A Visit to the Springdale School System in 2012

By John I. Wilson
NEA Executive Director

The National Education Association (NEA) welcomes the opportunity to offer our vision of the future for education technology. We commend the Department of Commerce for initiating this thought-provoking exercise.

We are not here as technologists or futurists, but as educators. Our goal is not so much to define the intricacies of technological developments or their future evolutions, but to explore the potential outcomes and opportunities for our students.

In theory, technology offers endless possibilities to enhance the educational experience. Educational technology can offer students expanded academic opportunities as well as critical employment skills necessary for entering the workforce of the global economy. Technology may have the potential to transform from a goal to a reality the ideal that every child will succeed academically. In practice, however, what we do in the present will define our future. And, as in space travel and medicine, technological advances in education will require major national commitment and resources.

The Vision: A Visit to the Springdale School System in 2012

By the next decade, technology could bring students to exciting new worlds, enhance teaching and learning strategies, and facilitate effective parental involvement. Twenty-four hour access and pervasive technology will be the norm. Students will require both technological fluency, and whole new levels of media literacy skills. Educational employees will have a vast array of tools to tap the potential of every child, but will also face the significant challenge of managing these new responsibilities.

For example, on a typical day in the year 2012 in Springdale U.S.A…

Students find new ways to study content and develop analytical skills: Ms. Fuentes and Mr. Jackson are debriefing her students on their virtual participation in historical events. In Ms. Fuentes’ class Joshua and Alice have just finished participating in the founding fathers’ debate over the approach to states rights in the founding of the Constitution. The opportunity to question Jefferson and Hamilton has given them much to contemplate on how to develop national unity and which decisions are best made at the state versus the national level. In Mr. Jackson’s class Nathan and Jennifer are reflecting on their experiences on the virtual Underground Railroad. Jennifer, as a run-away slave, and Nathan, as a provider on the Underground Railroad, faced complex moral and practical dilemmas. Cynthia is sharing her perspective from a fascinating biography of Harriet Tubman she borrowed from the school library.

Educators use technology to inform and improve their approach to individual students: Mr. Jackson and the technical support staff are reviewing technology requirements for each first grade student to meet his/her needs and learning style. They fine-tune the technology for Lamar and Teresa to ensure their dyslexia doesn't slow their progress in reading. They also look at how the software they ordered has helped Timmy and Lee learn to better organize and synthesize their ideas. They note that Janey's articulation skills have improved significantly since technology has helped her better understand verbal communications. They also agree that she would benefit from a shift in her schedule allowing for more classroom discussion time and fewer hours working alone on her digital portfolio.

At the same time, across the hall, Ms. Alfonso is spending her daily two hours of planning time reviewing the regular digital diagnostic assessment from each of her student's work and crafting approaches to help each of them. Her feedback tools indicate that a new approach is helping Darren understand multiplication better, but exponents still seem to be a problem. Ms. Alfonso is working with colleagues to identify the best way to help Darren with this lingering problem. The feedback also shows that the program allowing students to virtually build and touch three-dimensional objects appears to be helping Jennifer’s understanding of geometry, and allowing her to study solid geometry at a relatively young age. Ms. Alfonso begins studying some new tools recommended by her technical support staff person that might work particularly well with Jennifer.

Students with disabilities find instruction fully accessible: Stephen is working in a small group searching the Internet for background about human cells. Although he is blind, voice description software allows him to participate fully alongside his sighted classmates. Another class down the hall is watching a video about Abraham Lincoln’s life. Even though Denise is severely hearing impaired, she easily follows the video through embedded captioning and sign language interpretation. Stephen and Denise’s teachers know their textbooks and instructional materials are fully accessible for all of their students – even those with significant disabilities.

Classes thousands of miles apart learn together: Ms. Ginsburg is co-teaching a bilingual course with Ms. Blanchi in Poitiers, France. Every morning the two groups learn together in a technology-connected bilingual classroom. Many of the students continue conversations after school with their transatlantic classmates. Because the students have participated in this program since the early grades, it is often difficult to distinguish between the French and American students.

Schools find new ways to ensure safety and discipline: Down the hall Tracey and her parents are meeting with Assistant Principal Grabowski. Tracey has had a series of discipline problems in school and had been caught through the school's ubiquitous, seamless screening mechanisms with a knife. As a result, Tracey has been attending school through an alternative virtual school program, which ensures she maintains her academic program while receiving counseling to return to the physical school setting. Tracey has been maintaining her grades, regularly meeting with her counselor, and performing her community service requirements. While she has kept up academically, she believes she would be happier now back in the physical school setting, and they are developing a plan for her return

Educators and students explore new strategies for learning: Mr. Parsons is having a conference with Melissa's parents, who had been concerned about her decision to take physics. Their own experiences with high school physics years ago had proved frustrating, as neither were terribly good at abstract spatial relations. When Mr. Parsons demonstrates the simulation software and virtual reality techniques he uses, they understand Melissa's success. Mr. Parsons also shows Melissa’s parents how 24-hour wireless access to the technology and materials lets Melissa revisit concepts at a time and pace that best suit her. Melissa's parents think about taking a physics class themselves, with the new tools now available.

Mr. Jhori is using a 3-D printer to instruct his earth science course. Students utilize special software that digitally slices a 3-D model into hundreds of cross-sections. Each section is printed using starch- or plaster-based powder and a binding chemical, piling the layers atop one another until the object takes shape. In two hours, the students create a full-color, 3-D model of the earth.

Home and school connect: Mr. Monopolis is finishing up a conversation with Jessica's mother. He has noticed that Jessica appears distracted in class and her work shows a lack of concentration. Jessica's grandmother is ill, and the family may have to travel to a neighboring state to see her. Jessica is worried about her grandmother, as well as about falling behind in schoolwork and not seeing her friends. Mr. Monopolis is outlining for Jessica's mom how she can attend school through wireless video conferencing while she is away, and even visit with her classmates during lunch break. The materials already online describe what the class is studying this semester, and Jessica's parents plan to review it in more depth so they can monitor Jessica's work while they are out of town. They also plan to communicate regularly with her teachers.

Students and educators explore new worlds: Guidance counselor Dawn Williams is going over Kim’s workstudy project. Kim plans to study biochemistry in college and wanted to work with a team at a pharmaceutical company as a workstudy project. Although there are no pharmaceutical companies based in Springdale, Ms. Williams was able to establish a virtual internship with a pharmaceutical company downstate. While Kim hopes to make a couple of actual trips to meet with her new colleagues, technology will allow them to work together "shoulder to shoulder" on a daily basis.

Mr. Jenkins' class has been doing research on the Basque independence movement. The technology they wear allows them to access new resources and information from around the world at any time, but some have become discouraged by the enormous amount of information available. Mr. Jenkins is helping them navigate through the materials they have found to identify the most reliable and insightful resources. He coaches them on their responsibilities regarding the use of materials created by others, and how to best publish and present their own findings. Among the best resources are forums allowing conversations with actual Basque citizens that allow the students to grasp the nature of the dispute and the issues to be resolved. Virtual tours of the region have also helped them understand how even the topography of the region affects the political situation.

Ms. DeMarco and Juan are reviewing opportunities for a specialized course on medieval architecture – a subject he became interested in last year when he joined a virtual construction project with a group of international students. While Springdale doesn't have a course on this exact topic, Juan is considering a course offered by his state, as well a course provided through European Economic Community Schools. Ms. DeMarco is helping him research which course would best serve his curricular needs and learning style.

New students have help integrating into the school: Ibrahim has just moved from across the country to Springdale and is getting settled in his new school. All of his records and the electronic portfolio of all his work have followed him to his new school. His new teachers are meeting to review his work, see the electronic comments and reports of his former teachers, and learn what approaches and technologies appear to best suit his learning style. They have had video meetings with some of his former teachers, and now they will begin to prepare his individual learning program. While teachers expect him to assimilate socially, he has opted to remain in his former school's technology club through virtual contact for the next few months.

Su Cho has just transferred to the school from Seoul, South Korea. Portable technology that instantly translates verbal and written communications between English and Korean is helping her keep pace in her courses while facilitating her learning of English. The software also translates materials from her former school for her teachers in Springdale. While time differences make conferencing difficult, the Springdale teachers and the Seoul instructors have been able to communicate asynchronously and, with the help of translating software, to facilitate Su Cho’s assimilation into her new school site.

Educators enhance their skills: Mr. Sandoval is using his weekly three hours of professional development to take an online course on new technologies to assist physically impaired students. While he has studied this area before, the constant technological breakthroughs necessitate regular updates of his knowledge and skills.

Ms. Chen is video-chatting with one of her mentors on the West Coast. They're reviewing videos of her classroom activities, and her peer mentor, Mr. Barry, is sharing some tips and advice with her. Ms. Chen has found her first year of teaching stressful, but the guidance of mentors, both in her school and in other locations, has proven invaluable. She has found Mr. Barry particularly helpful because he is an effective teacher whose instructional style is similar to hers. The extra time they are both allotted for this interaction and reflection improves both their capabilities as educators.

Making the Vision a Reality

Much of this exciting vision rests not on new technologies, but on applying existing technologies fully to improve the academic experience and performance of every student. Yet, even applying existing technology in this manner will require considerable commitment and resources.

For example, the Springdale experience outlined above assumes modern, well-equipped schools, well-trained teachers and support professionals, small class sizes, ample teacher planning and preparation time, and families with access to technology at home.

Unfortunately, the presence and use of technology in our schools is sporadic. While some schools are saturated with technology, others have a sparse, isolated technological presence. In some schools, teachers have technology mentors to explore the panoply of tools and resources and apply them to individual students. In others, teachers remain overwhelmed and unaided. In some schools, educators and support professionals have time to plan and collaborate to devise the best use of technology to impact student achievement. In others, such planning is done in isolation in the wee hours of the morning or on the commute into work.

In addition, some students go home to state-of-the art technology and have 24-hour access to technology via hand held devices, while others may not even have a phone at home. According to a 2001 report by this Department, students from the lowest income families are 10 times more likely to have their technology access limited to school than their highest income peers.  Unless students and  parents can access technology beyond the school day, their ability to benefit from the exciting technological advances imagined above will be severely limited.

In the Springdale example, Ms. Fuentes and Ms. Ginsburg’s students will have a very different experience in 2012 if Springdale schools lack extensive technology and the resources and library materials are decades out of date. Mr. Jackson and Ms. Alfonso will be unable to provide individualized strategies tailored to specific students if they have 30 students in a class and no preparation or planning time. Melissa and Jessica will be left behind if their families can’t afford a computer at home, or their parents don’t have the time or the skills to help them use the technology. Mr. Sandoval’s physically challenged students won’t have the benefit of the latest technological supports if he doesn’t have access to quality, ongoing professional development. Ms. Chen will have a difficult first year, and perhaps, will even consider leaving the teaching profession.

Finally, none of this vision will be possible if tomorrow’s teachers do not receive the training they need today. The most critical element in technology use is the preparedness and skill level of those who employ it. Therefore, we must focus resources and technological training on teacher education institutions, which today are among the last to receive state of the art technology. Too often, educators are being equipped to teach 21st century students with 19th century tools.

Education technology offers vast new capacities to tap into every child's potential, but the planning and crafting for such endeavors is significant. Educators who use technology extensively are exhilarated by its potential, yet exhausted by its demands. We must commit the resources to ensure that technology becomes an effective tool to help all students excel.

Christa McAuliffe articulated the enthusiasm of all teachers when she explained: "We touch the future, we teach."  We now all have the opportunity to "touch the future” by committing our nation's technological expertise, limitless imagination, and energy to empowering America's teachers and students.