Running

Head: TECHNOLOGY PLANNING

Technology Planning
Virginia E. Rogers
Iowa State University

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Technology Planning

Traditionally, education is founded in the teacher being the sole source of

knowledge for students. Reality contrasts this archaic teaching model. When
students are in control of their learning or even have a sense of being in control, the
outcomes prove much greater (Hattie, 2009, p. 48). During my elective course
entitled The New Literacies I was able to experience student control first hand. Dr.
Hutchinson showed us a new way to learn and produce work. The piece of evidence
I have selected for artifact #1 is my final project from that course. This very
unorthodox account of my conclusions about new literacies not only showcases
what technology transformation looks like, but it also shows what happens when
students are in control of their own learning. This was the first time in a long time
where I felt especially connected to what I was learning. Technology integration is
not about the technology itself, but it is more importantly about how technology
changes the way students and teachers both think and learn. If we do not recognize
that our students think and learn differently than in the past, we are not providing
our students with the necessary skills to be literate in this century.
Classroom
It is ten minutes into class and the students are released from their desks to
search, explore, and make art on their own, authentic art. This is the guiding
principal behind my teaching philosophy. It is a nationally recognized approach to
teaching art called Teaching Artistic Behavior. The foundation of TAB is to focus on
offering students choices that allow them to respond to their own ideas and interest
through art making (Teaching for Artistic Behavior, 2015). It shifts the focus from

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teacher directed learning to purely student directed work. I am the cruise ship
captain that facilitates the students during their choice time. It is difficult to manage
30 students working on 30 different projects or subject matters. I rely heavily on the
use of technology and the Internet. Most of the technology planning in my classroom
is based on teaching students how to navigate, search, and share online. These skills
allow the students to be completely self-directed during their art time.
To promote student autonomy, all aspects of teaching and learning are
examined through the lens of transformation (Jaquith & Hathaway, 2012, p. 2). A
strong connection can be made from TAB art to new literacies. Teaching artistic
behavior has allowed me to truly facilitate innovation. Along with instructing
students how to navigate the in this digital age, I also give them choice options that
involve paradigm cases of new literacies. Lankshear and Knobel (2014) refer to
these examples as cases that differ from conventional reading and writing literacies.
These include photo curating and sharing, building apps and games, creating
animations, designing web pages, to name just a few. My students are excited about
coming to class so that they can direct their own learning. They get to explore many
different types of art and that allows them to hone in on what is truly important to
them.
Building
In the last three years, I have been co-creating a program in our building that
ensures that all students receive instruction whether or not it is in the traditional
classroom. We call this program Distance Learning. Distance education programs
involve teaching students out of the classroom. We harness the use of technology to

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remotely engage these students in their learning. Research shows that there is no
difference in outcomes whether a student is in class or at a distance (Hattie, 2009, p.
232). With a building that serves 100% free lunch, 40% ELL, and 80% minority
students, it is safe to say that we have our hands full. Many of our students require
intensive socio-emotional care and often find it difficult to be successful in a
traditional classroom due to factors such as class size, instruction strategies,
teacher/student relationships, etc.
According to Hattie, (2009) Behavior interventions prove to be 76% effective
where non-behavioral interventions, such as suspension, are only 35% effective.
When a student is continuously disruptive in a classroom the administrative team
can remove the student from that room and place them in the Distance Learning
classroom. There is a behavior interventionist that works specifically with these
students to work on socio-emotional skills, expectations, and all while delivering
classroom content. Research also indicates that in school and out of school
suspension serves as a short-term response with no known benefit except relieving
the school of the behavior problem (Parrett & Budge, 2012, p. 108). This program
ensures that the student is not able to disrupt other students learning, but still gives
the student the opportunity to learn and in a transformative fashion.
District
Teacher efficacy is among one of the most important aspects of building a
successful learning environment. According to Marzano (2003), teacher efficacy is
grounded in the teachers perception that they are able to cause change in their
schools (p.62). In order to make this happen teachers must feel like they are a

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valued part of making climate and culture decisions for their own school and
district. For the last two years I have been serving as the secondary art PLC
(professional learning community) facilitator along with two other members of my
team. Through this job, we are able to design PD (professional development) that
builds creative capacity in our art teachers and with that capacity comes showing
other art teachers how they can use technology in their classroom to transform their
current teaching. Marzano (2003) also contends that meaningful professional
development is another main component of impacting student achievement (p.65).
We have gone from a purely sit and get style learning to a more hands-on
approach that includes technology infused right into the instruction. By exposing
teachers to new literacies they are able to walk away from each session with
techniques, strategies, and lessons that can immediately be translated into their
own instruction.
Conclusion

How do you know if the technology is impacting learning? It very well may

not be. According to a meta-analysis on computer-assisted instruction, computers

can increase learning, but it is ultimately the how that determines the
effectiveness (Hattie, 2009, p. 221). It is not the device, the tool, or nor the
technology that increases the instruction, it is how the teacher implements the
technology. This is a hard concept to grasp. Many people think that if you just drop
technology into the classroom the instruction will improve. In my building, my
classroom, and my district I am striving to create learning opportunities where

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everyone understands the difference between implementing technology to
transform learning and implementing technology for technologies sake.

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References

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to

achievement. London: Routledge.

Knobel, M., & Lankshear, C. (n.d.). Studying new literacies. Journal of Adolescent &

Adult Literacy, 97-101.

Jaquith, D., & Hathaway, N. (2012). The learner directed classroom: Developing
creative thinking through art. New York, NY.: Teachers College Press.

Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action.

Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.

Parrett, W., & Budge, K. (2012). Turning high-poverty schools into high-performing

schools. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.

Teaching for Artistic Behavior. (2015, January 1). Retrieved February 14, 2015,

from http://teachingforartisticbehavior.org