I think that is is being done properly, at least in a way that attends to access issues more effectively and offers more flexibility than many onsite courses. For those needing structure synchronous online courses (web-based videoconferencing) can provide that. The question becomes what is it that a campus-based course can uniquely offer? And my responses are the following:

- drama, that is, good onsite sociocognitive and compelling events (courses, seminars, and so on…)! But how many of our educational situations fall into this category?

-participation, that is, participation to a community of reflective individuals on teaching and learning. But are we really providing that except to a few that we hire as teaching and research assistants?

Preservice teachers taking campus-based (I mean hybrid courses as online activities have become a must) or online courses could join a teacher community of practice that relate to what they are studying but these are still rare.

When it comes to teacher professional development, we know from research that site-based PD along with a local professional learning community are worth designing. Such a community needs boundary spanners, and they are likely the ones to be effective in bringing back to their local professional community what they would have learned in an online course.

Here I am aware that I put in the shadow all those teachers wanting to improve as individual teachers and are intrinsically and/or extrinsically motivated. I think they constitute the main chunk of those taking professional online courses.

AIG and the Wall Street buyouts and they blame teachers for the woes of education, the funding shortage the lack of money. I always check out the ballparks in a place that has a problem with schools. Inner cities have great ballparks and their players get paid well. Excuse me while I cut the strings of a less than golden parachute. These people must be mad! At the end of a teaching career the rewards don’t necessarily match the dedicated effort. Few people esteem teachers these days especially those in K-12 (teachers).

In Washington DC, Michelle Rhee makes headlines by using the power of the mayor to do whatever she wants, using the doctrine of No Child Left Behind as a weapon. She does not include the populace in her decisions. it is an interesting position to be in. What happens when we discover that NCLB has feet of clay as it does? It was an unfunded mandate , and here’s the worst part. We know who teaches in the inner cities for the most part. Teachers who dedicate their lives to helping others of their own race. It was not so long ago that there were no Black or Hispanic high schools in some areas. Historically we were all lumped together as being underserving of a higher education. Let’s hope that the presidential hopefuls don’t swallow the Michelle Rhee treatment of teachers hook , link and sinker and make a hero of a bully.

It is true that I am older, but I was bemused to find out that the college that I went to only wanted me to be able to show skills up to the seventh grade level. Really. It was Virginia State College. When I graduated with a diploma it could have been disastrous. My education was sorely lacking. I am single, or was, and made it up, but lots of teachers from my era who would be considered old are still in classrooms. Many of them are talented. I certainly am and can demonstrate my ability, but it was learned in the school of hard knocks. Behavior management,learning to see the student as well as the job of educating that individual and understanding the politics of education, and of the school, what a job.

I am proud to tell you that I was fearless in the face of prejudice, politics and persuasion. By the third year, however I was ready to find another occupation. I did go to Europe and teach in DODDS schools where I had freedom, not much in the way of supplies but a chance to find my own teaching and learning styles.

I have been through the fashions of education, unit methods, permissive methodology, team teaching, block teaching with teams, new math, old math and hands on math and science. I was doing standards before a nation at risk and my standards were always higher.

Maybe what happens is that the people who do who stay in the classroom get tagged by a methodology that does not work for them. I have always loved math and science, but real math and science. It was a handicap to be enthused about doing math and science. So I suffered, so what.

Who stays in education is a person who is interested and caring about the student population.

What they do is often decided by other people , not many people have the guts to get up and move to another school as I did from time to time. Sometimes it was a new challenge and sometimes it was the politics of the place. I integrated backwards, that is I was the one black teacher who was allowed to teach in a white school. Worked for me. The general public does not often know that the decisions about what you teach, how you teach, what you teach with and the equipment you use come from some higher up for the most part.

How we decide to continue teaching has something to do with the rewards and the feeling you get when you suceed with students , parents and the community. I worked in one school where it was taken for granted that parents would be a part of our daily happening, they were in , out and sharing. It took a little getting used to. One mother and I opened and closed the building from time to time. It happens that way with dedication.

Teachers in inner city schools often finance a lot of what they do in the classroom. Some of us bought our own computers, the pencils and school supplies for the students and made sure that they were warmly or properly dressed and fed. Children had needs that were unusual. We kept food in the teachers closet for some kids who had no lunch or who were not on the list for free lunches. My dad and I put plumbing into a home one Christmas for a student the kids called “stinky” . There are children who are traumatized and fearful. There are children who need more than the book learning. There are childrne who have been affected by lead in the water. I don’t use it as an excuse. Children I taught know that. But we must be mindful of the reality of where children come from, and their home situations.

Teachers need excellent professional development, and support and time to learn the newest of educational practices. To think that Ms Rhee mocks her teachers is to know that she must have a disrespect of them that grows from a lack of knowledge of how they got to be inadequate , as she finds them and were still on the payroll. The use of technology does not happen when a computer is put into a room or a building. The effective learning landscape requires a dedication of time , effort, practice and meaningful support. What happened to the head teachers to whom you went when things went wrong? We as teachers must learn to innovate , explore, evaluate, be able to explain our wirh and use seven e’s, not five.

The Dept of Education has some series of papers that express ideas of this sort.

SETDA’s Class of 2020: Action Plan for Education Project is deeply informed by the development of a series of white papers. Each topic area discussion includes an in-person roundtable discussion with expert stakeholders. Highlights from each white paper will be incorporated into the broader Action Plan document to be shared aggressively on Capitol Hill in early 2009.

Intent: To create a succinct product addressing technology’s transformative role in education that speaks to Presidential Campaigns, members of the new administration, USDOE officials,education staffers on Capitol Hill to inform future policy and legislation relating to ESEA reauthorization, economic policies concerning workforce development and our nation’s success in a Global Economy.

Approach: SETDA will tie a message of hopefulness for students in Kindergarten who will graduate in 2020 to compete globally with emphasis on the economic necessity for a productive global workforce. The documents will include research, examples, and strong rationale for rapid and dramatic changes to education policy with a new Administration. This information will be critical to policy makers at the national, state, district and school levels to accelerate learning for all students. America’s students have the potential to compete effectively in the global economy our educational system needs to support the promise of America’s future innovators and productive workforce.

Why? The stakes have changed and America has to work to transform our education system to best meet the needs of the 21st century student.

The Department of Labor reports that out of 55 industries, education is last in its use of technology.

In the mjority of schools, teachers and students cannot maximize the potential of technology.

By 2010, if current trends continue, more than 90 percent of all scientists and engineers will be living in Asia.1

In the 1990s America ranked 23rd in high school graduation rates (without GEDs) among OECD countries.

In 2015, it is projected that ther will be 4 million high school graduates in the US, compared to over 12 million in China and over 10 million in India. Since the 1960s, the demand for skills has changed significantly – the demand for routine manual task skills have decreased, while the demand for non- routine interactive task skills have increased significantly.

Maximizing the Impact: “The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System”

In a new report, Maximizing the Impact: “The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System”, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills urged renewed emphasis on technology in education.

The report urges federal, state and local policymakers and other stakeholders to take action on three fronts:

1. Use technology comprehensively to develop proficiency in 21st century skills. Knowledge of core content is necessary, but no longer sufficient, for success in a competitive world. Even if all students mastered core academic subjects, they still would be woefully underprepared to succeed in postsecondary institutions and workplaces, which increasingly value people who can use their knowledge to communicate, collaborate, analyze, create, innovate, and solve problems. Used comprehensively, technology helps students develop 21st century skills.

2. Use technology comprehensively to support innovative teaching and learning. To keep pace with a changing world, schools need to offer more rigorous, relevant and engaging opportunities for students to learn—and to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways. Used comprehensively, technology supports new, research-based approaches and promising practices in teaching and learning.

3. Use technology comprehensively to create robust education support systems. To be effective in schools and classrooms, teachers and administrators need training, tools and proficiency in 21st century skills themselves. Used comprehensively, technology transforms standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, learning environments, and administration.

The report supports the Partnership for 21st Century Skills’ framework for 21st century learning, which calls for mastery of core subjects and 21st century skills. The report also highlights effective practices in states, districts and schools that are using technology to achieve results. And it provides guiding questions and action principles for policymakers and other stakeholders who are committed to maximizing the impact of technology in education.http://www.setda.org/web/guest/2020

If the United States allows teachers to be trashed, talked about and abused the following headline will be only one of many.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-10-22-foreign-teachers_N.htm ************************ Schools in need employ teachers from overseas

By Emily Bazar

——————- PHOTO SIDEBAR: A growing teacher shortage is forcing many U.S. school districts to recruit from foreign countries. Shown here are teachers George Lampley, left, of Ghana, Wen Kang Chein of Taiwan and Anna Olech of Poland talking about their students at a seminar at Cesar Chavez Multicultural Academic Center in Chicago in June 2001. ——————-

The trend is most evident in poor urban and rural districts, according to educators. Segun Eubanks, director of teacher quality at the National Education Association, the USA’s largest teachers union, says many of those districts have trouble keeping teachers for reasons including low pay, disruptive students, and a lack of books and materials.

“American workers are not willing to do the work for the conditions and pay we offer,” he says. “So we’re recruiting them for the same reasons we recruit farmworkers and day laborers.”

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a think tank, says a new teacher is generally paid $30,000 to $45,000.

The Department of Education does not track foreign teachers. The American Federation of Teachers union estimates at least 18,000 of the nation’s 3.7 million teachers were hired elsewhere.

Kate Walsh, NCTQ president and a member of the Maryland State Board of Education, says it has become more common to hire overseas. “All poor districts have a harder time recruiting,” she says. “Anytime you’re teaching poor kids in the inner city, it’s very hard to get teachers to stay.”

Walsh says foreign teachers can enrich students’ education by exposing them to other cultures. Eubanks agrees but says the USA must address the underlying shortage by training more teachers and improving schools.

Foreign teachers must pass state tests and meet federal requirements. Around the country:

* Prince George’s County public schools in Maryland, with a teaching staff of 10,000, have 556 Filipino teachers and uncounted others from other countries.

* Los Angeles has 326 foreign teachers out of 33,529.

* Wichita public schools have 43 foreign teachers, all Filipino, out of 4,000.

* Baltimore public schools have 593 foreign teachers from Jamaica, India, the Philippines and elsewhere out of 7,000, says George Duque, staffing director. “Retention has been excellent. We’ve only had 20, max, who have not been renewed or who have chosen to leave.”

Duque says Filipino teachers are a good fit because English is one of the country’s official languages and its academic system is similar to the USA’s.

He acknowledges that there can be clashes over teachers’ accents and cultural differences. Filipino teachers, for example, come from a culture where teachers are revered, he says. “When they come here, they have to learn about our culture and the urban culture and the culture of poverty and the challenges our children have,” he says.

Danilo Danga, 33, is in his fourth year teaching special education at Baltimore’s Calverton Elementary/Middle School. He taught English and social studies in the Philippines for eight years.

At first, he says, students disrupted class and cursed at him, yelling, “Shut up, Jackie Chan!” and other taunts.

Colleagues advised him to assert himself and offer rewards for good behavior. He did. Among the rewards was Filipino chicken adobo he cooked himself.

“Each year is becoming better and better,” he says. “I’m excited to come to school every day despite all the challenges.”

Of course, while some of us may be traveling east to China, others may be traveling west…or north…  Hmm…what would Horace Greeley say?

For more details, visit the following sites: http://site.aace.org/chinatour.pdf and http://site.aace.org/china-itinerary.pdf, or contact Mike Searson

Lately there have been a number of reports that point to our failings.. in preparing inservice teachers and preservice teachers for the future. Sadly in some urban centers teachers are being pushed out of service for not being able to teach what they never learned.

Don’t say 21st Century skills to me,that is something else I have been talking about it seems like forever, at least 12 years.

Missing in this discussion is the inclusion of geography , as most people have abandoned the championin of that discipline which is firmly a STEM initiative. See www.mywonderfulworld.org.

Then take a gander at www.earthwatch.org. There are fellowships for teachers and students. I have done a couple of these and wish I could do more.

Use of emerging technologies should be more than social networking, google docs, and wikis. I am talking about serious science and learning initiatives . It is not too late. Hard science can be great fun.

Also missing is the discussion of computational sciences. Don’t frown. It really is not that hard to teach or learn.

Concord.org has resources.

Shodor.org has many resources.

E Learning?

San Diego SuperComputing has a Discover Data Portal that makes an invitation for all to learn free

This is the welcoming message . Welcome to the Discover Data Portal! We hope you will find our series of lessons an experience of exploration and discovery. The mission of this portal is to provide a way for K-12 teachers and undergraduate professors to incorporate scientific data into their curricula. Our process is to select data from existing online freely available scientific data archives, some of which may be a challenge for students to use without assistance, and build a series of lessons around them designed to guide K-12 and undergraduate students through beginning, intermediate, and advanced scientific tools. http://education.sdsc.edu/discoverdata/

So stop being drawn in by the media for just trivial things and lets get scholastic. We don’t want to fall off of the flat earth. Biggest losers, well our society and our students.

Teachers can’t teach what they don’t know. Content is king and the technology adds expertise.

Research to support STEM

Technology Directors Association

http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23328

So the report makes several recommendations for improving STEM education. Among these are: • Obtaining “societal support” for STEM education; • Exposing students to STEM careers; • Providing ongoing STEM professional development; • Proving STEM pre-service teacher training; • Improving policies to recruit and retain STEM teachers; and • Early exposure to STEM and integration of STEM subjects throughout the curriculum in every school, not just magnet or specialty schools.

“Strengthening STEM education should be for ALL students,” SETDA’s Wolf said. “While STEM programs offered through magnet or specialty schools often accessible to the ‘cream of the crop’ students are critical, we must do more for all students throughout their K-12 education experience.” The report highlights a variety of programs aimed at bolstering STEM education and also provides case studies of districts that have successfully implemented programs to improve one or more aspects of STEM education. A complete copy of the report can be found here. (SETDA) is calling for sweeping changes to bolster STEM education in the United States. Citing an impending shortfall in scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in this country, the report highlights the need to expose children to STEM early and to integrate these subjects throughout the curriculum, beginning as early as kindergarten. The report, STEM Education: Achievement and Innovation, noted that while the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. job market require science and math skills, only 8 percent of the total number of degrees awarded in 2001 were in engineering, mathematics, or the physical sciences and that there’s been a drop of 50 percent in undergraduate enrollments in computer sciences in the last five years. By 2010, should current trends continue, 90 percent of the world’s scientists will be in Asia. So given a consensus that the United States should lead the world–or at least compete with it–in science, technology, engineering, and math, the need to do something to turn around the current situation is critical. But, according to the report, there are significant near- and mid-term barriers to effect change–at the K-12 and higher education levels and in the culture as a whole.

In higher education, particularly in departments/schools/colleges of education, there is inadequate preparation for teachers and too little focus on STEM content understanding. In K-12, high-quality STEM education is hindered by a number of factors, including a dearth of qualified teachers, lack of funding to promote STEM education, inadequate recruitment and retention policies, and certification issues for STEM-trained professionals who want to move into teaching, among many other issues. At present, the report said, only about 60 percent of educators teaching math in middle and high schools actually majored in math in college. And only about 33 percent of students in physical sciences are being taught by educators who majored in physical sciences themselves or who are certified to teach this subject.

Beyond education systems themselves, there are barriers to achieving meaningful STEM education for all students, including cultural perceptions on the part of parents and students that can hinder kids from becoming involved in science and math. “The societal attitudes and perception of engineering, science, and mathematics careers must change at home and in school,” said Mary Ann Wolf, executive director of SETDA, in a statement released this week. “The negative connotations of the ‘computer geek,’ ‘brainiac scientist,’ and ‘mathlete’ need to be turned on its head. Parents, teachers, and community leaders must promote the possibilities of STEM careers instead of relegating these choices to ‘other kids’ who are really good at math or science.”

I am losing a lot of my educational friends lately or at least we are sparring on line. Like the press, they look at the older teachers of America and say, that the problems in education are the fault of the older, teachers the digital immigrants. Well, is it really?

When I question people about what happens in K-12 they rest the problem squarely on the shoulders of the K-12 teachers.

Why is America falling behind in academics? There are many reasons. We are 21st in the world in Science and 25th in the world in Math. We who started the use of the Internet…Well it is so bad that the Congress has created a solution.

US to back 21st century learning By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News Website, Silicon Valley

The US Congress has given the go-ahead for a new centre to explore ways advanced computer and communications technologies can improve learning. The National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies will focus on “bringing education into the 21st century.”Supporters said classrooms have failed to keep up with technology innovations. “America’s reputation as an international leader rests in the hands of our youth,” said Sen. Chris Dodd. “It should be among our top priorities to provide our students with the tools they need to maintain and build upon this standing.” The Senator was one of the original sponsors of a bill that proposed the setting up of the centre. Meanwhile Congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky spearheaded the passage of the bill through the House and said its timing could not be more critical. “American businesses know that they need a well-educated workforce to face growing competition from China, India and Europe.” The Federation of American Scientists said, “The creativity that developed extraordinary new information technologies has not focused on finding ways to make learning more compelling, more personal and more productive in our nation’s schools. “People assumed that the explosion of innovation in information tools in business and service industries would automatically move into classrooms.” That, the Federation said, has simply not happened. The centre will support a ‘first of its kind’ comprehensive research and development program aimed at improving all levels of learning from kindergarten to university and from government training to college. Missed opportunity “Education is falling further and further behind the rest of the economy and we have to rethink our basic approach to helping people learn,” said Henry Kelly, the Federation’s president. The FAS said that learning scientists and educators have known for years that people learn faster if education can be personalised and if students are motivated by seeing how their knowledge can help them solve problems they care about. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/7569484.stm Published: 2008/08/19 07:51:13 GMT

In the past the unmatched vitality of the United States’ economy and science and technology enterprise has made this country a world leader for decades, allowing Americans to benefit from a high standard of living and national security. But in a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas so that the nation will consistently gain from the opportunities offered by rapid globalization, says a new report from the National Academies.

Given the United States’ history of economic and scientific pre-eminence, it is easy to be complacent about these complex issues, the report says. Following are some indicators that illustrate why decisive action is needed now:

· For the cost of one chemist or one engineer in the United States, a company can hire about five chemists in China or 11 engineers in India.

· Last year chemical companies shuttered 70 facilities in the United States and have tagged 40 more for closure. Of 120 chemical plants being built around the world with price tags of $1 billion or more, one is in the United States and 50 are in China.

· U.S. 12th-graders recently performed below the international average for 21 countries on a test of general knowledge in mathematics and science. In addition, an advanced mathematics assessment was administered to students in 15 other countries who were taking or had taken advanced math courses, and to U.S. students who were taking or had taken pre-calculus, calculus, or Advanced Placement calculus. Eleven countries outperformed the United States, and four scored similarly. None scored significantly below the United States.

· In 1999 only 41 percent of U.S. eighth-graders had a math teacher who had majored in mathematics at the undergraduate or graduate level or studied the subject for teacher certification — a figure that was considerably lower than the international average of 71 percent.

· Last year more than 600,000 engineers graduated from institutions of higher education in China. In India, the figure was 350,000. In America, it was about 70,000.

· In 2001 U.S. industry spent more on tort litigation than on research and development.

Without a major push to strengthen the foundations of America’s competitiveness, the United States could soon lose its privileged position. The ultimate goal is to create new, high-quality jobs for all citizens by developing new industries that stem from the ideas of exceptional scientists and engineers.

Increase America’s talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education.

· Among the recommended implementation steps is the creation of a merit-based scholarship program to attract 10,000 exceptional students to math and science teaching careers each year. Four-year scholarships, worth up to $20,000 annually, should be designed to help some of the nation’s top students obtain bachelor’s degrees in physical or life sciences, engineering, or mathematics — with concurrent certification as K-12 math and science teachers. After graduation, they would be required to work for at least five years in public schools. Participants who teach in disadvantaged inner-city or rural areas would receive a $10,000 annual bonus. Each of the 10,000 teachers would serve about 1,000 students over the course of a teaching career, having an impact on 10 million minds, the report says.

Sowing the Seeds

Sustain and strengthen the nation’s commitment to long-term basic research.

· Policy-makers should increase the national investment in basic research by 10 percent each year over the next seven years. Special attention should be paid to the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, and information sciences, and to basic research funding for the U.S. Department of Defense, the report says.

· Policy-makers also should establish within the U.S. Department of Energy an organization called the Advanced Research Project Agency — Energy (ARPA-E) that reports to the undersecretary for science and sponsors “out-of-the-box” energy research to meet the nation’s long-term energy challenges.

· Authorities should make 200 new research grants annually — worth $500,000 each, payable over five years — to the nation’s most outstanding early-career researchers.

Best and Brightest

Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the United States and abroad. The United States should be considered the most attractive setting in the world to study and conduct research, the report says.

· Each year, policy-makers should provide 25,000 new, competitive four-year undergraduate scholarships and 5,000 new graduate fellowships to U.S. citizens enrolled in physical science, life science, engineering, and mathematics programs at U.S. colleges and universities.

· Policy-makers should provide a one-year automatic visa extension that allows international students to remain in the United States to seek employment if they have received doctorates or the equivalent in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or other fields of national need from qualified U.S. institutions. If these students then receive job offers from employers that are based in the United States and pass a security screening test, they should automatically get work permits and expedited residence status. If they cannot obtain employment within one year, their visas should expire.

Incentives for Innovation

Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation. This can be accomplished by actions such as modernizing the U.S. patent system, realigning tax policies to encourage innovation, and ensuring affordable broadband Internet access, the report says.

· Policy-makers should provide tax incentives for innovation that is based in the United States. The Council of Economic Advisers and the Congressional Budget Office should conduct a comprehensive analysis to examine how the United States compares with other nations as a location for innovation and related activities, with the goal of ensuring that the nation is one of the most attractive places in the world for long-term investment in such efforts.

· The Research and Experimentation Tax Credit is currently for companies that increase their R&D spending above a predetermined level. To encourage private investment in innovation, this credit, which is scheduled to expire in December, should be made permanent. And Congress and the administration should increase the allowable credit from 20 percent to 40 percent of qualifying R&D investments.

The study was sponsored by the National Academies, which comprise the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. This news release and report are available at http://national-academies.org

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy

And Urban Schools? ????????

Academic freedom: the typical urban school district’s personnel and budgeting systems leave principals without much say in hiring teachers or allocating resources.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest school system in the nation–and perhaps the worst. Slightly less than half of its 75,000 employees are classroom teachers, meaning that Los Angeles spends just 35 percent of its budget on teacher pay. By comparison, the school systems in Houston, Texas, and Edmonton, in the Canadian province of Alberta, spend 49 percent and 56 percent, respectively, of their budgets on teachers. Since 1980, Los Angeles Unified’s enrollment has grown by 180,000 students, but the district has added only 15 schools with a total of 20,000 seats. As a result, nearly 200,000 students must be bused to a distant campus while most attend multi-track, year-round schools that can push more students through but offer 17 fewer days of instruction. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MJG/is_1_4/ai_111734747

Although elementary schoolers in Los Angeles have made real gains in literacy in recent years, among high-school students, only 23 percent in reading and 34 percent in math meet or exceed the national norm on the Stanford 9. Of the district’s teachers, 27 percent lack full credentials. The system has a chronic shortage of qualified principals. If Los Angeles is the worst school district in America, its East Coast cousin, New York City, is a close second. And the Chicago schools, while improving, are still recovering from the day in 1988 when William J. Bennett, secretary of education in the Reagan administration, pronounced them the “worst in the nation.” Why are these three school systems in such deep disarray? Certainly not because they are the three largest.

None of them has more than a fraction of IBM or Toyota’s work force, and those companies are icons of good management. Nor is it because they serve high percentages of minority children from low-income families. Houston’s schools, which are equally minority and poor, perform well relative to other urban school districts. The reason is that the school districts in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are too centralized, much too top-down in their management, for their size.

In Washington DC, the chancellor of the DC Schools thinks that older teachers salaries were bloated, and their abilities non-existent. I wrote a little article about where I thought the blame should go and got strongly rebuked by a few personal friends, people with whom I have worked for a very long time. It’s the Black teachers, they are to blame. The teachers are the problem they say? I don’t think so. i know that there are teachers who teach as they were taught. The plan that Rhee proposed shows an understanding that excellent teaching requires extensive training and experience. A seasoned, excellent teacher would have training in and experience with pedagogy and content. Such a teacher could easily craft lesson plans that adapt to various learning styles and reading levels and that challenge and improve student performance. She would have learned from experience how to maintain classroom order and how to develop and implement authentic assessments to gauge student mastery. These are concepts that everyone favors but that few teachers can implement successfully in their first few years on the job. D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has proposed an excellent way to improve education for all public school students. In return for their forgoing tenure, she wants to give superior, experienced teachers the opportunity to earn up to a six-figure salary [editorial, Aug. 26]. Though Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) has argued that Rhee’s plan will attract “the best and the brightest teachers,” my hope is that her proposal will enable the city’s public schools to retain their finest, experienced teachers. These are the educators who are uniquely equipped to improve struggling schools.

Rhee’s plan would retain the best and brightest because it would compensate teachers for the tremendous workload associated with addressing the unique problems of high-needs schools. To fend off the excessive truancy, behavioral problems and child neglect that plague many such schools, experienced teachers understand that they should contact the parents or guardians of their 150 students (five classes of 30 students each), even if that means visiting students’ homes or scheduling meetings with social workers and the school nurse However, Rhee’s definition of successful teaching should not rely too heavily on test scores. Though certain tests measure success, others consist of meaningless “gotcha” questions.

Forgive me for being thin skinned , and outraged about this blame being places on the individual teachers, but I have also been to the STEM meetings and to about 18 meetings that followed the discussion on the Digital Divide. The blame there, took a different twist, in each of the groups K-12 was the group that got the blame. Most of the time I was the only K-12 teacher in the audience. But there have been times when I was not, and ageism struck. A young teacher sitting beside me not knowing my work, or advocacy, said, its the old teachers who are to blame for all of the ills of education. She went on to talk about her mother, who was a teacher and to say that people like her mother ought to get out of education. I didn’t say much, unusual for me. but I thought what??

I was the only K-12 teacher on a committee, the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council . It was a lot of hard work. I learned a lot. I traveled all over the country, in areas of need, and difficulty. My teaching experience is also varied, I have taught in black schools, at the lower socioeconomic areas, in a so called charter school designed to welcome those who were interested in , in a science focused school, done team teaching and I have been a demonstration teacher for AAAS, for the use of hands-on science teaching. I have worked with Karen Buller of Niti.org and we wrote curriculum for American Indians.. and traveled to the schools in Indian country, sharing technology. I guess most of my life has been teaching, with extraordinary experiences in professional development during the summer. As a legacy teacher. I was trained in a HBCU. Not much was expected of me, and not much was taught . According to the times, we had to be able to teach and to know curriculum to seventh grade level. The math was certainly not old or new. It was drill math. End of story.

So I think what I want to explain is that we had two societies and two kinds of schools. I boldly integrated into schools, teaching in schools as the only black teacher on the faculty of some schools who did NOT teach the tracked students. I taught , initially the gifted and talented students and I was good at it. I am an excellent teacher.

So what happened to me that did not happen to most minority teachers? I rested my professional development outside of the public schools. I was a child of museum study and my Sunday excursions to the Smithsonian, and I am stubborn. I went to the well where the movers and thinkers and those with ideas were working, in workshops, courses, expeditions, and especially had wonderful teaching experiences, learning experiences with NASA and with the National Geographic and three years of Oceanography at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Sadly, most teachers get the WORST of professional development.

TAUGHT BY THE BEST

My reason for talking about those experiences is that I was taught by the best. From various groups like NCTM, and NSTA I gathered resources, knowledge, networks, and pearls of wisdom. Who can teach the use of geography and visuals like the National Geographic. I feel into a wonderful set of examples of how to.. and it has been a passport for the use of technology for the rest of my life. That is not the usual case for teachers. Usually the professional development comes from within the school system, or a special group of experts that they trust. It has been wonderful to see school systems allow their teachers to use Blue Webn, Exploratorium, Thinkfinity, and the resources of the National Geographic. Some school systems , even advise their teachers of learning opportunities and initiatives that occur.

I believe that some of the politics in school systems and the lack of professional development of merit are to blame for the teachers who do not measure up. Not being new teachers they have been allowed, encouraged to teach as they do. It probably didn’t make much difference.

They were teaching minority kids. Who cared?

There is blame in the politics of teaching, the bad professional development , the use of only in-house knowledge, and the stubbornness of schools resisting change and depth of content knowledge. I worry about the digitally naive and the content deprived teachers. But then, who cares? To people like Michelle Rhee, its the older teachers. I don’t think that rings true for all teachers.

We might also remember that there was a knowledge divide a content divide , and of course the low expectations exoected for those who teach our most needy students.

Bonnie Bracey Sutton

How do we raise public awareness of the digital divide problem?

The broadband dilemma? It is a real problem !!

The global situation?

There are have and have-nots in global, national and local situations.

What solutions are there? What are the problems?

Dr. Paul Resta and others eloquently expressed these ideas in our Digital Equity Symposium in San Antonio at the NECC Conference. Dr. Resta spoke of the knowledge divide, the digital divide, the language divide and the technical divide. But our concerns are not being addressed by the candidates for President. Dr Resta also spoke at our SITE Conference on these divides.

Most of us are still waiting to hear from the candidates about technology use in the United States in homes, schools and communities.

When will they address the broadband trouble?

Facing National and International Challenges: Bridging the Gap

“To narrow the digital divide, we need to identify resources and strategies that break down barriers. By using new digital strategies and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems such as ubiquitous tools, we can work toward developing an operational definition of digital equity” says Dr. Joyce Pittman.

We believe that sharing stories and engaging in a global dialogue can improve the economic, political and social quality of life for individuals, communities and countries around the world. Because of digital opportunities, we believe people everywhere can benefit from what we call digital equity.

Does the Digital Divide Still Exist?

Three K-12 leadership groups warned that the nation’s schools would not be able to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century without using technology broadly and intensively — just as competitive U.S. industries have been doing for years. I have a special interest in this initiative, as I was involved in the 21st Century initiative when it was started years ago.

In a new report, “Maximizing the Impact: The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System,” the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills urged renewed emphasis on technology in education.

The report urges federal, state and local policymakers and other stakeholders to take action on three fronts:

1. Use technology comprehensively to develop proficiency in 21st century skills. Knowledge of core content is necessary, but no longer sufficient, for success in a competitive world. Even if all students mastered core academic subjects, they still would be woefully under-prepared to succeed in postsecondary institutions and workplaces, which increasingly value people who can use their knowledge to communicate, collaborate, analyze, create, innovate, and solve problems, as specified in ISTE’s recently refreshed National Educational Standards for Students. Used comprehensively, technology helps students develop 21st century skills.

2. Use technology comprehensively to support innovative teaching and learning. To keep pace with a changing world, schools need to offer more rigorous, relevant and engaging opportunities for students to learn — and to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways. Used comprehensively, technology supports new, research-based approaches and promising practices in teaching and learning.

3. Use technology comprehensively to create robust education support systems. To be effective in schools and classrooms, teachers and administrators need training, tools and proficiency in 21st century skills themselves. Used comprehensively, technology transforms standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, learning environments, and administration.

Together, SETDA, ISTE and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills represent dozens of leading U.S. companies and organizations, six leadership states, education technology directors in all 50 states, 85,000 education technology professionals and 3.2 million educators throughout the country.

The full report, “Maximizing the Impact,” is available at http://www.setda.org/web/guest/maximizingimpactreport .

Do Teachers have a Voice in the Discussion?

Is there room for classroom voices that speak the truth?

The digital divide still exists and it is widening.

Voices from the real classrooms, need to be heard. But is anyone listening?

While people are talking about one laptop per child initiative and the film 2 Million Minutes, others are asking, “ What about me in my classroom in the US?:

The movie, “Two Million Minutes casts a bright spotlight on a crisis in this country.” says Bill Gates. Some across the digital divide in the US, see a bigger and a quieter crisis that does not involve all social classes.

Broadening education for all in the United States is a problem. Many complain of never really having professional development to learn to use the resources that technology can bring. Many teachers think of technology in tiny terms, ie using Powerpoint and some search engines. Funding has become scarce. Serious games are not even considered nor much investment in teaching the skills of programming. There may be digital natives and digital immigrants but there are also those who are digitally deficit in major ways.

Many students might as well be invisible, as little attention is paid to them or their educational needs for this era of emerging technologies.. The people who have a problem with literacy, there are solutions, but the push is for newer and emerging technologies which some think are 2.0 applications. Will there be a kind of WSIS on literacy and programs to effect literacy? Numeracy?

Using technology in the same old ways that we started out at the beginning of the technology revolution is not acceptable.

Here is a new thought about emerging use of technology.

Robert M. Panoff (President and Executive Director, Shodor, Durham, N.C.)explains in this set of examples.

“Computational science continues to advance the accurate description and prediction of the dynamics of the world around us. Moving “beyond PowerPointless-ness,” we have the opportunity to help students see that computing really matters. Computing “matters” because quantitative reasoning, computational thinking, and multiscale modeling are the intellectual “heart and soul” of 21st Century science and therefore are the essential skills of the 21st Century workforce. “

He says that” Computing “matters” because it moves students others have identified as “at risk” to students self-identified as “capable, motivated, and employable.”

” Computing “matters” because we can demonstrate the power of interactive computing to help students and teachers reach a deeper understanding and application of math and science.”

Computing “matters” because computational tools integrated with curriculum become both the content of education and the most effective method.

“ A world-class education requires world-class resources, and all math and science teachers should be able to bring interactive modeling environments to their own teaching practice. “

Every teacher and faculty member should be highly qualified in the use of interactive models and simulations in math and science; every student should be able to explore the dynamics of the world through interactive models and simulations; and all interactive learning objects should be validated, verified and accredited by linking to state and national standards.

Right now, however, “education is the least technology-intensive of any major industry in America,” said Don Knezek, CEO of ISTE. “In the digital age, how can we expect schools to improve student achievement — the most important outcome of education — without taking full advantage of technology to support students, teachers and administrators? No other leading industry would try to position itself for success today without using technology comprehensively and purposefully to achieve its goals.”

Those who are out of work, in poor health, live in social housing, live alone, or have a low level of qualification are being set at a further disadvantage by digital exclusion.

A full 75% of people counted as socially excluded are also digitally excluded. That means they’re missing out on the opportunities, choices, savings and services computers and the Internet provide, and that other people consider a normal and integral part of their everyday lives.

In my teacher workshops this year, I have helped many teachers to extend their reach, to explore, examine, get involved and connected to e-learning, or workshop information and if necessary, grant information.

The digital divide is very real and growing.

Bonnie Bracey Sutton

Introduction The digital divide refers to differential access between groups of individuals to computer-related resources and includes differential use of these same resources. In this edited volume, authors will explore the historical, political, sociological, and economic factors that engender global inequities related to digital technologies. In-depth examinations of the definition and origin of the ‘digital divide’ will illuminate its relationship to the histories of racism, sexism, classism, and imperialism/globalization. The contributing authors will present the phenomenon of digital equity from various critical social theory perspectives. These critical perspectives, together with the histories of domination and oppression on different continents, will provide contexts for understanding the fertile grounds made available for the international growth and expansion of digital inequity. 

Objective of the Book The digital divide is an international, global phenomenon that negatively affects groups around the world. Consequently, the objective and mission of this book is to explore and present research that centers on the historical, political, sociological, and economic factors that engender global inequities. Acquiring such insights and knowledge is an important step towards rectifying socially ingrained inequities and a necessary step in working towards global justice in meaningful ways.

Target Audience The target audience for this book will be composed of academic scholars and educators and their students. Such a resource will aid those researching, teaching, and studying in the area of digital equity or in the broader contexts of social and global justice. Moreover, the book will provide valuable insights for professionals and researchers interested in examining issues of technology equity from various critical social theories.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following: Histories of Technology, Power, and Dominance Critical Race Theory and Digital Divides in and beyond U. S. Borders Critical Theory, Poverty, Class, and Technology Equity Black Feminist Thought and Digital Equity Postmodern Views of Differential Accesses to Technology Critical Multiculturalism and Global Divides India’s Culture, Castes, and Access to Technology A History of New Zealand’s Maori and Indigenous Digital Connections Paolo Friere’s Brazil and a History of Oppression and Technology Access Diffusion of Innovations in U.S. Poor Cities and Rural Communities Technology Equity and Access in Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda Critical Perspectives on Outsourcing to Developing Countries

Submission Procedure Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before October 30, 2008, a 2-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by November 15, 2008 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by February 15, 2009. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference) and “Medical Information Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com.

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) or by mail to: Dr. Patricia R. Leigh N105B Lagomarcino Hall Department of Curriculum & Instruction College of Human Sciences Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011-3192 Tel.: 515 294-3748 • Fax: 515 294-6206 E-mail: pleigh@iastate.edu

However, that annual SITE conference is only one of many activities and organizations that SITE engages with throughout the year. For example, a recent blog entry by SITE president Gerald Knezek describes his activities at the annual conference of the MOFET Institute in Israel. And one of SITE’s vice presidents is engaged in a number of activities that could provide SITE members with professional opportunities in China (more about these activities in subsequent blog postings).

While SITE has made significant efforts to bolster its stature in the international community (as was evidenced by the global presence at the March 2008 conference), it also remains committed to domestic US activities. Many of these activities include developing partnerships with key organizations such as ISTE, AACTE, NTLC, and various professional teacher education organizations.

By definition SITE is a collaborative association: there are actually two “Ts” in its acronym—”technology” and “teacher” [education]. As stated in its mission, SITE is “an international association of individual teacher educators, and affiliated organizations of teacher educators in all disciplines who are interested in the creation and dissemination of knowledge about the use of information technology.” To develop and maintain those bridges among individual teacher educators and affiliated organization requires a year-round commitment.

The best of these collaborations can yield powerful results. For example, SITE worked with a number of organizations and individuals to add language to the current Higher Educational Reauthorization Act, now referred to as the “College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008.” Through the combined efforts of ISTE, NTLS, AACTE, among others, SITE assisted in developing an addendum called “Preparing Teacher for Digital Age Learners.” The 2007 NTLS provided an opportunity for ISTE, SITE and AACTE to come together and discuss their perspectives on this potential legislation. (Special thanks go out to Don Knezek and Hilary Goldman of ISTE, along with its SIGTE members for taking the lead in this initiative.)

The “Preparing Teachers for Digital Age Learners” language is designed to replicate the former PT3 program, which benefited so many SITE members. As it now stands, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 has passed Congress and is now before President Bush for his signature. At the moment, however, it does not appear that Preparing Teachers for Digital Age Learners funding will come close to that of the former PT3 program. Yet, it is a start.

Should this legislation be signed by the President (and funded), it may have a dramatic impact on future SITE conferences. Many can remember the impact that PT3 had. However, the development of this program and the advocacy that surrounded it required a year-and-a-half commitment and the collaboration of key organizations and individuals.

By continuing to follow this blog and the SITE home page, you’ll get a better sense of the year-round commitment that the SITE leadership and its members are making to foster the role of information technology as an educational tool both in the US and across the world.

I am trying to research cell-phone learning systems, or m-learning as i found out yesterday.

False Bay College a Further Education and Training College, hereafter known as FET college where i am employed as a e-learning administrator uses WebCT and so i am trying to find out about possible integration with cell phones, not much luck so far………..

“The MOFET Institute … is the consortium of Israels 43 colleges of education and is dedicated to serving each college and faculty member, as well as to advancing education at home and abroad.”

www.mofet.macam.ac.il/english

The conference theme was: Technology in Education - The essence or simply a shell? The topic I was invited to address was: Can We Train Future Teachers Online?

The interesting questions and discussion made me wonder what the SITE membership as a whole thinks?

I wonder if we all agree? Comments are welcome!

Gerald Knezek, President, SITE

Some students must feel like the character in Ralph Ellison’s Book, ‘Invisible Man’ when they listen to Marc Prensky talk about ‘digital natives’ when in reality they are ‘digitally deficient’. They simply are not there, often lacking access and not being invlted to use technology in meaningful ways. They are not taught the skills they need, nor involved in learning STEM content. They may not have had much access to learning coding skills and be unaware of the levels of emerging technologies beyond a few Web 2.0 applications. They may or may not be socially savvy in cooperative collaboration projects such as FaceBook or My Space, or make any advanced use of media. Invitations to participate in high school are often way too late.

The National Govenors Association has some ideas about intervention. See their site on Innovation America. www.nga.org/center/innovation and a dedicated website for student learning. Gov. Napolitano also announced a new Web site at www.youinnovate21.net. The Web site, a partnership between NGA and Scholastic Inc., the global children’s publishing, education and media company, was developed to provide middle school students with the tools to become innovators and leaders of tomorrow. The National Governors Association has a website and is pursuing academies for education. Will the minority students make the cut to be included? The website is a great example of outreach. So many web pages, so little broadband.

“We must prepare students of today to become the innovative leaders of tomorrow,” said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, who developed NGA’s Innovation America program. “This web site will bring science, technology, engineering, and math to life for children, which–in turn–will give them the tools to become innovators.” The site, which is the result of a collaboration between NGA and global children’s publisher Scholastic Inc., features standards-based content, interactive games, a career simulator, and activities designed to encourage students to pursue STEM fields and careers. The site’s content is pulled from the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Science in Boston, and other institutions.

Other minority students have to figure in a language disconnect. Many hours of their school day are in pursuit of NCLB and the acquisition of language skills in very old fashioned ways , pedagogy that is outdated. They often lose two years in ELL classes. There are amazing new reading programs that are interactive that anchor learning of languages.

Perspective

Long ago, Martin Luther King addressed these problems: “There can be no gainsaying of the fact that a great revolution is taking place in the world today… that is, a technological revolution, with the impact of automation and cybernation . . . Now, whenever anything new comes into history it brings with it new challenges and new opportunities… [T]he geographical oneness of this age has come into being to a large extent through modern man’s scientific ingenuity. Modern man through his scientific genius has been able to dwarf distance and place time in chains… Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make of it a brotherhood. But somehow, and in some way, we have got to do this.”

That was Rev. Martin Luther King, March 31, 1968.

We still have the problem of the lack of inclusion.

It seems there are too many variables to have to overcome to create the possibility for students to succeed as they make their way toward use of technology.

There are so many divides.

There is the digital divide. There is a funding divide. the knowledge divide, the technical divide and then the problem of access. Moreover, many of the students do not have access to well-trained or tech- savvy teachers or administrators with sufficient understanding to help them create a pathway to the uses of emerging technologies in their school, homes or community centers.

Most parents do not have a background in the fields from which the students are being excluded, to know how to create possibilities for the students in their learning communities. There may be accidental discoveries on the Web.

The Digital Divide

The digital divide Is traditionally defined in terms of access to computers and the Internet.

Digital exclusion is part of a broader divide contributing to social and economic exclusion of people and there are multiple aspects: economic, geographic, languages, gender, etc.

A report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), “Computer and Internet Use by Students in 2003″ (NCES, 2006) reveals that the digital divide continues to exist, particularly along demographic and socioeconomic lines. Though an exact definition remains elusive, the term ‘digital divide’ generally refers to the disconnect that occurs between those with access to technology and those without, while recognizing that myriad factors can have a direct impact on that inequity.

Digital equity is defined as equal access and the opportunity to use digital tools, resources, and services to increase digital knowledge, awareness, and skills. When considering the role of technology in development of the twenty-first century learner, digital equity is more than a comparable delivery of goods and services, but fair distribution based on student needs.

A National Consideration of Digital Equity

Recently, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) shared research in the form of a white paper, which was an examination of issues related to digital equity in education — that is, equal access to technology, resources and services. This was part of an effort to broaden the awareness of digital equity issues and provide resources to educators and policy makers.

Technologies emerge, evolve and change and there will always be a digital divide at some level. Current education policy focused on “proficiency” misses the opportunity to raise achievement levels among the brightest, lower-income students. This is not news to many in minority education, or to parents in the supporting communities. An interesting report that points out the trouble with this concept can be found here, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, along with Civic Enterprises, LLC released a report on Sept. 10 on the Achievement Trap: How America is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-income Families. Read the full report: Achievement Trap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students From Lower-Income Families. http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org/jkcf_web/home.aspx?Page=Main

Are All Students Digital Natives?

According to a 2005 study conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life project, more than one-half of all American teens — and 57 percent of teens who use the Internet — could be considered media creators. For the purpose of the study, a media creator is someone who created a blog or Web page, posted original artwork, photography, stories or videos online or remixed online content into their own new creations.

Most teens have done two or more of these activities. One-third of teens share what they create online with others, 22 percent have their own websites, 19 percent blog, and 19 percent remix online content.

Contrary to popular stereotypes, these activities are not restricted to white suburban males. In fact, urban youth (40 percent) are somewhat more likely than their suburban counterparts (28 percent) or rural counterparts (38 percent) to be media creators. Girls aged 15-17 (27 percent) are more likely than boys their age (17 percent) to be involved with blogging or other social activities online. The Pew researchers found no significant differences in participation by race-ethnicity.

If anything, the Pew study undercounts the number of American young people who are embracing the new participatory culture. The Pew study did not consider newer forms of expression, such as pod-casting, game modification or machinima. Nor did it count other forms of creative expression and appropriation such as music sampling in the hip hop community. These forms are highly technological but use other tools and tap other networks for their production and distribution.

The study does not include even more widespread practices, such as computer or video gaming that can require an extensive focus on constructing and performing as fictional personas. Their focus was not on individual accomplishment but rather looking at the emergence of a cultural context that supports widespread participation in the production and distribution of media.

The Knowledge Divide

Today in America, there are millions of students who are overcoming challenging socioeconomic circumstances to excel academically. They defy the stereotype that poverty precludes high academic performance and that lower income and low academic achievement are inextricably linked.

They demonstrate that economically disadvantaged children can learn at the highest levels and provide hope to other lower-income students seeking to follow the same path.

Sadly, from the time they enter grade school through their postsecondary education, these students lose more educational ground and excel less frequently than their higher-income peers. Despite this tremendous loss in achievement, these remarkable young people are hidden from public view and absent from public policy debates. Instead of being recognized for their excellence and encouraged to strengthen their achievement, high-achieving lower-income students enter what we call the ‘achievement trap’ — educators, policymakers and the public assume they can fend for themselves when the facts show otherwise.

We can look at the difficulties in entering STEM subjects in this way. Nationally, there is a huge gap in science, particularly for low income students.

Poverty: The Gap in Science

In 31 states, a gap of more than 20 scale-score points existed in the average scores of low-income 8th graders and their non-poor peers on the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress in Science. States’ average poverty gap was 28.1 points.

Henry Jenkins analyzes the problem with connectivity in several ways as:

“The Participation Gap — the unequal access to the opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare youth for full participation in the world of tomorrow.

“The Transparency Problem — The challenges young people face in learning to see clearly the ways that media shapes the perceptions of the world.”

“The Ethics Challenge — The breakdown of traditional forms of professional training and socialization that might prepare young people for their increasingly public roles as media makers and community participants. ”

Marc Prensky has written about “Education and Learning in the 21st Century: What We Need to Do Differently”.

Do we keep, change, or delete the metaphor of ‘Digital Natives and Immigrants’?

Unfortunately, there are many students who are just digital receivers. Most of their interaction with the use of technology is on the receiving end of the media. They use the media, but they are not meaningfully or interactively involved, particularly in school.

We know that students are on the Internet and what they do. What most do not know is how to engage and involve them, and how to encourage teachers and students to examine and explore a new world of learning resources that are available to them on the Teragrid and other HPC initiatives.

Many states provide the fewest funds to districts with the most poor and minority students, according to a new Education Trust report. On average, U.S. school districts in 2005 spent $938 less per pupil at schools where incomes were low versus more affluent districts, while districts with a large proportion of minority students received $877 less per pupil compared with predominately white districts.

There are some ways we can remedy the problems.

Web Sources

There are models that share the concepts of learning that students can access in the computational sciences. See for example http://www.shodor.org, particularly Project Interactivate.

To share the ideas of grid computing at basic levels, the site ‘Try Science, the Grid’ gives basic lessons on understanding some parts of HPC as part of the emerging wave of new technology.

Try Science, the Grid can be found at http://www.tryscience.org/grid/home.html

More extensive is the project ‘Kinetic City’, which calls itself “a Web site that finds fun in science”.

Kinetic City is an online supplementary education program that seeks to spark an interest in science among minority and female students through interactive games, experiments and other activities. It can be found at http://www.kineticcity.com.

The site seeks to build interest in myriad ways. Public access to the site is free, but the project works best with a science kit that furnishes resources. The lessons are based on key concepts from the AAAS ‘Benchmarks for science literacy’.

And what do the experts say?

The National Science Board unanimously adopted a motion to release for public comment an action plan to address critical 21st century needs in the nation’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education system.

Two overarching actions stressed in the plan are increasing coordination of STEM education — both horizontally among states and vertically through grade levels — and increasing the supply of qualified K-12 STEM teachers.

In support of its “Innovation America” initiative, the National Governors Association (NGA) has launched a web site aimed at getting middle school students excited about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with the goal of inspiring and preparing them to become 21st-century innovators.

“Adolescents need to learn how to integrate knowledge from multiple sources, including music, video , online databases ,and other media. They need to think critically about information that can be found nearly instantaneously through out the world. They need to participate in the kinds of collaboration that new communication and information technologies enable, but increasingly demand. Considerations of globalization lead us toward the importance of understanding the perspective of others, developing a historical grounding, and seeing the interconnectedness of economic and ecological systems.” Bertram C. Bruce (2002).

Meeting the Needs of Students

All children need the intellectual development, motivation and skills that equip them for successful work and lifelong learning. These result from having quality learning environments, challenging expectations and consistent guidance and mentoring. The number-one predictor of whether you will be successful in life is whether you graduate from high school. In today’s competitive global economy, effective education is more important than ever before. Yet more than 25% of our students do not finish high school. The figure is nearly twice as high for African American and Latino students.

According to Every Child, Every Promise: Only 39% of our teens are receiving this Promise More than 40% of parents of younger children and two-thirds of adolescents say their children’s schools do not emphasize academic achievement 60% of 10- to 21-year-olds say their schools should give them more preparation for the real world

One way of meeting the need is by mentoring and guided practice as provided by organizations such as Joint Educational Facilities, Inc. (JEF). Community involvement and after school organizations can provide resources that often schools do not.

JEF is an all volunteer, non-profit, community-based K-12 organization that works primarily with junior and senior high school students and teaches them advanced computing sciences and contemporary mathematics topics with an emphasis on Intelligent Technologies.

For more information about Joint Education Facilities please see http://www.jef.org

JEF reports that “on the one hand, over the last few years all the seniors in the JEF program have entered college and are doing well. On the other hand, JEF feels that a vast majority of minority students at the junior and senior high school level are not getting the appropriate level of education/training to be fully successful at the collegiate level.

“Large numbers of our students upon entering undergraduate school are burdened with the inability to do creative thinking in the sciences and mathematics, and to communicate orally and in writing with people other than their peers.

“JEF’s programs are designed to acquaint students with research techniques, advanced mathematics, emerging technologies in computer science and computer communications, and computational science and public speaking.”

JEF and BDPA provide resources and shine a light on the possibilities. An ancient Chinese Proverb says: “ the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is today.”

Basically JEF’s approach is one of confidence building through skill development. To evaluate the success of its programs, JEF over the last ten years has established informal relationships with a number of colleges and universities. These relationships are in the form of scholarships, Internet accounts, students for paper presentations at national and international conferences, etc. What JEF is able to offer and create depends on successful fundraising and partnerships.

Empowering Students

JEF integrates activities relating to cyberstructure into its knowledge discovery paradigm. Students are taught to interact with HPC platforms such as the Computational Cluster at TRECC, TeraGrid, Open Science Grid and clusters at the University of Northern Iowa and Earlham College and the JEF Little-Fe. As a result students have competed in Student Competitions at TeraGrid 2006 and 2007 and SC07. Students have the opportunity to meet professionals, faculty and other students at the various HPC events.

JEF feels that a vast majority of minority students at the junior and senior high school level are not getting the appropriate level of education/training to be fully successful at the collegiate level. Large numbers of our students upon entering undergraduate school are burdened with the inability to do creative thinking in the sciences and mathematics, and to communicate orally and in writing with people other than their peers. Our programs are designed to acquaint students with research techniques, advanced mathematics, emerging technologies in computer science and computer communications, and computational science and public speaking.

Some of the grassroots techniques which have proved successful are: pairing African American youth with African American computer professionals (mentoring and role models), pairing African American high school students with African American college students (peer mentoring), development of computer projects which relate to their “real life” (e.g., the computer models of a Black teenager and a teenage girl’s shopping habits), and the development of oral and written language skills (confidence building).

The Internet to the Hogan

Another example of empowering students is the Internet to the Hogan project. The “Internet to the Hogan” is an overall initiative to drive connectivity to families in remote areas, including to Chapter Houses and the hogan, which is a traditional Navajo dwelling. Before the introduction of the IP network, Nation residents had to spend up to 12 hours traveling great distances just for access to social, health, educational and informational services. Now with the roll-out of this network, expected to be fully complete in the next 12 months, Navajo Nation residents will have quick and easier access to numerous services using voice, video and data on a single line, all at a greatly reduced cost:

* Distance learning teleconferencing will feature classes from the major universities near the Nation, including Arizona State University, University of Arizona, University of New Mexico and the University of Utah.

* Telemedicine will allow medical patients to receive superior health care via access to doctors in numerous large medical facilities in larger urban areas.

* School children who travel as much as four hours daily on a bus to attend school will have after-hours access to the Internet for homework, ensuring that they keep pace with students in more populous areas.

* Elderly populations, many of whom speak only the Navajo dialect, will have access to information on agriculture in their native language.

* Central government services such as housing, children’s health insurance, e-government, job listings and voting will be as close as the nearest chapter House, versus hours away or even unavailable for those with no access to vehicles.

“Just as the Navajo Nation only recently upgraded itself by moving from the horse and wagons to the automobiles, it’s the same with the Internet,” said Harold Skow, director of information technology for the Navajo Nation. “The benefits of adoption are enormous for our people in terms of education, economic development, access to vital services, preservation and furtherance of our culture. And the savings will allow us to not only use the funds for other resources but also perhaps generate much-needed revenue streams.” The Navajo Nation expects to save as much as 75 per cent over present network costs for this greatly enhanced network and its related capabilities when the network implementation is completed.

Research

Finally, there are reports that covers in detail the problems, and offers solutions.

There is an action plan from the National Science Board. electronically it is at http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/documents/2007/stem_action.pdf.

‘Before It’s Too Late’ is a report from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century. Many long range solutions that benefit students are here. www.ed.gov/americacounts/glenn.

In a report issued today by America’s Promise Alliance entitled, “Cities In Crisis” written by Researcher Christopher Swanson, suburban school systemsgraduation rate’s are higher than urban school systems. Some solutions are offered.

Could it be that suburban school systems spend more money on the system; parents are better educated and are more focused on educational achievement; per pupil expenditure is higher; teachers salary and support different? What a conversation we could have.

I want to say a couple of other things about blogging that I got from Troy Hicks who is a colleague in English Education. Troy is a quite prolific and insightful blogger (http://hickstro.org/) and I asked him, basically, how do you do it? (look at what Troy posted from SITE in Vegas!) He said that part of the process was simply unpacking his thoughts after meaningful experiences, without as much concern for form and shape. Troy said there seem to be several profiles for bloggers from the “white paper” posters to the folks like himself who just let it flow. It seems to me that one impediment to posting on blogs might be this expectation that what we write has to be a perfectly formed piece of prose – all academic. I am hoping that we can use this blog to just talk to each other. I know that is easier said that done, but for one I am going to “just let it flow” on this blog and see where it takes us.

One last thing – for those of you not familiar with blogging technology, you do not have to visit the website every day to find out what has been posted. SITEBlog allows you to set your preferences so that you can receive an email whenever something new has been posted. Another approach is to “feed” the blog to a reader or your favorite web-based portal space (My Yahoo, iGoogle, MSN Live, ect).

So, thanks again – look for a post on something from me to follow

And!! Tell your friends and colleagues in social studies about SITEBlog. You do have to be a member of SITE to post, but anyone can comment. I think we would all appreciate broadening the conversation, so the more the merry!

John

STEM?

STEM has become a common acronym, particularly among policy advocates and government officials, for the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, an on STEM education and competitiveness is Rising Above the Gathering Storm from the National Academies Press.

It was supported by the conference, the school system. SITE and conducted by me with help and resources from the George Lucas Educational Foundation, the National Academy of Science and resources from SuperComputing.. I had help from SITE friends. What a wonderful job they did with the logistics. All that was missing was the popcorn.

One film used on the bus was Two Miiiion Minutes, … and many of the participants were from those countries.

Regardless of nationality, as soon as a student completes the eighth grade — they have just Two Million Minutes to prepare for college and ultimately a career. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS_QENuOYL8 - 104k

We were touring STEM schools and viewing the George Lucas Educational Foundation, project based learning initiatives and videos, as well as seeing some of the schools of Clark County on case study videos, from the Edutopia.org web site.

Here are the school photos taken by Iphoto. Other digital photos of the Tour will be forthcoming.

These are the Iphone pictures.. I thought you would like to see something of the rich experience we had.

Elementary http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43472&l=c4e22&id=593996326 Career Academy High School http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43458&l=cc854&id=593996326

There was lively discussion on the bus, and at the schools. The tour participants wished that we had arranged a dinner or forum somewhere within the conference to continue the discussions and thoughts, to talk about the things they saw and to contrast and talk about practices in their own countries.

The concept of who pays for schools, and how various practices shape the student pathways in countries was vigorously discussed , as well as The MDG goals of the UN.

It was fun to hear the participants discuss their thoughts about their own country and the preparations they went through to get an education.

They suggested more information from GLEF.org in the way of case studies for their teacher education information and they were especially interested in the professional development modules. http://www.edutopia.org/instructional-modules

International visitors were very interested in the ideas of the Innovation Proclamation and Compete.org. and asked for these resources.

Project-Based Learning

Edutopia’s Project-Based Learning teaching module is designed for either a two- to three-hour class or session or a one- to two-day workshop, and is divided into two parts.

Part one, Guided Process, designed to give participants a brief introduction to PBL, answers the questions “What is PBL about?” “Why is PBL important?” and “How does PBL work?” The Guided Process also includes the Teaching About PBL section as well as a PowerPoint presentation (including presenter notes), which can be shown directly from the Web site or can be downloaded for use as a stand-alone slide show.

The Edutopia video Newsome Park demonstrates PBL in action at Newsome Park Elementary School, in Newport News, Virginia, and the Teaching About PBL section contains two additional video accounts of this teaching approach: Journey North and Mountlake Terrace High School.

Part two, Group Participation, assigns readings and activities for experiential PBL. Ideally, the tasks will be accomplished using group collaboration and with the use of technology.

Much of the information has been taken directly from Edutopia’s book Edutopia: Success Stories for Learning in the Digital Age and from Edutopia.org. Elements I-IV of the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, established by the International Society for Technology in Education, have been addressed in this module. http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-module-pbl

Technology Integration

The technology integration module is meant for use either after completion of the project-based learning module or with participants who are familiar with project-based learning. The module is designed for a two- to three-hour class or session. It can be used in conjunction with trainings of software applications that are used in classroom settings.

Part One, Guided Process, is designed to give participants a brief introduction to technology integration. It answers the questions “Why is technology integration important?”; “What is technology integration?”; and “How do you integrate technology into the classroom?”

Part Two, Group Participation, guides participants in envisioning technology integration. It asks participants to visit various educational Web sites. The participants are then asked to brainstorm ideas for technology integration garnered from visiting and discussing these sites. The tasks will be accomplished using group collaboration and hands-on use of technology the Internet.

The PowerPoint presentation found in the Resources section can be used to introduce the module, or be used as a stand-alone presentation.

The following ISTE NETS Standards have been addressed in this module: 1. Technology Operations and Concepts

* Demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts related to technology (as described in the ISTE National Education Technology Standards for Students). * Demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies.

2. Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences

* Design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners. * Apply current research on teaching and learning with technology when planning learning environments and experiences. * Plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.

3. Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum

* Facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content standards and student technology standards. * Apply technology to develop students’ higher order skills and creativity.

4. Assessment and Evaluation

* Apply technology in assessing student learning of subject matter using a variety of assessment techniques. * Apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine students’ appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication, and productivity.

http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-module-technology-integration

UN ICT Task Force Series 9: Harnessing the Potential of ICT for Education – A Multistakeholder Approach

Education is the cornerstone of sustainable development. It contributes to building a modern and thriving society and empowers communities and citizens to fully participate in development and prosperity. While the right to education is recognized as fundamental for each citizen, access to it is not guaranteed.

In the developing world, the essential building blocks for education systems are suffering from deficiencies, ICT can help respond to these challenges and create the environment that is conducive for effective and quality education systems. “Harnessing the Potential of ICT for Education – A Multistakeholder Approach – Proceedings of the Dublin Global Forum of the United Nations ICT Task Force” contains key presentations and contributions from the event held on 13-15 April 2005.

It captures innovative ideas and initiatives on the use of ICT in strengthening education and communities and highlights the enabling role of all relevant stakeholders. It also introduces case studies of ICT-based projects at the grassroots level and efforts to create a national infrastructure that makes use of new technologies to improve teaching and learning habits. This book is a valuable reference for anyone seeking solutions or thinking about the use of technology in education.

E Book

* ict4education_ebook.pdf (2619.75 Ko) http://www.unicttaskforce.org/perl/documents.pl?id=1570

Summary

There is a world wide need for more STEM career pathways to knowledge.

So much of what we do is International. So many of our countries benefit from those who are involved in STEM careers. Many countries are just starting to be involved in technology in meaningful ways.

Computational Science? Shodor.org. This is a treasure chest of resources !!

This was an out of the box touch to the reality of some specialized schools. There were so many questions and many answers were generated. We had a great time.

Bonnie Bracey Sutton

We look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas in the next few days.   Just a reminder that the Equity and Justice SIG is scheduled to meet on Wednesday (see your schedules for specific time and location!).

Members of this SIG engage in networking and activities for promoting equity and social justice broadly in multicultural, democratic teaching and learning and teacher education, working to address educational, opportunity and digital divides.    Issues of Digital Equity - such as empowering opportunities to create, produce, use and disseminate digital tools, strategies and resources for equity and justice purposes, and particularly to seek, identify and/or develop leadership within as well as to otherwise engage traditionally underserved or oppressed communities - are at the forefront of this SIG.   Traditionally underserved groups in the U.S. include those identified in federal ESEA-NCLB legislation, such as children, youth and families who are low-income, disproportionately of color, language minority, living with special needs, immigrant, migrant, disproportionately female and/or otherwise neglected.  Internationally these include those who are living in poverty, political turmoil, refugees and/or those otherwise struggling with inequitable access to opportunities for full personal, social, political and economic development.   Members of this SIG tend to examine and take action within their own work around real and perceived opportunities and/or threats of digital age transformations and current and emerging information and telecommunications technologies within an equity and justice context.

We welcome you to join us.   In the past SIG meetings have been opportunities to:

(1) Network and collaborate with like-minded colleagues.

(2) Raise our voices on these issues within the wider SITE Community and beyond.

(3) Participate in identifying a Digital Equity award-winner at each SITE Conference.

(4) Promoting and eliciting Equity and Justice papers and proceedings at each SITE Conference.

(5) Planning special events such as half-day or full-day Equity and Justice Symposia.

(6) Promoting and eliciting publication around Equity and Justice issues in SITE and relevant journals.

(7) Identifying and/or helping to develop so-called “minority” leadership - leaders from groups mentioned above and/or who work in solidarity with such groups (so-called, as we often work in majority “minority” communities).

(8) Identifying, attending and/or promoting Equity and Justice Issues in other relevant conferences and venues, as a way of developing strategic networks and alliances.

Current keen interests include an interest in promoting Supercomputing opportunities for traditionally underserved schools, teacher education programs and learners and tracking upcoming legislation such as the “Preparing Teachers for Digital Age Learners” Bill, for the potential of addressing Equity and Justice issues.

We look forward to posting and learning about additional opportunities, organizations, ideas and resources in the coming week.  Please look for our posts of relevant resources and feel free to add your own!

Thanks!

In Peace, Kevin Rocap, SIG Chair - and on behalf of Co-Chairs Bonnie Bracey and Versonya DuPont

While I have been involved with the SITE Conference and the CITE Journal for about eight years now, I began serving as Chair for the English Education SIG at the 2006 Conference.

If you are an English Educator with an interest in technology applications, I encourage you to join our SIG!

At the 2006 Conference, one of our goals as a SIG group was to compose and publish a position paper in which we, as leaders in technology and English Education, would consider how literacy should be (re)defined for current times in light of new and emerging technologies and their impact on language, literacy, and culture. While we have taken some initial steps with this initiative, there is still work to be completed, and I invite you to join us in Las Vegas and contribute to our efforts. I look forward to meeting you and collaborating soon!

Our meeting is Thursday, March 6th, 12:15 - 1:15 pm. The location is still yet to be determined, but I’ll post again with that information when it becomes available.

Does anyone else have the LabQuest’s yet? What are your experiences? What capabilities have you found? I would love to hear your thoughts so that we can share and learn from each other with this latest technology.

Youth and ICT as Agents of Change

There was an extraordinary conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.

At a Glance

Who? Youth, policy-makers, high-ranking government officials, representatives from the private sector and civil society, UN agencies and other stakeholders

What? Uniting agents for change in an open discussion on technology’s role in advancing people’s lives

Where? Geneva International Conference Centre, Geneva, Switzerland

When? September 24th – 26th, 2007 How? Co-hosted by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

“Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.” – Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General

The conference used the collaborative communities of youth to let them participate in collaborative communication , in blogging and in the use of the Taking It Global website.

The conference was formed to reach the youth of the world. There were preliminary events to this conference with an on line collaboration in the form of a blog, and a gathering of other participants in a pre-conference in New York City.

Imagine your classroom being the world, and think of the diversity of the youth whom they wish to serve. In an increasingly globalized world, the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the economic, social, cultural, political and individual spheres of life has dramatically transformed societies. Today, the role of young people in shaping their societies is becoming increasingly evident, particularly in terms of challenging the mores and practices that have redefined traditional concepts of social interaction, means of communication and participation, development of ideas, and involvement with issues of global significance.

The Forum aimed at actively engaging youth in debates and discussions with their peer representatives, policy makers, private sector, technology and thought leaders and others in exploring ways to empower the community and to participate more fully in society through the appropriate and responsible use of ICT. Youth were involved in creating the event. This project was also supported by Taking It Global. http://www.takingitglobal.org/

The Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organized a Global Forum on Youth and ICT for Development: Youth and ICT as Agents of Change, that helped harness the creativity and dynamism that the youth has in exploring and exploiting ICT for their own benefit and for the benefit of their peers and communities in advancement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). You may not know the Millennium Development Goals. All of the countries of the world participated in forming these goals.

What are the Millennium Development Goals?

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

The goals, simply stated are:

To eradicate extreme poverty, and hunger

To achieve universal primary education

To promote gender equality, and empower women

To reduce child mortality

To improve maternal health

To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

To ensure environmental sustainability

To develop a global partnership for development

It is today that we create the world of the future.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Information and communications technologies have a central role to play in the quest for development, dignity and peace.” – Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

There were some glitches in the conference. One simply being that such a diverse group of youth was impatient to get on with the work. The speeches and the introduction to projects probably was not the focus of their attention. After speech after speech they railed. They were anxious to share in the marketplace, to thrash out ideas, and to explore the uses of technology. In the end they let their concerns be known. They did not want speeches, but action. And action they got. They revised the conference and began to work in the committees to define their goals, and ambitions for the use of technology. They were a little impatient even with the funders. In a world in which youth are asked to participate their interest, their wish to collaborate, their action items, seemed to be slipping away as speeches dragged on. Today’s youth, worldwide are excited about the use of ICT. Three days seemed too short a time for them to work.

They responded to questions posed

What are the barriers to ICT? What does ICT mean to you? What Youth and Adult partners work? Is there an age limit with ICT? Are there problems with language and ICT

Much was accomplished. This was only a beginning but an auspicious beginning it was. Their responses will be shared and the results will be on the wiki for the event.

Bonnie Bracey ( not a youth , but a thought leader)

Also whether or not you submit a proposal for the conference, please considerer reviewing conference proposals.  This is a great way to stay involved with SITE even if you cannot attend the conference.  You can go to the SITE page, http://www.aace.org/conf/site/, and then log into the MySITE feature to sign up to be a reviewer.

Look forward to seeing you all in Las Vegas!