Most educators are aware that technology will be an agent of change in the way children are taught, but many are not sure how or when. When technology is introduced to the classroom, it similar to an electric motor being introduced to the operator of a water mill. The operator just hooks the motor up to the water wheel, instead of thinking about how the mill might be better designed. Educators often do the same thing with technology, the thinking is, how can we use this in our current classroom.

Just as our factories have changed from the day of the water mill, we need to rethink the structure of how we educate our students. In preservice courses, students are taught how to use the technology, but not enough thought is given to how it could change the pedagogy. We should have more of a vision than the operator of the mill.

There are two main threads in technology use in the schools, learning how to use the technology and using the technology to support the curriculum. In this report I, will discuss these threads as the use of technology is analyzed.

During my two visits to Japan, Dr. Haruo Kawai was very thorough in planning visits to a variety of schools. We visited elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges. The personnel working at the schools were very helpful and did an excellent job in explaining what they were doing and showing me the classes and equipment. As I have seen in the U.S., the equipment at each school can have a wide variance in use, type of equipment, age of equipment, and software available.

Many of the sites were using the technology to support the curriculum. A middle school was using the computer lab and the corresponding software to reinforce concepts from the middle school math program. The students and teachers were enthusiastic about the program. In a high school and technical school, there were classes on the use of computers in an office setting. The students were learning to use spreadsheets, word processing, and communication programs.

I was impressed with the physical layouts of these labs. In the middle school the labs were arranged in groups, either around a central location or in pairs. This allowed the students to work either independently or cooperatively. There was a lot of interaction in the math lab, because of the arrangement of the computer stations around a five or six sided table. In this arrangement a student could discuss different questions with a variety of other students or signal that they needed the teacher's assistance.

A unique set-up in the high school was a set up where a third monitor was placed between two students (each student had their own machine). The instructor then could place instruction or examples on that screen. Some of the schools had internet connections available and students were able to work on a project with students in another country. I also visited some rural schools with three older computers for the entire school.

A summary of my observations: At this time, one of the major problems is that there are not enough machines in most of the schools to allow the students access to them more than one or two periods a week. In many schools in the US, we have the same problem. The question then is what can the students do in that limited time. I saw two tracks in the middle schools, one was to use the computer labs to support the curriculum, the other to teach the student about the computer. I believe the most efficient use of time is to use the computer to support the curriculum and let the student learn about the computer in that context. In some schools, many teachers had a computer or access to a computer. In the rural school with only three machines, many teachers had purchased their own lab top computer. I was impressed with the teachers' interest in computing.

I have had the opportunity to be involved in educational technology in the US since the 1970s. Over that time I've seen many statements of how technology would effect education, but I have not seen much (if any) change. In some school districts, such as the Oswego (New York) district, changes have started to take place. In most schools the lack of computers and lack of up-to-date technology has made district wide change difficult.

In the Oswego School District, the infrastructure has been put in place and most of the instructional staff has been trained in running the equipment. Even in this environment, changes are just starting in how technology is used in the classroom.

Kingsford Park Elementary School is an excellent example of where the elementary schools are headed in the near term in their use of technology. All except one teacher have received basic technology training, and over 100 percent [sic] of the teachers have received their classroom computers. In most classrooms, students are scheduled to work individually on CCC [see appendix A] math and reading software on a regular basis. The courseware holds the students' interest and motivates them; teachers report that most students are typically on task when working on the computer. Principal Mary Ninemire plans to have teachers maximize their use of the CCC performance reports to determine students' strengths and weaknesses, and to adjust their teaching accordingly throughout the 1997-98 school year. Several teachers have developed lessons around the use of Internet-based information resources.

The library and its growing electronic resources have become a "focal point of the building." Principal Ninemire considers the school librarian as an excellent resource for instructional technology. The school places a heavy emphasis on research skills, including electronic research skills. Student-written, content-related books that take advantage of Kingsford Park's technology-based publishing center further demonstrate the school's dedication to using the new technology. The computer network is also being used to enhance staff communication, including a weekly electronic newsletter and staff memos distributed via e-mail.

High school staffs have responded to the training and are highly motivated to integrate technology into classroom instruction. However, the initial implementation strategy is being adjusted; the staff considers the CCC software to be inappropriate for the needs of most high school students.

The high school is organized by single subject departments rather than by one teacher teaching all subjects to one group of students as they do in the elementary schools. There have been instances of a lag between completion of the in-service courses and receipt of classroom computers, resulting in minimal teacher morale problems. The high school principal and the department staffs are choosing subject-based software as an alternative to CCC courseware. The math and science departments are now using Logal, a web based instructional software for high school science and math courses. The foreign language departments are using foreign language learning software.

The model of five computers per classroom may not always be appropriate for the high school. Many teachers prefer to work with all of the students in their class using technology simultaneously in a computer lab. The school and district administrations understand this as a factor impacting successful implementation, and have placed additional computer labs in the high school. Currently the degree of computer-based instruction varies by department:

In the year 2002, OCSD will be a national leader in the use of technology to plan, deliver, and evaluate teaching and learning.

"Brewster Academy, an independent college-preparatory boarding school located on the banks of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, is attempting to build the Connections necessary to "move the needle."

Prior to 1992, Brewster, like many public and independent schools, had a computer lab with Macintosh Plus and SE models. A number of faculty with a personal interest in technology owned and used personal computers, while a like number of students also brought their computers to school. As recently as the mid-1980s, a student was refused permission to use a computer in the dormitory because, as an "appliance," it represented a fire hazard.

Computer use was confined to a specific room or computer "lab" that was used to teach keyboarding and usually some introductory courses in programs like Microsoft Works and HyperCard. These were taught a few times per week in conjunction with the odd classroom presentation or simulation activity. The school at that time had a growing presence in CAD and graphics but lacked the resources to realize the teaching potential in that area.

The 1996 Brewster represents a total technological transformation from the 1992 scenario. Technology is infused into the very core of all of Brewster's activity. Students and teachers don't use computers a few times per week, rather, they use custom and application software with laptop PCs the way they formerly used books and pencils. Students can access the library, their teachers, fellow students and the Internet from their desks in classrooms, lecture hails and even their dormitory rooms via a comprehensive fiber-optic network. They can access teachers at all times to discuss homework assignments, get extra help and share information with peers. Teachers integrate technology into their teaching and use it seamlessly on a day-to-day basis in their classrooms. Our CAD and graphics presence has grown into a full-blown Multimedia program."(3)

Other schools have not made the same progress, the biggest reason is that they have less money available. Money alone is not the answer, a short and long term plan should be developed. The instructional and administrative staff needs training, in not only how to use the technology, but in integrating the use of the technology into supporting the curriculum.

Software should be evaluated the same way as any educational material. Software can be broken up into two general categories: tools type software, where the student can create, research, and present; and instructional type software, which tries to educate or train the student. Of course, some software falls into both categories.

"Works type" software that includes word processing, spreadsheet, and data base software. Some packages also include presentation, communication, and drawing software. Packages are also designed for specific areas, such as music, where students can create, play, and print their own music. This allows the students to collect, arrange and present information and/or original ideas.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a huge resource of information. Most of the information is unsorted and not consistent in quality. Critical thinking becomes more important as the student must sort through the material to decide which sites are valuable (and the information is valid) and which site are not. The WWW gives students a chance to publish their work and share it with others.

Much of the instructional software will move to the WWW as the infrastructure improves and the rate of transfer becomes faster. The major market for educational software is now business, as many corporations need to train their employees. Business spends much more money on educating their workers than the US spends on its whole school system.

After business, the home is the next biggest market for educational software. In the US, changes in the educational system will probably be driven from the home, as parents and children start using more and more of the educational software that will be used in the home. Alan Kay, President of Research and Development for the Walt Disney Company, believes that the creation of computer environments that allow a student to explore ideas is important. These environments should provide the students with the "hard fun" of doing, rather than a passive activity.(4)

Encyclopedias and other reference software are available on CD or on the WWW. Simulations for subject areas such as history and chemistry are widely used. Jostens Learning Corporation and the CCC SucessMaker Management System produce comprehensive, interactive learning software. The software encompasses much of the K - 12 curriculum and allows teachers to personalize instruction for the student. The management side of the software will allow the teacher to assess and monitor the goals for each student. (see appendix A)

Conclusion:

In both the US and Japan, we have only started in the use of technology in our classrooms. Ten years ago few people would have guessed at the explosion of the internet and the use of the world wide web. In 1943, Thomas J. Watson (Chairman of the Board of IBM) said that there would be about a world market for about five computers. As late as 1975 Kenneth Olsen (President of Digital Equipment Corporation) told a convention that there is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home. The market for and the power of personal computers have changed tremendously, redefining literacy in the information age.

Our students will need to be familiar with the technology, but still will need the basic core subjects. Instructional technology must support the curriculum and be integrated into the learning process. The students will use the instructional technology, rather than learn about it. "Teachers will extend the variety of their instructional roles, moving beyond presenter of information and discussion leader to become diagnostician, coach, motivator, facilitator, project manager, and editor-in-chief for students working individually or in small groups. Ongoing, multifaceted, clinical staff development will make this transition possible. All teachers who have computers in their classroom will be trained in techniques for managing the classroom when students are engaged in individual or small group projects and in discipline-specific methods of integrating open-ended software."(4)

The change will be an iterative process, as technology becomes available to the students and teachers. First, teachers must become familiar with using computers and the internet. The next step is to examine both the tool and curriculum type software and decide which would be useful for their students. Also, during this step teachers and administrators should reexamine their paradigms for instruction. Workshops, conferences, and readings would be helpful in redefining and forming ideas for classroom management. Running parallel to the teachers' work, the professors of the preservice teachers would be doing the same and more. They will be educating the leaders of the next decade and beyond. The professors should be taking the lead in forming new paradigms and doing the research to validate their use.

An important ingredient in forming new paradigms is assessment. It is essential that the changes be evaluated. Each country, and even each school will not be able to follow exactly the same path. The availability of the technology, the infrastructure, and money will determine to what extent each school can integrate the educational technology into their curriculum. The use of technology must be assessed using the educational objectives for using the technology.

Educational technology has great promise, but school systems must plan their use carefully, including the curriculum and teacher training.

References:

Baker, Lori, "Classrooms become high-tech", The Arizona Republic, pp B3, June 10, 1998.

Bulkeley, William (Wall Street Journal), "Computing results not instant",
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Cartwright, G. Philip, "Planning for academic computing: Important
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Cerf, Christopher and Sculley, John, "Turning on a new generation: How
will kids become part of the information age?", Camden Technology
Conference, "Transformation of Learning", www.camcon.org, Camden

Maine, Oct 23-15, 1998.
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Star Tribune, pp 01A, Nov. 15, 1996.
Kay, Alan and Schank, Roger, "The Role of Technology: How will
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Mesa Public School, "Instructional Technology",
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Papert, Seymour, "Targets hit; Targets missed: What have we done
right? What have we done wrong? Where do we go from here?',
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Stoll, Michael, "Lessons on Laptops", The Christian Science Monitor, pp
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