Ashburn and Floden Chapter 3 - WISE project

As I read this chapter, what I noticed most was how much the details of the WISE project connected to the other readings for this class. I say that also after already having read and outlined chapter 8 in this text. I might add that I think the chapter 8 reading would be better at the beginning of this text.

The WISE project is a science computer-based inquiry project in which students can take part in a variety of different lessons. The first major connection I made was between the project and the attributes of Meaningful Learning Using Technology (MLT). Ashburn (2006) describes six attributes of MLT, and this project seems to fulfill all of them:
1. Intentionality - each different lesson in the project had a clearly defined goal, be it examining earthquakes or frogs or whatever.
2. Content centrality - all six teachers used the lessons that tied into their current curriculum and the new content standards.
3. Authentic work - this is the one that jumped out at me as one teacher commented, "They [students] felt the connection between what we do in school and what's currently happening in the world" (Linn, 2006)
4. Active inquiry - the WISE program seemed based on this type of inquiry and helped along by the mentor and the teachers when they encouraged students to find answers to their own questions.
5. Construction of mental models - not quite sure about this one
6. Collaborative work - students worked in pairs and sometimes consulted other groups with their questions.

So, clearly, the WISE program is a good example of MLT, yet I think it is possible to have a good program not successfully implemented. Actually, this program had a rough start - several months of not connecting successfully. Yet, at the end of the second year, even the most skeptical of the involved teachers noted some major benefits of the program. What was the key to the success is actually described in chapter 8 of the Ashbunr and Floden text, "Fostering Meaningful Teaching and Learning with Technology: Characteristics of Effective Professional Development."

The chapter (8) ends with recommendations for districts concerning successful implementation of MLT (Zhao, Frank, & Ellefson, 2006). One of the first ones is grouping teachers according to subject or grade level. The WISE project centers around science, and six science teachers in one middle school implemented it. Two other recommendations center around technical support: having school-based technical support, and having an system for instant technical support. The biggest source of technical support for these teachers was a retired teacher that acted as a mentor. Not only did he model teaching the first lesson of the units, but clearly from the teachers' responses, he was there to help with every technical problem that arose. Eventually, in the second year of the program, teachers became more comfortable with the technical aspects. But I wonder how successful the implementation of the WISE program would have been without this man.

It was also interesting to read of the two-year progression of the WISE program and compare it to the five-stage evolution of teaching with technology. It was clear that in the beginning of the program that the teachers were at the entry stage. With only a mechanical understanding of the technology, the teachers seemed to suffer a certain frustration level. Also important to them was the modeling of the mentor. The teachers seemed to quicky move to the adoption and adaption stages since after the first unit, the teachers quicky realized that the students needed more interaction and guidance from them. As they completed more lessons, the teachers seemed to not only change their approach to teaching but also notice the benefits of the student collaboration and interaction with the program. Lastly, at the end of the second year, some of the teachers commented on how their teaching techniques in the WISE program started to carry over into the traditional classroom, mainly the technique of having students try to answer their own questions (by maybe answering the student questions with questions). This seems to fall into the category of the appropriation and invention stages because not only are the teachers completely comfortable with the technology but they are also making changes to their instructional patterns.

This chapter on the WISE program seems to prove a lot of the theoretical ideas from the rest of the textbook. In my opinion, the level of technical support seems to be what really made this program successful. I think the level of technical support is the key to successful technology integration.

Ashburn, E., and Floden, R. (Eds.). (2006) Meaningful Learning Using Technology. New York: Teacher's College.

Linn, M. (2006). WISE teachers: Using technology and inquiry for science instruction. In Ashburn, E., and Floden, R. (Eds.). (2006) Meaningful Learning Using Technology (45 - 69). New York: Teacher's College.

Zhao, Y., Frank, K. & Ellefson, N. (2006) Fostering meaningful teaching and learning with technology. In Ashburn, E., and Floden, R. (Eds. ). (2006) Meaningful Learning Using Technology (161 - 179). New York: Teacher's College.