Technolgy Me

8/12/2019 Technolgy Me

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AbstractRecent findings have shown that at-risk students in grades k-12are being deprived ofchallenges and of the chance to use complex thinking skills. The purpose of this study is todetermine the effect that the level of computer technology use in the classroom has on at-riskstudents grades and attendance. A teacher technology survey is used to measure teacher use!student use and overall use of technology in the classrooms. The sample for this study consists

of teachers from a "orthwest #hio high school. Results of the study indicate that teacherstechnology use! students technology use! and overall technology use have no significantpositive effect on the grades and attendance of at-risk students. $n addition the study finds thattechnology use is low among the teachers in the sample. These results suggest that fortechnology to be effective and make changes in at-risk students grades and attendance!schools must be prepared for technology use in the classroom. %eaders need to develop amodel that would include a shared vision! entire school community involvement! specific trainingfor staff and time for the training! a full time technology director and time for the staff tocommunicate and share among peers for technology to be an effective tool in the classroomcurriculum1. $ntroductionTechnology is around everything we do. &ut! does it have a place in the classroom' $n this

study! teachers had (ust received new computers over the past year and a half! and someattended specific software classes the past summer. They were ready to infuse their classroomlesson plans with a variety of technology. )tudents were assigned to create brochures! powerpoint presentations! and use video cameras along with i*ovies. This rush of technology couldbe seen in almost all of the regular classes. As the school moves into the 2nd +uarter there is areturn slowly to traditional classroom instruction leaving power point presentations! use of,ublisher and video production. )tudents are still using the word processor and a few scatteredtechnology pro(ects but the flurry of technology use is over. At-risk students grades drop alongwith students attendance in some or for a few in all classes. The author anticipated this study toshow significance in the at-risk students attendance and grades based on current researchrelated to computers and students. The fact that there are computers in the classroom with anabundance of software and that instructors have minimal professional development does not

mean that teacher technology use and student technology use will have an immediate andsustained positive effect on student grades and attendance.$n a traditional teacher-centered classroom! the students are the listeners and followers. Theteacher is the one given freedom to move about! to initiate actions and interactions! to ask+uestions and to set limits on activity times. The teacher is the one who gave the facts anddefines the important ideas. The activity is generally the teachers domain )andholt! Ringstaff!/ 0wyer!13.*et 1443 calls this teaching style 55real school. $n the 55real classroom!students participate in the listening to teachers lecture! raising their hands to answer +uestionsor working independently on some written assignment 1.1. Traditional learning vs.constructivism learning According to &racey 113 and 6uban 113 schools in Americaduring the 147s that use this traditional teaching methodology shows increased scores in basicskills such as reading and math. &ut information from Applebee! %anger! and *ullis 143

reports8 )ixty-one percent of the 1-year-old students could not read or understand relativelycomplicated material! such as that typically represented at the high school level. "early one-halfappear to have limited mathematics skills and abilities that go little beyond adding! subtracting!and multiplying with whole numbers. *ore than one-half could not evaluate them procedures orresults of a scientific study! and few included enough information in their written pieces tocommunicate their ideas effectively. Additionally! assessment results in oth curriculum areasindicate that high school (uniors have little sense of historical chronology! have not read muchliterature! tend to be unfamiliar with the uses and potential application of computers. p. 293 Thedifference between the rise in student test scores and the fall in student performance on


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complex tasks is explained by the new accountability factor for teachers and administrators)andholt et al.! 13. )chools and teachers are limiting instruction to drill and practice whichemphasies the material that the national norms tests in order to meet the set level onstandardied tests )andholt et al.! 13. $n this period! students became better test takersand but became worse at higher-order cognitive learning. This action of teaching to the testbrought about reform efforts to move teaching instruction from rote learning to problem solving!

concept development! and critical thinking. This new instruction philosophy is based on theoryof knowledge and learning which today is called 55constructivism )andholt et al.!13.

6onstructivism views learning as a personal! reflective! and transformative process whereideas! experiences! and points of view are processed into something new. $n this philosophy!teachers are the facilitators for the students learning )andholt et al.! 1 3 rather than theinstigators. $n the knowledge-constructed classroom! the students work together! sharing theprocess of learning not only with their peers but with parents and others )andholt et al.!13.2. At-risk students:hen using the term 55at-risk there is a suggestion that there is a sense of urgency. At-risklends itself to meaning something that needs immediate attention or something serious might

occur. The haards come from the schools that focused on trying to 55fit the 55at-risk student tothe educational system. :hen at-risk is not defined for the student! when the school does notdiscover what aspect the 55at-riskstudent is at risk! the 55fit is likely not to work :ehlage et al.!143. The label 55at-risk alludes to the fact that a student has a problem but schools are notexactly certain of the origin of the problem. At-risk predictors are socioeconomic factors! healthfactors! family and school factors. )chools typically use the following criteria for identifying at-risk students8 failing grades! low ;,A! and3 showsthat technology can help students including at-risk students learn and practice a variety of skillsand improves their attitudes to learning.?. Technology in the classroomTechnology can help facilitate the knowledge-constructed classroom. A number ofresearchers &ork! 14@ %aboratory for 6omparative =uman 6ognition! 14 ,apert! 147Ragosta! 1423 views computers as having an influential effect on the teaching and learningprocesses. They state that with the use of computers in the classroom! schools would becomemore student-centered and that more individualied learning would take place than ever before.$n the student-centered classrooms of today! with the aid of the computer! students are able tocollaborate! to use critical thinking! and to find alternatives to solutions of problems Baber!

13. &ut the shift from teacher-centered delivery to a student-centered model potentially leadsto a resistance in change. )tudent-centered teaching is challenging educators to restudy theirteaching methods and student learning methods Baber! 1 3. Research done by 0wyer!Ring- staff! and )andholt 113 indicates that computers can be used in collaboration for allsub(ect areas! but that teachers have to take into account the different styles of teaching and thestudents involved in this learning. This type of teaching re+uires a change in the teachersmethod of teaching and learning! the amount of time needed to learn how to use the technologyand the location of models that work with technology )heingold / =adley! 173. "egroponte!Resnick! and 6assell 13 argue8that digital technologies can enable students to become


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more active and independent learners. The $nternet will allow new 55knowledge-buildingcommunities in which children and adults from around the globe can collaborate and learn fromeach other. 6omputers will allow students to take charge of their own learning through directexploration! expression! and experience. This shifts the students role from 55being taught to55learning and the teachers role from 55expert to 55collaborator or 55guide p. 13?.1. Apple classrooms of tomorrow

$n 14@! five Apple 6lassrooms of Tomorrow A6#T3 are created in sites across the Cnited)tates. These classrooms are a research collaboration between universities! public school and

Apple 6omputer! $nc. The research completed by )andholt et al. 13 on the A6#T studyencompasses 17 years of gathering information that includes teachers personal accounts oftheir experiences in teaching in these classrooms. Results suggest that the impact oftechnology on education has the potential to change education in a beneficial way if done undercertain circumstances. $n the A6#T classrooms! students use technology as a tool to collect!organie! and analye data to enhance presentations to conduct simulations and to solvecomplex problems. #ne of the changes seen over this time period is the change in the lowerachieving studentsDthe ones teachers could not reach with the teacher-centered learning.These students began to respond positively to the alternate ways of expressing theirknowledge! which not only raises their self-esteem but their status with the teachers and their

peers )andholt et al.! 13.?.2. )tudent-learning with technology6omputers are being used! in part! to enable teachers to improve the curriculum and enhancestudent learning. #ne potential target is the at-risk student. Recent findings show that the at-riskstudent is being deprived by not being challenged and not being given the chance to usecomplex thinking skills*eans et al.! 113 .*eans et al. 1?3 suggests that technology in theclassroom could provide authentic learning opportunities to at-risk students. Teachers can drawon technology applications to simulate real-world environments and create actual environmentsfor experiments! so that students can carry out authentic tasks as real workers would! explorenew terrains! meet people of different cultures! and use a variety of tools to gather informationand solve problems *eans et al.! 1?! p. >?3.)everal studies suggest that any student! including the at-risk student! who has technology

integrated into the curriculum! could potentially see a positive change in student classroomgrades! ;,A! and attendance. Research! which examines constructivist teaching and learningmodels! indicates that technology brings complexity to the tasks that students perform andraises student motivation &aker! ;earhart! / =erman! 1> 0wyer! Ringstaff! / )andholt!17 *eans / #lson! 1> 3. Technology brings about changes to the classroom roles andorganiation. $t allows the students to become more self-reliant. )tudents may use peercoaching! and teachers may function more as facilitators than lecturers *eans! 13.Thestudy conducted by)andholt et al. 13on the Apple 6lassrooms of Tomorrow A6#T3 over a17-year period shows changes in teacher and student interactions. Teachers are observedmore as being guides or mentors and less as lecturers. The cooperative and task-relatedinteractions among the A6#T students are spontaneous and more extensive than in traditionalclassrooms. )tudent interest in computers did not decline with routine use. Teacher peer

sharing began to increase as students and teachers sought support from one another )andholt et al.!13. #ther changes that are seen during this study are that teachers beganteaming and working across disciplines. )chool schedules are made to accommodate unusuallyambitious class pro(ects by the administrators and the teachers )andholt et al.! 1 3.Teachers and students start to show mastery of technology and start to integrate several kindsof media into lessons or pro(ects. 6lassrooms are a mix of traditional and nontraditionallearning. Teachers are changing the physical layout of the classroom along with daily schedulesto give students more time on pro(ects )andholt et al.! 1 3. The A6#T study brought tofocus that meaningful use of technology in schools went beyond (ust putting computers in


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classrooms. Technology is not a change agent for education. Technology when used as anintegrated tool with the curriculum could make a difference in education)andholt et al.! 13.?.?. &arriers to teachers use of computers&arriers to using technology in education includes lack of teacher time! limited access and highcosts of e+uipment! lack or vision or rationale for technology use! lack of teacher training andsupport! and current assessment practices that may not reflect what is learned with

technology#TA! 1@3. The need for teacher training and the lack of expertise are ma(orbarriers to using the microcomputer and related e+uipment. :ith computer competence!teachers anxiety decreases and their attitudes toward computers improves with hands-oncomputer literacy courses. Teacher time facilitates the areas of being able to experiment withnew technologies! to share these experiences with other teacher! to prepare lessons using thetechnology and to have the time to attend technology courses or meetings &arron / ;oldman!1> &yrom! 13. %earning how to use new technology includes the time the teacher needsto become competent with the computer as a personal tool but also as an instructional tool&rand! 143. Teachers need to train and develop their skills outside of the regular school dayso they can concentrate on instruction and training ob(ectives. After the teachers becomeknowledgeable about using technology! they need time to transfer the skills learned into infusingtechnology into the curriculum &rand! 143. Training could come in many forms! inservices!

professional development! collaborative learning and in peer coaching. :hatever methods arepursued! teachers need the time to learn at their speed and with their own learning styles &rand! 143. A ma(or problem with technology in schools is that many schools could notafford to have full- time school-level computer coordinators. This is an important step in havingtechnology work in schools &yrom! 13. Training and support within a school district may notalways be planned or may not meet the needs of the teachers. *any times the training mayfocus on how to use e+uipment but will miss the importance of how to integrate the technologyinto the curriculum. $n order to integrate computers into instruction! teachers must have accessto technology.Cnfortunately! many teachers find hardware and software availability are limited in their schools.The costs of upgrades! support! and training! hardware and software are often not considered inschool planning. *any times technology is placed too far from the classroom and much of the

hardware is too old to handle the new software applications. #lder schools found it difficult tomeet the wiring needs to use telecommunications &yrom! 13. Technology is difficult tointegrate into the curriculum. :hen teachers see how technology could benefit their students!they might be willing to become part of the technology plan. )chools and districts need to meetthe vision of the new technologies with planning and leadership. Teachers must be included inthis process of understanding the curriculum uses and how to incorporate the technology intothe lessons. The need for keeping abreast with new technology changes is not communicatedmany times to the teachers &yr3. #ne element needed for learning is a teacher. A teacher isthe conductor needed for the integration of technology into the classroom. The fact is that to beeffective! technology must be ingrained into the broader education reform movement thatincludes teacher training! curriculum! student assessment! and a schools capacity for change Roschelle! ,ea! =oadley! ;ordin! / *eans! 27773. Teacher support must encompass more

than training! it must include time to experiment! permission to change the way they do things!and to make mistakes. There must be ample technological support! and support that allowteachers to focus on pedagogy not the technologyArcher! 143. :ith conditions whereteachers are individually comfortable and at least some- what skilled in using computers! wherethey allocate time for students to use computers as part of class assignments! where e+uipmentis available and convenient to permit computer activities to flow seamlessly alongside otherlearning tasks! and where teachers support a student-centered! constructivist pedagogy thatincorporates collaborative pro(ects defined partly by student interest! computers are becoming avaluable and well-functioning instructional tool &ecker! 27773.


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Teachers had the unwieldy task of keeping up with new styles of learning! new programchanges and new technology. They need to prepare themselves and their students for thosechanges.)chools need to aid in this preparation by addressing these changes throughprofessional development programs :englingsky!143. The study!The 6ondition of Education8 1! indicates that teachers do not think they are prepared tohandle some of the new demands but when there is professional development available they

feel more prepared. They also feel that with regular collaboration activities they can improvetheir teaching styles. ,rofessional development according to :englinsky 143 appears to betantamount to student achievement gains and if there is more elaborate training than (ust onepoorly run training day! students may even achieve higher gains.>. )tudy$n the literature reviewed for this study! common links for incorporating technology into theclassroom include teacher preparation! teaching instruction! and student-learning. The +uestionof schools being ready for technology is connected to the incorporation of these areas in theteaching students using technology. :ith that in mind! this causal comparative study has fourgoals to examine8 13 the effect of the overall classroom level computer technology uselow


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for some of the identified at-risk students. 0uring the 1st +uarter mean grades for the high usersof tenology *G1.73 are higher than the ;,A *G1.@23 of the previous school year. &ut! 2nd+uarter mean grades went down for high users*G1.13 and low users *G1.?13. The overall grade mean for high use *G1.2>3 and low use* G1.23 showed that the ;,A at-risk students for this year are lower than the ;,A mean oflast year. A possible explanation for this decline in grades is a greater use of technology in the

1st +uarter. The researcher informally observed that students are immersed in technology inmany of the classes8 ,ower ,oint slide shows! travel brochures! postcards and video interviewsare being created for presentations. 0uring the 2nd +uarter the classrooms slowly returned to amore traditional style. )ome teachers! in informal discussions with the researcher! said they areusing drill and practice! word processing for writing! and $nternet for research pro(ects. :ithoutthe use of technology infused in the classroom teachers would never know that with moreconstructivist methods students could achieve at higher levels.Hrom 0wyers 1>3 research on the A6#T classrooms! students use technology as a tool tocollect! organie! and analye data to enhance presentations to conduct simulations and tosolve complex problems. #ne of the changes seen over this 17-year study is the change in thelower-achieving students the ones teachers could not reach with the teacher-centered learning.These students began to respond positively given the alternate ways of expressing their

knowledge! which not only raised their self-esteem but their status with the teachers and theirpeers )andholt et al.13. The at-risk students are likely to show improvement in academicachievement when technology is used in the classroom appropriately #TA! 1443. Theresearch conducted by)andholt et al. 13 suggests that the impact of technology oneducation has the potential to change education in a beneficial way if done appropriately. Theconditions needed for appropriate use of technology to improve education are8 first! thesuccessful use of technology re+uires teachers to face their beliefs about learning and theefficacy of different instructional activities. )econd! teachers view technology as one possibletool that mustmused in the curriculum and instruction framework with meaning. Third! teachersneed to become risk takers! experiment with technology! help and share with peers. Hourth!technology can be a catalyst for change! but the process of integrating technology is a long-termchallenge for the teachers )andholt et al.! 13.$n closing on student grades and technology!

from the ten-year study conducted by 0wyer et al.13 on A6#T comes this statement855teachers also discovered that students who did not do well in a typical setting fre+uentlyexcelled when working with technology. %ow achievers had a chance to experience successand began concentrating and applying themselves to their pro(ects p. @3. This study supportsthe findings in the present study indicating that the technology shouldbe incorporated into thecurriculum in meaningful! student-centered methods.9.2. Technologyuse impacting student attendanceThis studys four research +uestions examined the effect of the overall technology use low student days the 2nd+uarter! and 4 student days in the semester. All the independent variablesD teacher use!student use! and overall technology useDshowed no significant effect on at-risk stu- dentattendance. There are also no significant relationships found between overall teacherstechnology score and at-risk students attendance and grades. Again the 1st +uarter attendancemeans are lower for high technology using teachers for all the independent variables with arange of means of ?.21I?.97 than low technology using teachers. $n the 2nd +uarter the resultsreversed with a range of means of .>1I17.4 for the high technology using teachers. This


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could be in con(unction with the use of technology in the classes during 1st +uarter where theresearcher informally observed students using ,ower ,oint! ,ublisher and multimedia software.The present studys high school counselors identify at-risk students through grades and3 found in the A6#Tresearch that with technology infused into the classroom!student behavior and attendance improved after two years into his study. *eans et al. 1?3

stated that changes in student absenteeism! dropout rates! classroom interaction! and indepen-dent learning are (ust a few changes that educators would see after teachers incorporatetechnology into their curriculum. The present studys school is beginning its second year ofusing technology! training is (ust being introduced to the teachers during the current year. Thechanges technology could produce in students absenteeism are too early to expect.9.?. 0eveloping a model)ince the findings of the present study revealed that overall technology use for the teachers isextremely low! it is encouraged that schools prepare their teachers with technologytraining.&efore technology is placed in the classrooms! teachers need to receive basic training.

Afterwards! the training should be on-going and offered at different levels! such as basic!moderate! and expert. %eaders need to find a model that will enable the school to transition intotechnology with ease. $n Fannatta and #&annon in press3 a model is developed to prepare

those who would be infusing technology. The components from the ,ro(ect ,$6T Training *odel Fannetta / #&annon! 2772 3 included8 a3 shared vision where participants had a voice alongwith leaders in setting goals and activities to bring about technology infusion b3 teamcollaboration! supported each other in development and implementation of lesson plans usingtechnology c3 one-on-one mentoring


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participants along with long-term goals of technology infusion Fannatta / #&annon! 27723.:ith these components in place! the school and the teachers would be prepared to infusetechnology with the assurance that training! teaming and communications would be availableduring the school year.Effects of Technology on Classrooms and StudentsTechnology is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the world today. Technology has evolved

and become more central to teaching and learning. $ntegrating technology into the curriculum isa priority in schools. :hen teachers first began to use computers in a classroom setting!schools evaluate whether the use of educational technology had a significant and consistentimpact on student achievement. :hen people hear the word JtechnologyK! computers are thefirst thing people think. =owever! there are many different types of technology other thancomputers that can be used to improve student learning. There are different kinds of contentand serve different purposes in the classroom. )uch examples as word processing programsthat encourage communication and writing skills spreadsheet software promotes mathematicsdatabase software promotes organiational skills modeling software enhances the applicationof science skills Csing Technology to $mprove Achievement! 13. $t is without +uestion thatthe introduction of a new medium of instruction like technology would have an enormous impacton the traditional classroom.

Technology should be integrated as a tool to promote and extend student learning on a dailybasis. Technology use allows students to create! problem solve! research! collaborate! andinteract globally. )tudents that use technology as a tool and or a support for communicating withothers are in an active role rather than the passive role of recipient of information by a teacheror reading textbooks. )tudents have the ability to learn and express themselves in theirindividual learning style too.:hen technology is introduced into a classroom! things change. $nstruction through computersgive students more control over their learning environments and access to a wider range ofmaterials to use in the learning process. Hor example! students are too confused orembarrassed to ask +uestions because they dont want to show their ignorance but withindividualied computer instruction! students can always immediately re+uest help if somethingis unclear. 6omputers in classroom help to make it more interactive. They are extremely

effective with the struggling learners because they have unlimited patience. The computer canalso be used to educate the smarter students who easily get bored in a traditional classroomsince they reach their goal faster. :ith computers! students that finish a unit can go to the nextone immediately. Hor these bright students! the challenges that computers can offer encourageself-directed learning. Also! the use of technology fosters collaboration among student.The teachers role changes as well. Teachers often find themselves acting more as coachesand less as lecturers. Teachers play the role of facilitator! setting pro(ect goals and spend moretime individualiing their instruction. As a result! students are given much more individualattention due to the nature of some technologies.There are many research studies validating the benefits of technology in the classrooms.6lassrooms with the use of technology have students with positive attitudes! and a greaterinclination to learn! and an increase in student achievement too. *any different types of

technology and interactive learning process can be used to support and enhance learning8&asic )kills $nstruction6omputer assisted instruction to drill*ulti-media software I teach to a variety of learning stylesFideodiscs I strengthen basic skillsFideo and audio technologies I bring material to life0istance learning I at least as effective as traditional methods of instruction

All forms I develop new skills related to use of technology itself! necessary in workplaceAdvanced )kills $nstruction


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$nteractive educational technologies! including86omputer-generated simulationsFideodiscs$nternet60-R#*)tudents learn to8 organie complex information! recognie patterns! draw inferences!

communicate findings%earn better organiational and problem-solving skills

Assessment of )tudent ,rogress*ore comprehensive with multimedia

Assessments which re+uire students active participationElectronic portfolios)tudent *otivationThey like it better$ncreased family involvement$mproved teachers skills$mproved )chool Administration and *anagement:hen students see their teacher incorporating new technology and trying new things! they

become more engaged in the process. Technology allows students to see the whole world as aresource with themselves being in charge of their destiny. $t also benefits students because theyhave choices and opportunities to explore and share information to a greater extent thanavailable in a traditional classroom.$n conclusion! technology is a versatile and valuable tool for teaching and learning andbecoming a way of life. Technology in the classroom is both beneficial to students and teachers.$t creates new ways of obtaining and presenting information and gives students new ways ofanalying and understanding the world around them.EHHE6T) #H TE6="#%#;L $"TE;RAT$#" $" M-12 )ETT$";)

A&)TRA6TThis review of literature assessed the use and effect of technology in the M-12 public schoolsetting. %ocal! state and federal governments annually invest billions of dollars to purchase

technology yet! there is s till a great deal of uncertainty and debate about the ability oftechnology to improve classroom teaching and learning. )everal types of technologies areavailable to enhance student learning in the classroom. Everything from audio and videocontentto handheld technologies and notebook computing has been used in classrooms! and new:E& 2.7-based technology such as :ikis and &logs are emerging. :hile it is impossible forany one researcher to present information for all technologies in use in public classroomsacross the Cnited )tates! the goal ofmthis review is to showmwhat is available! who is in controlof thetechnology and how it can be used in the classroomto enhance the learning process. A primaryissue of concern for administrators and policy makers in determining whether or not toimplement technology is the lack of statistically significant data indicating the effectiveness of

current technologies. :hile not measured by +uantitative analyses of standardied tests!findings suggest that the positive influences of technology integration are revealed through more+ualitative research.

Abstract*any teachers struggle with motivating students to learn. This is especiallyprevalent in social studies classrooms in which students perceive social studies


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as boring )chug! Todd! / &erry! 14> )haughnessy / =aladyana! 14@3. Thisarticle advocates the use of technology in social studies as a means to motivatestudents by engaging students in the learning process with the use of a familiarinstructional tool that improves students self-efficacy and self-worth. Thepotential that technology has to motivate students is discussed as it relates toexpectancy-value model of motivation which focuses three areas of motivational

theory ,intrich / )chunk! 1938 value students beliefs about the importance orvalue of a task3! expectancy students beliefs about their ability or skill to performthe task3! and affective emotional reactions to the task and self-worthevaluation3.

Recently! during fieldwork! the author was observing in a high school government class. Thesocial studies concepts discussed in the lesson were political parties! the role of campaigning!and the impact of media on citiens decisions. The teacher integrated a variety of traditionaland constructivist instructional methods. )he incorporated a brief lecture! +uestioning strategiesto discuss readings! graphic organiers! and video clips of recent election campaigncommercials. 0espite her efforts to engage students! the class was chaotic. :hat follows is anexcerpt from the authors field notes describing the complexities of the classroom environment.

Twenty-five students are seated in pods of four. #ne girl in the back is putting on eyeliner andeye shadow. )he fre+uently chats with two boys seated at her table. )he proceeds to mash its.Two girls and one boy socialie in the back of the class. They are more concerned about thesocial complexities of the school rather than listening. =owever! periodically one will shout out acorrect answer without interrupting the flow of the social conversation. #ne girl! sitting in theback of the class! totally isolates herself and has no verbal or nonverbal communication with herpeers or the teacher. A +uiet boy and two girls sit at a table located in the front of the class.They do not share comments and appear to be intimidated by their peers.

A girl on the other side of the class begins to sing and continues to do so periodically throughoutthe class time. Another girl gets up and walks around the room. )he is told to sit down! whichshe does! and in five minutes gets up and walks around again. )he is struggling to stay in herseat and is clearly unconcerned with the class discussion. A boy in the center of the class

covers his head with his hood! lays his head down! and goes to sleep. Two other girls at histable are engaged in a conversation about who will be homecoming +ueen.:hat is a teacher to do with a class like this' This is a perplexing situation! yet a commondilemma teachers encounter. *any teachers struggle with the lack of student interest in thecontent which translates into a lack of motivation to learn. This is especially prevalent in socialstudies classrooms. Research indicates that students often are uninterested in social studiesbecause they perceive it as a boring sub(ect )chug! Todd! / &erry! 14> )haughnessy /=aladyana! 14@3. )tudents tend to e+uate uninteresting with unimportant thus! students arenot motivated to learn social studies content due to the lack of value of the content. Educatorssuggest that lack of student interest in social studies is related to the instructional methodsutilied in disseminating information *artorella! 13.This paper describes my investigation of technology integration in social studies instruction to

build an understanding of why technology is being used to teach social studies content. ;iventhe nature of social studies instruction and the need to engage students in the learning process!$ selected motivational theory as a theoretical frame for this research.*ethodology

A descriptive and exploratory case study as described by Lin! 27723 was utilied to examinethe integration of technology for social studies instruction. This case study sought to unveil thetacit knowledge! deconstructing student attitudes about technology and motivations for usingtechnology ,atton! 173! to build an understanding of why technology is being used to teachsocial studies content. Nualitative methods were employed to provide an in-depth description of


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technology use in a natural setting. The purpose of this study was to interpret the phenomenaand the meanings that students brought to this setting and to describe them 0enin / %incoln!2777 ;lesne / ,eshkin! 1 *arshall / Rossman! 13.The participant for this study was an in-service teacher. The secondary social studies teachertaught th- and 17th-grade social studies classes. )he taught :orld =istory! Economic! %egal!and ,olitical )ystems! and a tenth grade seminar that integrated the curriculum for English and

social studies. =er undergraduate degree was in early childhood education. )he later returnedto school for her second undergraduate degree of history with a minor in secondary education.

After teaching for years! she obtained her masters degree in social studies education. $naddition she has achieved recognition as the only nationally board certified social studiesteacher in her high school.This case study is atypical because this teacher has excellent professional credentials and hashad much experience at integrating technology in social studies content. The uni+ueness of thiscase study provides valuable insight into research on technology integration in the social studiescurriculum. This research addresses a recognied need for examples of content specifictechnology use in the social studies *artorella! 1 *ason! 2777-2771 *ason et al! 2777Fanfossen! 2771 :hite! 13 and supports existing +ualitative research that emphasies thebenefit of looking at best practices in teaching ;rossman! 173.

0ata sources for this study included interviews! observations! field notes! and artifacts! such astechnology work samples produced by the students! teacher curricula! and teacher lessonplans. $nterviews! field notes! and classroom observations followed procedures outlined by thework of )pradley 1473 and )chensul! )chensul! and %ecompte 13. Hield notes werecondensed accounts of events observed in the classroom. *issing gaps in these data werefilled with data collected from teacher and student interviews.&efore data collection and analysis began! study propositions were formulated. $n keeping withLins 27723 case study methodology! two propositions formed the core of the researchframework8 a3 Technology improves students motivation to learn content and b3 technologyaugments the development of student work through providing students with organiationalframeworks! connecting students to resources! and supporting students creativity. Theintegration of technology within the social studies provides crucial links in building content and

technological literacies.6ollected data was linked to the propositions through comparison of common patterns 0enin/ %incoln! 2777 Lin! 27723! analying emergent themes )pradley! 1473! and triangulation0enin / %incoln! 2777 Lin! 27723. After the data was collected! analysis of the data formedlinks between the theoretical framework and the results of the case. A crosswalk of issuesshowed the links between the study +uestions! data sources! data analysis! and theoreticalframework and also helped establish reliability for the study.

A 6loser %ookTo redress the initial +uestion of what a teacher is to do with these uninterested andunmotivated students! a closer look at the case described is necessary. #nce the teacher in thescenario described earlier finished with the classroom instruction! she assigned the students apro(ect of creating a ,ower,oint slide as a political campaign advertisement for their states

senatorial race. )tudents were expected to research their candidate of choice and develop anadvertisement utiliing one of the various media strategies for which the teacher had providedinformation. The teacher distributed a handout clearly identifying the types of campaignadvertisements and the expectations for the task. Then the class was off to the computer lab.The hallway trip was no different than the classroom scenario provided! but somethinghappened when they entered the computer lab. )tudents immediately sat down at theircomputers and promptly began their work. )tudents exuded self-confidence in their abilities! notonly to work with the technology but to master the content and successfully complete the task.)tudents had no difficulty locating the websites for the candidates and finding the facts they


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needed to construct their campaign advertisements. )tudents captured the key political stancesof each candidate. They also demonstrated an understanding of the various campaignstrategies. $n addition to understanding the content! students designed graphically appealingand interactive campaign ads using ,ower,oint. )everal students knew about the intricacies ofthe software program and tutored others on how to complete the desired special effects.)tudents were collaborated and exchanged ideas. )tudents eagerly shared their work and ideas

with their peers.)tudents were excited about learning and displayed pride in the ,ower,oint slides they created.The slides included sound bytes! video clips! pictures! text! and animation. The productoutcomes were impressive! but what was even more impressive was the level of engagement.

All students actively created their products! learning about the candidates and the types ofcampaign advertisements that are utilied in politics. $t was an amaing transformation. Thesame students who were described earlier were now focused and on task. "ot only were theyactively involved in their pro(ect! they were learning social studies.)tudents en(oyed working on the pro(ect with technology because they viewed technology asmore engaging and entertaining. All students reported en(oyment in the task becausetechnology made their work easier and more fun to do. #ne student commented! J$ like usingcomputers! the $nternet! and ,ower,oint because it is fun! fresh! and invigorating.K *any

students identified that technology made it possible for them to complete their work more +uicklyand efficiently. #ne of the most common reasons for en(oyment in the task was that computeruse made students work neater! enabled them to add nice graphics! and made the overallpresentations look professional. These feelings were captured in this students statement8 J$ likeusing technology to do my work because you can do more with technology. Lou can make areally cool presentation that wouldnt be possible without the technology.K

Additionally! students reported that using technology enabled them to find more information andhelped them understand what they were talking about in class. A student commented! J$ likeusing computers to do school work! because it helps me get my thoughts out better.K Anotherstudent replied! J$ like using computers because its easy to find lots of information about thestuff we are discussing in class.K#ne final point made by students was that working with computers gave them the opportunity to

refine their technology skills. )tudents identified that they felt confident in their ability to usetechnology and liked having the opportunity to complete tasks that allowed them to work withskills they already possessed. At the same time! students felt that the task was challenging andre+uired them to take their skills to the next level.#bservationsTechnology offers many benefits to enhance education. *ost importantly! technology integrationhas the potential to increase student motivation Anderson! 27773. The case described presentsthree elements of how technology positively impacts student motivation. These factors arebased upon expectancy-value model of motivation ,intrich / )chunk! 193. Csing technologychanges the nature of the task! increases student self-efficacy! and improves student self-worth.Hirst! task-value motivational theory addresses the +uestion! J:hy do $ approach the task'K $nthe case presented! students were actively involved in the pro(ect because they were working

with technology. )tudents felt confident in their ability to accomplish the task due to theirfamiliarity with the technology. The focus of the task shifted from social studies content totechnology use. )ince students were self-confident in their technology skills! they eagerlyapproached the task. )tudents were excited about the opportunity to test their skills and viewedthe task as challenging and engaging. This was in contrast to the traditional classroomenvironment! where students avoided the task either because it was boring or because theybelieved that they lacked the skills necessary to be success in this environment.Technology empowers students by engaging students in the learning process. The nature of thetask shifts from teacher centered to student centered. ;iven the flexibility of technology to


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diversify tasks! the activity was designed to build upon students prior knowledge and to addressstudent interests. Research indicates that challenging and engaging academic tasks that buildupon students prior knowledge and enable students to construct their own understanding of thecontent are more apt to enhance student motivation and increase student self-confidence intheir cognitive abilities &rophy! 14? *eece! 11 *iller / *eece! 13.

Additionally! the use of technology improves student interest due to students familiarity with the

technology. $ncreased en(oyment in learning is related to students natural affinity for computer-based instruction conse+uently! social studies can become a more attractive sub(ect whencomputers and the $nternet are included as teaching tools 6assutto! 2777! pp. 177-1713.Research touts technology use in social studies as a purposeful method of instruction to bestmeet the needs of students and to promote student interest in the task &erson! 19*artorella! 1 :hite! 13.)econd! expectancy motivational theory addresses the +uestion J6an $ use this technology oram $ capable of accomplishing this task'K As identified in the case! students displayed moreself-confidence in the computer than in the traditional classroom setting. )tudents possessedthe skills necessary to successfully accomplish the assignment. They felt comfortable in thesecure environment that the computer lab offered. This nurturing learning environment enabledstudents to accomplish more with technology than they could without it. )tudents were able to

generate attractive! creative! and content rich ,ower,oint slides. )tudents took pride in theircreations and eagerly shared their work with their peers.

According to Ames 173 technology has the potential to increase student motivation byincreasing student self-efficacy. This was evidenced in a research study of the impact oftechnology use on high school student learning conducted by Rochowic 193. 0ata identifiedthat using computers increases students self-efficacy conse+uently! students develop a morepositive attitude toward learning. Rochowic concluded that computers make learning morerelevant! meaningful! and en(oyable conse+uently! academic frustration declines. )tudentsexperience a greater en(oyment from learning content because they are confident in their abilityto accomplish the task when using technology.

Additionally! technology enables students to accomplish more than they could without the use oftechnology. Technology affords students opportunities to access information and resources to

create products far beyond their perceived capabilities. Research identifies the benefits oftechnology integration as the technical aspects to enhance the +uality of work! promote accessto resources! positively impact student learning! and promote student metacognitive skills=eafner / *c6oy! 2771 )cheidet! 277?3. :ith the improved output! students take pride in theproducts they create! which increases their self-efficacy. This self-efficacy can have a positiveimpact on overall student motivation. As &rophy 14?3 contended! student motivation improveswith students increased self-confidence in their abilities to complete the academic task.Third! self-worth and affective motivational theory addresses the +uestion! J=ow do my feelingsabout myself affect whether or not $ will attempt or avoid this task'K Csing technology enabledthese students to feel more self-confident in completing the assignment due to their familiaritywith technology. $nitially! the focus of learning shifted from social studies content to technology.Technology integration camouflaged the learning process by drawing students into a fun activity

that relied on familiar technical skills. #nce students engaged in the task their attention shiftedto the content. :ith the integration of a familiar learning tool! students approached socialstudies content that they had avoided in the traditional classroom setting. )tudents eagerlyapproached the task when they were able to use an instructional tool with which they had theknowledge! skill! and confidence in using. Hamiliarity with the technology also increasesstudents belief in their ability to accomplish the task conse+uently! students are more willing totake risks and approach challenging tasks. This supports self-worth theory that studentsperceptions of worthiness are e+uated with ability 6ovington! 2777 *idgley et al.! 193.


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Typical instructional approaches utilied in social studies classes emphasie ability-relatedactivities such as memoriation and rote learning *artorella! 13. $n contrast! technologyfacilitates the development of decision-making and problem-solving! data-processing! andcommunication skills "ational 6ouncil for the )ocial )tudies! 1>3. $nstruction that builds uponthese higher order tasks generates a collaborative learning environment that promotes self-worth and enables students to overcome task-avoidance 6ovington! 14>3. Csing technology

to complete assignments changes the learning environment to focus on mastery learning whilepromoting cooperative learning. 6lass is less structured and diminishes traditional views ofcompetition as a means to motivate.:ithin this nurturing environment! students are able to rely comfortably on their peers to assistwith technical difficulties without fear of social embarrassment. )tudents avoid feelings ofworthlessness and social disapproval that accompany competitive learning environments,intrich / )chunk! 193. As presented in the case! increased peer communication andcollaboration were positive outcomes of technology integration. )tudents felt secure in sharingtheir knowledge and skills with their peers in the noncompetitive computer lab environment. Thisbehavior contrasted with behaviors exuded in the traditional classroom! where students avoidedtasks and engagement with their peers.6autions

0espite the recognied positive benefits of technology integration on improving student learningas identified in this case study! caution is advised. *uch research exists that challenges the useof technology as positively affecting student learning. The hesitancy of many schools andteachers to openly embrace technology is! in part! related to their concern about the negativeeffects of technology on students and the educational process. Research recognies variousnegative outcomes of technology use as social isolation! all information is JgoodK misperception!information overload! and the time consuming nature of technology 6lark! 1> 6ornelius /&oss! 277? =eafner / *c6oy! 2771 )cott / #)ullivan! 2777 )alomon! 13. Thesetradeoffs of technology can be a detriment to student learning.This article does not contend that technology is the only method for instruction nor it is the onlymeans of motivating students to learn social studies. Technology alone is insufficient to ensureeffective social studies education )taley! 27773. =owever! effective technology integration

offers opportunities to enhance social studies instruction and to increase student motivationwhile preparing students with the knowledge! skills! and values necessary to become goodcitiens! which are the fundamental goals of the social studies.Recommendations:hen planning for instruction! social studies teachers need to strongly consider what motivatesstudents to learn. Too often teachers sacrifice student interest for content coverage. $n a highstakes testing environment! social studies teachers are entrenched in methods that rely heavilyon lecture and discussion. This teacher-centered classroom structure does not offer muchopportunity for motivating students to take an interest in social studies content. )tudents haveno motivation to learn social studies beyond the common (ustification of Jit will be on the test.KThis lack of student interest inhibits student development of metacognitive skills! which greatlyimpacts student achievement.

To develop a more nurturing and engaging learning environment that promotes cognitivegrowth! social studies teachers need to incorporate instructional practices that are studentcentered. &y focusing on students! teachers are able to encourage student interest! whichtranslates into increased student motivation to learn. This article advocates the use oftechnology as a means to motivate students by engaging students in the learning process withthe use of a familiar instructional tool that improves students self-efficacy and self-worth. $fteachers build students self-confidence! then students will more likely en(oy learning! which cangreatly impact student achievement.


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Additionally! teachers should take into consideration that students are individuals and mayaccomplish the same task for many reasons. 6onse+uently! social studies teachers shouldincorporate various instructional methods that provide students with diverse! engaging! andchallenging tasks to meet the needs of all students. This is what technology affords educatorsand why technology has the potential to impact student motivation positively and! subse+uently!student learning. The potential that technology offers to positively affect student achievement is

sufficient reason to integrate technology as a means to motivate students to learn social studies.6hange in )tudent and Teacher Roles:hen students are using technology as a tool or a support for communicating with others! theyare in an active role rather than the passive role of recipient of information transmitted by ateacher! textbook! or broadcast. The student is actively making choices about how to generate!obtain! manipulate! or display information. Technology use allows many more students to beactively thinking about information! making choices! and executing skills than is typical inteacher-led lessons. *oreover! when technology is used as a tool to support students inperforming authentic tasks! the students are in the position of defining their goals! makingdesign decisions! and evaluating their progress.The teacherOs role changes as well. The teacher is no longer the center of attention as thedispenser of information! but rather plays the role of facilitator! setting pro(ect goals and

providing guidelines and resources! moving from student to student or group to group! providingsuggestions and support for student activity. As students work on their technology-supportedproducts! the teacher rotates through the room! looking over shoulders! asking about thereasons for various design choices! and suggesting resources that might be used. )eeexample of teacher as coach.3,ro(ect-based work such as the 6ity &uilding ,ro(ect and the )tudent-Run *anufacturing6ompany3 and cooperative learning approaches prompt this change in roles! whethertechnology is used or not. =owever! tool uses of technology are highly compatible with this newteacher role! since they stimulate so much active mental work on the part of students. *oreover!when the venue for work is technology! the teacher often finds him or herself (oined by manypeer coaches--students who are technology savvy and eager to share their knowledge withothers.

$ncreased *otivation and )elf EsteemThe most common--and in fact! nearly universal--teacher-reported effect on students was anincrease in motivation. Teachers and students are sometimes surprised at the level oftechnology-based accomplishment displayed by students who have shown much less initiativeor facility with more conventional academic tasks8The kids that don't necessarily star can become the stars. Pwith technologyQ. My favorite is thisboy . . . who had major problems at home. He figured out a way to make music by getting thecomputer to play certain letters by certain powers and it changed the musical tone of the noteand he actually wrote a piece. He stayed in every recess. . . . When I asked him what he wasworking on he wouldn't tell me. Then he asked if he could put his Hyper!ard stack on mycomputer because it was hooked up to speakers. I said "sure" and at recess. . . he put it on mycomputer and played his music and literally stopped the room. #nd for months he had kids

begging him at recess every recess to teach them how to make music. #nd for that particularkid it was the world because he really was not successful academically and was having lots of

problems. . . . This really changed him for that school year. -Elementary school teacherTeachers talked about motivation from a number of different perspectives. )ome mentionedmotivation with respect to working in a specific sub(ect area! for example! a greater willingnessto write or to work on computational skills. #thers spoke in terms of more general motivationaleffects--student satisfaction with the immediate feedback provided by the computer and thesense of accomplishment and power gained in working with technology8
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/teacherrole.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/teacherrole.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/city.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/manufacturing.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/manufacturing.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/manufacturing.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/teacherrole.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/teacherrole.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/city.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/manufacturing.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/manufacturing.html


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$ids like the immediate results. It's not a result that you can get anywhere else e%cept on thecomputer. . . . &or them it really is a big deal. Much more so than I ever though it was going tobe.--Elementary school teacherTechnology is the ultimate carrot for students. It's something they want to master. earning touse it enhances their self(esteem and makes them e%cited about coming to school. --Hifth gradeteacher

The computer has been an empowering tool to the students. They have a voice and it's not inany way secondary to anybody else's voice. It's an e)ual voice. *o that's incredibly positive.Motivation to use technology is very high. --Elementary school teacher$n many of these classes! students choose to work on their technology-based pro(ects duringrecess or lunch periods. Teachers also fre+uently cite technologyOs motivational advantages inproviding a venue in which a wider range of students can excel. 6ompared to conventionalclassrooms with their stress on verbal knowledge and multiple-choice test performance!technology provides a very different set of challenges and different ways in which students candemonstrate what they understand e.g.! by programming a simulation to demonstrate aconcept rather than trying to explain it verbally3.

A related technology effect stressed by many teachers was enhancement of student selfesteem. &oth the increased competence they feel after mastering technology-based tasks and

their awareness of the value placed upon technology within our culture! led to increases instudentsO and often teachersO3 sense of self worth.I see more confidence in the kids here. . . . I think it's not just computers it's a multitude ofthings but they can do things on the computers that most of their parents can't do and that'svery empowering and e%citing for them. It's "I can sit down and make this machine pretty muchdo what I want to" and there's something about that that gives them an e%tra little boost of"Wow I'm a pretty special person." --Elementary school teacher)tudents clearly take pride in being able to use the same computer-based tools employed byprofessionals. As one teacher expressed it! )tudents gain a sense of empowerment fromlearning to control the computer and to use it in ways they associate with the real world.Technology is valued within our culture. $t is something that costs money and that bestows thepower to add value. &y giving students technology tools! we are implicitly giving weight to their

school activities. )tudents are very sensitive to this message that they! and their work! areimportant.The technology package provided the means by which teachers brought computers to everyclass session! which helped situate the learning within an authentic context of technologyintegration. Teachers participated within small groups that fostered social interaction anddialogue and were provided with rigorous and complex tasks re+uiring the use of theircomputers and the $nternet! thus advancing their understanding as they negotiated newmeanings within each new situation. )uch activities provided a model for what they wereexpected to then implement in their own classroom. The R)T? professional development modelincluded four strands8 teaching-as-research! technology integration strategies! lesson contentdevelopment! and assessmentdevelopment. A discussion of each strand follows.

TEA6=$";-A)-RE)EAR6=Teaching-as-research is the systematic use of research methods to develop and implementteaching practices that advance the learning experiences and learning outcomes of studentsand teachers *athieu! 27773. $t involves developing foundational knowledge! then creatinggoals for better student learning! defining measures of success! developing and implementingbest practice methods! collecting and analying data! and making data-based teachingdecisions in harmony with selected goals. A critical feature of the R)T? model was to worktogether with teachers in some of the research activities as a model for how they might! on an


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ongoing basis! examine their own practice and determine the effectiveness of any newclassroom interventions or teaching strategies they might implement by applying data collectionand analysis strategies. The essence of situated learning is when experts and novices worktogether for a common product or goal within an authentic context. This shared productiveactivity developed by the 6enter for Research on Education! 0iversity / Excellence Tharp!Estrada! 0alton! / Lamauchi! 27773. :e included the teachers in several decision-making

conversations relative to our research direction for this pro(ect. :e also provided them withopportunities to apply research techni+ues in their own practice and bring results back to sharewith the group.TE6="#%#;L $"TE;RAT$#" )TRATE;$E)

A significant block of instructional time was spent on demonstrating! discussing! and engagingin the various levels of technology integration ranging from what we defined as low interactivitysuch as using the :eb as a source of reading material or using computers for word processing!to high interactivity! such as providing students with a more user-controlled interactive andcreative experience including the use of interactive software or :eb sites with dynamic content.Teachers were provided with :eb sites and software showing examples of interactivetechnology with varying degrees of interactivity that they explored and evaluated. )pecialemphasis was devoted to exploring high interactivity :eb sites that re+uired students to enter

values for variables that resulted in changing outcomes that could serve as a data source forlater analysis.0uring each session! teachers would share new technology integration ideas and resourcesthey had located during the time between sessions.%E))#" 0EFE%#,*E"T%esson development was accomplished by teams of teachers from at least three schools inorder to maximie the number of school settings across which data on the same lesson couldbe collected! and to capitalie on the potential power of social interaction among the teachersFygotsky! 143. Topics for the lessons were selected by the teachers from their regularcurriculum. Twenty-two lessons were developed by the teacher teams. 6ontent for each lessonwas reviewed by teacher peer groups and university educators for rigor! accuracy! andalignment with state and district science standards. The lessons were then made available

online so that individual teachers could select and download the two lessons they would teachduring the year of our study. &ased on the technology instruction provided during the course!teachers designed an integrated technology component for each lesson. Teachers had fullcontrol over the type and the content of the technology component! with the only parameterbeing that the technology component must function as a tool for teaching and learning thescience content and not for the technology to bethe content.

A))E))*E"T 0EFE%#,*E"TTeachers were also provided with assessment training including test item development and testblueprint design that would be used for the end-of-lesson test. The test blueprints specified thateach numbered item was to be of a specific type drawn from the cognitive and science contentdomains. The levels for the cognitive domain items were patterned after the specifications forthe Trends in $nternational *ath and )cience )tudy assessment T$*))! 277?3 and included

items for factual recall! conceptual understanding! and analysis

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