| Cheryl | I use Internet as a research tool mainly. I use it as a supplementary device, or an enhancement, or just another toolto find the answer. |
| Kevin | I want to be able to get a lot of information in a hurry. |
| Sabra | A research tool, a motivator of new self-directed research projects among my students. A means of communication with other teachers and students. A source of multimedia supports for my units. |
| Ann | Use as a resource and communication tool. I think the answers are still out there to it's extent. |
| Mary | It is here to stay. We will fine tune our needs and adjust our usage accordingly. |
| Jamundse | Personally-- I find it an exciting, time-consuming place to navigate. For my students--I cannot value the net above basic textbooks and instructional materials. They are the basic tools of teachers and students. Those few students who have access have already begun to make the net work for them-- my concern is for those who are being left behind. In my district, the il-to-computer ratio is about 1:70 (Los Angeles Times,July 8, 1996). Until that statistic improves, I think the net will be a nice frill, but certainly no revolutionary instructional tool. |
| Sharon | I expect the students to use the Internet as a learning tool when it is appropriate. It isn't the only method and it is not always the best tool. Use it when it will help you with your research. |
| Coleen | use for our weather project and pen pals |
| Lynelle | Greater understanding and tolerance between culture |
| Lilesn | We expect that it will be an additional learning tool which will enhance the learning environment for the student, particularly in encouraging communication skills and developing and refining research skill. Incorporation of technology skills useful in the work place is also of import. |
| Richard | Its kind of like when the heel was invented, I don't think the person that invented the wheel could have imagined how the invention would shape our world. I don't think we can visualize how the internet and what is going to come after, is going to change our world. Right now our only expectations are to make the students aware of what it is and ways that its being used now. Communications, Research, Info, etc. |
| George, | it's great, and improving |
| Ken | We expect that our students know it is there as a resource and know how to access and use it. |
| Steve | I expect it will get bigger. |
| Michael | a really good interactive library |
| Carla | We are planning to have pen-pals through e-mail. We also use it for a variety of theme studies. |
| Joe | A medium for teachers & kids to get information and publish information |
| Aweitzer | To gather info that can not be found in the classroom. |
| Julie | Hard to answer this one...I'd like to see more availability, but that has to do with our end, the hardware, rather than the internet itself. |
| Katherine | I go with the flow as they say. I just let the projects develop as the year progresses. I do hope to use the Web more for research this year since I have 5th grade. |
| Nelly | High especially as a resource for the teachers. |
| Sandra | What are your expectations regarding the Internet? I expect the internet to have a major part in curriculum in the future. It should truly be a more global learning. |
| Nancy | I don't know, yet. I think it is a wonderful way for teachers to stay current. |
| Brenda | I would like for it not to be censored for elementary grades, but to teach kids responsible use instead. |
| Cmerr | As a librarian/media specialist, I have ":great expectations" (how Dickensian) There is practically nothing I can't find for my clients. |
| Melinda | My own expectations are that the Internet will provide supplemental curriculum activities and resources for our classrooms. |
| Susan | I would like it to be used as a tool to enhance the already powerful teaching in our school. Many of the teachers are beginning to think of it as just another technique for motivation and resources. It fits in perfectly with the integrated lessons and units that our teachers already plan. I want to see all classes with home pages and posting student work. As classes begin to post and give back to the net, they will appreciate it more and feel a real part of the whole process. |
| Klemens | access to all kinds of information, critical approach to the medium internet and the establishment of integral class and school partnerships for working on common projects |
| Janett. | I use it like any other resource tool |
| Toledo | My greatest concern is the disregard for decency on the web. People seem to be offended when the fact that impressionable children are surfing the net is brought to their attention. I feel that Microsoft's attempt to rate web pages is a step in the right direction but much is left undone. |
| Fifth | In our district, the internet is expected to be used as a regular part of teaching, and there is a long-term goal that classroom teachers will eventually become competent (if not necessarily proficient) to integrate such activities into their regular repertoire of instructional devices. They will, of course, utilize the expertise of the computer technologies teachers. |
| Deb | information provider; communication provider |
| Marjorie | To research topics and to publish works |
One of the most difficult questions on the survey was to find out what educators understand of engaged learner. If this was something new, familiar, or unknown. 23 out of the 45 or 51%, could not understand the question. The rest of the answers out of the 49% which are submitted in Table VIII.
| Shelly | authentic, challenging, multi disciplinary tasks, students responsible for their own learning, assessment is generative and ongoing, students are engaged in research and problem solving where there are multiple prespectives and a variety of individual and team solution strategies. |
| Cheryl | Since I just started teaching the summer Fermilab LInC course today and we talked most of the day about engaged learning, this isn't really a fair question at this point. As the media center director, I don't use engaged learning in a classroom setting, with a traditional group of students. However, much of what I do on a one to one basis is a form of engaged learning or problem solving. |
| Kevin | I don't understand the question. Is "engaged learning" new eduspeak? Is it constructivist? Discovery? what? |
| Sabra | Students actively directing and extending their learning |
| Ann | Engaged learning is the way to teach. The students are activelearners working for a reason, not for the teacher. |
| Mary | Do you mean, what do I understand ABOUT engaged learning? This is an essay question that is too lenghty to respond to at this time. |
| Jamundse | Engaged learning" sounds like a new eduspeak term. Please, for an old English teacher, translate into what it means. |
| Sharon | Right now I have been hired by Fermilab to write an engaged learning project for NCREL You might say that I am very informed about engaged learning and structure my class around the practice. With highly gifted students it is a must. |
| Heather | I consider engaged learning to be hands on interactive learning. |
| Lilesn | Being actively involved in the learning process; the teacher as facilitator rather than dispenser of knowledge. |
| Jack, | I don't know. When a student is engaged they are engaged! However, when a student is engaged, fully engaged in a project, learning is taking place. You better believe it! |
| Carla | Students are actively involved in the process |
| Aweitzer | Probably the best type of learning. |
| Julie | I'm not certain of the term, but I imagine it involves the person learning is interactive with the "teacher," who or what ever it might be. |
| Melinda | Not being a classroom teacher, I can't really comment on this question, other than that the term seems to refer to interactive, participatory learning. |
| Susan | Students must be engaged in their learning for it to stick! Participation is important as students learn to process information and have it become a part of their knowledge base. |
| Fifth | You need to specify your meaning. "Engaged Learning" is not unique to educational technologies. In fact, it is --generally -- the topic of most educational research that is done in the broad domain of learning theories. |
The question concerning the reliability of the Internet results brought a variety of responses. 38% or 17 out of 45, answered "no." 16% were concerned with the validity of the results, depending on the origin of the source. The rest 46%, believed that teaching students to be critical thinkers is a mechanism for life. Individual comments concerning teaching students about the importance of validity are given in Table IX.
| Shelly | no, it gives students an opportunity to decide on the reliability of the information. |
| Cheryl | I have to teach the students to evaluate the sources they find. Students need to be aware of the credibility of the source of the page they are looking at. There is junk and really reliable information out there sitting side by side. |
| Kevin | NO. Students must be able to evaluate information. That is what life is about. |
| Sabra | Yes. Even as my level, 2nd grade, I caution the children to evaluate the reliability of their sources and the accuracy of the information. Even though the "Power Rangers" have a web site, the "Power Rangers" are fictional; they are not real. Could someone say they are somebody they are not? Yes. Some of the things on the web site read like facts, but we know better. I ask could someone put something on the Web that's not true? Yes. Another possibility is: Could somebody make mistakes and have these on the Web? Yes. |
| Ann | Not yet, I am concerned about the trash that is out there and continues to be allowed on the net. But how to stop this, less censorship, is beyond me |
| Mary | As educators we must teach our students to think about all information received. The reliability of the Internet is equal to that of the newspaper or TV. We must have a discerning eye and hear to what we believe as truth or fiction. |
| Jamundse | Certainly. Anyone can set up a web site and become an instant expert in whatever field. There is no filtering mechanism to sort out the players. So I would always caution students to be aware of this fact. |
| Sarah | Yes, are they valid? |
| Sharon | Everything on the net has to be evaluated as to its credibility. What better way to teach students to be critical thinkers. |
| Lilesn | Used within the classroom setting, the reliability level should be comparable to print materials. |
| George, | yeah, but not all that much. |
| Jack, | Slightly, but things are getting better all the time. Speed is my main concern. If we, at the school and district level can speed up the whole process--faster machine, faster connections, the kids will but into it more. |
| Steve | You have judge the sites the same way you would judge printed material or multimedia materials. Teaching the evaluation process is part of teaching. |
| Michael | if you mean the quality of the data . we teach the students to evaluate the sources |
| Joe | Reliability....Authority...good questions for any medium |
| Aweitzer | No, I tell my students that just because it is on TV, radio, written in newspapers, or on the net it could be incorrect. |
| Julie | not too much...I've always found it of be credible. |
| Nelly | The source is important. Some fact must be taken with a grain of salt. |
| Sandra | You just need to teach the children that they cannot rely on one source. If they want to validate, they need to check several sources. They need to be trained that the information on the internet may not be reliable. That's part of the learning process. |
| Brenda | I think that's an important skill to teach - just because it's there doesn't mean it's good info. |
| Melinda | Yes, I am concerned about the reliability of WWW. It would be very easy to pass off fraudulent material as valid. I usually recommend well established sites of known company names or university sponsored sites. |
| Ryeneck | no more than I'm concerned about accuracy in any medium. so far there's a lot more honesty on the net than on commercial tv and radio |
| Susan | Judging reliability of a resource can be taught and is an important skill for students to learn. Checking for the source is important and even more so on the net. We just have to question and double check. |
| Fifth | Again, please specify meaning. If you are referring to the accuracy and reliability of information, then the answer is yes. Particularly since anyone can post anything on the internet, you lose the credibility of juried and peer-reviewed scrutiny regarding accuracy, methodological stringency and rigor, and interpretative objectivity. These concerns apply to advanced as well as K-12 level research. By the way, some of these criticisms also apply to Eric documents. |
| Deb | Not really. I teach 5th grade, and I encourage kids to think about the validity about all of their resources. |
One of the rewarding answers to the survey was to find out how much time students were involved with computers. 89% of the educators responding to the survey use computers and Internet resources on a daily basis. For 5 out of the 45 of the responders this question did not have a valid respond. Table X, gives some individual comments.
| Shelly | its totally integrated | Cheryl | I was amazed last year at how much time I spent on Internet. The connection was up and running a lot of the time--and the amount of time grew through the year as the word spread that we had the connection. |
| Sabra | This year it will increase. I will have one computer project with a product a week. The students will have at least 30 minutes access to computers a day. |
| Ann | I'd love to have internet hook up in my classroom. At this point we are lucky to have a computer. We go to computer lab 2 times per week for 45 min. sessions. Students may use lab as reward or for resource with the LMC directors help at other times. I think this is not enough, but as with everything else, money is not there. |
| Mary | Presently about 20% I hope to increase that amount |
| Jamundse | My room is "technologically rich" (because I have been writing--and getting-- grants since the mid 80's) so I tend to involve technology in at least 50% of class activities (word processing, using CD-ROMs for info gathering, creating hyper media projects, creating web pages, etc.) But I must say that my classroom is the rare exception, rather than the rule in my district. |
| Ellen | As I mainly teaching Computing I use it a lot. Varying from 10% to 90% of class time depending on what we are doing. |
| Sarah | Two hours a week |
| Sharon | I have two computers in my classroom and a mac lab in the adjacent learning center. My students word process their written work, use the BBS to communicate with others, and use the Internet and CD-roms for research. It is integrated within my curriculum and not necessarily taught as a separate entity. |
| Coleen | 1 hour each week |
| Lynelle | Used every day during class time. |
| Heather | Because of this, I try to get my students on the computers at least 1 1/2 hours a week. |
| Lilesn | Language Arts classes: 30 % Computer Classes: 90 % |
| George, | few hours a day |
| Jack, | All of it |
| Ken | Not as much as I'd like. Maybe 3-4 hours per week. |
| Steve | I am involved all day long using technology in the library information center. |
| Michael | daily |
| Beverly | I am the Technology coordinator so I spend most of my time integrating technology into the present curriculum. |
| Carla | at least an hour a day |
| Aweitzer | Over the last two years I have been able to acquire a computer for each of my students o use in my class, and in fact I have over 100 donated computers, so the answeris at least an hour a day. The computers were donated by companies in the Pittsburgh area. I worked after school and in the summer fixing them. |
| Julie | In each classroom there is one computer (not attached to internet). Take 25 or so kids with one computer....I'd actually like to use it more than is done right now (most teachers use it an hour or so a day |
| Katherine | We check our mail everyday and write email. The students had lots of key-pals last year. By the end of the year kids were bringing in URL's and wanted to check out sites. We used it some for research but not as much as I would like. Not enough time in the day to do everything I would like. |
| Sandra | At least a couple of times a week. It's integrated into the curriculum. |
| Nancy | I am the computer teacher. All students K-5 come to me for 45 minutes/week. I also spend at least one addition hour per week per classroom helping teachers figure out how to integrate technology into the curriculum. |
| Brenda | As much as possible - we integrate it into the curriculum. |
| Cmerr | Library/media center is in use throughout the day. |
| Melinda | As library personnel, I would estimate that about 1/3 of my time is spent using technology with small groups of students. |
| Ryeneck | I'm an English teacher in real life. I don't use technology in my classroom, but I expect my kids to be able to do on-line research and to word process. |
| Susan | I model lessons in classrooms and I try to use some form of technology in each unit that I plan. The time varies, but usually there is a center set up, so students get some time at the computer during the week and they may also see a demonstration using the big screen or resources on the Internet. |
| Klemens | 1 - 2 hours a week, depending on grade |
| Janett | We spend approximately 4 hours a week |
| Toledo | All the time (7hrs) I'm the computer lab teacher. |
| Fifth | I'm the computer teacher. I spend all my time using it! I would generalize that most teachers spend 0.5 -1.0 hours/weekly in the computer lab, Also, each teacher has a classroom computer system, most of which are used regularly during the day, which increases the contact-time the children have with the computers in the course of their schooling. |
| Deb | Kids are on all school day (one at a time or two at a time-- one computer); one class lesson per day on the 'net or with the word processor, and always integrated with what I'm teaching. |
| Marjorie | 8 stations are available an hour and a half |