Integrating Technology: A View from the Trenches

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Integrating TechnologyA View from the Trenches

• Robby Slaughter
• November 2, 2001
• robman_at_mail.utexas.edu

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Agenda

• Who are we?
• What are we doing?
• How are we doing it?
• Why are we doing it?
• What have we learned?
• What do you think?

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Who are we?
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Who are we?

• PDA Utilization Group
• Dr. Anthony Petrosino
• Robby Slaughter

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Who are we?

• INSITE PT3 Grant (DOE P342A000111)
• Dr. Paul Resta Co-PI
• Dr. Jere Confrey Co-PI
• Dr. Anthony Petrosino Co-PI
• Project Director Melissa Tothero

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Who are we?
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What are we doing?
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What are we doing?

• Researching
• Training teachers
• Running student trials
• Installing systems
• Developing lessons

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What are we doing?

• The Big Question
• What are the opportunities for PDA technology in
  schools?

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Brief Excursion PDAs
!!!
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Brief Excursion PDAs

• Personal
• Digital
• Assistant
• Handheld
• Organizer
• Computer
• Connected

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Brief Excursion PDAs

• Questions
• How many are there?
• About 20 major models, and about 10 million in
  use in the United States
• How much do they cost?
• From 100 to 700, depending on the model and the
  features

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Brief Excursion PDAs

• What can they do?
• Calendars, to-do lists, memos, email, games, web
  browsing, play music, movies, connect to the
  Internet, etc, etc.
• Why Palm?
• 88 market share

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Brief Excursion PDAs

• What are the opportunities for education?
• Administrative
• Scheduling, assignment tracking, attendance, etc.
• Academic
• Investigations, educational materials, homework,
  assessment
• Collaborative
• Share information with other teachers, educators,
  or between students

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What are we doing?

• PT3 Summer Workshops

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What are we doing?

• Classroom activities

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What are we doing?

• Palm Network Research

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How are we doing it?
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How are we doing it?

• Activity

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How are we doing it?

• Any questions?

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Why are we doing it?
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Why are we doing it?

• Theory
• PDA technology can supplant traditional computing
  technology

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Why are we doing it?

• Theory
• PDA technology can supplement or extend existing
  networks and pedagogical infrastructures

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Why are we doing it?

• Theory
• Handheld technology promotes ownership of ideas,
  resulting in more substantive and successful
  education

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What have we learned?
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What have we learned?

• About Technology
• Cruelly unreliable
• Designs cant be simple enough
• Finding good software is always the greatest
  challenge

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What have we learned?

• About Funding and Support
• Corporations can be your friends
• Corporations can cause problems
• Plenty of money out there for well-designed,
  cost-effective technology programs

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What have we learned?

• About Working Within The System
• Involve technical personnel, even if your work
  doesnt directly affect them
• Establish clear policies for the use of
  technology

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What have we learned?

• About Students and Technology
• If you dont prevent it, students will use your
  devices to play games or for other distractions
• Dont inhibit the student desire to figure it
  out
• Provide plenty of free exploration time

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What have we learned?

• About Students and Technology
• Children and adults do seem to pick things up at
  about the same rate, but children are less
  reserved and tend to dive in
• Ownership is powerful. If possible, let students
  take (even temporary) control of devices or
  systems
• Students are more careful than you might think

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What do you think?
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What do you think?

• Topics for discussion
• What do you think of PDA technology?
• Do you see opportunities in education?

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What do you think?

• Topics for discussion
• What have been your experiences in integrating
  technology?
• What questions do you have or advice do you want
  to provide?

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What do you think?

• Topics for discussion
• What elements of the educational technology
  revolution have gone well? What is still
  lacking?
• What new technologies are you excited about? What
  does the future hold?

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Integrating TechnologyA View from the Trenches

• Robby Slaughter
• November 2, 2001
• robman_at_mail.utexas.edu