Ashburn and Floden - Chapter 8

I am glad that I chose this chapter from the text. I actually thought it was one of the most important chapters in the text. It made me think a lot about the levels of technology understanding and what the district can do to help facilitate MLT.

Three levels of proficiency:

Mechanical – superficial understanding, teacher follows steps only, no experimenting
Meaningful – gain awareness of how the technology works but not creativity in using it
Generative – deep understanding of new technology, using it in new and creative ways

No matter what technology we learn, we all start out at the mechanical level. The more we use technology, we move to the other levels - meaningful and generative. The generative level is certainly the goal. It is at that level that the user is controlling the technology for his own purposes.


These three levels seem to correspond to teaching with technology - five stages of evolution:


Entry stage – mechanical understanding, problems with discipline, resource management, frustration.

Adoption stage – more fluency and awareness of technology’s functions

Adaption stage – technology incorporated into teaching, improved efficiency, changes in student learning and engagement. It seems that this stage corresponds to the meaningful level of proficiency.

Appropriation and Invention stages – generative knowledge, new instructional patterns, creative uses of technology.

It is the hope that teachers would be able to move into that last stage. Again, it is at this stage that teachers are using technology efficiently and creatively. However, in order for that to happen, it seems that certain other things must happen in a district, namely with professional development. This chapter also focused on suggestions for districts implementing successful professional development.

It is with that thought in mind that I chose to ask students in the class what their experiences have been with professional development. Unfortunately, all but two or three students in the class talked about how professional development sessions were basically pointless. Ouch. It just seems like school districts have certain expectations about what teachers should be doing regarding technology, but many are not offering the support to help teachers become successful. It seems to me that many teachers who enjoy technology take it upon themselves to teach themselves what they need to know. And of course, it is those teachers who will become the leaders in their schools, becoming also the much needed support for the other teachers.

Thankfully, in my district right now, we have a Classrooms for the Future technology coach. We did not get into the program until the third and final year of the grant, but my district is keeping the coach's position in the district. And he is wonderful.

Classrooms for the future has been a great program in our schools. Through this grant, many teachers in the high schools have been given laptops, smartboards, and projectors. The goals of the program are as follows (as stated on the CFF page on the PDE website):

• recognizing and embracing the need for high school reform,
• enabling teachers to use technology as an effective tool for educating students, and
• preparing students to enter and successfully compete in the ever-expanding high-tech global marketplace.

The instructional coach's job is to not only assist teachers in learning the technology but to also "work with teachers to ensure that their lessons and projects are about rigorous, relevant curriculum rather than about the technology. " So this coach must not only know a lot about technology but must also be able to work within the curriculum of each subject area.

I am looking forward to going back to school and working with this coach so that if his job is ever dissolved, then I can be of assistance to the teachers in my building. I think that librarians have a responsibility to be knowledgeable about the technology being used in their buildings.


Ashburn, E. & Floden, R. (Eds.). (2006). Meaningful learning using technology: What educators need to know and do. New York: Teacher’s College.

Commonwealth of PA. (2009). About CFF. Pennsylvania Department of Education: Education hub. Retrieved from http://www.edportal.ed.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/classrooms_for_the_future/475/about_cff/202788