Instructional Technology Use at Lumberton High School

Instructional Technology Use at Lumberton High School
We use various data collection tools including the Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS), Annually Yearly Progress (AYP) report, and the School Technology and Readiness (STaR) report for the district and campus. The AEIS report provides the district with data to compare our district and campus to the state average. We are able to use this data to observe the performance of grade levels and sub-populations over the span of several years. The data allows us to track the money spent on each sub-population and how they performed on state assessments. AYP data shows us how our campus performance compares with guidelines established by the Federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Law. STaR chart data allows the district to track the progress of each campus according to the State Long Range Plan for Technology. The chart tracks the progress of each campus in four areas: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation, Administration and Support, and Infrastructure. The AEIS, AYP, and STaR Chart data are used by the district to track where money is spent and evaluate the effectiveness of the programs for which it is used. The district is currently using this accumulation of data to establish a strategic plan for technology three year plan. We currently have a one year plan and are composing three, five, and ten year plans.

Technology on our campus is used by teachers for instructional enrichment. Teachers use information gained from the internet to supplement lessons. This information includes lecture notes, diagrams, and podcasts. The majority of technology use in the classroom is still to facilitate teacher directed learning. The majority of technology in the classroom is used as a more expensive alternative to the overhead projector. Every class room has a computer and data projector for teacher use in it. We do offer quite a few technology courses including: Business Communication, Web Mastering, Digital Graphics, and Broadcast Journalism. The Pharmacy Technician program at our school is taught using a combination of traditional and on line instruction. We have a distance learning opportunities in conjunction with Lamar University that involve real time video conferencing technology between the professor and the students. Our district is currently experimenting with the use of the Kindle reader from Amazon for students with various reading difficulties. There is a method to down load teacher generated material onto them. Our district uses the Read 180 curriculum and Aims Web Math as part of our Response Towards Intervention (RTI) program. Both of these have a great deal of student technology use incorporated into them.

The administrative arena is perhaps the greatest area of daily classroom technology use. Our district does all attendance, grades, and lesson planning on line. We also have Virtual Student Information (VSI) available. This allows parents on-line access to their students’ grades in real time. We also employ a program that allows for teachers to have access to their students’ standardized assessment data on-line.

Each core subject department has a portable lap top lab and there are one or two extra available in the technology department. Our math classes all have a class set of graphing calculators with the ability for the teacher to project their calculator screen onto a screen for student view. Many of our math classes have smart board technology in them. Our district offers a Productivity Training Seminar. Teachers who complete the initial seminar are issued a lap top computer and have a wider access to the internet via the school filter. Teachers may opt to take additional training to receive additional technology in their classrooms. The additional technology includes: elmos, smart boards, and classroom sets of digital quiz answer buzzers for class review and assessment.

Technology is a large component of our Site Based Decision Making Committee (SBDMC). Much of the technology purchased has been as a result of action taken by the SBDMC. The SBDMC has also set instructional technology use as a focus for professional development on campus. We have begun using a program called “Turn-It In” to combat plagiarism in our classes. Each teacher within our district is expected to maintain a webpage through the district “School Center” program. The district has also instituted the use of “PD-360”, an on-line service delivering professional development to teachers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our Science Department has a wide range of Vernier sensors that interface with the laptop computers for real time collection of data by the students.

I visited with two groups of students for this assignment as recommended by the professors of the course. I visited with the students from one of our Pharmacy Technology classes and our Health Science Technology II class. There were thirty students in the two groups combined. I asked the students about the amount of time that they use technology in student directed learning during the course of their regular nontechnology based courses. Their response was overwhelmingly unanimous. They report less than twice a year over all. That may only include one course a year. The students report that they primarily use technology for the preparation of reports and projects using word processing and Power Point software. When questioned about how often the students are asked to use the digital drop-box provided for teachers some responded only once during the course of their education. That was for an upper level physics course. If the student did not have that teacher, they had never used it.

I asked the students how they would respond to a project based student learning activity. I explained that it would give them the topic and the learning objectives and they would be responsible for using the internet to learn the material with instructor facilitation and guidance. The students enrolled in upper level course responded positively, while those in regular level course had mixed response. The biggest concern among the regular level students was that there would be a great number of students who simply relied upon on member of the group to complete the project. A great number of the student expressed an interest in a move away from teacher centered learning scenarios, but expressed that they would be more confident with guidance from the teacher about specifics either through One-Note or a teacher’s web page. When I asked the students haw many would visit a teacher’s blog, the overwhelming response was only if it directly affected their grade. The students were extremely interested in a learning activity that involved collaboration with students in other areas of the country as specified in the State Long Range Plan for Technology. This is currently not a viable option as students do not have access to school email or any messaging systems.

Students reported a wide range of technology use outside of school. All of the students in both groups of students reported having internet access at home. They were all users of cell phones, text messaging, and social networking. Many used the internet for gaming with friends, downloading music and movies, and shopping. Only a few reported using it to seek additional information about school related topics unless directed to do so by a teacher. I asked the students what were the biggest hindrances to technology use at school for learning. They responded that when using the lap tops that connectivity is an issue in many classroom as well as adequate outlets for power. They also responded that it takes too long to get logged on to one. It may take up to five minutes for a student in a class of 21 to get logged on. The biggest obstacle given by the students is the school fire wall. The Pharmacy Technician on-line site has learning games associated with it that cannot be accessed due to the filter identifying them as games. Many on-line news articles are blocked from major news sources due to the filter identifying the coverage as hate speech. This has proven an obstacle for the preparation of our Current Events team. Students overall report a tremendous amount of frustration while attempting on-line research at school due to the filters. The school does have several on-line data bases that it subscribes to, but as for the most recent information, it may be difficult for students and teachers to access.

Teachers’ comments about the obstacles to technology use in the class are similar to those of the students. Teachers express the same frustrations with attempting to access information through the school’s filters. Teachers also express that it is difficult to schedule use of the labs around the demands of the pacing of curriculum scope and sequence. There is also the issue of professional development for some of the technology. Teachers new to the district often must use their own time to learn to use some of the technologies specific to their departments. One of the biggest concerns of teachers regarding technology at school is how it will affect their work load outside of the classroom. Many executives are experiencing the inability to escape their jobs even while on vacation as a result of the technology boom and continuous connectivity. Our students involved in distance learning do not have access to email while at school to communicate with their professors or class cohorts. They must copy their assignments to the site proctors jump drive, and then she submits them via her school email address. The majority of those interviewed agree that the next steps for the improvement of instructional technology use in the classroom are a one to one computer ratio and a lessening of the district filtering restrictions. These are perceived to be the major barriers to effective instructional technology use for student directed learning.