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"Using Technology to Support Systemic Education Reform," Elizabeth McNamara, Cathy Miles Grant, and Judith Davidson Wasser.

http://modelschools.terc.edu/modelschools/TEMPLATE/Publications/pdf/projdes.pdf

Date of Study:

March 1998

Basis of Project:

TERC's Hanau Model Schools Partnership, funded by the National Science Foundation, collaborates with the Hanau Schools in Germany, which are a part of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school system to bring technology into classrooms by supporting best classroom practices while deepening students' understanding of content.

Focus of Project:

Qualitative research design to document the implementation of technology and standards-based curriculum reform in four German schools in four critical areas:

Building a school and community planning process
Connecting technology and curriculum
Professional development for technology infusion
Technology leadership and management

Project Framework and Results:

Shared decision making, data collection, and needs analyses and recommendations provided by the school-based Hanau Implementation Team (HIT) are critical to building a school and community planning process.
The creation of Technology Action Plans (TAP) by participant teachers is essential for connecting technology and curriculum. The focus of each plan is on content first and technology integration second, allowing teachers to build from their own teaching strengths. Classroom practice changed toward more inquiry-based and project-based activities as teachers learned how to use computers with differing groups within a class.
In addition to workshops and inservice activities, educational technologists and coteachers provide continuous on-site support and modeling for teachers and research documentation for project researchers. Using daily logs and participant feedback researchers document trends and patterns of software use.
School principals and superintendents, serving as managers and technology-change facilitators, adopted joint technology and reform agendas as their own priorities, collaborating with education technologists to respond to teacher needs.

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