Tech-Know-Build Challenge Grant: Facilitating Problem-Based Technology Integration

1. Tech-Know-Build Challenge Grant: Facilitating Problem-Based Technology Integration Kathleen KeckKathleen Steele Crawfordsville Community SchoolsCrawfordsville, IN Peggy A. ErtmerJames D. Lehman Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN

2. Background

3. Changing Times • Indiana is a mostly blue-collar state, and in the past higher education has not always been a high priority. • But, the digital age is upon us, and there is a need for a more educated workforce capable of lifelong learning and problem-solving. Tech-Know-Build

4. Changing Pedagogy • To meet changing demands, students need to be problem-solvers to contribute to the new economy in a global society. • Changing expectations require new instructional approaches. • Student-centered education is needed to meet 21st-century needs. Tech-Know-Build

5. Student-Centered Approaches • Problem-based learning • emphasizes student engagement with ill-structured problems • Project-based learning • usually involves students in a specific project or development of a specific product • Approaches are often very similar, and we do not draw distinctions for our project. Tech-Know-Build

6. Problem/Project-Based Learning • Situated learning in realistic contexts • Meaningful problems / projects • Anchor curriculum • Student inquiry and usually product creation • Authentic use of tools (technology) Tech-Know-Build

7. Characteristics • Overarching driving question or problem • Student-selected specific questions • Student investigations yielding artifacts • Collaboration • Summary/communication of findings Tech-Know-Build

8. Role of Technology • Generally not the focus of direct instruction but an authentic tool for • Acquiring relevant information • Gathering and manipulating data • Producing and presenting a culminating presentation, often in multimedia format Tech-Know-Build

9. TKB Project

10. Tech-Know-Build • 5-year Technology Innovation Challenge grant • Focused on development and implementation of PBL curriculum • Targeted mainly at sixth grade teachers • Incorporating portable technologies, electronic mentoring, electronic links among partners Tech-Know-Build

11. Tech-Know-Build • Partners • Crawfordsville Community Schools • Indianapolis Public Schools • Purdue University • Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) • Corporate partners Tech-Know-Build

12. Goals of TKB • Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed for success in the 21st century • Implement a learner-centered problem-based curriculum Tech-Know-Build

13. Objectives of TKB • Create a consortium of teachers, administrators, pre-service teachers, and community leaders • Develop and implement a professional development program focused on learner-centered and problem-based approaches • Create and implement a learner-centered and problem-based curriculum utilizing portable technology Tech-Know-Build

14. Objectives continued • Create a network of electronic mentors for students and teachers • Equip students and teachers with computer hardware, software, and Internet access • Provide technology training to parents and community members and develop linkages to university computing resources Tech-Know-Build

15. Professional Development

16. Professional Development Needs • School-based • Focused on student learning • Embedded in teachers’ daily lives • Collaborative • Coaching and follow-up Tech-Know-Build

17. Teacher Development • Initial professional development activity was an on-site, semester-long course for 24 middle and high school teachers in the fall of 2000. • Goals were to: • Promote understanding of PBL • Facilitate development of technology skills • Support teachers’ development and use of PBL activities incorporating technology Tech-Know-Build

18. PBL Initiation • 2-day modeling activity • 24 teachers • 18 students (grades 6-12) • 6 preservice teachers • Provided first-hand experience with PBL • Understand the process • Experience changing roles • Use technology as a supporting tool Tech-Know-Build

19. 2000 PBL Modeling Activity • Driving question • What’s in our water, why is it there, and what does it mean to us? Tech-Know-Build

20. Identifying Investigations • Mixed teams brainstormed possible investigation topics related to the driving question.

21. Planning • Teams planned and conducted their own investigations.

22. Using Technology • Technology was used as a supporting tool.

23. Presentations • As a culminating activity, teams produced multimedia presentations of their investigations. • Example Tech-Know-Build

24. Grade 6-12 Students Pre-service Teachers In-service Teachers StronglyAgree StronglyDisagree Agree Disagree Undecided Outcomes Likert-type Evaluation Items Tech-Know-Build

25. Grade 6-12 Students Pre-service Teachers In-service Teachers Outcomes Semantic Differential Evaluation Items Tech-Know-Build

26. Outcomes • Responses to open-ended items indicated participants: • Liked working with others and learning to use technology • Felt they learned content, information about the community, and how to use technology • Used words like fun, interesting, exciting, and worthwhile to describe the activity Tech-Know-Build

27. History of the Crawfordsville Laptop Program • Spring 1997 – Dr. Glenn, Superintendent, attended the AAL summit in Atlanta • Summer 1997 – purchased laptops for all middle school teachers and some others • Summer 1998 – purchased 225 laptops for students and remaining high school teachers • Summer 1999– purchased 170 laptops for students and all elementary teachers • Summer 2000 – purchased 245 laptops for students • Now all middle school students are issued a computer Tech-Know-Build

28. Anywhere Anytime Learning Vision – to have a laptop for every student and teacher Implementation – in stages 1st teachers 2nd students Tech-Know-Build

29. Teacher Development • Teachers’ laptop agreement • Twenty hours of training • in house, or • Purdue class beginning Spring ‘98 • Proficiency demonstration – projects • Sharing expertise with others • Own laptop after four years Tech-Know-Build

30. Fall 2000 Follow-up Course • Extension of on-going professional development involving school and university cooperation • Tailor-made to support integration of technology within problem-based context Tech-Know-Build

31. Course Activities • PBL and other mini-activities • Spreadsheet activity about 2000 Olympics • Webquest on website evaluation • Online discussion board • Multimedia project on 20th century history • Final teacher-developed PBL units Tech-Know-Build

32. Teachers’ Final PBL Units • Why care about rain forest deforestation? • What makes something strong? • What good is math and science? • What makes the good life? • What is conformity? • What would it be like to live off planet Earth? See unit See unit Tech-Know-Build

33. Implementation of Projects

34. Project Implementation • Teachers implemented project with their classes during the spring of 2001. • As a culminating activity, the school held a Project Fair at the end of the school year at which students and teachers presented project information to parents and the public. Tech-Know-Build

35. Student Projects • Here, middle school students worked on a project related to the rain forest. Tech-Know-Build

36. Technology Use • Students used various technologies including computers and video. Tech-Know-Build

37. PBL Unit Implementation • 65% of teachers implemented their units • All agreed that the students learned a lot • 86% agreed that students enjoyed the unit (based on 7 survey respondents) • 86% agreed that they would try it again, with some modification (based on 7 survey respondents) Tech-Know-Build

38. Strengths • Driving question provided a good focus • Students did a good job gathering and presenting information • Students were interested in the investigations they chose to pursue Tech-Know-Build

39. Challenges • Time • Equipment and facilities • Grouping strategies • Staying focused on driving question • Linking investigations to standards • Assessment Tech-Know-Build

40. Impact on Student Learning • Content learning • Technology skills • Working in a group Tech-Know-Build

41. Sample Student Products • Research papers • The Colonization of Mars: Is it Possible? • The SETI Institute: Is it Worth It? • Pondering the Fourth Dimension • Posters • Video • Presentations See example See example See example Tech-Know-Build

42. What Have We Learned?

43. Conclusions • PBL - promising approach to developing students’ problem-solving skills • Technology can play a critical role • Students gain content knowledge, technology skills, and abilities to work cooperatively Tech-Know-Build

44. Conclusions • Modeling is an effective way to help teachers understand PBL, gain confidence, and learn new approaches • While PBL can provide many rewards for teachers, it can also be challenging • Follow-up and support is essential for effective professional development Tech-Know-Build

45. Questions Tech-Know-Build

46. For more information • http://research.soe.purdue.edu/challenge/ • kkeck@cville.k12.in.us • pertmer@purdue.edu • lehman@purdue.edu • ksteele@cville.k12.in.us Tech-Know-Build