Re: tkt8763-01: Lacey's third experience (fwd)

[Trina Smith <trina@ECE.MsState.EDU>]

Lacey,

Congrats on another good meeting with the committee members.  It sounds
like you all are on the right track.  I am extremely glad that things
are going well for you.

On the other issue, it's really sad that you can't get anymore
cooperation than what you were given by the technology specialist.  You
really would think that she would want to help in anyway that she
could.  I guess some people don't have a passion for technology like
some of us do.  Too bad for them.  However, don't give up.  I'm glad
that you decided to talk with the principal about the problem and
hopefully a resolution can be reached soon.  Good Luck and Merry
Christmas.


Larry S. Anderson -- NCTP wrote:
> 
> I think you will find Lacey's comments VERRRRY interesting.  Please feel
> free to email her your comments, but send a copy of your comments to the
> class list.  OK?
> 
> Here we go.....
> 
> Larry S. Anderson, Ed.D.                              LSA1@Ra.MsState.Edu
> Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Technology & Education       Voice: (601) 325-2281
> Founder, National Center for Technology Planning      Fax: (601) 325-7599
>                     Mississippi State University
> Chair, Council for Education Technology              State of Mississippi
>          My personal home page URL-- http://www2.msstate.edu/~lsa1
>                     NCTP web page -- http://www.nctp.com
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 10 Dec 1998 14:27:43 +0000
> From: Mark Benno <benno@tenet.edu>
> To: Larry Anderson <lsa1@ra.msstate.edu>
> Subject: Lacey's third experience
> 
> Please forward this to SIP and ASIP as you see fit. - Thanks, Mark
> 
> Subject: Experience #3
>    Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 15:32:28 -0600
>   From:  Lacey_Turberville@baylor.edu
> 
>      Here is my latest experience....
> 
> Experience #3
> 
> My third meeting with Lifegate on November 23, 1998, went much better than I
> had anticipated.  I returned to a committee that was extremely excited about
> creating a technology plan.  However, the evening was jaded by the fact that
> several of the committee members could not meet that evening due to several
> family and personal problems.  Nonetheless, the meeting went as scheduled.
> 
> To my amazement, the principal said that the school already had some of the
> computer programs that I had demonstrated in our previous meeting, but he and
> all of the other members were unaware that the school had such assets.  What I
> discovered later made me extremely angry, but I will explain how the rest of
> the meeting proceeded before I begin to preach on my soapbox.
> 
> The committee began immediately by asking questions that they had developed
> concerning the information packets I had given them in our previous  meeting.
> Mostly, the committee was worried about the technical language that many of
> the plans included.  I simply told them that we are not as concerned about
> the language in the document as we are with the content and the direction that
> we want our school to go.  Many of the members had developed some thoughts
> about what they thought should be included in the plan.   At this point in the
> discussion, I felt like we were finally going in the right direction.  The
> committee was concerned with their ability to create a clear and defined
> mission statement about their hopes and aspirations.  Several of the defining
> words they chose to concentrate on included:  implementation, innovation,
> active learning, awareness, and conceptualization.  I felt that this was a
> very good start to some real thinking about the future.
> 
> I provided the committee with several catalogs that included numerous types of
> software and hardware components. In speaking with the group, I discovered
> that they are relatively lost in the technology world.   There are several
> committee members that are familiar with the hardware aspects, but their
> knowledge of educational technology is limited.  I also suggested that the
> committee have the teachers review the catalogs.  In addition to that I
> suggested to the principal that the teachers in the school as well as the
> committee should read "Great teaching in the one computer classroom" published
> by Tom Snyder Productions.  I thought that this book could provide the
> committee with some vision as to how technology can enhance traditional
> instruction.  The major concern among all of the members is that the
> technology will take away from the traditional teaching time and in some cases
> distract the students so much that little learning is accomplished.  I can
> understand why they have this fear coming from this school environment.  The
> computers have always sat over in a corner and they were always viewed as a
> necessary technical tool, rather than a useful tool.
> 
> Lastly, the committee began to ask questions about what types of concepts are
> we looking at when designing curriculum.  The only way I knew to answer the
> question was to discuss with them the four domains of educational technology:
> Communication, Video, Mathetics, Pedagogy, and Data.  This idea that
> technology can be used in these four ways seemed to clear the minds of several
> of the members.  Rather than being concerned with just data and computers, the
> members began to see that instructional technology can also include email,
> video tapes, and conventional cameras.
> 
> The committee has agreed to meet again before the Christmas Holidays.  At this
> next meeting, we plan to begin out initial phases of writing a mission
> statement.  However, at this particular time, the committee seems to be stuck
> in the research phase, which I must say is crucial because of  the lack of
> knowledge about educational technology.
> 
> Now I must begin to speak about my experience the following day at the school.
> I am extremely frustrated on one score.  The technology specialist that is on
> the Lifegate campus is a very nice person, but I have discovered that she is
> not really willing to help in any manner associated with the technology
> planning.  The committee has met twice now, and she has not been present to
> either meeting.  Also, I was amazed as I said before that the school had many
> of the educational programs that I demonstrated for them, but no one in the
> administration nor among the teachers knew that the school had any of these
> resources.  As I looked into the closet in room 216, I was amazed.  The
> software programs are new, but none of them are being used.  I discovered that
> there are at least 5 computers that have Windows 95 and are capable of using
> all of the programs in the closet.  I made the mistake of suggesting the the
> technologist that the elementary school could really use one of the computers
> to share, so that they could begin using some of the software programs that
> were in the closet.  My thinking is that if the teachers become familiar with
> the equipment and the programs that are available now, the transition to
> faster, newer equipment will be easier to adjust to.  However, I was quickly
> aware that she did not share in my enthusiam about sharing technology.  She
> explain to me that she could not give up one computer to anyone, because her
> design class needed every single computer so that every student would be sure
> to have access to a computer.  I did not know what to say.  I guess I assume
> that people who are involved in the technology world are aware that 1 computer
> for every student is no longer the message.  I guess I was wrong.
> 
> After speaking with several of the high school students, I discovered that
> once again the students viewed the computers as toys and game machines that
> are only used if you need to type an english paper or if you are taking
> computer design.  After snooping around for several hours, I approached the
> principal once again.  I told him that I was concerned about what I had
> discovered, and he and I discussed the possibility of moving one of the
> computers to the elementary grades for use.
> 
> The principal and the other committee members are ready to begin implementing
> the resources that they currently have, now that they know they exist.  But I
> am afraid that the friction with the campus technologist may become a sore
> spot.
> 
> Several of you have given me some great advice about web sites to consult and
> possible questions to pose to the committee.  Your suggestions and support
> have really made this job easier.  It has been a great help to know that I am
> going in the right direction.
> 
> ******* TKT 8763 Seminar in Planning for Instructional Technology  *******
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-- 
Trina Smith
Administrative Secretary
Electrical & Computer Engineering
216 Simrall
E-Mail: trina@ece.msstate.edu
Home Page: http://www2.msstate.edu/~tsmith/index.html
******* TKT 8763 Seminar in Planning for Instructional Technology  *******
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