Blog Entry #4

After interviewing a teacher at a local school and looking at that school's technology plan, I realized that the federal and state technology plans are not very evident in all classrooms today. One of the National Education Technology Plan's goals states "All teachers will use technology effectively to help students achieve high academic standards" (e-Learning). The school I conducted my interview at had about 2-4 student computers per classroom. The school had a computer lab, but it wasn't in it's own separate room. It was in the same room as the data coach and intervention teachers. It was difficult to use. According to the teacher I interviewed, not many teachers seemed to take advantage of it. When I asked if she and the other teachers utilized the computers in their classrooms, she said they were mostly used for Accelerated Reader tests. She thought some teachers also used them for drill and practice games.

The technology in the school didn't seem to be used effectively to help students achieve higher levels of thinking. This was probably due to the fact that technology use was not monitored by school leaders. The teacher I interviewed said the extent each teacher used technology was up to each teacher's individual preference. This reminded me of a quote I saw about statistics on teachers' technology use in Indiana's education technology plan, "When asked about their school principal’s expectations of them to use technology, 48% of teachers replied that they are 'expected to use technology regularly, as appropriate to their teaching assignment,' whereas 45% replied that each teacher in their school 'decides individually whether and how often he/she will use technology'" (Indiana Plan for Digital Age Learning). The school where I conducted my interview would fall in that 45% where each teacher decides individually on their level of use of technology.

Even though Indiana's latest education technology plan is from 2007, I still believe the following statement proves true 6 years later: "most school leaders are not yet setting high expectation for integration of technology in curriculum, instruction and assessment. In most Indiana schools technology has not yet translated into changes in classroom practice and is not yet systemic" (Indiana Plan for Digital Age Learning). Some schools are truly excelling in technology integration, which might be because they have had access to more technologies in the classroom for many years. Where I conducted my interview, they had just received SMART boards and were receiving professional development for them; maybe adopting this technology will lead to more technology integration used to encourage students' higher order thinking skills. If school administrators set some expectations with the technology as well, I definitely believe the state and federal technology plans would be more evident in this school.



Sources:

United States. Indiana Department of Education. Education Technology Council. Indiana Plan for  Digital Age Learning. 2007. Web.

United States. U.S. Department of Education. Office of Educational Technology. e-Learning: Putting a World-Class Education at the Fingertips of All Children. 2000. Web.

Blog Entry #3

While researching how Indiana government has impacted educational technology integration and use, I found two articles relating to Indiana educational technology policy and online standardized testing. A 2010 article from Indiana Public Media states that the Indiana Department of Education would gradually be transforming state-wide exams to a digital format. According to the article, at least one grade level in every public school in Indiana was required to transfer from paper to online testing in 2010. The Chief Assessment Officer of the Indiana Department of Education was quoted with the following: 

“We thought that it might be useful if you’re trying to really get kids ready for the 21^st century and make sure they’re college and career ready, we should probably at least try and test them with 20^th century technology rather than 19^th century technology.” says Bruce. “Paper tests have been around forever."

Not only will this help get students prepared with 21st century skills, but the turnaround with online testing is much more efficient. However, not all schools have access to a large number of computers or the network capacity for simultaneous testing. Regardless, it is the IDEO's goal for all students to have sufficient computer skills to be able to take an online version of the Common Core assessment in 2014 (Moxley).

A 2012 article from State Impact's website suggests Indiana is now "ahead of the curve" when it comes to online testing. The Indiana Department of Education stated that Indiana is already testing more students online than most states. The ability to test students online was described as "invaluable" because of the quick results that allow schools to quickly identify how many retakes they will have to administer. Although the IDOE sees great value in using technology for assessment, they do not seem to have lost sight of the true goal. The director of college and career readiness from the IDOE said, “It’s great to be able to test online, but we wouldn’t be asking schools to spend so much on technology just for the purpose of assessing. We know that’s how students learn" (Ntiamoah).

I definitely agree with online testing and the benefits discussed in these articles. However, I feel as if the state needs to make more of an effort to get "ahead of the curve" in integrating technology in the classroom for student learning rather than focusing so much on assessment. From personal experience student teaching last semester, the only time teachers seemed to use the computer lab was when they had to do Acuity testing. Teachers signed up for a time slot and took students down to test on math, language arts, social studies, and science. My cooperating teacher did not take students to the computer lab at any other time. The main use of computers in that school was for testing. Eventually they will be using computers for even more testing when ISTEP+ becomes digital as well. The state should make more specific requirements for effectively integrating technology in the classroom....possibly starting with the RISE model. For many veteran teachers who are content with their teaching methods, this may be one of the only ways to ensure technology is being used for more than just standardized tests.


Sources:

• Moxley, Elle. "Why It Might Not Be A Smooth Transition To Online Standardized Testing After All." State Impact. NPR, 29 June 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://stateimpact.npr.org/indiana/2012/06/29/why-it-might-not-be-a-smooth-transition-to-online-standardized-testing-after-all/>.

• Ntiamoah, Eunice. "Indiana Standardized Testing to Be Conducted Online." Indiana Public Media. Indiana University, 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://indianapublicmedia.org/news/indiana-standardized-testing-conducted-online-11249/>.

Blog Entry #2: What role should the Fed Government play in the ed tech policy process?

While searching for more information regarding the No Child Left Behind Act and technology integration, I wondered how technological literacy was to be measured. The national technology standards were created as a guideline after the NCLB act was put into place, and states were allowed to create their own set of technology standards if they wished. Since technological literacy can be defined in many ways, I searched to see what types of evaluations were in place for 8th graders when they have to be assessed in accordance with the NCLB act.

I found the following link: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/tel/moreabout.asp

It is the site of the National Center for Education Statistics. The above link provides information about the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) assessment they have developed. This year, the assessment is being piloted to students in 8th grade at selected schools. It will be fully operation in 2014. The TEL assessment will measure three main areas: technology and society, design and systems, and information and communication technology. It will include scenario-based tasks, short-answer, and multiple-choice questions to measure students’ knowledge and skills. Achievement levels will be as follows: basic, proficient, and advanced.

Federal policy specifies that the NAEP testing is voluntary unless the school receives Title 1 funds. Schools that receive Title 1 funding are required to administer the reading and mathematics assessments from NAEP. I think the new technology and engineering literacy assessment should be included as well. I agree with the fact that Title 1 schools are required to administer certain national tests because they are receiving federal funding. Since a Title 1 school receives federal funding, it seems fair for the federal government to implement the national technology assessment. It is their role because it involves government money. Schools not receiving Title 1 in each state should continue to be free to evaluate technological literacy with assessments other than the new national assessment. However, I think it would be appropriate for the federal government to narrow down the possibilities of assessment because they range from a single test, a course, or even a portfolio created over many years.

Blog Entry #1

My Name is Carissa Adelsperger. My major is elementary education with a concentration in technology. I am a senior and will be graduating this May.

I student taught in a 3rd grade classroom at Mitchell Elementary School in Muncie last semester. As challenging as some of my kids were, I enjoyed every minute of it. I feel like I should still be there to finish the year with them. Visiting once a week keeps me from missing them too much. I am so thankful to have had this experience at such a wonderful school.

I grew up in Muncie and attended the Yorktown Community Schools. I hope to teach at one of the two elementary schools. First through third grade would be my preference.

Technology has become an essential part of education. Learning becomes more meaningful through the use of technology because students are able to explore what is outside of their classroom. Technology can stimulate students' interests through videos, interactive sites, and hands-on manipulatives far better than textbooks. It allows for collaboration between students in the classroom and is an important factor in fostering the home/school connection. With the technology, the classroom has extended far beyond the school.

Like many of you, I am enrolled in this course because it is a requirement. I chose a technology concentration because technological literacy is such a necessity in today's world. I want to learn how to better incorporate these tools in order to interest my students and better meet their learning needs.

My personal learning goals for this class include developing a better understanding of the policies and ethics surrounding technology in schools, how to identify and use technology resources that affirm diversity, and how to use technology to communicate and collaborate with the larger community in order to nurture student learning.