TECHNOLOGY & EDUCATION DIGEST
Digest No. 15 -- July 14, 1997
A Moderated Mailing List
Steve Wildstrom (steve_wildstrom@businessweek.com), Moderator

Return to Technology & Education

Since being added to your subscribers list I have read the many postings with considerable interest.

I am hoping someone within your system can provide information concerning individuals or groups in the San Francisco Bay area who are interested in this subject and can help me as indicated below.

I have been a volunteer tutor/mentor in an inner city school in Oakland, Calif. for the past several years. Our school has computers in each class room and a "computer lab" with 10 new fully loaded Pentium computers. The problem is that I am the only one associated with the school who knows how to operate a computer and hence only my second grade class has been up and running, and then only the one day a week I am there. I have purchased the various "blaster" programs and things like "reader rabbit". The students are very enthusiastic about using them and I have students from other classes trying to stay after school to learn. In fact some my class travel across town to a local CompUSA to use their machines after school and on weekends. Due to their economic circumstances none of the students have a computer at home.

My question is - does anyone know of a group who train teachers in the use of the computers they already have? (I could do it but would have to spend full time at the school to do so - may have to do this in the fall) and what recommendations does anyone have regarding computer learning tools I could use and possible internet sites.

Please feel free to respond directly to me at the below address.

Thank you.

Robert L. Witt
easybob@ix.netcom.com

[I know we've heard from readers who have worked with initiatives in the Bay area and the Valley. But I'm on the road and don't have the archives with me. I'm sure someone can point Mr. Witt to the people who can help-.-MOD]

Rob Short (RSho@aol.com) wrote:

Please ask him to check out the new "EMATE" from Apple Computer. This ma-chine was designed by teachers for students and has the revolutionary ability of cross platform compatibility, portability (a 24 hr. battery supply and light weight), internet access, spread sheet word processor, draw on the screen capa-bility, and plug ins for scientific data gathering among other things. check out their web site for emates at http://education.apple.com/. As a teacher, I have been tremendously excited about using these affordable machines in the class-room.

You Mac people just never learn do you? This unit has been panned by most of the computer trades as being more of the same, non-standard, proprietary, low powered, feature-less, software-less, non-upgradable technology that Apple has been pushing into schools, and that schools have been wasting taxpayer money on for 15 years.

This product represents how little Apple has learned over the years, and is exactly why they are circling the drain as we speak.

Mike

Here's an idea I have been sharing with the folks in Washington that I would like to get feedback on.

I call it National Bring a CEO to School Day.

This would be a special day designated by the President and Vice President where they would challenge the 5 million ceos in America to make an appt with a school principal to 1)start a bilateral mentoring dialogue where the principal would mentor the ceo that there is more to life than quarterly profits, market shares and shareholders and the ceo would mentor the principal in the ways of competitiveness and accountability, 2) observe the state of installed technology and ask "could my company compete on the global scale with this type of equipment...and with 10 workers sharing one computer? (the current national average according to ETS) 3) would they consider voluntarily contributing one half of one percent of their 1998 technology capital equipment budget to a national trust that could be accessed by any public school in America upon submission of and approval of a three year technology plan? IDC projects American businesses will spend over $250 billion on just computer, software and peripheral technology in 1998...so this has the potential to raise a lot of cash fast ...for every $100,000 a business plans to spend would equate to a $500 tax deductible contribution.

Send your responses asap to gary_beach@idg.com

Dennis Crane(dencrane@msn.com) wrote:

The program that you describe sounds very attractive for a small number of participants in a rather exclusive setting. I wonder whether / how we can bring some of these benefits to more of the system. One way might be for those that 'have' to tutor those that do not. Does your program allow for some of the older participants to use their knowledge, skills and resources to work with children in less advantaged schools? Or with senior citizens? I'm asking because I am seeking a similar outlet for my son.

He is 12, has used a Mac since he was 7, wrote his first HyperCard applications at 8, and currently is doing 3D graphics [Photoshop, RayDream, Adobe Illustrator] for his personal web site. Last school year, with considerable prodding, his middle school let him do tech support and tutoring for some of the other kids. He contributed substantially. I'd like to learn about schools that might be trying to do this systematically.

Dennis:

There is a school in California which has a program like what you are speaking about. At LR Green School (check them out at their web page, http://www.escusd.k12.ca.us/LRG/green.html) the 7th and 8th grade students serve as multimedia mentors to the teachers and other students. They sign up for an elective course that provides opportunities for them to learn new technology skills and then be a resource at the school for everything from troubleshooting technology issues to helping teachers develop lessons integrating technology, to teaching skills to fellow students. The program is being replicated at other schools, and they have created a model to facilitate that process. LR Green is an exceptional school in their use of technology, and have been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School by Apple Computer's Education Division.

On June 30, 1997 at the National Educational Computing Conference in Seattle, Technology & Learning magazine and Microsoft named a teacher at Davis Drive Elementary School in Apex, North Carolina the 1997 National Technology & Learning Teacher of the Year. Lucy Miller won this award for her outstanding efforts to integrate technology into the classroom.

Technology & Learning Teacher of the Year awards program celebrates its 10th anniversary recognizing teachers across the country using technology to improve learning. Sponsored by Technology & Learning magazine and Microsoft, the award was presented to Lucy Miller by Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Bill Gates following his key note address at NECC.

At Davis Drive Elementary School, Lucy Miller gives students the opportunity to expand their technological experience by joining her SWAT (Students Working to Advance Technology) Team. The SWAT Team is a special club of fourth and fifth grade students who advance the level of their technical skills while assisting other students and teachers with computer needs.

The SWAT Team is divided into four task forces. The Home Page Developers, who develop and maintain the school's home page, are one of the regions first elementary groups to undertake this challenge. The students help strengthen school spirit and promote communication throughout the extended education community.

The Teacher Internet Team saves time for teachers by conducting research for classroom studies. Members of the SWAT Team are assigned to different grade levels to meet all research requests.

The TV/Internet/Weather Crew displays current weather reports to the entire student body daily. Students download and videotape live weather satellite images and broadcast them on the school's closed-circuit TVs. Miller is also developing new projects like technology trivia contests and computer demonstrations via closed-circuit TV.

The fourth task force, Computer Buddies, assists the school's younger children over the early hurdles of computer learning. The Buddy Team provides a mentoring system that helps the younger kids develop solid, basic skills, while also encouraging cooperative learning, problem solving and tutoring skills.

In order for students to become SWAT Team members, they must first apply for the position and go through an interviewing process. They learn fundamental and necessary job skills even before entering the program.

Miller is doing an exceptional job making technology and integral part of the education process and has been rewarded for her efforts. Hopefully we can look forward to more teachers implementing creative solutions such as these within the classroom.

Herb Halbrecht (hzh@acpub. duke. edu) wrote:

>We started with the teachers because all the hardware in the world >(arrivingby the truckload) is useless if the teachers don't buy in.

More and more, as I see teachers being resistant to technology and teacher unions bucking new curriculum, I see them as obstacles to getting the technology into the hands of the children. When this occurs I favor bypassing this resistance and putting the technology directly into the hands of the kids. This can take the form of home schools (some of which were wired by NetDay in CA) private schools or other forms. The public school system is in real danger of becoming irrelevant.

Did you ever see a training class for Nintendo? But all kids know how to play it. Kids don't need step by step instruction, just guidance and direction.

More important though, we now need advice on web sites, and CDs, for the teachers to evaluate and try which will help bring alive history, art, geography, cultural issues, science/technology, etc. appropriate for k-5.

Their are many, many resources. Here are some:
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/
http://www.pbs.org/internet/
http://web66.coled.umn.edu/
http://www.ed.gov/Technology/
http://www.chester.ac.uk/~mwillard/teacher_education/material.htm
http://www.spa.org
http://www.wwu.edu/~kenr/TCsite/home.html
http://www.ascd.org
http://www.ustc.org/
http://www.techlearning.com/
http://www.scholastic.com/
http://jg.cso.uiuc.edu/pg_home.html
http:://www.projectappleseed.org.
http://www.ncrel.org/ncrel/sdrs/pathwayg.htm
http://www.w3.com/netday96
http://www.nptn.org
http://iita.ivv.nasa.gov/
http://www.morino.org
http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/news/
http://sdcd.gsfc.nasa.gov/ESS/annual.reports/ess95contents/iita.html
http://www.technogrants.com
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/pages/Donation.html
http://www.edcentral.com/menu
http://www.io.org/~ragogna
http://www.emap.com/bett/
http://www.computerlearning.org/Pub12.htm#Anchorciscovideo
http://www.classroom.net/
http://www.childrenspartnership.org
http://www.howtolearn.com
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/stats.html
http://ericir.syr.edu/
http://www2.theatlantic.com/atlantic/issues/current/chilearn/orth.htm
http://www.ustc.org/21stcentury/21st/pressrel-5-29.html

[Thank you Mike for that exhaustive list. Readers may want to snip and save these bookmarks-MOD]

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