January 2000

New Tools for Classroom Technology Integration

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Want to use technology more effectively in the classroom? Wish you could see how other teachers are integrating new technologies into the curriculum? Need fresh approaches to the challenges of using technology in class projects?

For a growing number of teachers, the answer to these questions is yes. Some already have "tech-savvy" classrooms, but know they could enhance their teaching through new applications or innovative projects. Others, overwhelmed by logistical issues such as classroom management, project organization, and assessment, want to incorporate technology into their teaching but aren't sure where to begin.

A new set of resources developed by NWREL's Northwest Educational Technology Consortium (NETC) shares authentic, high-quality examples of classroom technology use. Classrooms@work/tools@hand presents a series of videos, a CD-ROM, and a Web site that provide K-12 educators with both inspiration and practical information. Individual teachers can use these professional development resources for independent study, while staff developers, preservice faculty, and curriculum specialists will find them useful in conducting workshops and classes.

"The project provides teachers who are ready to integrate technology into their curriculum with a way to see, hear, and learn from practicing teachers' plans, activities, and reflections about how technology integration challenges were met," explains Anne Batey of the Laboratory's Technology in Education Center.

Each 15-minute, close-captioned video takes viewers into a real classroom where students are engaged in an extended, technology-laden learning project. Harris Elementary Travels the USA introduces Jane Krauss' blended fourth- and fifth-grade classroom, where student "travel agents" are preparing an itinerary for a visiting German family. Watch as student teams "dig into data" to uncover information on their assigned city. Are any national parks or monuments nearby? What is the best way to get from the airport to the hotel? How do you convert dollars to deutsche marks? Through lively classroom scenes, viewers can see how students use the Internet and other resources to tackle such questions.

Global Challenge at Columbia High takes viewers on a tour of Peter Knowles' Foundations of Social Studies class. As part of a geography project, his ninth-graders are researching South America, Central America, and the Caribbean to answer a central question: In which country should a major corporation locate its new production facility? Each student researches two countries to find information on population, geographic features, political climate, and so forth. As the project unfolds, students present their findings orally, in writing, and visually, using spreadsheets and computer programs like PowerPoint to create bar graphs and pie charts.

Educators can use the videos as a "table of contents" for the companion Web site (www.netc.org/classrooms@work). The colorful, easily navigated site merges content with rich media technologies to create an engaging, interactive experience. Meaningful animation, video, and actual images bring each classroom to life. A CD-ROM replicates the Web site for those with limited Internet connections or who are not online.

The Web site shares all the materials created and used by the teachers and students featured in the videos. Once a classroom is selected, background information about the teacher, school, and community can be accessed before exploring the learning project. Each project has its own navigational button and color code and is organized into five sections. Following are the five sections and the details they encompass:

1. Learning that Works—complete project overview, learning goals, descriptions of activities
2. Working Together—student groupwork, calendar, management
3. Using Workspaces—technology arrangement, scheduling computer use, software information
4. Assessing Learning—reflection, assessments, scored student work samples
5. Supporting Success—collegial teams, school leadership, content standards

"Teachers learn best from peers who work in similar contexts or who are wrestling with similar obstacles," notes Batey. "When used together, the videos and Web site provide teachers with complete project information—a way to observe effective classrooms, share materials, and find answers to common questions."

New classrooms will be added to the series in coming months. Over time, the selection of classrooms will offer any teacher a context that looks familiar enough in grade, subject, and school technology to make the materials credible and transferable. NETC also plans to conduct workshops throughout the Northwest to coach teachers and staff developers in using these tools most effectively. Watch future issues of the Northwest Report for more information on upcoming trainings.

The videos and CD-ROM are free to educators in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, and can be ordered online at www.netc.org/classrooms@work.

Outside the NETC region, each video and the CD can be purchased for $15. Please turn to the Document Order Form in this newsletter for ordering information.