Judi describes a new entry in the Magic School Bus
series, the iMac version of the Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, pwWebSpeak,
and more. Read the entire column online.
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to Table of Contents.
Copyright © 1999, ISTE (International Society for Technology
in Education).
All rights reserved.
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