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THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY
REPORTS:
Maryland
Plan for Technology in Education 2002 - 2005
Technology
Resource Inventory 2006
April 24, 2007
PROMISE OF
TECHNOLOGY IN MARYLAND’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS YET TO BE REALIZED
BALTIMORE, MD ---
While Maryland's public schools have made tremendous progress in terms of access to technology, the use of that technology to improve student performance in the classroom continues to lag, according to the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT).
The results of MBRT's 10th annual survey of technology in the state's public schools, released today to the Maryland State Board of Education, show limited student progress in using technology for higher-level activities, such as manipulating and analyzing data or performing measurements.
Similarly, the survey indicates that teacher knowledge and skills have improved slightly, but are relatively flat over the past 3-4 years.
"Every jurisdiction in Maryland deserves to be congratulated for doing an outstanding job in making technology available to students, but technology alone is not the answer," says MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus. "Technology is a tool and in order to leverage the advantages that tool offers, teachers and students should fully integrate technology use into more classroom learning experiences."
To that end, the new MBRT survey recommends establishing key performance indicators to measure the use of technology in the classroom and then correlating that data to student achievement measures. The survey also calls for identifying and implementing effective practices to maximize the use of technology in the classroom, and aligning professional development to classroom needs.
"Research suggests that while we have come a long way, teachers' integration of technology into instruction is sporadic, and there is a sharp contrast between students' reliance on technology in their outside lives and their limited use of technology in school," notes Robert Marshall, President and CEO of AWS Convergence Technologies and Chair of MBRT's Committee on Technology in Education.
Marshall's company pioneered the online technology survey in conjunction with MBRT and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
According to the MBRT survey, 97% of teachers surveyed use technology regularly to communicate with staff members and other colleagues. Eight out of 10 teachers regularly use technology to maintain data on students, however, and only two-thirds regularly use technology to analyze and/or report student or school improvement data.
The MBRT survey also indicates that teacher knowledge and skills with respect to technology have risen slightly. Seventy-four percent of teachers rate themselves at an intermediate skill level or higher in the use and integration of technology, compared to 72% when the survey was last conducted in 2005; 72% rank themselves at an intermediate level regarding Internet use, compared to 70% in 2005.
Student proficiency with technology also appears to have stagnated, particularly in areas that research suggests should provide the greatest dividends for learning. The number of students using technology to manipulate and analyze data rose slightly since the previous MBRT survey, from 38% to 39%, while 30% of students reported using technology to perform measurements and collect data compared to 29% in 2005.
The new MBRT survey - like its predecessors - shows that a Digital Divide still exists between the use of technology in low-poverty versus high-poverty areas. The survey shows that the higher the poverty level of schools, the less frequently technology is being used for tasks that require higher-level thinking and meaningful application of knowledge and skills.
While in-school access to technology nationally is 80% for students from both low-poverty and high-poverty areas, there is a huge divide in access to technology in the home. Home access to technology for low-poverty students nationally currently stands at 88%, while in-home access for high-poverty students drops to 37%.
The new MBRT survey results are posted online at www.mbrt.org. The results are available by county and by school.
see detailed
report>
TECHNOLOGY
MBRT
believes that technology
can significantly improve teaching, learning, school management
and data analysis.
MBRT
believes that students who are exposed to and
familiar with technology will be better prepared to succeed in the
workplace and in life. |
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| The Maryland Plan for Technology in Education
In
1995, the State of Maryland began implementation of the Maryland
Plan for Technology in Education, a blueprint for effective utilization
of technologies in schools statewide. The Plan was developed
under the leadership of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
(MBRT) by key stakeholders throughout Maryland that represented
not only the educational community but the public and private sectors
as well. The Plan serves as the foundation for development
and funding of educational technology programs on both the State
and local levels.
In
1997, the U.S. Department of Education approved the Maryland Plan,
but also made suggestions which prompted the State to re-examine
the Plan in light of new data and national goals. The Plan
was revised and presented to the Maryland State Board of Education
in 1998 for adoption. In keeping pace with the rapid changes
in technology and technology education, the Plan has undergone yet
another revision and was accepted by the Maryland State Board of
Education on March 26, 2002. |
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STATE
OF INNOVATION: The Maryland Plan for Technology in Education
2002-2005 In
1995, the State of Maryland began implementation of the Maryland
Plan for Technology in Education (the Plan), a blueprint
for effective utilization of technologies in schools statewide.
The Plan, developed by the Committee on Technology in Education
(COTE), representing the State's many constituencies, served as
the foundation for development and funding of educational technology
programs on both State and local levels. The committee revised
the Plan in 1998.
Since 1995,
significant progress has been made in establishing a strong technology
infrastructure in our schools and providing access to that technology.
Steady progress has also been made with regard to the knowledge
and skill levels of our teachers in using the basic technology.
However, only limited progress has been made toward the effective
and seamless integration of technology across the instructional
program. Little progress has been made in what research has
shown to be the most effective use for improved student learning
- namely the application of technology and digital content to engage
students and foster higher level critical thinking and problem solving
skills. In addition, new technology and applications to support
learning and improve administrative functions are developing at
a rapid rate.
It is in this
light that COTE has developed this revised three-year plan for 2002-2005.
Based on the
findings of the MBRT survey (Where
Do We Stand In 2002?) and research on the role of technology
in education, this revised Plan was developed and presented to the
State Board of Education in March 2002.
This publication
is currently available on-line ONLY.
A printed version will be available later this year.
To see the
entire report on-line, Click
Here
To view the
Press Release, Click Here
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To
request a copy of any of these reports, e-mail
us here To
see a listing of other MBRT publications, click
here |
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