Haoli's Summary

Effects of the Digital Whiteboard on Teachers' Pedagogical Approach

    In the "How is the Interactive Whiteboard Being Used in the Primary School and How Does This Affect Teachers and Teaching?", Julie Cogill (2002) constructed a study to find out the influence of technology on the pedagogical approach of teahers in a primary school. Becuase of the intervention of "networks, laptops, wireless techology, more sophisticated and less expensive software and potentially faster, easier Internet access" (Cogill 5), the construction of a classroom has changed and thus, teachers' pedagogical styles as well.

Cogill has concluded the positive effects of interactive whiteboard from the NGfL Painfinders Report (2001):

Positive Factors relating to teaching:

• improved presentation without loss of eye contact
• whole class access to a wide variety of resources and moving graphics through large scale images
• potential to recall previous work through flipchart element of the boards' software
• facility to respond through immediate manipulation of shapes and text

Positive factors relating to teachers:

• better planning and more effective lesson management
• potential for a teacher to feel more in touch both literally and metaphorically
• facility to share work with colleagues

    Instead of traditionally written notes on blackboard or printed notes on projectors, teachers now can provide text with images, music or videos to attract and retain children's attention, give out quizzes or tests within the whole class environment and increase class participation by children writing their solutions on the board. Other than giving the children the information on the course schedule, teachers can also provide more information, examples and cases that can help children to more easily understand the materials. With the digital whiteboard, teachers can now choose a variety of methods to present the course materials to the children and make a combination of different methods for every particular class to make a class more interesting, understandable and engaging.

Works Cited

Cogill, Julie (2002). How is the Interactive Whiteboard Being Used in the Primary School and How Does This Affect Teachers and Teaching?

http://www.virtuallearning.org.uk/whiteboards/IFS_Interactive_whiteboards_in_the_primary_school.pdf

http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf

Sat. March 17, 2007:

Erika here: Good summaries, please take a look at my notes, include the details I have asked for in your summary, go ahead and delete my comments, and begin your orchestration summary. Check my journal for guidance. You are on your own now, on Tuesday we will be working on how to present your research.

Brett's Summary

Adapting the digital classroom to the needs of the Net Generation

    In “ teaching digital responsibility”, Harkins et al (2007) research article attempts to explain and deconstructs the changing course requirements of a compulsory and credited computer skills workshop course, which all first year students at Carnegie Mellon undertake. The ‘computing skills workshop’ course has been required at Carnegie Mellon for more than 20 years (since 1985), the course has evolved to the changing need of the first-year students. As the skills and the first –year student’s general digital literacy has increased in knowledge over time the program organizers have adapted to the changing needs of the students “ expectations about appropriate behavior in this increasingly computer-dependent environment. Recently, this program has included more sophisticated tools, instruction on how to use library databases, and a module on responsible computing.” (2). Harkins and Zirngibli expose the results of a 2005 survey indicating Value and Curriculum Appropriateness revels the popular computer programs “Excel, Career Center and Power Point received the fewest ‘Retain’ responses. (6)

    The ‘Computing Skills Workshop’ course is concurrently taught in Peer-to-peer format, rather than the traditional Professor to student format. This allows students to develop teaching and leadership skills. Presenting the course in this pedagogical format allows for a 360 degree interactive classroom enviroment.  The students learners as well as the student instructors are activley invloved in the course curriculum feedback processs, thus allowing for progressive fine tuning of course requirments.This This course curriculum ensures all first year students have “a similar set of computer-related skills.” (2) “A CSW program should enhance students’ existing IT knowledge, provide training on relevant university specific technologies, and educate students to make responsible decisions regarding their technology use; The instructor program creates and develops student leaders” (9). The program currently taught through peer-to peer instruction includes:

1. Computer security: This session informs on the use of account security, potential virus attacks, and protection from identity attack.(3)
2. Networking: introduction to Andrew file space, MyFiles, UNIX, and FTP.(3)
3. Responsible computing: curriculum includes academic integrity, copyright guidelines, and the usage of safe and secure networking sites.(3)
4. Quantitative analysis tools: this session incorporates basic computer operations i.e. Excel, spreadsheet creation
5.  Research tools: students are taught to use the library catalog systems. The Carnegie Mellon school library test’s all undergraduate students in their competency in digital literacy through a program called SAILS, the results of this test is used to adjust the curricula for the research portion of the class; Carnegie Mellon has taken this statistics into consideration when developing curriculum so as to focus on issues that this ‘Net Generation’ might encounter.

    In the exploration of digital responsibility thru the process of various assessments and surveys Harkins and Zirbingi reveal the majority of students are comfortable with using core information technologies and are more interested in curriculum involving complex computer tecnology and operating systems such as UNIX, and file transfer protocols (FTP). The Computer Skills Workshop at Carnegie Mellon is actively designed and attempting to adapt to the changing demands of the current Net Generation.

Works Cited:
Harkins, Corrine et al (2007). Teaching Digital Responsibility, Volume 2007, Issue 6, EDUCAUSE, Center for Applied Research.

http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ERB0706

Teaching Digital Responsibility

NOTE: To access my article through educause please use the user-name: english112 and the password is : conference

Nebojsa's Summary

The Influence of Computer and Internet Use on Teachers Pedagogical Practices and Perceptions

    In “The Influence of Computer and Internet Use on Teachers Pedagogical Practices and Perceptions”, Henry J. Becker and Jason Ravitz (1999) argue that in the educational structure (namely school) “computer use [has become] a powerful catalyst leading to more constructivist practices on the part of the teachers” (356). These constructivist theories (or practices) of

learning, as determined by Dewey (1916), Piaget (1952) and Vygotsky (1978), include:

• “Designing activities around teacher and student interests rather than in response to an externally mandated curriculum” (356)
• “Having students engage in collaborative group projects in which skills are taught and practiced in context rather than sequentially” (356)
• “Focusing instruction on students’ understandings of complex ideas rather than on definitions and facts” (356)
• - “Teaching students to self-consciously assess their own understanding” (356)
• “Engaging in learning in front of students, rather than presenting oneself as fully knowledgeable.” (356)

    The increasing role that computers play in the implementation of “constructivist-compatible teaching” is a key component for the execution of constructivist practices (mentioned above) (357). The “Panel on Educational Technology of the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) (1997)” argue “ [that] the real promise of technology lies in its potential to facilitate fundamental, qualitative changes in the nature of teaching and learning” (PCSAT 1997 qtd. in Becker and Ravitz, 357). Computers have been complimented on their beneficial functions that not only provide teachers with a mode of communications but also give students the ability to “produce a professional-looking presentation…” (357) as well as “a rich array of easily accessible and relevant information [they] provide…to explore subjects and issues of particular interest to them” (357).

    The new form of “constructivist teaching” and the more “traditional” form (no type of digital teaching) have contrasting ideals, such that can be examined through 4 key teacher/student associations:

1. Student tasks: The students undertaking of “constructivist” ideals prepares them for “real world” situations by the fact that they are trained through “authentic” activities (producing products) (Jones 1994 qtd. in Becker and Ravitz, 357). “Such activities usually require students to use a wide range of skills, deal with a wide range of complex and ambiguous issues, and make much more significant choices and decisions than traditional tasks require” (357).
2. The curriculum focus: Key areas that tend to come up when analyzing the curriculum under “constructivist” teaching is that it’s setting is often “thematic and interdisciplinary”(357). These interdisciplinary skills can be seen through “project management skills, research skills, organization and representation skills, presentation skills, and reflections skills” (Johanssen et al., 1998 qtd. in Becker and Ravitz, 357-358). In general the curriculum is more in depth by the fact that its focus is more “self-consciously procedural” rather than “factual” (students may learn what a particular historian thinks rather than what history has to say about that particular topic), which is what the traditional teaching style tends to follow.
3. Teaching style: The “constructivist” form of teaching allows students to be more free and be able to explore certain areas that they might find interesting rather than constricting them and “scripting” their tasks (358). “Students are given more responsibility and the “space” to develop their understanding” (358). A key aspect of the teaching style is that students are forced to work in “collaborative teams”; this initiative allows for (a) “Exposure” to other students’ thoughts and perspectives and (b) Collaboration allows for a social support group that can act as a positive influence for learning (358).
4. Teacher Perceptions: This initiative allows for an analysis of “what their teaching practice is like and different environmental features that [may] facilitate good teaching” (358). The collective responsibility the teachers bring is key to the “enabling [of] innovative practices (such as computer use) to emerge” (358).

    Initially computers have played a minimal role in the educational system as they were mostly used as a “supplementary activity after more necessary work is done or in the computer lab settings where students perform a uniform task (gaining practice in computational or grammatical skills)” (Becker 1994 ctd. in Becker and Ravitz, 358). In today’s modern world, the “technological infrastructure” (computers) has emerged as a key component for supplementing teacher’s during their lesson plans: “CD-ROMs and the World Wide Web [have] given students easy and rapid access to voluminous multimedia information”; email has allowed for communication between nations and people from anywhere in the world, at any time (358). “The use of computers thus serves the role of change agent within the classroom environment, affording and stimulating reflection, redesign and change” (Wilson, Teslow, Cyr, and Hamilton, 1994 qtd in Becker and Ravitz, 358).

The key prerequisite to move towards a more constructivist teaching style is to “move away from the whole-class-centered, textbook-centered, fixed assignment, closely monitored orientation of traditional skill-based and knowledge-transmission pedagogy” (358). Only when teachers are able to move away from this will they be able to fully reap the benefits computer technology has to offer and as a result enhance their students academic repertoire.

Works Cited:

The Influence of Computer and Internet Use on Teachers' Pedagogical Practices and Perceptions

Louise's Summary

The journey ahead: Thirteen Teachers report how the Internet influences literacy instruction in their K-12 Classrooms

    In "The journey ahead: Thirteen Teachers report how the internet influences literacy instruction in their K-12 Classrooms", RachelKarchmer (2001) concern is "how the Internet influenced literacy and literacy instructions in their [K-12] classrooms" (442). Karchmer writes that literacy and technology has always been closely connected in history, as "on has only to notice the impact book technologies had onwidespread access to print material [...] for a more universal literacy education to chart this relationship" (442). Karchmer notes that technology has been increasing used in the classroom and in the year 2000 "63% of instructional classrooms were connected to the internet" which is "more than double the number connected just 2 years earlier" (445). As a result of technology in the classroom, "there is research indicating [...] technologies in teaching and learning may improve student achievement" (447). El Hindi (1998) suggests that "collaborative, student-centered environment the Internet creates leads to more active learning, Nicaise and Barnes (1996) states "that technology provides "crucial support" to students [...] such as creating authentic tasks, opening communication and collaboration avenues" (Nicaise and Barnes 1996 quoted in Karchmer 447). Nicaise and Barnes (1996) also write that once teachers begin to "shift away" from "traditional methods of teaching" they will discover new technology that "engage[s] students in [...] active learningendervors" (447).

    In Kindergarten classrooms, Labbo (1996) studied how computer programs such as "KidPix2" is enhancing learning by creating "representations of play, art, and writing" (447). Continuing on into a 4th grade classroom, Baker and Kinzer (1998) "found that students who had difficulty creating illustrations by hand were able to construct pictures using technology enhancements" (448). However, in a study of high school students,Stahl et al. (1996) discovered that "merely making multiple resources available to students was not enough to benefit learning" as they had difficulty in "synthesizing and critiquing the information presented" (448). Stahl et al . concluded that "students needed to be taught how to compare documents" and "teachers must also prepare them to use the information effectively" (448).

    Karchmer gathered the results of several elementary and high school teachers during her research. The results varied depending on the "subject and grade lever the participants taught" (454). Elementary school teachers "focused on the appropriateness of reading materialfound on the Internet , evaluating information accuracy, and publishing student work on the Internet", high school teachers "concentrated on the appropriateness issue, specifically [...] safe Internet use and the skills necessary to evaluate information found" (454).Karchmer writes technology influenced teachers by having them "spend more time choosing reading material" because "unlike a textbook" it is not "often written for a specific grade level" (454). A chart provided byKarchmer shows: Internet influences literacy and literacy instruction in reading by having the students "evaluating the accuracy of the Internet material" and "[evaluating the] Appropriateness of Internet material" (454). Internet influences literacy in writing by allowing teachers to "[publish] student work on the Internet", this motivates students to produce "quality work" (458) since themalleability of "electronic text" allowed their work will be showcased to a "greater audience"(454). Karchmer notes that a student is "more likely to revise their work when it was composed on the computer and published online" (461). In one elementary school classroom, a student avoided writing because he wasembarrassed by his "illegible" writing, however, when he was provided a computer to type his work on he because "to create stories and reports" (460).

    In conclusion, the Internet is becoming "an even stronger presence" in all aspects of education, and as technology integrates with "literacy and literacy instruction", teachers and other educators must "explore the possibilities it has to offer classrooms" (464). There are many benefits that technology can offer to the classroom, such as increased variety in material attained for research, or motivation to create exemplary pieces of work to publish on the internet.

Work Cited:
Karchmer, Rachel (2001). The journey ahead: Thirteen Teachers report how the internet influences literacy instruction in their     K-12 Classrooms, 442-464.

Retrieved from: http://www.reading.org/publications/journals/rrq/v36/i4/abstracts/RRQ-36-4-Karchmer.html