April 2005 — Editorial
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Assessing Technology Integration
Today’s tech-savvy English teacher also assigns a research paper, but both the process of research and the final result are very different. The process is different because the Internet provides students with easy access to an enormous array of resources, in multiple formats and media, wherever and whenever they want to access them. Students are also learning and applying new skills such as searching techniques, and sorting through and judging the veracity and appropriateness of the different sources. The final product may be a paper, or it may be a multimedia depiction of the topic that can be an evolving source of content for future classes. Is the activity substantially different because of technology? I would say that it is.A much more studied look at technology integration and how to assess it is the primary focus of the feature articles in this month’s issue as we examine a number of different uses and permutations of a tool developed by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). The tool, Profiling Educational Technology Integration (PETI), grew out of an effort to identify key questions, indicators and data elements necessary to assess the integration of technology. This is a case where solid research and thoughtful applications of technology work together to help states and districts assess the extent to which they are integrating technology throughout all of curriculum and instruction.
A Civics Lesson
We have been urging you to write your senators and representatives regarding the President’s proposed elimination of funding for Title II D of NCLB (Enhancing Education Through Technology), his proposals for the guaranteed student loan program and Pell grants, as well as the possible reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. In talking with congressional and state legislative staffers, it is clear that letters from constituents have a huge impact on the decisions our representatives make. They will listen to representatives from professional organizations, but a few letters from their own constituents will have a greater impact. (Please notice that I have left campaign contributions out of the civics lesson this time.) It has also come to my attention that some readers do not know how easy it is to communicate with members of Congress. One way is to visit CongressMerge.com, which has tips on communicating with Congress and finding additional related information. In addition, don’t forget to include U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on your list. You can e-mail her at Margaret.Spellings@ed.gov or fax her at (202) 401-0689.
Don’t you want your students to know how to influence Congress? Have them go to their senators’ and representatives’ Web sites and send a message. It would be a great example of using technology in a real-world application.
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