Curriculum Design with Technology

Online Lesson Contents			Introduction
Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Studies Of Classroom Practice with Technology Part 3: Activity Design Scenarios Part 4: Strategies for Lesson Design			Understanding how to design lessons and activities with technology is an essential skill for educators in the 21st century. Design skills in this area require an understanding of curriculum standards, subject matter content and technology. Researchers who have looked into the area of teachers integrating technology in learning have found that these skills develop over a time period of three to five years- it's a long term process. This module examines purposeful use of technology. It surveys a range of methods and techniques for the development of learning activities with technology.
			Goals
			Students will be able to describe the development of skills among educators integrating technology in learning based on research from the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project. Students will understand that the successful application of technology in teaching and learning is dependent upon three factors: subject matter knowledge/creating context for the use of technology, comfort level using technology, and access to technology. Students will be able to describe at least three strategies for designing lessons with technology.
			Assignments
			Read materials in this online lesson and follow links to other World Wide Web sites. Go to the threaded discussion forum titled, "Online Lesson 1- Curriculum Design with Technology," and respond to the following question: Describe a webquest activity you found in your explorations of Bernie Dodge's WebQuest matrix for schools and teachers. How would it support student learning? What additional activities would you suggest to make it a worthwhile experience for the students you work with / plan to work with?

Go to Part 2- Studies of Classroom Practice with Technology

Go to Lesson Contents

			Part 2: Studies of Classroom Practice with Technology
How is technology supporting learners doing things they couldn't do in any other way?			Researchers have a number of practical ideas to share about the effective use of technology in classrooms. Examining the field of literature, David Dwyer and his colleagues from the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) standout. Dwyer did intensive studies of technology in three different areas of the United States over a period of eight years. Dwyer summarized a number of his findings in an article titled, "Apple Classrooms of the Future: What We've Learned," in the April 1994 issue of Educational Leadership. Some important findings about teachers and students are included in the following excerpts: Teachers were not hopeless technical illiterates. In fact, over time they personally appropriated technology for creative expression and personal work. Children did not become social isolates. In fact, cooperative and task-related interaction among students in the ACOT classrooms was spontaneous and more extensive than in traditional classrooms. Children's interest in and engagement with the technology did not decline with routine use. In fact, they demonstrated a steady fascination with the technology and used it more frequently and imaginatively as their technical competence increased. Teacher Effectiveness- Multiple Skill Repertories Examining teaching strategies in the same article, Dwyer noted that: "the greatest student advances occurred in classes where teachers were beginning to achieve a balance between the appropriate use of direct instruction strategies and collaborative, inquiry-driven knowledge-construction strategies." Student achievement seemed to be better in classrooms where teachers had skill in both direct instruction and project based kinds of learning activities. Developmental Stages: Teachers Designing Activities with Technology One of the greatest misunderstandings about technology in learning is that teachers develop skills integrating technology quickly and easily. Dwyer's studies of teachers using technology found that skill in lesson design went through five different stages over a period of three to five years. These developmental stages are listed below: Stage Characteristic Entry computers just out of boxes; lots of questions about the physical set up and operations; frustration Adoption computers are operational; many of the setup questions have been answered but the connection to teaching and learning is "just developing" Adaptation technology is integrated into "traditional" classroom projects- research papers, essays Appropriation active learning projects are more of a day to day reality-- students are doing more project based work using technology... multimedia activities, camcorder productions, integrated projects Invention confidence to experiment with teaching, learning and technology is exhibited by teacher; role of teacher is more that of a facilitator; students are demonstrating initiative in directing their own learning Looking Further.. If you're interested in exploring further research about educational technology, a good starting place is Taking Stock- What Does the Research Say About Technology's Impact on Education? This article appeared in the May 1998 issue of Technology & Learning magazine. It contains interviews with eight internationally recognized authorities on technology and learning sharing insights from their work. The interviewer attempts to sum up research related to lesson design saying, "...the research leads away from..."thumbs up" or "thumbs down" answer(s) and finds us embarking on the more complex task of asking what types of technology, with which types of students, under what conditions, lead to best results. Stated another way: In figuring out how to design lessons with technology, we need to consider the following questions: How is technology supporting learners in doing things they couldn't do in any other way? How does technology make learning more efficient? How does technology make learning experiences more memorable? How does technology improve access to ideas and information? How does technology enhance and extend an individual's abilities to express themselves? In sum we should use technology as a tool because it serves an important learning outcome in an effective manner. We shouldn't be trying to use technology for technology's sake.

Go to Part 3- Activity Design Scenarios

Go to Lesson Contents

			Activity Design Scenarios- Considerations for Varied Access Opportunities and Skill Levels
...the effective design of activities with technology is dependent on technology access and teacher comfort.			What are barriers to the effective implementation of technology at a school? Pursuing this question at school sites one finds that there can be a range of answers from insufficient funding to a teachers' lack of confidence in using technology. The diagram below shows some common responses:     Distilling these points one could say that "technology access" and "skill integrating technology in learning" are two major barriers for schools seeking to use technology effectively. Two sets of questions arise from these findings: Are there teaching activities with technology that are more difficult than others? What is the range of potential teaching activities with technology from the most simple to the most difficult? How can teachers use technology in their comfort zone and grow? How can a limited number of reliable computers in a school be used most effectively? Is there a way to distribute technology which will support different kinds of teaching activities? What are potential activities for teachers and students using technology? Responding to these questions the following teaching and learning scenarios are shared. With them we see two underlying premises: Teachers are key to the success of any lesson or activity in a classroom. The effective design of activities with technology is dependent on technology access and teacher skills. The scenarios are intended to show that technology can be used effectively given varying degrees of comfort and access. Access and comfort levels are rated for each activity below using an Access-Skill Barometer that ranges from Level 1 to Level 5: Access-Skill Barometer Ranges Descriptor Symbol Level 1: Limited Technology Access & Basic Levels of Teacher Technology Skill Level 5: Excellent Technology Access & High Levels of Teacher Technology Skill   Technology As a Teacher Resource Level 1 In this scenario technology is used as a management tool behind the scenes for record keeping, communication, and resource development. This activity requires minimal skill and minimal technology access. The teacher uses a computer in the school's staff room to obtain Internet resources and/or use software to create worksheets. They may use e-mail or access a school's intranet for communication. An example of a popular Internet planning resource for K-12 social studies instruction is the Schools of California Online Resources in Education- Social Studies Site.   Off-the-Shelf-Software Level 2 One of the most common scenarios in schools, is to use a single classroom computer with one specific software program in the back of a classroom. The program can focus on drill & practice activities, tutorials, or simulations targeting desired skills or themes. Students use the computer individually or in pairs during a prescribed period of work. This situation is OK for the teacher with limited technology skills and who has access to a donated functional computer. A popular resource that some educators use to find appropriate off-the-shelf software is the C-Learn website.   Whole Class Activities with One Computer Level 3 Given one computer with a projection device or connection to a large screen television, this scenario finds teachers directing activities using such programs as PowerPoint, Tom Snyder’s Decisions Decisions, or Geometers' SketchPad.These applications make for a "smart chalk board" offering visual and auditory input to diverse learners in a dynamic fashion. This situation requires an increased level of confidence since the instructor is guiding a class activity with one computer.   Small Group Activities Where Teams Share Technology Level 4 Some schools are finding value investing in wireless laptop computers that are circulated throughout the campus over the school day. In this situation small groups of students work with a single computer (as an example, five laptop computers might be in a classroom of 25 students offering a rato of 1 computer to each group of 5). Student activities in this scenario can involve the use of technology to gather, sort, analyze, and report information/findings . Sample activities for this kind of scenario can be found at Bernie Dodge's WebQuest site and the Apple iMovie site. This situation requires an increased degree of teacher confidence with technology since there's now a set of computers that are being relied on for the success of the lesson.   Whole Class Activities Where Each Student Works on One Computer Level 5 Access and comfort levels with technology need to be very high in this scenario where teachers direct activities and each student has their own computers to accomplish specific objectives. This scenario commonly occurs in a school's computer lab. Sample activities can be found at the Microsoft Productivity in the Classroom website.

Go to Part 4- Strategies for Lesson Design

Go to Lesson Contents

			Strategies for Lesson Design*
...effective activities with technology are project based.			There are a multitude of different strategies for developing lessons with technology. This section will offer some general concepts about technology and lesson design. It will then discuss specific ideas and procedures for lesson design. Purposeful Use of Technology To begin, consider the idea that most activities with technology are project based endeavors.   Project based activities can be uncomfortable for some teachers. Student activity can appear to be chaotic: students may be out of their seats, small groups may be discussing different ideas, experiments of one kind or another may be underway and, in the middle of it all there might be technology of some sort that students are using to collect, analyze or sort information with. As lesson designers, we combine different instructional strategies to establish effective student learning environments. Instructional strategies are selected based on the content we are delivering, students' prior knowledge, student learning modalities, and the time that's available. Powerful learning experiences result when teachers choose strategies that match student needs. Recall David Dwyer's research from the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow and his finding: "...the greatest advances (in student learning) occurred in classes where teachers were beginning to achieve a balance between the appropriate use of direct instruction strategies and collaborative, inquiry-driven knowledge-construction strategies." Teachers learned to blend direct instruction and hands-on activities in effective ways. The development of project based activities involves student action. A sampling of student actions from project based lessons are listed below: Screen cull select choose separate pick sift Sort arrange categorize list place compare catalog classify order prioritize contrast cluster group organize rank match Analyze clarify deduce interpret surmise infer probe Synthesize conceive fabricate imagine blend visualize integrate Teachers frame tasks and actions that promote desired student learning outcomes. Researchers have found that skilled activity designers incorporate two or more of the following activity strands in their tasks: Use raw data and primary sources Encourage manipulation and interaction with physical materials Construct experiences that might lead to contradictions, discussion, questioning Encourage dialog with one another and instructor Allow student responses to drive instruction, instructional strategies, content Encourage inquiry with thoughtful, open-ended questions Encourage/ accept autonomy/ initiative Help students develop understanding of concepts before sharing them with others Give students time to construct relationships and create metaphors Encourage self-evaluation, continuous improvement Matching Technology Tools with Tasks Tool selection is an important part of lesson design with technology. Lesson designers need to think about the unique attributes of technology tools and how those attributes can enhance learning experiences. Here's a list of attributes that a class recently brainstormed for digital cameras, the Internet, graphing calculators, word processors, and MP3 players: Technology Attributes Digital Camera portable images offer a personal perspective of what's being photographed immediate viewing of photograph possible simple to use for young and old alike Internet no space or time boundaries- it's possible to communicate with people all over the world access to text, pictures, audio and movies virtual libraries and museums Graphing Calculator organizational space for data and numbers quick calculations excellent for "what if" situations graphing and charting capabilities a variety of games and learning activities can be downloaded from the Internet and transferred to the calculator Word Processor ability to change fonts, text colors, and print layout built in dictionaries and thesaurus ability to add clip art, drawings, and photographs easy to edit text with some have features that allow written words to be read back MP3 Player small, portable and inexpensive most commonly used for music playback 1000's of unabridged books are currently available in MP3 audio format newer players can store at least 20 hours of spoken text (the play time for a book of 200 pages is approximately 10 hours) An understanding of technological tools is essential to effective classroom use. Given thought on the unique attributes of technological tools, a lesson designer is able to weave effective uses of technology into learning experiences. Lesson Design Techniques With Technology Lesson designers take the general ideas shared above and craft activities using any number of different techniques. A sampling of different strategies are shared below. Adoption Strategy The lesson designer adopts a lesson found on the Internet or in a book. In this situation activities are adapted and modified to suit student needs and/or what is available in the school setting. This may involve adjustments for student needs in relation to time, degree of difficulty, and/or context of the lessons. Other adaptations may be made because of differences in technology. The lesson designer may add or take away technological items because of what is available at their school. "Icing" Strategy The lesson designer takes an existing activity/lesson that is successful and adds a technology component to improve or enhance it. Technology is used to "leverage" learning outcomes. Backwards Design Strategy The lesson designer thinks first about the desired results they want to obtain from a unit or lesson. They then determine what will be acceptable evidence of this outcome. Experiences and activities are planned. Technology is matched with task(s) to guide student goal attainment. A helpful Internet resource for planning lessons of this type can be found at CSU Northridge's Academic Content Standards Site. The site lists K-12 content standards for science, math, social studies, and language arts. Its links allow educators to do task analysis and long term planning related to California's Content Standards. More structured techniques for lesson design are available. Three popular choices are offered below: WebQuest Activities A WebQuest presents students with a challenging task, scenario, or problem to solve involving Internet resources. Originally conceived by Bernie Dodge, a professor of education at CSU San Diego, WebQuests have earned world wide acclaim for their use of technology in learning. The WebQuest site offers a taxonomy of WebQuest tasks for K-adult learners (something for everyone--examining these tasks sends home the idea that lesson design is a life long endeavor). If you're interested in designing a WebQuest, you can go to the WebQuest Building Blocks page. It lays out the sections of a WebQuest offering advice and sample materials. Dodge's Matrix of WebQuests Examples offers a variety of activities using webquests for different sujects and age groups.   Jamie McKenzie's Module Maker Jamie McKenzie feels that students need to learn to ask good questions. He states that,"..questions may be the most powerful technology we have ever created. Questions and questioning allow us to make sense of a confusing world. They are the tools that lead to insight and understanding." With these ideas in mind, McKenzie has developed a "step by step" guide teachers can use in developing meaningful lessons quickly called Module Maker. Module Maker promotes the development of questioning skills and the successful integration of technology in learning. Module Maker is good for K-adult learners-- it has special relevance for K-6 learners.   California Learning Resource Network (http://clrn.org) The California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) is intended to provide educators with the information they need to make informed decisions about selection, procurement and instructional use of supplemental electronic learning resources. Sponsored by the California Department of Education, CLRN defines electronic resources as: computer software- floppy discs & CD ROMs; video materials-VHS, laser discs, & DVD; and Internet Resources. CLRN's Lesson Designer offers step-by-step directions through the creation of a lesson plan that meets the California standards. It supports associations with electronic learning resources found on the CLRN site. Spend a few minutes trying out the CLRN Lesson Designer (this is a free service from the California Department of Education- you will need to register to use the service but it will cost you no money).   *Many of the ideas shared in this section are based on my learning from work with Cindy Tucker, John Schiller, Jim Peterson, Patrick Laherty, Suzie Howell-Olsen, Doreen Heath-Lance and Dan Exelby at the Sonoma County Office of Education. I have benefited from a collegial working relationship with these individuals and express my appreciation here.

Go to Lesson Contents