Incorporating Technology Into Classroom Curriculum

Does Technology Scare You? You're not alone. Millions of people have never sat at a computer much less surfed the Internet. But while some people may be able to avoid the use of technology in their daily lives, for educators, it's unavoidable. Technology promises to be an integral part of school curriculum in the 21st century. The real question is how can you harness these resources and bring them into the classroom.

Your first stop in looking for resources should be 21st Century Teachers. This volunteer initiative plans to recruit 100,000 teachers committed to working with their colleagues to develop effective, innovative approaches to using technology in the classroom. The 21^st Century Teachers website has a wealth of information about teacher networks and an electronic bulletin board for educators to post messages and share information.

21^st Century Teachers also has the support of a number of educational sponsors including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), National Council for Accrediting of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the National Education Association (NEA). These sponsors promise to support 21^st Century Teachers by publishing information on necessary technological skills for teachers, promoting professional development courses in technology, and developing curriculum that uses advanced technologies.

The White House is another valuable resource for educators. Under the President's Educational Technology Initiative, the President hopes to have every school and library connected to the Internet by the year 2000. As part of that initiative, the President funds ERIC, the Educational Resources Information Clearing House. On the ERIC website, Educators can submit questions on technology issues and review the latest information on technology classroom initiatives.

The Department of Education has also taken an active role furthering technology in the classroom. Through its Technology Summer 1997 program, the Department has compiled a database of technology seminars and workshops offered throughout the country for teachers. The Department is also sponsoring a Technology Literacy Challenge. Grants are available for state educational agencies that demonstrate how their state uses technology in the classroom.

Educational organizations are another source of technology curriculum programs. The National Education Association (NEA) is coordinating a series of teacher training sessions on the use of computers and the internet. Based on a partnership with US West Foundation, 4,000 teachers in 14 states will have access to the training. These teachers have committed to sharing their knowledge with other teachers in their school districts. In November 1997, the National School Boards Association is hosting the Annual Technology and Learning Conference. The conference will bring together educators and technology specialists from across the country to discuss how to implement effective uses of technology in the classroom. In a joint effort, the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education has teamed up with the Microsoft Corporation to sponsor a professional development program known as the Road Ahead. With grants from the program, twenty-two teams of educators, administrators, and community leaders will learn about multimedia technologies and internetworking. The teams will share their knowledge with the local school districts and help to reshape school curriculum to include technology.

Article by C.M. Gallagher
Education World™
Copyright © 1997 Education World™

For more information about Technology Initiatives in Education,
visit these related websites:

• Web66 A project of the University of Minnesota, College of Education & Human Development, to share technology information with educators and help educators to integrate the internet into course curriculum.
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 1787 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97403-1923 USA
  Phone: 541/346-4414 Fax: 541/346-5890
  Email: iste@oregon.uoregon.edu
• FCC LearnNet FCC website providing information on policy and education initiatives
• National Education Technology Initiative Nonprofit organization founded to raise money to purchase computers for public schools.
• Teacher's Corner Sponsored by Intel Corporation, promotes technology literacy of educators
• Learning Tomorrow Program Sponsored by NFIE, promotes effective use of technology by teachers

Curriculum Sites Incorporating The Internet:

• Tales From the Electronic Frontier The stories of ten teachers trying to integrate the internet into their classrooms
• Instructional Technology Development Center Information and assistance to incorporate Internet resources into the curriculum
• Classroom Connect Resource station with a wealth of educational topics and curriculum guides

Related Studies:

• National Standards for Technology in Teacher Preparation: ISTE Accreditation and Standards Committee, International Society for Technology in Education.
• Teachers Take Charge of Their Learning, National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1996.
• Goals 2000: A Progress Report, U.S. Department of Education, Fall 1996.
• Report on the Effectiveness of Technology in Schools, 95-96, Software Publishers Association, November 1995.
• Reinventing Schools: The Technology Is Now, National Academy Press, 1995.

07/11/97