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Resources
Low Grades for High Tech in Schools
Computers' effects on learning fall short of expectations.
EXCERPT
"Without attention to the workplace conditions in which teachers labor and without respect for the expertise they bring to the task, there is little hope that the new technologies will have more than a minimal impact on teaching and learning."
Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom
By Larry Cuban
256 pp. $27.95 (Harvard University Press)
To order visit: www.hup.harvard.edu or call 800/448-2242.
Over the past two decades government, corporations, and individual donors have pumped billions into hardware and software for U.S. schools. Politicians, parents, CEOs, school administrators, and many educators tout this push for technology in the classroom as essential to getting U.S. students equipped to compete in the global marketplace. Yet, walk into the average classroom and you're likely to see students working with paper, pencils, and textbooks, says Larry Cuban, professor of education at Stanford University and former high school history teacher.
Using national data and his own school surveys in the high-tech capital of Silicon Valley, Cuban offers a thought-provoking analysis of why technology has failed to live up to its promises. His findings contradict those who label educators as technophobes, wedded to traditional methods and materials. Instead, he points the finger at reformers who assumed technology would transform teaching and learning, but neglected to consider school organization, teachers' classroom experiences, or the broader purpose of education in a democratic society.
The book first focuses on several preschools and kindergartens where many of the children used computers at home. Most teachers also owned home computers and thought they had a place in the classroom, but mostly for enrichment or as an additional "center" for children to choose. Few teachers felt competent in computer troubleshooting and, in one amusing example, a four-year-old showed the teacher how to change the desktop settings. The teachers and parents surveyed did believe children would need tech skills to succeed in the workplace, but they all saw school as providing a lot more.
"Preschools and kindergartens ... seem to offer the continuity, care, attention, character building, and stimulation that traditional families once offered children at home.... Teachers opted for building emotional, social, and intellectual ties that reached well beyond proficiency with machines."
For high school students in Cuban's book, the situation wasn't much different. Almost 90 percent had home computers (higher than the national average of 56 percent), and their schools were well equipped. Teachers reported heavy computer use for planning, downloading materials, record keeping, research, and E-mailing colleagues and parents. Yet, as part of instruction, computer use was "uneven and infrequent," writes Cuban. Why? Not surprisingly, most teachers cited lack of time to choose and test relevant software and lack of training to meet their specific needs.
But Cuban, who found similar results in classrooms at Stanford University, says the reasons go deeper. Teachers have a lot of discretion about what goes on in their classrooms, and before deciding which electronic tools to use, they ask practical questions about reliability, simplicity of use, skills covered, ability to motivate students, how it fits into allotted class time, and tech support. High-tech tools that don't merit positive answers may gather dust. So, Cuban says, policymakers must fully involve teachers in technology planning.
The problems facing many urban and rural schools--inequitable funding, health and social needs of students, crumbling facilities--have little to do with lack of technology, says Cuban. Faster access to more and more information also doesn't mean that students will have the critical thinking skills to turn that information into knowledge. So, he's not really surprised that the money and time spent on computers "have yet to yield even modest returns ... in academic achievement ..." He fears that bulging technology budgets will eat up money for smaller class sizes, higher entry-level teacher salaries, full-day kindergartens, and cross-disciplinary high school programs.
Above all, he says, as a nation we need to reaffirm the broad democratic purposes of schooling. Without that vision, he says, "Our current excessive focus on technology use in schools runs the danger of trivializing our nation's core ideals."
--Mary Anne Hess
New from the NEA Professional Library
Innovative Discipline (revised edition)
Teacher-to-Teacher Series
96 pp. $9.95 NEA Members
$12.95 nonmembers
#2916-X-00-FN
Updated to include a section on school safety! You'll find a brand-new, extensive resource list of books, videos, audiotapes, Web sites, and organizations that promote school safety. This popular book also covers peer mediation, self-help sessions, a student-operated court in middle school, and other discipline programs that have transformed the cultures of schools.
To order, call 800/229-4200, or check the Web at www.nea.org/books.
Books by NEA Members
We Rode the Orphan Trains
By Andrea Warren
This is NEA member Andrea Warren's second book about the parentless children who, between 1854 and 1929, boarded westbound trains in search of a home. Warren, a former high school teacher, authored Orphan Train Rider, which won the 1996 Horn Book Award for nonfiction as well as many state awards. $18. Order from Houghton Mifflin at 617/351-5000 or go to www.hhmco.com.
Kyoto Connection
By Deborah Kemp
NEA member Deborah Kemp spent many years visiting Kyoto and other areas of Japan. In writing Kyoto Connec-tion, she combined her years of learning about Japan with her personal experiences in that country. The book is a work of fiction about romance, intrigue, murder, and revenge. It is intended for a mature audience and isn't suitable for children. $10.95 plus s&h from www.1stbooks.com.
The Way it Was
By Alana Myles
The Way it Was is a story based on the real-life events of a young African-American girl facing prejudice in the South during the 1950s. It offers fresh insight into matters of race and America, while serving as a valuable new account of an era that should never be forgotten. $9.95 plus s&h from www.buybooksontheweb.com or call toll free 877/289-2665.
Tools for Building
By Jerome Leavitt
Looking for a unique way to channel a child's creative impulses? Tools for Building is more than just a guide to tools and how to use them safely. You and your child will begin a journey of creativity and accomplishment that will last a lifetime. Under adult supervision, tools can encourage children to turn off the TV, step out of their shell, and enter a new world of personal achievement. $8.95 plus s&h from www.buybooksontheweb.com or call toll free 877/289-2665.
Team Building Through Physical Challenges
By Donald R. Glover and Daniel W. Midura
Students will develop self-confidence and new skills as they explore the activities presented in Team Building Through Physical Challenges. They will be required to work together to achieve a common goal. They'll learn to value teamwork, practice leadership skills, improve listening skills, and appreciate individual differences. To order this book, call 763/553-1374 or E-mail dan.midura@fh.roseville.k12.mn.us.
Getaway Guide to Agatha Christie's England
By Judith Hurdle
Visit Christie's London, Harrogate, Wallingford, and Torquay. Travel to Burgh Island, ride the Orient Express, see the Christie homes and the hotels that inspired her famed books read by over two billion mystery lovers. $16.95 from RDR Books. To order call 1/800/861-1952.
Teaching Music at the Secondary Level: A Pedagogical and Curricular Guide
By Steven Porter and Joel Smales
If you aspire to teach music in a secondary school or are already doing so, this book will be an indispensable aid. It explores virtually every aspect of classroom and performance music with candor, wit, and expertise. From writing lesson plans to computerizing your library to dealing with student behavior, every page is chock full of the information that will help make your programs outstanding. $28.95. Order from Empire Publishing Services, P.O. Box 1344, Studio City, CA 91614-0344 or call 818/784-8918.
Counting on Your Fingers is Not Immoral
By John Mudore
Volume I of this series is designed for middle school mathematics, pre-algebra courses, and special education classes to help make math accessible to every student. The author presents ways to stress the real world application of math and encourages active student involvement. Volume II of Counting on Your Fingers is Not Immoral, concerning integers and equations, is a fitting sequel to Volume I's fractions, decimals, and percents. Each lesson demands that students fully understand a concept and not just memorize information. $25 and $20, respectively, from Infinity Publishers, P.O. Box 333, Black Earth, WI 53515, or call 608/767-2381.
TV Tips
The Rosa Parks Story
CBS, February 24, 9:00 p.m. ET, check local listings.
This two-hour documentary is based on the life of Rosa Parks, whose moment of peaceful defiance on a segregated bus in 1955 sparked the modern-day civil rights movement. The film explores salient moments in Parks's childhood and early adult life that reveal the development of her dignity, pride, quiet strength, and courage, as she is drawn to social activism prior to her historic moment. KIDSNET has produced a six-page curriculum guide and poster and an online interactive guide for social studies teachers and chairs. For more information or to read the online guide, visit www.kidsnet.org/cbs/rosaparks.
African-American Landmarks
The History Channel, February 13, 10:00 p.m., ET, check local listings.
Renowned historian James Horton guides viewers on a tour of some of the known and little-known African-American landmarks in America. Through these sites, a story is told of African-American life, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, the abolition movement, and the Civil War. The program also touches on important 20th century connections to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
American Experience - Monkey Trial
PBS, February 17, 9:00 p.m., ET, check local listings.
This American Experience special explores one of the epic legal battles of the 20th century. In 1925, John Scopes was arrested in Tennessee for teaching evolution in defiance of state law. His trial became an all-out debate between science and religion.
American Masters - Ralph Ellison: An American Journey
PBS, February 19, 9:00 p.m., ET, check local listings.
This American Masters special explores the life and work of Ralph Ellison, whose
landmark novel Invisible Man won him a lifetime of awards and honors.
The program features a tribute from Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and interviews
with critic Stanley Crouch, author Shelby Steele, author and political activist
Amiri Baraka, and Harvard University Professor Cornel West. The program also
includes rare archival footage, never-before-seen photos from Ellison's family
albums, and powerful re-creations of scenes from Invisible Man, the first time
any of the novel has been filmed.
The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
PBS, February, check local listings.
Since the early 1800s, Black newspapers have existed in almost every major city in the United States. This documentary provides an in-depth examination of the history and contributions of African-American newspapers. The program features interviews with editors, photographers, and journalists of the Black press, combined with archival footage and photographs.
The Middle Passage and Lumumba
HBO, February, check local listings.
In honor of Black History Month, HBO will feature two presentations that examine different facets of the ongoing and complex relationship between Africa and America.
The Middle Passage takes a realistic look at the horrors of the trans-Atlantic
slave trade, capturing the beginning moment of African-American history. Structured
as a poetic rumination, this presentation is told through the voiceover of a
dead African captive whose spirit haunts the ocean route along which millions
of Africans were deported to the Americas or died en route. Lumumba reflects
the interaction of African independence and U.S. foreign policy in the 1960s.
Based on the true story of Patrice Lumumba, this film offers an emotional and
authentic portrait of the man who became the first head of government of the
newly independent Congo, only to be deposed and executed eight months later.
CNN Newsroom - The Gullah Series
CNN, February, check local listings.
The coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina are two of the most culturally rich areas in the United States, and they are also home to America's Gullah people. The Gullah people are a community of a half-million African-Americans, descendants of slaves from various African ethnic groups. Their slave ancestors were forced together on South Carolina plantations, and the Gullah people have held onto century-old traditions that can be traced back to their ancestors from West Africa. This CNN Newsroom presentation explores the efforts to preserve this branch of the African family tree that's taken root in America.
Egypt's Golden Empire
PBS, February 27, 9:00 p.m., ET, check local listings.
This three-part presentation tells the story of the Egyptian empire from its beginning in 1560 BC to its collapse in 1080 BC. In Part 1, "The Warrior Pharaohs," the concept of "empire" is born, as Egypt is united under Hatshepsut. In Part 2, "Pharaohs of the Sun," the Egyptian empire reaches from Northern Syria to the Sudan in Africa. This time period is characterized by wealth, power, and prosperity. In Part 3, "The Last Great Pharaoh," a new dynasty emerges. However, foreign powers threaten, and Egypt is once again divided. Interviews with scholars and dramatic recreations bring the story to life.
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KIDSNET, a national resource for children's media in Washington, D.C., provides these listings. For additional listings, check the web at www.kidsnet.org.
Web Winners
Science/Math Web Site
A new free science and math Web site, www.getsmarter.org, offers K-12 students a chance to test their skills against their international peers--and have fun in the process. Students can compare their performance based on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 1995-99. Access hints, tutorials, and links to the best Web sites for increased understanding and improved performance in math and science.
Ed Tech Resources
This free, non-commercial service lists more than 1,700 high-quality "ed tech" resources. The site, www.netdaycompass.org, provides teachers, administrators, and tech staff with a valuable tool for making decisions about technology and maximizing its impact in the classroom. Resources focus on technology planning, infrastructure, funding, classroom support, and best practices.
New Methods of Learning Math
Students are learning math in many new ways these days, due in part to schools adopting new math curriculum meeting rigorous standards. If you're curious about how math is being taught in today's schools, Teacher2Teacher is for you. Visit http://mathforum.org/t2t for a question-and-answer service to learn more about both the teaching and learning of mathematics. Every question is archived for easy reference and is searchable by keyword, grade level, and math or educational topic.
Ask the Experts
Here's a unique Web site, perfect for kids who are struggling with their handwriting. The site, www.handwritinghelpforkids.com, features hands-on activities for righties and lefties, practice worksheets, and tips to improve pencil grasp. Teacher tips are provided, including bilateral coordination help and writing instrument selection guidelines.
Homework Help
Students never need get stuck on math homework again. Now there's an online Web site for high school (and college) students to work through the actual homework problems assigned by their teachers. Students will find guided solutions to problems in standard algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, and calculus textbooks on www.hotmath.com. Hotmath has solutions for all the homework problems in the leading math textbooks. Membership is from $4 to $9 per month, and there's free access to algebra and geometry textbooks during the school day. Check out the site by logging on as a "guest."
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