COPPOLA, E. (2005). POWERING UP: SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY, NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING CONFERENCE. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Keywords: constructivismconstructivist teaching“Enthusiasts such as Seymour Papert (1980)

predicted that computers would allow learners to construct and test hypotheses about complex systems. Introducing computers into schools, Papert argued, would radically change the relationship between teacher and student. Teachers would need to become interdisciplinary facilitators of student creativity, readily able to guide learning toward intended outcomes while creating legitimate space for experimentation” (Halverson & Smith 2009, p.1).

CREATED & PRESENTED BY BREANNA DAY 2

"PITFALLS: THE TRAPS SCHOOLS FALL INTO WHEN IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY FOR INSTRUCTION."

"Cosmetic Use"

CREATED & PRESENTED BY BREANNA DAY 3

"Cosmetic use occurs when schools and teachers feel so pressured to use technology that they respond by looking like they are using technology” (p. 2).

"Teachers need to decide for themselves how computers should be placed, so that they can use them in a way that makes sense given the flow of instruction" (p. 3).

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“Teachers are at the center of instructional practices in schools. Powerful information tools could help but have significant effects on teaching practices” (Halverson & Smith 2009, p.5).

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“The Technological Imperative”

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"The technology cannot drive instructional use: the instructional need must find the technology“ (p. 3).

"SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE COMPUTERS CAN REPLACE TEACHERS, BE MORE EFFICIENT THAN TEACHERS, INCREASE CLASS SIZE, DECREASE COST, AND MOTIVATE STUDENTS" (p. 3).

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“Romantic Visions”

* COMPETING FOR THE TECHNOLOGY.

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“COMPETITION DRAIN”

* COMPETING TO SHOW USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY.

WOODLAND HIGH SCHOOL:

THE DYNAMICS OF LEARNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT. "Within limits set by course curricula and

standards, these teachers did the difficult intellectual work of finding technological tools that work for them, trying them out in their classrooms, revising and polishing those lessons, and trying again” (p. 4).

CREATED & PRESENTED BY BREANNA DAY 9

"The teachers’ learning about technology, then, was self‐motivated and self‐directed, and well‐supported. The process led to quality teaching because it was authentic learning for teachers. Instead of merely looking like they were using technology, they engaged in the difficult process of intertwining new tools with their existing knowledge of pedagogy, subject matter, and curriculum – a truly constructivist process” (p. 5).

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“In other work places, aren’t computers a tool ready to be used as needed ?” (p. 5)

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The problems of Computer labs.

RECOMMENDATIONS

* Make technological and material support a predictable constant.

“Access to computers and stability of the technological infrastructure was a dependable feature of daily life. This allowed the teachers to focus on teaching.

Having access and stability as a constant fuels teachers’ commitment to developing uses for computers” (p.6).

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* ACCEPT THAT LEARNING TO INTEGRATE COMPUTERS TAKES A LOT OF TIME, AND THAT THE BEST USES WILL BE LOCALLY CREATED.

“Bridging the gap between these progressive islands of innovation and typical school practices led reformers to call for widespread professional development opportunities to help integrate technologies into daily teaching practices (Office of Technology Assessment,1995)”(Halverson & Smith 2009, p.2).

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* UNDERSTAND THAT THE BEST TECHNOLOGY USE WILL BE ROOTED IN SOUND PEDAGOGY. KEEP PEDAGOGY FRONT AND CENTER.

“Technology added to a pedagogical approach that is unsound cannot produce good instruction. Computer‐based technology –‐ or any other kind of technology –‐ cannot in and of itself improve instructional practice. In this study, the pedagogical theory held by the teacher drove his or her use of technology” (p.7).

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* URGE TEACHERS TO USE CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY THROUGH EXPECTATIONS OF HIGH QUALITYINSTRUCTION, NOT REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY USE TECHNOLOGY.

“Good professionals will only adopt technology when they see a

pedagogical reason for doing so… In many schools, an attitude

towards innovation that stresses compliance may lead teachers

to spend energy looking like they are using the computers,

when in fact they are just going through the motions” (p.7).

= “Cosmetic Use”“

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* OPEN THE SYSTEM. ACCEPT EXPERTISE.

“ The administration did not attempt to determine the

source of teachers’ ideas and learning; instead, it

supported learning from a very wide range of

sources chosen by the teachers themselves” (p.7).

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* FINALLY, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE BEST TEACHERS ARE INTELLECTUALS.

“Material and cultural support for intellectual pursuits ‐‐

among teachers fosters empowerment and creativity: the best

of what they can give in the classroom. These are teachers

who feel empowered to grow by developing innovative

instructional approaches.. Through the respect they receive for their own capabilities and learning, they grow into strong

teachers, knowledgeable about their subject matter, how to

teach it well, and where and how technology can add power

to their work in the classroom” (p.7).CREATED & PRESENTED BY BREANNA DAY 17

* DISCUSSION *

1. In reference to the question posed by Eileen

Coppola on page 5: “In other work places, aren’t computers a tool ready to be used as needed ?” (p. 5)

A: What will it look like (in terms of placement and use) and what are the practical implications to having technology at the ready in classrooms?

B: How can we as teachers make computers & modern ICT a more efficient tool that can be used on a regular basis to present information & facilitate students to engage with the material in a truly constructivist way?

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CREATED & PRESENTED BY BREANNA DAY 19

2. On page 7, Eileen Coppola states that; “the pedagogical theory held by the teacher drove his or her use of technology” (p.7).

A: How does our pedagogical theory influence our use of technology and ICT in our teaching and how does this impact on our students learning?

B: How can use of ICT in the classroom impact on teachers pedagogical theory and practice?

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CONCLUSION AND FINAL COMMENTS BY BREANNA

THANK YOUFOR

YOUR PARTICIPATION!