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March 22,
2005
Technology
Use in Public Schools Not Being Maximized
Tech’s Power Lies in Way It Is Used to Accelerate Student
Learning, Report Finds
BALTIMORE,
MD ---
Although Maryland’s public schools continue to boast a strong technology
infrastructure, the technology is not being used for higher-level,
analytical or problem-solving activities, according to the results
of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education’s (MBRT) eighth
annual survey of technology in public schools, released today to
the Maryland State Board of Education.
According to the new MBRT survey, only 13% of public schools statewide
report their students are using technology to display data on a
daily or almost daily basis. Only 9% of schools report that students
use technology to “manipulate, analyze, or interpret information”
daily or almost daily.
“The primary objective of the state’s enormous investment in technology
is improved student learning, but that can only be achieved if students
are making effective use of those technology tools daily,” says
MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus.
“The data from this report clearly indicate that this is not happening,”
Streckfus asserts. “It is imperative that schools better prepare
our students, and technology tools can and should be key contributors
to academic success. But the benefits will not materialize if the
technology is not used effectively and frequently in the classroom.”
That situation is particularly acute in high-poverty areas. The
MBRT 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.
Streckfus emphasizes that using technology to improve academic success
is particularly important with so many students far from reaching
the new high school graduation requirements for students entering
ninth grade this fall.
To ensure that technology delivers on the promise of making significant
contributions to improved learning for all students statewide, the
new MBRT report recommends that the State Technology Plan should
be revised “to focus on the tight and seamless integration of technology
tools into existing curriculum,” with a particular emphasis on the
use of technology to foster higher-level critical thinking skills.
The report also recommends that technology requirements and assessments
be incorporated into all teacher and administrator re-certification
programs and in pre-service teacher preparation programs.
“The report indicates that there has been no material improvement
regarding teacher knowledge and skills as they relate to the effective
use and integration of technology into the curriculum,” says Robert
Marshall, President and CEO of AWS Convergence Technologies and
Chair of MBRT’s Committee on Technology in Education.
Marshall, whose company pioneered the online technology survey in
conjunction with MBRT and the Maryland State Department of Education
(MSDE), notes that the 2005 data does show modest gains in teacher
and administrator use of technology for basic activities, such as
email.
“Still, only 56% of teachers report using technology to ‘analyze
and/or report student/school improvement data’ at least a few times
a month,” says Marshall. Similarly, only about 70% of teachers rate
themselves at an intermediate skill level or higher in the use and
integration of technology, well short of the State Technology Plan’s
target of 100% of teachers with these capabilities.
The new MBRT report also calls on MSDE to require local school system
master plans to incorporate an analysis of data from the online
technology survey; to review and document the effectiveness of professional
development activities related to technology integration; and to
ensure that organizational structures within educational systems
are conducive to effective integration of technology into daily
classroom instruction.
“We believe technology used to its greatest advantage can increase
student achievement, improve problem-solving abilities, and enhance
student motivation and engagement,” says Maryland State School Superintendent
Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick.
For its part, MBRT plans to reconstitute its Committee on Technology
in Education (COTE) to include leading business and IT executives
who, in turn, will review and make recommendations to MSDE regarding
the State Technology Plan. The Committee also will provide details
regarding effective corporate practices for technology integration.
Among the executives who have already made a commitment to serve
on the COTE are: AWS’s Marshall; Christopher Foster, Deputy Secretary
of the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development; Howard
Ruddell, Vice President, Civil Operations, Lockheed Martin; Keith
Glennan, Chief Technology Officer, Northrop Grumman; and Dr. Robert
Caret, President of Towson University.
“Student learning is the bottom line,” says Streckfus. “We have
made tremendous progress in acquiring technology infrastructure
needed in our schools. But the investment in technology cannot end
there. Teachers and students must acquire and use meaningful content
and apply technology as a tool to significantly improve learning.”
Plans call for MBRT’s Committee on Technology in Education to continue
analyzing the data collected from the technology inventory, using
findings as a planning tool in charting the state’s strategic direction
and in identifying future areas of concern.
For the detailed report: Please visit http://md.ontargetus.com/
or call the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education at (410)
727-0448.
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