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About
this Issue
Moving
Along the Continuum
By Anita McAnear
To read letters to the editor, click Readers
Respond
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NOTE: Where indicated, files are in PDF format (view PDF
instructions). Some files are in MS Word (view MS Word instructions) or Rich Text (view Rich Text instructions) formats.
A continuum of technology use seems to be emerging in
classrooms around
the world. It starts with access of some kind to hardware and
necessary
software. Next, teachers receive some training or educate
themselves.
As they use the technology with their students over time,
their teaching
style often becomes more constructivist—more student
centered.
As this happens, teachers seem to integrate technology more
effectively
into their teaching, and students stretch the limits of what
they can
do with their minds as well as with the available hardware and
software.
Though many of the necessary components are in place to make travel
along the
technology-use continuum possible (e.g., access to hardware and
software, basic
technology training, models and research on constructivist teaching),
we travel
it at different rates. Many pioneers went right from access they often
obtained
themselves to effective uses of technology for improved student
learning. One
such pioneer, Douglas Becker, the 2004 ISTE Technology-Using Educator
of the
Year, is featured in our Member Profile. Read about what keeps Doug
forging
ahead.
 Download
the full article (PDF, 183 KB)
Now, what keeps others forging ahead is increased demand for
accountability—to
the effective use of the costly infrastructure, to federal and state
mandates,
and to help students develop 21st century skills. But how can these
demands
help us travel smarter, not just faster? Robert B. Kozma describes
what innovation
looks like around the world based on his work with the Second
Information Technology
in Education Study (SITES). He identifies several trends in classroom
technology
use and describes projects you can adapt to help yourself and your
students
move along the technology use continuum. Read how teachers and
students around
the world are gaining strategies, knowledge, and skills with
technology.
Download
the full article (PDF, 374 KB)
Mary Burns stretches technology use beyond merely using spreadsheets
for show
and tell to using them as problem-solving tools. She argues that
teachers need
to experience the power of technology as a problem-solving tool before
providing
these experiences for their students.
Download
the full article (PDF, 436 KB, 68 seconds.)
Clever ways to teach technology skills along with content are always
in demand.
Joanne Fortunato up-dates the silhouette lesson, adding digital
cameras, photo-editing
software, and ties to art, language arts, and social studies. Once
students
have technology basic skills, the curriculum applications are wide
open.
Download
the full article (PDF, 433 KB, 68 seconds.)
As a high school student, Rachel Lee made her way along the continuum
by participating
as a member of her school’s Tech Team and taking media
classes.
Download
the full article (PDF, 298 KB)
Technology-supported learning by doing has to be one of the most
powerful uses
of technology in education. Building and programming robots is an
ideal way
to learn science, math, and engineering concepts. Diane McGrath
describes the
Kansas Robot League and the constructivist pedagogy behind it.
Download
the full article (PDF, 519 KB)
Collaboration in the classroom can facilitate groups or teams
traveling
the continuum efficiently together. Several authors this month
describe
special tools to aid collaboration.
Annemarie Timmerman describes how online survey tools can be used in
the classroom.
Designing and analyzing the results of an online survey helps move
students
to the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis levels of Bloom’s
taxonomy.
Download
the full article (PDF, 383 KB)
Weblogs are a tool for adding a collaborative element to journaling.
Sara Kajder
and Glen Bull continue their discussion about this tool and its
potential to
aid struggling readers and writers. The collaboration can be done
solely with
the class, but it can also easily be expanded to include audiences
outside the
classroom.
Download
the full article (PDF, 337 KB)
Lyn C. Howell uses e-mail to facilitate a collaborative project
between her
high school students and elementary students in another school
district. Her
students communicate with the elementary students to learn their
interests and
then develop books for them tailored to their interests. The books are
developed
using PowerPoint and are thus easily shared as e-mail attachments. She
has done
this project without and with technology and has interesting things to
say about
the differences.
Download
the full article (PDF, 350 KB)
Getting started is still a challenge, even with some access and some
basic
computer literacy training. Cindy K. Wilson, Susan L. Jones, and John
M. Hail
continue providing ideas for teachers with one or a few classroom
computers.
The second article in the series discusses using a classroom computer
as one
of the learning centers in a classroom.
Download
the full article (PDF, 259 KB)
Don Hall continues his exploration of new management skills for
technology
coordinators. This month’s article looks at managing the
performance of
the tech staff and helping them excel in meeting their vision-aligned
goals.
Download
the full article (PDF, 541 KB)(Includes Supplement)
Download
Supplement only (RTF, 121 KB)
The L&L staff is moving along an editorial continuum to
better serve
our readers by evaluating the results of the L&L online
survey for
Volume 30 and sharing our intentions for improvements with you. Thanks
to all
ISTE members and NECC attendees who filled out the online form and
provided
valuable feedback to the L&L staff.
Download
the full article (PDF, 443 KB)
If you missed this feedback opportunity, feel free to send your
thoughts, suggestions,
and/or ideas about L&L to the editors at letters@iste.org.
Readers
Respond
Dear Editor,
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and re-reading your recent
series
of articles on project-based learning (PBL) in L&L.
I am
writing to ask permission to use them as part of a study group
I am
forming on my campus. We have about 25 teachers who are
interested in
learning about PBL and implementing it in their classrooms,
and your
articles would be a great resource for our discussions.
Please let me know if it would be okay to use these articles.
I am
an ISTE member.
Lana Stone
Technology Curriculum Specialist
Winn Elementary School, Austin, Texas
Editor’s reply: One of the privileges of
ISTE membership
is permission to share with your colleagues articles from
L&L,
Journal of Research on Technology in Education,
Journal of
Computing in Teacher Education, and ISTE SIG publications.
The L&L
PDFs (online at http://www.iste.org/LL/)
include our standard credit line, so all you need to do is log
in (with
your member number), download the files, and print the copies
you need.
For articles from other periodicals, please add this credit
line, inserting
the copyright year:
Copyright © <year>, ISTE (International Society
for Technology
in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or
1.541.302.3777
(International), iste@iste.org,
http://www.iste.org. All
rights
reserved.
If you need written permission or need to copy large
quantities of
articles, please contact ISTE’s permissions editor at
permissions@iste.org.
Nonmembers can get permission to copy articles from ISTE
periodicals
and the ISTE Web site from the:
Copyright Clearance Center
222 Rosewood Dr.
Danvers, MA 01923
Phone: 1.978.750.8400
Fax: 1.978.750.4470
http://www.copyright.com
L&L welcomes letters to the editor. Please send
all responses
to articles or general feedback about the magazine to editor
Kate Conley
at letters@iste.org.
Copyright © 2003, ISTE (International Society for Technology
in Education).
All rights reserved.
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