April 2005 — Editorial
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Assessing Technology Integration
In case you haven’t noticed, the assessment market is big business - about $1.81 billion in 2003, according to an Eduventures report titled “Testing in Flux: Future Directions in the Pre-K-12 Assessment Market.” This market includes state exams, formative assessments, college entrance exam prep, college entrance exams and catalog exams, as well as an estimated $334 million in outsourced assessment services. Both the direct and outsourced markets are growing rapidly. Evidence of this growth was everywhere at the Florida Educational Technology Conference and the Texas Computer Education Association Conference earlier this year. It seemed as though every other booth was touting some form of assessment - formative assessment in particular. The reason formative assessment is such a hot topic - and a teacher’s best friend - is that it can have a positive impact on student achievement. It works because states have standards that are clear, as well as technology that can take input from many students and turn it into information for teachers and administrators to use. It also works because there are vendors out there that are informing educators and providing additional services, such as professional development, to help educators use data effectively. This is an example of true technology integration.
The SETDA Solution
The question of what integration of technology is remains pertinent because NCLB requires schools to integrate technology throughout curriculum and instruction by Dec. 31, 2006 (although, according to our President, we are supposed to do this without federal money). While the U.S. Department of Education has not yet defined technology integration, let me offer a possible and simple definition by asking the question: D'es the use of technology substantially change the activity for the better, or can the activity be done without technology? What I am positing here is that we need a significant overall change in education - especially in curriculum and instruction - and technology can be the catalyst for this change.
Let’s try my question out. While I was working on an evaluation project for a state, I asked a principal during a visitation how well he thought teachers were integrating technology into their classrooms. He responded, “Very well. For example, the parents really like those clear, crisp worksheets that come off the laser printer.” I don’t think that qualifies as integration. Similarly, many teachers now use PowerPoint and a projector hooked up to a computer to support and illustrate their lectures. Is the activity substantially different? I don’t think so. Notes are displayed and there may be some sound or video, but it is still a lecture. And whether the teacher has notes on the board, on ditto paper or wherever, it isn’t making substantial changes to teaching and learning.
Let’s look at another example. As an English teacher, I assigned a paper that students were to research in the library, use a set of 3 x 5 note cards with key points and quotes, and turn in a final typed paper.
