A Retrospective on Twenty Years of Education Technology Policy--National Education Technology Plan

Blog A Retrospective on Twenty Years of Education Technology Policy
Commissioned to support the development of the National Education Technology Plan, A Retrospective on Twenty Years of Education Technology Policy provides an overview and analysis of key education technology policy reports issued since the landmark 1983 release of A Nation at Risk. The paper summarizes recommendations made in these reports and comments on the shifting rationales for and expectations of educational technology investments that have shaped those recommendations over time. Threaded among twenty years of research and policy work on technology's role in education is a conceptual framework for technology's use in education that offers substantial guidance for striking a balance between the demands of improving practice over time and pressing public concerns such as accountability and equity, between the cycle of change in technology and the cycle of change in schools, between the skills of tomorrow and the skills of today. Twenty years ago, the Internet was the stuff of science fiction, but education and government leaders had the foresight to develop a solid foundation on which the future of technology planning would rest.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
How can policy be shaped so that technology initiatives can more effectively accommodate and address the issues most relevant to teachers and build on those interests to improve practice over time? How can education technology policy best be linked to pressing public concerns regarding education, such as accountability and equity? How can we build on past successes, often unheralded, where technology has had a significant impact on a concrete challenge in schooling? Why has technology transformed or failed to transform education in ways previously promised?


1/20/2004 2:21:22 PM (Henry Williford)
Why has technology transformed or failed to transform education in ways previously promised? The term "Technology" is a very wide umbrella. So many things could fall under this scope. I will try and address the subject of computers and/or electronics. New technologies are so often forced on people that are already overworked and then are not given the instruction necessary for them to understand how to use it and what it can do to help them accomplish their job "faster, better, cheaper". Handing someone a computer and telling them to "use it" does not equip that person to understand how the device works or how best to use it to improve their instructional abilities. There are many wonderful ways that computer technology can assist (not replace) our educators if they have the necessary training.

1/22/2004 1:37:05 AM (Chris Halter)
The points made by Henry in his statement cannot be overemphasized. First, as new technologies become available and begin to move into the schools, what is the incentive for educators and students to adopt these technologies as routine tools in their everyday learning experiences? What models do they have of the effective use of these tools to promote learning in a meaningful way? These "best practices" with the electronic tools available need to be widely dispersed and shared among members of the educational community. Some organizations are making great efforts to do exactly this. But more can be done. Also, the second point made about how often educators and students are told "Here is a great tool, use it" must be addressed by the policy makers who often fund initiatives to increase the technology in schools. Too often when a school or a school district receives a large grant budget aimed at increasing the school's level of technology, the temptation is to maximize those funds by purchasing as much hardware as possible, or to upgrade the level of services or infrastructure at the school to support the hardware. When this happens, the hardware is often forgotten in a closet within a matter of months. We must ensure that training is included in the grant budget, so that when the technologies get into the hands of our teachers and students they will know what to do. Instead of being told, "use this", they will be saying to us, "hey come look what I can do with this."

1/24/2004 9:13:00 AM (Monica Barkley)
How can education technology policy best be linked to pressing public concerns regarding education, such as accountability and equity? Everyone talks about accountability, but no one who is actually in the classroom is allowed to make the policies with which to hold teachers accountable. And are teachers really the only ones who should be held accountable? Absolutely not. There is much more that goes into education than the teachers. It is so important to realize that what goes on in the home is just as, if not more, influential in educating children. If education is not valued at home, how can we expect students to value it? However, I am going to focus on what educators and administrators can do. If we set our standards high from kindergarten on, students will rise to those standards. If we provide them with the necessary tools to be successful, which sometimes means pencil and paper, they will be more successful. If we use authentic assessment, rather than multiple choice testing, our students would be more successful. I know, authentic assessment is expensive, but it is effective. Why would you base someone's ability to write an essay from a multiple choice test? Why would you base someone's ability to speak a foreign language on a multiple choice test? It sounds crazy, but that is what we do. Why is it that the AP English test is a written test? It is more effective and shows their abilities. They spend a lot of money hiring people to grade and re-grade the exams. They spend a lot of money having analysts look at the scores, etc. If you want to talk about accountability, lets look at our policy makers and budget makers. Lets look at who is making the decision to "leave no child behind." Bush is a great president, but is he an educator? No. Then why is HE making educational policies? Whoever came up with the phrase, "No child left behind," was a genious. Who is going to stand up and say, "I don't agree with your policy."? If they do, it sounds like their saying, "I want to leave children behind." This policy is a setup; as are most accountability plans. Should teachers be held accountable? Absolutely, but in a realistic way. Just as we want to set up our students for success, we need to set up our teachers for success. Give them the necessary tools and continous training to do their jobs. Technology has failed to transform education because there is no technology in the schools. Let me put it this way. Our school was really excited to get technology in our classrooms last year. We got telephones. Enough said.

1/24/2004 11:27:18 AM (J. Weaver)
Although I am not yet a full-time teacher, from my substitute teaching and observation experiences, I absolutely agree with Monica about there "being no technology in the schools," certainly in the public schools in the city in which I live. From what I hear, this is primarily due to budget shortfalls as opposed to educator resistance. If I look at this problem in its entirety, it is overwhelming and, in reality, I can probably do little about it. However, this does not prevent me as an individual from following my interest in technology - in my case, this essentially means computer technology - and how it can help me as an educator as well as my future students, even if this is only on a small scale. I understand in this day and age that much of this knowledge will have to be gained on my own time and at my own expense, but at least it will give me another tool to put in my "tool box." On another note, technology is really only useful if it supports subject content. As the first gentleman mentioned, it is not a replacement for skilled teachers. Sometimes I feel we forget this. If we are going to throw money / technology at a problem, we should first make sure that we fully understand what the fundamental problem is.

1/25/2004 4:45:04 PM (jennifer manivong)
Why has technology transformed or failed to transform education in ways previously promised? As a teacher, I can definitely say technology has failed to transform education in the school system I currently teach in. I can not incorporate technology into my classroom because I do not have a working computer capable of running the programs I would need. Many teachers do not have computers at all and this I believe is from poor funding. If technology is going to transform education it must be made a priority in all school systems and funding must be available. Training must be provided to teachers also if technology is to transform education.

2/4/2004 10:52:29 AM (Peggy Norton)
Why has technology transformed or failed to transform education in ways previously promised? I am just bouncing off a great conference where Alan November outlined his aproach to technology in education. He feels that technology has failed to transform education simply because it has been used to automate and not informate learning! (Empowering Students with Technology, Alan November,2001) "When an organization automates, the work remains the same, the locus of control remains the same, the time and place remain the same, and the relationships remain the same. The same process applied to solving the same problems. This may lead to incremental improvement, but the quality of work often declines." I have been witness to this in my own classroom and realized that the technology was simply speeding up a process (when it was working...) but often in the act of automating the critical thinking portion of a task is minimized. With informating, the task must be realigned with a higher order outcome in mind. The process must involve greater communication/collaboration and a fundamental shift of control. Guidng questions should be: What information is needed? What new relationships can improve learning?

2/6/2004 6:57:30 PM (Barbara Miller)
Education has been slow to change to technology. Although schools across America have been quick to create computer labs for students, teachers have not kept up with the students. Teachers are playing catch-up and falling behind a little more each day. In our state, teachers are asked to use technology to support instruction; access and manipulate data; enhance professional growth and productivity; communicate and collaborate with colleagues, parents, and the community; and conduct research. Needless to say, all of this takes immense hours of training. Each summer, teachers spend hours in technology classes learning to create web pages, use Smart boards, use Excel, Access, Power Point, Publisher, etc. They are spending hours before school and after school in technology training. Most teachers in this county are willing to put out the extra effort to become technologically literate. However, more money has to be committed to the effort. The logistics of having 1000 students on a computer at least one hour a day is not, yet, possible. More wireless labs, laptops and cutting edge technology needs to be available in all the schools.

3/9/2004 3:34:39 PM (Kathleen Stansbury)
How can policy be shaped so that technology initiatives can more effectively accommodate and address the issues most relevant to teachers and build on those interests to improve practice over time? Technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human by the Encyclopedia Britannica. This plan does not focus on technology but a tool used in technology. The computer is a great tool BUT children must learn the process of solving problems through the application of scientific knowledge rather than the tool. This plan needs to change its name to the computer education plan or focus on technology.

3/10/2004 11:57:17 AM (Danielle Hutton)
The one weakness we need to address is the ability for a student to use higher order thinking skills to problem solve. This skill is a necessity to live a productive life in society. One specific method that reinforces this skill is through a WebQuest. We need to implement specific plans to get even the most anti-technological teacher, a way to see the advantages of using technology. There should be one Web site that addresses every subject area and every grade level in ways that technology can be used. There are too many teachers that do not want to spend the time Internet searching for something they do not believe to be important. We need everyone to see the importance and use it to his or her advantage.

3/10/2004 4:20:33 PM (Richard Wright)
"Elementary and high schools are being sold down the networked river. To keep up with this educational fad, school boards spend way too much on technical gimmicks that teachers don't want and students don't need." Clifford Stoll in Silicon Snake Oil, 1995!!! p11 I agree with Gary Wynn's post that technology should not be limited to computer applications. Technology is an important part of the educational experience, but it should not be limited to classes on MS Publisher, or whichever application is in style at the moment! Trying to keep up with change in computer technology is a foolish endeavor. It is expensive, and experts talk about "technology addiction," where schools have to routinely repurchase computers and software. Despite years of computers being embedded in the public schools, they have yet really to dramatically alter test scores in science, math or technology. (There are exceptions, such 1998's ETS's study on math scores, but there are other studies that suggest there is little to no demonstratable advantages to computers in the classroom)! My suggestions: Talk about technology as technology, not as computer technology. Utilize ITEA technology standards. Technology can be taught without expensive computer technology. Put money into long-lasting constructives (such as Bricklabs-www.bricklab.com) that can be used to teach the principles and concepts of technology!!! Computer applications should be held to an absolute minimum in lower grades. "...what does computer literacy mean to a child who can't read at grade level and can't interpret what she reads? What does it mean to a teenager who can't write grammatically, not to mention analytically?" ( Stoll p 132 ) Richard Wright

3/10/2004 5:34:24 PM (Laura Baran)
I see there is a great need for hands-on technology and more project-based learning in the vo-tech and engineering sector. Computers are wonderful tools to learn from and all students should learn how to use them in middle and/or high school, but technology can be taught much earlier. Using hands-on maniupulatives that are familiar to young students, they can be taught mechanics, engineering, logic, and other early fundamentals of higher level technology. This removes the need for antiquated software, computers, Internet access, etc. and paves the way for students of all economic areas to learn the basics before being thrusted in front of a computer. It is also proven that younger students retain more when they can experiment with concepts by doing them tactilly. We need to pursue technology education that is computer independent at an early age and focus on high technology in the high school. Students with a grasp on how technology works will be able to function well even in computers are not available to them until later in life.

3/10/2004 9:11:52 PM (David Zirkle)
Consider using free and open source software. Along with obvious advantage of its lower upfront cost, it can allow educators and others to make improvements that they can share with the community. In many ways it is similar to the growth of a language. Should we have to pay a tax every time we talk? Requiring teachers and districts to concentrate on proprietary products not only inhibits the learning process, but is also unethical because of the current monopoly situation in the personal computer industry ("monopoly" being the term used by the court that convicted the monopolist). Why should I as a teacher be required to teach the quirks of an underperforming, insecure, expensive operating system and office package put out by the monopolist? So they can maintain and extend their monopoly, at the same time making high profits on the back of taxpayers? What a vicious circle this is!!

3/10/2004 11:20:22 PM (Lyneve Herpin)
Well technology is changing so rapidly, so the schools need to keep up. In order for the teachers to feel comfortable utilizing technology into their curriculum it is important for them to be educated in the technology. If the teachers don't feel comfortable using technology themselves they sure as heck aren't going to use it as a teaching tool. I think that school districts need to set up work shops for the teachers to attend so that all the teachers in the district will know how to integrate technology into their classes. Instead of our staff days being so unusable lets make them so that they are fun and interesting for us. Also let's learn something in these staff days that we can actually use in our classrooms. Doing a work shop on WebQuests would really catch the teacher's interest, which would make them want to learn how to use the software so that it is beneficial to them and their students.

3/11/2004 4:07:23 PM (Gigi Bohm)
I would like information about funds available for the use of hand held PALM for the purpose of assessment. Wireless Generation has a software program which I would like to use to assess students using running records on hand held PALMs. Any suggestions for this form of accountability would be appreciated. So my answer to the question for discussion is "Where is the money?" That's what I need to integrate and teach using technology! We're ready, but is the technology ready and available? Just give me the resources!

3/11/2004 4:15:49 PM (Joseph Aveni)
One of the key problems that I have discovered with the existing model is that schools only apply technology as an adjunct to student learning. In my opinion, what needs to change is that technology needs be "behind the scenes," supporting and enhancing the curriculum. Like the role of a set designer for the production of a show, with the actors being the teachers and the students the audience. Technology should be addressed in "broader" terms, not just in terms of using or deploying computers or the "infinite" dollars that would need to be spent to keep teachers trained. Ask any IT person how much it costs to keep ahead of the technology learning curve. Currently, a tug-of-war is taking place within the districts as to who is going to be responsible for implementing technology in the classroom. The teachers argue that they don't have the resources or time to learn something new. The administrative staff argues that when we place technology in the classroom, the teachers don't have the skills to use it. In order to break this stalemate, a "team" in each district needs to be the intermediary between these parties. This team needs to be well versed in technology and curriculum to gain respect from both parties. Each district also needs to qualify and hire a person who has the ability to lead this team and deploy technology on an as-needed basis. With an infrastructure in place that can be scaleable to its working space, this takes the burden off the teachers and puts the emphasis on learning -- the basis of education. What made technology so successful in the enterprise is that it addressed a specific problem, the improvement of productivity. Those same ideas don't apply to education. The technology paradigm needs to be examined, and must be designed specifically – and differently – to meet the needs of educators. Education is in the business of "educating students." All of this is easier said than done, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

3/11/2004 6:53:07 PM ( )
Why has technology transformed or failed to transform education in ways previously promised? Teachers are always striving to cover the curriculum in the short school day. Technology has become an added subject for many educators, and this is discouraging to many. Unless teachers learn how to integrate technology with the content areas, technology will not be viewed as a helpful tool. Teacher training and support are essential for the effective use of technology in the classroom. The position of a Technology Coordinator at every school will provide support to teachers in using technology creatively and effectively when teaching the standards of learning in school systems. Requiring that certain technology standards be met by teachers has become a part of the requirements for recertification in many school systems. This is a good start. With regular training and guidance from personnel on staff, teachers will become more comfortable with technology. In addition, if teachers can be shown how their jobs will be made easier or their lessons will be enriched, more teachers will use technology. A person on staff also provides technical support when things go wrong, as they always will when using technology. More teacher training can also be obtained through online coursework. Teachers are willing to take more classes if the course is convenient and valuable to instruction. Online coursework is growing in popularity and the choices available are increasing as well. Teachers in remote areas in the country are able to obtain the same training as anyone else due to the outreach of online courses. The way to the student is through the teacher. Training and support will allow that path to become smoother and more instructionally sound.(DDC)

3/11/2004 10:04:48 PM (Juan Guite)
The recent history of technology usage shows us that we should not just believe the hype as we did about the internet--like a "digital gold rush" of the late 1990s--but we need to be very realistic that we plan, design and implement technology integration that has been proven to work by sound scientific research. One way to do this is by but making sure it is married or the technology is integrated to solid aspects of reflective learning, solid curriculum design--not just throwing a computer into the classroom. In addition, this can not be done effectively without taking into consideration the professional development of teachers in the use of these technologies.

3/11/2004 10:20:41 PM (Carrie Godwin)
Why has technology failed to transform education in ways previously promised? I don't think it is necessarily the technology which has failed to transform education as much as it is the educators who have not actively participated in learning how education can be transformed by the use of technology. School districts country- wide have put millions of dollars into educational technology materials, but haven't trained the teachers to use these tools.

3/12/2004 8:32:04 AM (Mary Baker)
Educational leaders need to adopt a systems approach for technology integration, which just means that leadership takes five steps backward and looks at the entire school system instead of focusing on what's inside one classroom. Leaders should examine the system to see if it supports a "digital education" since our students live and learn in a digital environment. For example, does selection of instructional materials (textbooks?) have a digital strategy? Does building maintenance include network upgrades? Do students have "digital lockers"? Leadership should develop a business strategy to ensure that all the supporting elements of a school district align to enable technology integration in the classroom.

3/15/2004 7:26:40 PM (Nicole )
How can we build on past successes, often unheralded, where technology has had a significant impact on a concrete challenge in schooling? I think the best direction to go in developing a sold National Ed Tech Plan will be in analyzing what has been done in experiemental districts and schools and go from there. These grass-roots programs don't lack the courage to go out and try something new to meet the challenges facing their students, and because of that are successful. Meanwhile, so many of us are attempting to cram technology into our existing curricula to try to cover all the bases, and are doing more in a day and being less effective with each thing we do. These grass-roots prgrams need to serve as the leader for us to carefully analyze our current situations, determine the actual needs of our students and staff, and make a shift in philosophy from there. Our nation needs to not be afraid of abandoning practices that are no longer effective. Our teacher training programs need to show students the options of teaching outside of the self-containded one-teacher, 25-student classrooms we are already familiar with. We need to herald these grass-roots, innovative schools for their courage and impact on learning, and adopt their thinking. Afterall, we are all in education for the kids...shouldn't our schools reflect that?

3/17/2004 1:14:55 AM (Bryan Nielsen)
Why has technology transformed or failed to transform education in ways previously promised? I believe it was Thomas Edison who initially said that television would alter and entirely change the landscape of education. Well now here we are, and I do not think that television itself has had such an indelible impression on the field of education. Why would I disagree with this statement, the same reason I think that technology has failed to transform education today. I am not disagreeing that technology has and can impact education. I just think that we have failed to harness its power and capabilities of not only the technology, but of the individuals who wield it. Now that is not to say that there are not attempts being made to change that. Just like there are attempts being made to our nation's space program. All of these initiatives take time and money. Time and money that many of us feel is rapidly fleeting and often times out of reach when it comes to educating our nation's young minds. The idea that I am attempting to bring across is that we have to fully understand what it is we want the technology to do for education. And then based upon that understanding begin to offer the proper training so as to receive the proper understanding of how educators can make this happen. In retrospect, many nations failed because I feel they advanced further than their available resources; either there were not sufficient resources to allow them to advance, or they did not use the resources wisely and therefore squandered it. Technology for our civilization is much the same; it's just a matter of knowing what we want it to do and to then make it much more efficient. The reason it has not advanced is simple, we have failed to assess, implement, apply and evaluate. For technology to work, we must assess our technological needs, based on the assessment; implement the technology and apply it to what we are doing and then continue to evaluate for efficiency.

4/2/2004 2:38:43 PM (William Mead)
How can we build on past successes, often unheralded, where technology has had a significant impact on a concrete challenge in schooling? I recently wrote an article for the New Jersey Washington Township Public School District - Special Education Parent Teacher Organization (WTPS-SEPTO) Newsletter (http://www.wtps-septo.org/) to keep parents of special needs children abreast of developments in the use of technology innovations to assist and augment the educational needs and nuclear educational environment of their children. SEPTO recently entertained a speaker from New Jersey Protection and Advocacy Inc. for our regularly scheduled March meeting. NJP&A is a federally funded, private non-profit organization designated to provide advocacy and protection services for people with disabilities in New Jersey. Every state has a similar organization. The focus of the presentation was on the federal Technology Assistive Resource Program designed to provide information, referrals, advocacy and legal representation that enables disabled persons to gain access to assistive technology devices and services. The TARP BACK IN ACTION program acts as a clearinghouse for technology products that are offered as discount-used, donations, loans or part of leasing agreements. Another successful program initiated near Akron Ohio is a ground-breaking deployment of assistive technology that was piloted by the Coventry School District for students ranging in age from 9 to 17. Special educational needs included learning and cognitive challenges, mental retardation, autism, communication disabilities and orthopedic disabilities. Through the XyberKids program, the Xybernaut Corporation contracted with the district to deploy its lightweight Mobile Assistant V (MA® V) wearable computer. The MAV is as powerful as a desktop, typically carried in a backpack and uses a stylus enabled, flat screen that can be read indoors and out, day or night. Not only has the device proven to be a powerful learning tool, it can act as an IEP Team organizational nexus to facilitate IEP Team communication and NCLB record keeping requirements. Although behavior modification was not an express goal of the deployment, teachers were empowered to use computer time as part of the students' reward system. The ability to use the MAV to do in classroom work, transport homework assignments, play interactive games, and communicate with classroom peer buddies is a powerful and motivating e-learning experience. Our IEP Team's recent advocacy for teacher use of computer time as a reward in the classroom for my own son, as I do at home, is bound to reap behavioral and academic dividends. He has already shown great aptitude in using the WTPS QuickMind.NET online e-learning tool as a supplemental aid in completing educational assignments. Combining Xybernaut technology with Microsoft Tablet PC software capabilities would dynamically enhance deployment capabilities. Using the tablet pen, students and teachers can write directly on the screen and save their notes in their own handwriting and/or convert them to typed text. The pen can also be used to open applications, selecting text or icons, and display menus. Advanced voice recognition software can convert spoken notes into text or one can simply record voice entries and save the file for transcription later. Another way to enhance deployment of school based technology initiatives is to empower tech-savvy parents willing to "troubleshoot" project management milestones on a volunteer basis. Many times the children's parents are significantly more knowledgable than school technology support staff. Unfortunately, bureacratic bafflegab precludes them from providing needed assistance and expertise. Here are links to Web sites covering the topics I have discussed in this article: http://www.xybernaut.com/itemList.asp?categoryID=30 http://www.tmcnet.com/planetpdamag/enews/030802b.htm http://www.quickmind.net/ (Requires Flash Player Plug In) http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsxp/default.mspx

10/6/2004 11:18:03 PM (Randa Elmorshedi)
I have been studing to be a teacher, and I have been working as a substitute teacher for my county. I have noticed that technology failed to transform education in the school system. One of the reasons is that teachers don't get enough training to be able to incoperate technology in their daily activities. Many teacher use computers as playtime where kids get to play with paintbrush while they should be used as an educational tool and be a part of the curriculum. Also many teachers have a misunderstanding of the word "technology", they only think of "computers". While technology includes many things such as camreas, scanners, fax, digital camreas. All of these things can be incoperated in the classroom if teachers were given the sufficant training.

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION