Table Of Content

Promising Practices for Education Technology By Molly B. Zielezinski Despite all the celebratory rhetoric around our nation’s declining dropout rates, during a given year, nearly 20 percent of students expected to graduate do not.1 Furthermore, according to Johns Hopkins University and Civic Enterprises, “unacceptably low levels of minority, low-income, English Language Learners, and special education students are graduating from high school.”2 This is true for 27 percent of African American students, 24 percent of Hispanic students, 37 percent of students who have limited English proficiency, and 25 percent of low- income students.3 Given these numbers, bridging the digital divide between more- and less-advantaged students seems especially urgent. revealed a holistic picture of the parts that new digital tools or evaluate those tools In the last few years, U.S. schools have must work together for education technol- already being used. begun seeing an unprecedented level of ogy to be effective in the classroom. Tip 1: Use technology new hardware and software in their class- You may be wondering, Why isn’t the to engage students. rooms. But access alone can’t fill the digital massive influx of technology supporting divide—especially when K–12 schools in those who need it the most? Research on Instead of using technology for remediation low-income neighborhoods are only using education technology points to an expla- and to drill kids on grade-level standards, technology for remediation purposes. So, nation of why access is not enough to use it to help them engage in authentic how can we use this massive influx of tech- close the digital divide for underserved tasks—those that are grounded in relevant, nology to support our nation’s underserved students: “Overall, students who are ongoing work that has some purpose students? black, Hispanic, or low-income are more beyond the immediate completion of the likely to use computers for drill and prac- activity. The (alarming) research on tice, whereas students who are white or This can play out in a lot of different education technology and equity high-income are more likely to use com- ways, but we bumped into the same few Recently, I had the opportunity to work puters for simulations or authentic promising practices in our literature review. with education scholars Linda Darling- applications.”5 Based on the research, we recommend Hammond and Shelley Goldman on a mas- When we only use education technol- digital tools that support problem solving, sive literature review and policy brief ogy for basic skills with underserved stu- inferencing, analyzing, and synthesizing guided by the very question posed above.4 dents—but use it in much more meaningful information from multiple sources, as well During this project, I vetted almost 400 ways with more privileged students—we as tools that develop communication, col- publications, landing on 52 that were rel- are driving the boundaries of the digital laboration, creativity, and critical thinking. evant, rigorous, and grounded in actual divide even farther apart, not closing it. These should always be prioritized over research. Taken as a collection, they Using digital tools solely for drill-and- activities that only include basic skill tasks practice activities and remediation can, (memorizing facts, applying rules, etc.). and often does, negatively affect student Some great tools for this include: G AN Molly B. Zielezinski is a doctoral candidate at the achievement, not to mention engagement, MES Y Stanford Graduate School of Education with a dual motivation, and self-esteem. • Visual Understanding Environment Y JA specialization in Learning Sciences and Technology If we can’t use education technology for (VUE): Powerful open-source soft- ON B Design and Curriculum Studies and Teacher Edu- skills and drills, then what can we use it for? ware—software that can be freely used ILLUSTRATI co2a0rit1gi6oin,n aa. vlThlayi ilaasp bpplieee caaetr ewisd wa odwna. bEpidtte.Sldyu/ fr1rgoseBm.croY amonB oa.nrt iMclae yt h1a9t, Hpoeirnet a froer fi avney toipnse t hwaht op rwovaindtes at og oimodp sletamrteinngt aanlldo wshsa uresde—rs ftoor ccroenacteep ct ommapppleinx gv.i VsuUaEl 38 AMERICAN EDUCATOR | SUMMER 2017 representations of information from Tip 3: Pick digital tools that nity. In this example, the readers are inter- scratch. (http://vue.tufts.edu) promote interactivity. ested, their feedback is targeted and • Canva: A content-creation web-based Does the app or program allow students contextualized, and there are higher risks tool that allows users to design presenta- and rewards in terms of building confi- to construct their own understanding of tions, social media graphics, posters, dence, content knowledge, and identity complex phenomena? Does it encourage book covers, business cards, and more. formation. students to represent thinking in multiple Canva allows beginners to engage in forms (text, pictures, videos, digital inter- Tip 5: Find the right blend of teacher actions, or some combination of these)? and technology. Will students engage with data or true-to- life simulations? Will they use sensors to I can say without hesitation that the world measure real-life phenomena? needs a lot more research on blended These are some of the markers of digi- learning in K–12, but from what there is, tal tools that support learning. To really it’s clear that the teacher must play a cru- find out about a tool’s level of interactiv- cial role in supporting the content stu- ity (whether you are a designer, educator, dents encounter through digital learning. The only substantial study published on this prior to 2013 found significantly greater student satisfaction in environments with (1) high levels of teacher support for the digital material, and (2) We must abandon opportunities for peer interaction.7 The authors of this report also recommended the argument that the use of real-time digital feedback in digital learning environments. access to digital tools is the only Where I live in Silicon Valley, it is not uncommon for many way to minimize professional-looking information design middle and high school stu- without the huge learning curve that dents to write computer the digital divide. usually comes with this kind of work. code, participate in blended lessons, or (www.canva.com) engage in high tech engineering projects, • Declara: Another web-based tool for which we call fabrication labs. But other teams and individuals that allows edu- students—who are the same age and liv- cators to curate collections of learning ing across the highway in a lower-income resources and collaborate within these area—are much more hard-pressed to collections by sharing insights and administrator, or policymaker), you need find such opportunities within their posing and responding to questions. to engage with the digital tool—get your schools and communities. In a panel last (https://declara.com) hands dirty with the technology and use year at Stanford University on Combating it the way students will. Test the digital Inequity in Education, Darling-Hammond Tip 2: Let students create tool, and use your activity and engage- pointed out that usage of computers at original digital content. ment as a lens to evaluate its capacity to East Palo Alto Library is limited to 15 min- Give students opportunities to be content support meaning-making and active utes and the lines to use them are often creators rather than content consumers. reflection related to desired learning long. If you are a student without access Content creation—when done well— outcomes. to a computer at home and have only lim- allows students to communicate their ited access to technology within your Tip 4: Let students share their own ideas creatively. Some examples community, you simply cannot engage expertise with an authentic include using technology to craft multi- deeply in the kind of tasks the literature audience. media stories, filming and producing recommends. documentaries or designing posters, With the Internet at our fingertips, we have To help our underserved students learn, leveraging social media as a tool for teach- access to all kinds of potential audiences— we must abandon the argument that access ing and learning, and publishing on wikis, known and unknown; local and global; to digital tools is the only way to minimize blogs, and/or websites. The idea is that those with shared interests, questions, and the digital divide. We must advocate both students engage deeply in ongoing proj- goals. Giving students an authentic audi- for greater access to such tools and for ects within and across platforms. As an ence to share their work improves the qual- changes in how these tools are used, to bet- added benefit, students can begin to build ity of their work. For example, students can ter engage our underserved students in lifelong learning portfolios showcasing be writing or producing a video about how authentic tasks that support their learning what they know and are able to do as well to create a working calculator in Minecraft and development. ☐ as work that makes them proud. for the robust Minecraft digital commu- (Endnotes on page 43) AMERICAN EDUCATOR | SUMMER 2017 39 70. Martin Luther King Jr., Why We Can’t Wait (New York: The Trust Gap Learning and Improvement in an Underperforming Urban Signet, 1964). System,” American Journal of Education 119 (2012): 71. Laura Meckler and Aaron Zitner, “How Trump’s Winning (Continued from page 29) 41–71; Kara S. Finnigan and Alan J. Daly, eds., Using Coalition Coalesced,” Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2016. Research Evidence in Education: From the Schoolhouse Door to Capitol Hill (Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2014); 72. Arch Puddington and Tyler Roylance, Freedom in the World 4. Anthony S. Bryk and Barbara Schneider, Trust in and Kara S. Finnigan, Alan J. Daly, and Jing Che, 2017: Populists and Autocrats; The Dual Threat to Global Schools: A Core Resources for Improvement (New York: “Systemwide Reform in Districts under Pressure: The Role Democracy (Washington, DC: Freedom House, 2017). Russell Sage Foundation, 2002); Shelby Cosner, of Social Networks in Defining, Acquiring, Using, and 73. Eric Chenoweth, “Democracy’s Champion,” Albert Shanker “Building Organizational Capacity through Trust,” Diffusing Research Evidence,” Journal of Educational Institute, March 3, 2017, www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/ Educational Administration Quarterly 45 (2009): Administration 51 (2013): 476–497. democracys-champion. 2Le4a8d–e2r9sh1i;p a fnodr MSuecgcaenss Tfsuclh Sacnhnoeonls- M(Soarna nFr,a Tnrucisstc Mo: atters: 9. Ronald S. Burt, “The Network Structure of Social 74. Anne-Marie Slaughter, “Putting ‘America First’ Isn’t the Jossey-Bass, 2004). Capital,” in Research in Organizational Behavior, vol. 22, Problem. Trump’s Version of It Is,” Washington Post, February ed. Barry Staw and Robert Sutton (Greenwich, CT: JAI, 10, 2017. 5. Meredith I. Honig, “District Central Offices as Learning 2000), 345–423; David Halpern, Social Capital (Malden, Organizations: How Sociocultural and Organizational MA: Polity, 2005); and Nan Lin, Social Capital: A Theory of Learning Theories Elaborate District Central Office Social Structure and Action (Cambridge: Cambridge Photo Credits Administrators’ Participation in Teaching and Learning University Press, 2001). Improvement Efforts,” American Journal of Education 114 Page 6: Women’s March on Washington, Michael Campbell. (2008): 627–664; Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, Situated 10. Susan Burkhauser, Susan M. Gates, Laura S. Hamilton, Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation (Cambridge: and Gina Schuyler Ikemoto, First-Year Principals in Urban Page 6: AFT President Randi Weingarten speaking at the Cambridge University Press, 1991); and Etienne Wenger, School Districts: How Actions and Working Conditions Women’s March on Washington, AFT staff. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity Relate to Outcomes (Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corpora- Page 8: Betsy DeVos protest, Washington, D.C., Jim Watson/ (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998). tion, 2012). Getty Images. 6. Kenneth Leithwood, Karen Seashore Louis, Stephen 11. Alan J. Daly, “Rigid Response in an Age of Account- Page 9: Betsy DeVos protest, Bethesda, Maryland, Sarah L. Anderson, and Kyla Wahlstrom, How Leadership Influences ability: The Potential of Leadership and Trust,” Educational Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images. Student Learning (Minneapolis: Center for Applied Administration Quarterly 45 (2009): 168–216; Kara S. Page 10: Andy Puzder protest, Saint Louis, Jeff Curry/Getty Research and Educational Improvement, 2004). Fuinndneigr aHni,g “hP-Sritnackiepsa lA Lcecaoduenrtsahbipil iatyn Pdo Tleicaiechs,e”r LMeaodtievrasthioipn and Images. 7. Karen Seashore Louis, Kenneth Leithwood, Kyla L. Policy in Schools 9 (2010): 161–189; Kara S. Finnigan, Page 11: May Day rally, Minneapolis, AFT staff. Wahlstrom, and Stephen E. Anderson, Investigating the “Principal Leadership in Low-Performing Schools: A Closer Links to Improved Student Learning (Minneapolis: Center Look through the Eyes of Teachers,” Education and Urban Page 12: Muslim immigration ban protest, Los Angeles, Genaro for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, Society 44 (2012): 183–202; and Kara S. Finnigan and Tricia Molina/LA Times via Getty Images. 2010). J. Stewart, “Leading Change Under Pressure: An Page 13: Neil Gorsuch protest, Washington, D.C., Paul J. 8. For additional publications related to this article, see Examination of Principal Leadership in Low-Performing Richards/AFP/Getty Images. Alan J. Daly and Kara S. Finnigan, “The Ebb and Flow of Schools,” Journal of School Leadership 19 (2009): Page 14: May Day rally, Santa Cruz, California, courtesy of the Social Network Ties between District Leaders under 586–618. Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers. High-Stakes Accountability,” American Educational 12. Scott M. Soltis, Filip Agneessens, Zuzana Sasovova, and Page 15: Women Workers Rising rally, Washington, D.C., AFT Research Journal 48 (2011): 39–79; Alan J. Daly and Kara Giuseppe Labianca, “A Social Network Perspective on staff. S. Finnigan, “Exploring the Space Between: Social Turnover Intentions: The Role of Distributive Justice and Networks, Trust, and Urban School District Leaders,” Social Support,” Human Resources Management 52 Page 16: Women’s March on Washington, Kevin Mazur/ Journal of School Leadership 22 (2012): 493–530; Kara S. (2013): 561–584. WireImage via Getty Images. Finnigan and Alan J. Daly, “Mind the Gap: Organizational H One Sentence at a Time (Continued from page 37) Discovering Discounts 5. Bruce Saddler, Teacher’s Guide to Effective Sentence Writing (New York: Guilford Press, 2012), 6. 6. Steve Graham and Dolores Perin, Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools (Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007). 7. Most quotations from Monica are from Tyre, “Writing Revolution,” with additional details from a video created by students at New Dorp. See “The Writing Code,” YouTube video, 4:30, posted by “A Passalacqua,” May 11, 2013, www.youtube.com/ watch?v=l8Q5MaqO5Ig. Education Technology (Continued from page 39) Endnotes 1. Lauren Camera, “Fewer Students Dropping Out of High School,” U.S. News and World Report, November 10, 2015, www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/11/10/ high-school-dropout-rates-plummet; and Jennifer L. DePaoli, Joanna Hornig Fox, Erin S. Ingram, et al., Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High CREDIT MORTGAGE CAR School Dropout Epidemic (Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises, 2015). CARDS PROGRAM RENTAL 2. DePaoli et al., Building a Grad Nation, 5. 3. “Public High School 4-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR), by Selected Student Characteristics and State: 2010–11 through 2013–14,” in National Center for Check out the values online at our all new Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 2015, table 219.46. 4. Linda Darling-Hammond, Molly B. Zielezinski, and Shelley Goldman, Using website at unionplus.org/aftbenefits Technology to Support At-Risk Students’ Learning (Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, 2014). 5. Mark Warschauer, “A Teacher’s Place in the Digital Divide,” Yearbook of the *Certain restrictions, limitations, and qualifications apply to these grants. Additional information National Society for the Study of Education 106, no. 2 (2007): 148. and eligibility criteria can be obtained at UnionPlus.org/Assistance. Credit approval required. 6. Mark Warschauer and Tina Matuchniak, “New Technology and Digital Worlds: Terms and conditions apply. The Union Plus Credit Cards are issued by Capital One, N.A., pursu- Analyzing Evidence of Equity in Access, Use, and Outcomes,” Review of Research in ant to a license from Mastercard International Incorporated. Capital One N.A. is not responsible Education 34 (2010): 204. for the contents of this message and/or any of the 7. JaMee Kim and WonGyu Lee, “Assistance and Possibilities: Analysis of Learning- other third party products/services mentioned. The Related Factors Affecting the Online Learning Satisfaction of Underprivileged Mastercard Brand Mark is a registered trademark of Students,” Computers & Education 57, no. 4 (2011): 2395–2405. Mastercard International Incorporated. AMERICAN EDUCATOR | SUMMER 2017 43