Marsha Veal

06/11/2010
FRIT 8530

Article Summaries

Bonk, C. (2010). For openers how technology is changing school. Educational

Leadership, 67(7), 60-65.

Research Article

Summary:
Curtis Bonk discusses in his article how technology is changing schools. Due to
many different reasons, from budget constraints to the flu, schools are finding that
implementing technology into instruction can solve many problems.
Some schools are benefiting from blended learning. They are using tools such as
Tegrity, Skype, and Elluminate. Others are using digital textbooks.
Teaching methods are also changing due to the amount of resources found online.
Distance learning is also available for students unable to attend school.
The author also discusses how e-Books are changing schools. Governments are
placing greater emphasis on e-Books. Some school districts are using online videos,
games, and podcasts of teacher lectures.
Read-Time Mobility and portability are also discussed. Online classes and course
modules are now delivered on mobile devices. Laptops, iPods, MP3 players, flash
memory sticks, digital cameras, and lecture recording pens are means of mobile learning.
The author ends by giving some ideas of what the future holds for technology in
education such as: free digital books, e-mentors and e-coaches, and selecting global
learning partners and teachers.

Critical Evaluation:
I agree with this article. As a teacher, I can see technology holding a huge place
in education. I agree with the author when he stated that teaching practices are changing
because of the wealth of information available. Teachers are now using more technology
than ever before in their classrooms. Instead of schools banning technology, they need to
embrace it and teach students how to use it effectively and not abuse it. I did not find
anything wrong with this article and I like that it gave a great number of helpful websites.

Pascopella, A. (2008). Webtools: the second generation. District Administration, 44(6),

54-58.

Professional Practice Article

Summary:
 The author writes about how Connie Sitterley, director of instructional technology
at PENNCREST (should be all caps because it stands for four independent school
districts combined together) School District in Seagertown, PA, developed the district’s
technology plan. She included Web 2.0 tools in the development because she said that
connecting staff and students is vital. The district uses many Web 2.0 tools such as
VoiceThread and Moodle.
Kevin Jarrett who is the technology facilitator at Northfield Community School
District says that communication is the most important tip in using Web 2.0 tools. He
gives five guidelines for school districts to follow.
The author points out that Web 2.0 tools are in the hands of the students and it’s
up to the school leaders to make sure Web 2.0 tools are used to keep the students
interested in learning.

Critical Evaluation:
Although this article was not very long, I found it easy to read and helpful in
telling ways a school district could implement Web 2.0 Tools into the curriculum. I also
liked that it gave some guidelines to the school districts to follow such as: set high
administrative expectations, facilitate team building, and identify and grow teacher
leaders. I do think that this article should have included evidence of how using Web 2.0
tools in the classroom helped improve test scores and also some problems that they have
ran into with using so many different Web 2.0 tools. I enjoyed reading this article and
plan to learn how to use some of these tools and use them in my classroom.

Kereluik, K., Koehler, M., & Mishra, P. (2009). The song remains the same: looking
back to the future of educational technology. TechTrends, 53(5), 48-52.

Research Article

Summary:
The authors of this article discuss how technology is always changing, but there is
still a call to educators to change to meet the needs of our rapidly changing technology.
They argue that teachers do not have the knowledge of how to use technology or of how
to incorporate it into the curriculum. By the time teachers learn how to use a certain type
of technology, that technology has now become obsolete because of how rapidly it is
changing. There is also so many different technologies out there that if teachers try to
learn it all at once, they will fail.
However, Goldin and Katz (2008), state that when teachers don’t keep up with the
changes in technology, they will fall behind and stay behind. The authors have tried to
help teachers learn how to use technology and also how to incorporate it into education
by coming up with a new approach. This approach is called the Technological
Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, or TPACK. According to Koehler and
Mishra (2008), this framework focuses on the overlap between pedagogy, content, and
technology. TPACK puts an emphasis on evaluating the entire teaching performance and
not just the technology. It also helps teachers decide which technologies are worth
learning. What makes this project different and what makes it work is that it brought
together content, technology, and pedagogy in a creative, integrated way.

Critical Evaluation:
I find that this article does not do a good job of discussing the main idea, which is
TPACK. The authors do have a good idea and I think it would be extremely beneficial to
teachers. Teachers are always trying to find ways to enhance learning and in today’s
time, that means using technology. I agree with the authors about the statement that
teachers just don’t know how to use the technology or how to incorporate it. If TPACK
shows how to do this, it would be great. However, one huge problem with this article is
that it doesn’t tell how to get or find TPACK. It also gives only one example of when
TPACK was used, but it doesn’t tell how the teachers learned the information or if
students’ scores improved after using TPACK.

Cho, Y., Hsieh, P., Liu, M., & Schallert, D. (2008). Examining the interplay between
middle school students’ achievement goals and self-efficacy in a technology-enhanced
learning environment. American Secondary Education, 36(3), 33-50.

Research Article

Summary:
This article describes a study that examined how students’ goal orientation, self-
efficacy, and science knowledge changed after learning science in a technology-rich
environment. The group of students took three pretests to determine their self-efficacy
for science, their goal orientation, and their science knowledge. After the three weeks of
class, the students had to complete three post-tests over the same information as the pre-
tests. The students’ self-efficacy was measured using the Motivated Strategies for
Learning Questionnaire. The Achievement Goal Orientation Inventory measured their
goal orientation. A 25 item multiple-choice test was given to measure their science
knowledge. The researchers found that the students’ self-efficacy and science
achievement scores increased significantly. Researchers believe this is because of the
positive effects that the technology-enhanced learning environment has on students’
achievement and motivation.

Critical Evaluation:
I agree totally with this article. I think that incorporating more technology in the
classroom would increase self-efficacy and content knowledge. The author stated that
technology is viewed as an integral part of teaching and learning to improve both the
effectiveness of instructional strategies and student motivation. I found this statement
true in my classroom because when I’m not using technology in my classroom, students
do not seem as interested and do not think that they can do the work. As soon as I begin
using technology, they start wanting to get involved and they have more confidence in
their answers.
There are several problems that I found with this research. One is that there was
no control group used. Also, there could have been other factors that contributed to the
results. The researchers also needed to test students from different areas and in different
age brackets.

Lee, H., & Templeton, R. (2008). Ensuring equal access to technology: providing
assistive technology for students with disabilities. Theory Into Practice, 47. doi:
10.1080/00405840802153874

Research Article

Summary:
The purpose of this article was to discuss the current assistive technology (AT)
services that include the following: AT service delivery models, universal design, the
effects of AT devices on students with disabilities, and issues and challenges in providing
AT services. Two acts were passed to ensure equal access to technology for all
individuals regardless of their abilities. These acts are the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). These laws are very vague
which causes educators to have many questions and to have to develop their own delivery
systems.
The educators have to include guidelines and models in their plan for AT services.
The SETT framework, TechPoints, Chamber’s Model, and the Unifying Functional
Model are four of the models that are most frequently used. The universal design portion
was developed to ensure that the designs of products are accessible by anyone and
everyone. The effects of AT has been studied on individuals with a range of disabilities.
The effects were studied on infants and toddlers, students with mild disabilities, sensory
impairments, and severe and/or multiple disabilities.
The article also discusses some limitations of AT such as funding, interpretation
of federal laws, and collaboration with families and professionals.

Critical Evaluation:
I found this article very interesting because I teach Science and some of my
students have disabilities. At first I had no clue what AT services were, but after reading
the article and looking at the examples, I find that I do use AT. Since this is a law that
has to be followed, I think that you would hear more about it than you do. This may be
because of the vagueness of the law.
I liked that the authors of this article also included some misconceptions. They
stated, “One of the misconceptions in the field of education has been that AT is only for
mobility of students with severe physical disabilities.” This was an article that all
educators need to read or be aware of to make sure that they are following the law.

Frazel, M. (2007). Tech for tinies: how young is too young to use computers?. Library
Media Connection, 26(3), 56-59.

Theory-Into-Practice

Summary:
 The author of this article shows how technology is now being developed for
younger children. Specialists still evaluate the way children learn by the guidelines set
by Jean Piaget. Piaget was correct when he theorized about the curiosity of young
learners. Young children became curious of computers and software programs. Because
of this curiosity, companies began developing software and websites designed especially
for young children and also teachers and parents. The author gives a list of software,
websites, and electronic learning toys that are geared for young children. She also gives
descriptions of each one.

Critical Evaluation:
I found this article very helpful to me as a parent and teacher. I’m going to try
some of these websites with my young child to see if they help her in her learning. As a
teacher, these sites, software, and toys can be used in the classroom and a list can be sent
home for students to use at home as well. The author points out in the article that the
sites often include parents, those who home-school, and health-care professionals because
the life of a preschool child is a complex balance of the transition from home to school. I
think the article was good, but the author could have compared more of her findings
about the students using technology to Piaget’s theory.

Western, M., (2009). Learn, create, and inspire to write with tech tools. Illinois Reading
Council Journal, 37(3), 21-26.

Professional Practice Article

Summary:
The article begins by stating that using tech tools can add pizzazz to writing
throughout the curriculum. The projects that are mentioned create higher-level thinking
skills. The author explains that the teacher needs to set mini-goals and deadlines so that
students will not wait until the last minute to try to complete the entire project.
The students have to be “Questioners, Gathers, and Organizers” of information.
They have to be able to evaluate their information, synthesize it, and then report it. For
each phase or job of the project, the author gives helpful sites that students could use.
The author also gives other technology tools that students can use to get their “writing
juices flowing”.

Critical Evaluation:
As a teacher, I find the information in this article very helpful. Students hate
picking up a pencil to write, but put them in front of a computer and they immediately
begin typing. Students love using technology, and as the author says, it will add pizzazz
to their writing. I agree with Western about setting due dates or mini-goals. I am a
procrastinator and find it very helpful to have due dates for smaller portions of work that
build up to the larger project. The due dates help the students that always wait until the
night before the projects due, and then they feel overwhelmed. This article was very
thorough and gave many resources that can be used to add creativity to the writing
curriculum.
Mullen, R., & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the digital abyss: getting started in the
classroom with YouTube, digital stories, and blogs. The Clearing House, 82(2), 66-69.

Professional Practice Article

Summary:
In this article, Mullen and Wedwick discuss how one teacher successfully
integrates technology into her middle school language arts class. They also discuss ways
to close the digital divide between teachers, educational systems, and students.
The teacher uses YouTube in her classroom to show educational videos that
enhance the learning of the topic they are studying. Digital storytelling is another useful
tech tool used in her classroom. Instead of turning in a written report, they digitally
record their script and select pictures to go along with it. The teacher and her students
participate in a class blog. The students write book recommendations, respond, and
discuss current events, and post homework assignments.

Critical Evaluation:
I agree with the authors when they said that being literate today is not only being
able to read and write. Today, students need to know how to download, upload, rip, burn,
chat, save, blog, Skype, IM, and share. As a teacher, I thought the authors give very good
ideas on how to implement some types of technology into the classroom. I will try some
of these ideas in my classroom. The authors did not say if using these types of
technology helped increase test scores.