Research(ers)

=Links to case studies, current research, educational technology leaders, publications, and organizations:=

King Middle School:
[|One to One Technology Integration] at King Middle School is part of the [|Expeditionary Learning Schools Outward Bound] program. Since 2002, [|Maine Learning Technology Initiative] "has provided all seventh and eighth grade students and teachers in Maine with Apple iBooks". “Our curriculum is based around learning expeditions -- 10 to 12 week interdisciplinary projects in which students assume professional roles, conduct authentic research and fieldwork, and represent their learning in professional-style products. Computers and media technology are used in every step of the process” (http://king.portlandschools.org/files/onetoone/onetoone.php, Curriculum and Support for One to One section, para. 1). “Since 2000, King has transitioned from one computer teacher to a technology teaching and support team of three full-time teachers. We have a growing number of technology integration experts among our subject-area teachers, and have transformed several previously non-technical courses to technology-rich learning environments focused on 21st-century literacy and information skills. In addition, all students and teachers have access to project-based instruction and contemporary media tools in our shared media and production lab” (http://king.portlandschools.org/files/onetoone/onetoone.php, Curriculum and Support for One to One section, para. 2). "Full implementation took 3-5 years. After three years we began to see marked improvement in standardized test scores. We also experienced a drop in student disciplinary issues and an increase in parents requesting to come to King from out of district" (http://king.portlandschools.org/files/ourschool/resources/faq.htm). //Related links:// [|Laptop Take Home], [|Start a Laptop Lending Program], and [|About Maine Learning Technology Initiative] (Thanks, Michelle, for a great example!)

New Technology High School:
Read about this amazing school in the article, [|21st Century Learning in Schools – A Case Study of New Technology High School in Napa, CA], or visit their [|website].

Lemon Grove School District:
[|LemonLink, One-to-One & Beyond] is a case study about the [|Lemon Grove School District]. It is an example of what can be done in a **low-income/low-scoring school district** to transform learning and improve test scores through the use of educational technology. The technology includes the school district''s own microwave tower and Wide Area Netowrk (WAN) used by not only the schools, but also by other community facilities, like the libary, and the students' homes. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators can access the internet and the school's network (via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) so the same programs and files used at school can be accessed from anywhere in the community). [|Thin client technology] is used to reduce maintenance time and cost. (See related article by their vendor Citrix: [|Improving Achievement with One-to-One Computing] and [|Learning from Lemon Grove: A practical model for computing in education]) Their story has it all: **vision, strong leadership, strategic planning, grants, partnerships with business and the community, ongoing training, technical support, and most importantly //improved learning and test scores//.** Darryl LaGace, Director, wrote the article [|One to One Mobile Computing]. Here are some related resources about their partners/vendors: [|CoSN's] [|Data-driven Decision Making Initiative] has this [|summary] under their Best Practices. The core of their curriculum platform is [|bigchalk Integrated Classroom]. [|Cox Business Services] partnered with Lemon Grove and reported, "//Thanks to Project LemonLINK, the district was able to implement a technology-rich curriculum that helped improve students' motivation to do well in school. In recent studies, all Lemon Grove schools rated at or above the// //state average in a statewide ranking. Three of the schools ranked among the top 15 most improved in San Diego County. Nearly 40% of at-risk middle school students posted gains of as much as 2 years' growth in reading and math in the first 6 months of the program. The elementary schools in Lemon Grove achieved the greatest 2-year improvement of any district in the state."//

Cincinnati Country Day School:
Microsoft published a case study titled [|Cincinnati School Fosters Creative Learning with Tablet PC in One-to-One Program]. The intro from the case study gives a good idea of what the case study is about: //"[|Cincinnati Country Day School] (CCDS) in Ohio has a long history of integrating technology into the classroom. In 1996, the school embraced the one-to-one computing pilot program sponsored by Microsoft and Toshiba, providing a mobile PC for each student's full-time use. And when the Tablet PC and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system arrived in 2002, the school migrated to the// [|//Toshiba Tablet PC//] //to take advantage of pen-enabled computing and ink-integration for the Microsoft Office system programs. Later, CCDS deployed DyKnow interactive instructional software and the school has plans to upgrade to the Windows Vista operating system. The Tablet PC has captured the imagination of students and teachers. For the first time, CCDS has a technology tool that fully supports the school's mission of encouraging creative thinking, individual excellence, and constructive collaboration."// Tablets are used extensively at CCDS. All students from Grades 5 through 12 have a Tablet PC. **They also use [|DyKnow] as part of their Tablet infrastructure**. Robert Baker who heads the school's IT says of DyKnow, "I simply can't imagine having a Tablet PC one-to-one program without using DyKnow. The best analogy for DyKnow is when you use DyKnow with a class it's like giving every student their own electronic whiteboard. It's as flexible and intuitive as the Tablet PC itself, so the possibilities of creating engaging and collaborative classroom experiences are virtually limitless."

Bishop Hartley High School:
A Microsoft case study about [|hp Tablet PC's] and [|DyKnow] but this school is [|Bishop Hartley High School] and the case study is titled [|High School Students, Teachers Learn Long-Term Benefits of Tablet PCs in the Classroom].

__Research:__
[|Technology and Academic Achivement] references "research studies that link technology to increases in academic achievement" (p. 2). This article does an excellent job of explaining the proper implementation of **professional development** for successful integration of technology. The entire article is worth the read, but here are a few quotes. "Educators can no longer accept the belief that technology is a silver bullet...Improvements in student learning occur when technology is paired with instructional strategies like project-based instruction, which actively involves students in intellectually complex work that demands higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills...The kind of active learning necessary to master principles and concepts and explain student work is easier to implement in a technology-rich environment" (p. 3). Professional development should focus "on instructional strategies like project-based learning, and cooperative or collaborative strategies, in addition to technology skills...Too often the limited staff development available focused on the computer, not technology's role in learning and teaching...There is a consensus about the characteristics of a new, more effective model of professional development. One of the most salient of characteristics is that '…teachers need opportunities to work with colleagues, both in their school building and beyond. They need chances to learn from one another's successes and failures and to share ideas and knowledge'" (p. 4). (The orginal article from Dec 2002 can be found at the [|New Horizons] site.)

[|Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products: Findings from the First Student Cohort] is the subject of the article [|ED study slams software efficacy] (May 1, 2007). "The use of certain educational software programs to help teach reading and math did not lead to higher test scores after a year of implementation, according to a major federal report released April 5. The $10 million study, issued by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), was distributed to members of Congress--and its findings could affect future funding for school technology" (p. 1). "ED has extended the study for a second year to determine whether the software is more effective when teachers have had more experience using it. The department hopes to release the second year's results next spring" (p. 3).

In response to the above study, eSchoolNews published a [|Special Report: eSchools Work!] (May 17, 2007) "In this Special Report, we've highlighted stories from the eSchool News archives that document such ed-tech achievements and the research that validates them. We've also included some advice on how to lobby effectively for school technology in your own communities, as well as the keys to successful school software implementation" (p. 2). In reference to the ED study (above) the report also contends, "ed-tech advocates believe the report's true value lies in its 'white spaces'; that is, what is most revealing is not what did happen in the classrooms that were studied, but what didn't happen: Teachers weren't comfortable with the technology, there was an absence of effective leadership in many of the schools, and the software wasn't used as often as it should have been" (p. 1).

The "Special Report: eSchools Work!" references [|Technology in Schools: What the Research Says] "a 'metastudy,' or study of studies, that set out to determine what the balance of existing research says about technology's impact on learning. After reviewing dozens of research reports, education researcher Cheryl Lemke of the [|Metiri Group] concluded that, when implemented 'with fidelity,' technology does, indeed, provide a 'small, but significant' increase in learning across all content areas" (p. 1). The "Technology in Schools" report concludes that the real value of the "research lies in the identification of those technology interventions that get sufficiently positive results to warrant the investment. Most educators are looking for the value proposition that will significantly advance learning, teaching, and school system efficiencies" (p. 15) and serious attention should be paid "**//to leadership development, professional development for teachers, school culture, curricular redesign, and teacher preparation" (p. 15).//**

In the article [|Ed tech is raising student achievement] (July 1, 2007) nine states, including **Wisconsin**, "will be presenting their findings after three years of federally funded research into technology's impact on teaching and learning--and an early look at these findings shows some promising results" (p. 1). "Researchers have found some significant differences in areas such as student engagement, achievement, and discipline. These differences are especially pronounced when certain factors are in place, she added, such as high-quality, ongoing professional development in the use of technology to support learning; effective school leadership; and a curriculum that personalizes instruction" (p. 2). The article also addresses the ED study (above) when it asserts, "many of the factors necessary for ed-tech success appear not to have occurred in the schools involved in ED's study...What ED's software study demonstrates, and states' experiences confirm, is that 'without ongoing and sustainable professional development, access to tools and resources, and leadership, technology's potential [in education] will not be maximized,' Wolf said" (p. 2).
 * Related Links**: [|Technology Immersion Pilot Overview], [|Technology Immersion Project] (TIP) official site, and the [|Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Project] (eTxTIP). These links from Texas' project have research result reports and other helpful information. Here is a [|Summary] of the Outcomes of the Third Year of TIP (2006-07).

[|Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction State Resources]
This page includes annual reports, grants, state technology plan, projects, and contacts.

[|Enhancing Education through Technology (Ed-Tech) State Program]
"The primary goal of this program is to improve student achievement through the use of technology in elementary and secondary schools."

Seymour Papert:
Sit at the feet of the master educational technologist and listen to Seymour Papert's [|**keynote address**] (QuickTime Video) at the International One-to-One Computing Conference Sydney, Australia - June 2004. He discusses the computer as an informational vs. a consturctional tool, which can be used to teach students rigorous thinking skills. The computer is more than a tool, it is a science. He talks about why education is slow to change and where our focus should be. //"We need to get into the act now..being where things are going to be and not where things are now. And we better be jumping into that future as fast as we can."// //"//So it’s possible to learn mathematics in a way, closer to the way mathematics developed that is. Starting with a way to understand the world and get things to happen and do things. So this leads to a real big turnaround in the way we think about learning and I think we’ve stood things upside down in our education system that we start teaching pure mathematics and hope later on that one day they’ll apply it to physics and engineering. I think we can reverse that completely – teach engineering in first grade or in kindergarten and then build up to pure mathematics. ...Well I think that about 90 per cent of what we teach in mathematics in schoolrooms I’d throw out, it’s not really of any use in the modern world. ... Knowing how to add fractions by taking the common denominator and all that manipulation – nobody in the world does that. It’s not a practical thing that you need to do. Nobody need to know the formula for solving a quadratic equation//" (//[]). He is a pioneer of educational technology and his work includes the MIT Media Lab's [|One Laptop per Child] and [|Lifelong Kindergarten] projects. The [|Logo Blocks] project from Lifelong Kindergarten led to [|Lego Mindstorms] and [|PicoCrickets] which can be used to teach higher order thinking skills to elementary students which were previously taught only at the university level. (Note: Under the direction of [|Tod Machover] the MIT Media Lab also developed [|Toy Symphony] "an international music performance and education project that empowers children and adults alike, giving realization to modes of musical creativity and expression through the use of new concepts and technologies." In other words, they developed [|Music Toys] (hardware) and [|Hyperscore] (software) to allow anyone to perform and compose music. It's amazing stuff! Thanks for the info, Marcia!) He puts his thought in writing in the article [|Technology in Schools]. Here are some other Papert links: [|Planet Papert] and [|Papert.org]

Related topic:
MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten has developed [|Scratch]. It is a free download. ** “[|Scratch] is a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web. ** Scratch is designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills. As they create and share Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively” ([], para. 1-2).

Mitchel Resnick:
As Papert's colleague at the MIT Media Lab, Resnick has been involved in many of the same projects as Papert (listed above). Many of his articles are available under [|Papers] on the Lifelong Kindergarten site. His article [|Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age] (Chapter of 3 of [|The Global Information Technology Report 2001-2002: Readiness for the Networked World]) discusses the development of [|Logo Blocks] which led to [|Lego Mindstorms]. He states, "//In most places where new technologies are being used in education today, the technologies are used simply to reinforce outmoded approaches to learning...If we want to take full advantage of new computational technologies, and if we want to help people become better thinkers and learners, we need to move beyond these information-centric views of computing and learning" (p. 1).// His anecdotal examples in the article are inspiring.

**Larry Cuban:**
He is often credited with offering the flip side or the opposing view. He is a pragmatist. Where Seymour Papert has the vision of an idealist (and I'm hoping a futurist), Larry Cuban's perspective offers a dose of current reality. His views are shared in the the research article [|Techno-Promoter Dreams, Student Realities]; the transcript of the online chat [|Technology Counts 2007: Looking Back, Looking Ahead]; and the article [|Why Can't Schools Be like Businesses]?

Others:
[|edtechnot.com] Created by middle school teacher. It contains links to leading educational technologists pages and other valuable information.

[|John Seely Brown] is the former Chief Scientist of Xerox Corporation who now calls himself the "Chief of Confusion, helping people ask the right questions, trying to make a difference through my work- speaking, writing, teaching."

[|Paul Saffo] "is a forecaster and essayist with over two decades experience exploring long-term technological change and its practical impact on business and society." "Technology does not drive change. Technology enables change. It’s our collective cultural response to the options and opportunities presented by technology that drives change."

__Publications:__
[|eSchoolNews] Technology News for Today's K-20 Educator

[|techLEARNING] "Resource for Education Technology Leaders" and it's other publications:
 * [|SchoolCIO]"Strategies for K-12 Technology Leaders"
 * [|21st Century Connections]"Innovative technologies to inspire digital creativity in 21st century classrooms"
 * [|K-12 Blueprint] "Resource for One-to-One Computing"

[|Education Week] Under Topics, choose Technology for the latest news.

[|EdutopiaMagazine] by the George Lucas Educational Foundation. "Information and Inspiration for Innovative Teaching in K-12 Schools"

[|EDUCAUSE review]

[|Activate]: The Journal of Technology-Rich Learning

[|from now on]A self-published technology journal. "educational techology for engaged learning. educational technology for literacy." Take a look at some of the Power Learning materials.

"[|First Monday] is one of the first free, openly accessible, peer–reviewed journals on the Internet, solely devoted to the Internet."

The [|Pew Internet & American Life Project] produces reports that explore the impact of the internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, [|education], health care, and civic and political life

Organizations:
"The [|International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)] is the trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy, and leadership for innovation. A nonprofit membership organization, ISTE provides leadership and service to improve teaching, learning, and school leadership by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards ([|NETS]), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology ([|CARET]), and the National Educational Computing Conference ([|NECC]), ISTE represents more than 85,000 professionals worldwide."

[|Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education] "The Association (founded in 1981) is an international, educational and professional not-for profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge, theory, and quality of learning and teaching at all levels with information technology."

The [|Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)] is the country’s premier voice for K-12 education leaders who use technology strategically to improve teaching and learning. CoSN provides products and services to support leadership development, advocacy, coalition building, and awareness of [|**emerging technologies**].

"The [|North Central Regional Educational Laboratory® (NCREL)] was one of 10 federally funded laboratories whose contract to operate ended in 2005. Learning Point Associates conducted the work of NCREL, and many of the resources developed under this contract remain accessible through this website...The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Learning Point Associates its fifth consecutive contract to operate a [|regional educational laboratory]—this time called REL Midwest instead of the //North Central//—a new name for a new scope of work. Details about the new work to be conducted by all 10 regional educational laboratories will be available in the coming months on a Regional Educational Laboratory Network website."

[|Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory]

[|New Horizons] "for Learning has retired, but our website has found a new home on Digital Learning Commons. Since 1980, New Horizons for Learning served as a leading-edge resource for educational change by identifying, communicating, and helping to implement successful educational strategies. Our role has always been to give visibility to effective teaching and learning practices and ideas that have not yet reached the mainstream, and to work in coordination with other reputable networks and learning communities. New Horizons for Learning has often been a 'launching pad' for new educational organizations and projects. "

"The [|Digital Learning Commons (DLC)] is a nonprofit organization established to improve access to educational opportunities and learning resources by providing high-quality educational materials, online courses, and technology tools for Washington's students, teachers, and parents."

[|Edutopia] by the George Lucas Educational Foundation. "Information and Inspiration for Innovative Teaching in K-12 Schools"