IMPACT for Administrators

Innovation Middle School is wired. Every classroom has three multimedia, Internet accessible computers, an LCD projector, a Digital Interactive Whiteboard, a DVD player, and curriculum appropriate hardware and software. Networked printers are located on every hall, and each grade, 6th, 7th, and 8th, has a mobile computer lab. For Mrs. Ray, the technology facilitator, a wired school means a very busy schedule.  Mrs. Ray has worked at Innovation Middle School for many years. Through her experience and education, she has gained and applied many insights about technology and the job of teaching.

Mrs. Ray knows that technology brings new resources into the classroom (Bajcsy, 2002). For instance, this is the first year that Mr. Price has participated in the Global Lab project with his eighth grade 1st period science class. Global Lab students around the world create environmental profiles of their school. Students measure parameters such as light intensity, carbon dioxide concentrations, air and soil temperature, and soil moisture, then compile their data and exchange it with other schools across the globe. Through the global lab project, Mr. Price’s students have information that has not been available to his students in previous years. With observations available from other students in diverse environments, his students make comparisons of their environmental profile with profiles of other environments to make hypotheses and observations. This morning Mrs. Ray works with Mr. Price and his students organizing the data from the various environments in a database. While Mrs. Ray works with students on creating a database, Mr. Price will work with students on organizing and synthesizing the information in appropriate searchable fields and records.

Mrs. Ray also knows that with technology, teachers are able to develop new forms of instruction (Means, 2000). Last summer, the Innovation Middle School Social Studies team, developed lessons and an accompanying selection of online resources and software, of texts, photographs, audio and video content. This morning in Mrs. Foust’s second period social studies class, students are using the resources to create multimedia reports instead of the traditional written reports on Asian history and culture. The group assigned to explore the economy of China, uniquely explore the ties between the American economy and China’s economy and working conditions in their multimedia report titled Made in China. Students use photographs and voiceovers to explain the implications of importing products from China to the United States. This morning Mrs. Ray and Mrs. Powder, the school library media coordinator, are working with the students on their projects. Mrs. Powder is instructing students on how to correctly cite sources for multimedia and online resources. Mrs. Ray is helping students incorporate multimedia sources into their presentations correctly.  Mrs. Foust comments that using the multimedia resources gives greater content and depth to instruction and student assignments.

Discussions with many teachers confirm something else Mrs. Ray already knows. Technology motivates student learning.  Teachers suggest that technology motivates students, because it creates an environment that involves students more directly than traditional teaching tools (Schacter, 1999).  Before Mrs. Ray heads to the sixth grade team weekly planning meeting, she stops by Mrs. Brown’s 8th grade language arts class.

Since Mrs. Brown replaced journal writing on required reading assignments with Weblogs, her students’ writing has increased dramatically.  Students are so involved in writing and reading Weblog entries that they all scramble to get on the computers before lunch. Because students are posting their responses online where every other student can read the entry, students are reading the young adult literature thoroughly and are posting more in-depth observations about what they are reading. Mrs. Brown is ecstatic. Not only are students more engaged in the literature, but they are also taking responsibility for their own learning.

After lunch Mrs. Ray heads for Mr. Mulroney’s room. Technology has been extremely helpful in individualizing instruction for students, many of whom are served in exceptional classrooms (Lou, 2001). While Mr. Mulroney believes that technology helps adapt instruction to student learning styles, he does not believe in isolated learning. In Mr. Mulroney’s class, students are learning about volcanoes together through a variety of activities. Mark and Adam are building a model volcano from everyday kitchen products. Mary is using simulation software to simulate a volcanic eruption by combining different gases with magma and rock. Linda and James are creating a Hyperstudio stack on Mount St. Helen’s in Washington.  Mr. Mulroney asked Mrs. Ray to join the class this afternoon as students’ work on their different projects.

As students are leaving school, Mrs. Ray is setting up for professional development. Mrs. Ray knows that effective use of instructional technology is dependent on the teacher (Grove, Strudler, and Odell, 2004).  Teachers must be confident in applying technology when and where appropriate. To maintain their technology competency in a fast-paced environment, professional development has becomes a high priority for teachers. Today, Mrs. Ray is teaching sixth grade teachers about handhelds. 

Before Mrs. Ray leaves for the day, she checks the next day’s schedule.  She notes that tomorrow Mrs. Caison, the music teacher, is using midi software in music appreciation class . . .

For online video examples of technology facilitator scenarios visit the following Web link:
<http://nditsvns04.its.state.nc.us/ramgen/dpi/MediaTech/ProfessionalAssessment/tfpai.rm>

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