Technology & Learning - February 2008 - (Page 25) © KARIN VAN IJZENDOOR N/ DREAMSTIME.COM CoSN Delegation Who’s Who Sheryl Abshire, district administrative coordinator of technology, Calcasieu Parish School System, Lake Charles, Louisiana James Bosco, professor emeritus, Western Michigan University Trina Davis, ISTE president and director of eEducation, Texas A&M University Ann Lee Flynn, EdD, director of education technology, NSBA Kathy Hurley, senior vice president, Strategic Partnerships, Pearson School Keith R. Krueger, CEO, CoSN Katie Lovett, CIO, Fulton County Schools, Georgia Tim Magner, director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education Jo-Ann McDevitt, publisher, Technology & Learning Mark Nieker, president and executive director, Pearson Foundation Michael D. Quesnell, PhD, director, Research and Business Development, Atomic Learning, Inc. Helen Soulé, PhD, executive director, Cable in the Classroom Irene Spero, COO, CoSN Barbara Stein, manager, NEA Julie A. Walker, executive director, AASL The delegation was made possible through support of the Pearson Foundation with additional support from Atomic Learning, Nokia, and Texas Instruments. Participating in education discussions in Stockholm during a recent CoSN trip include, from left, Sheryl Abshire, Jim Bosco, Katie Lovett, Annelie Stigund from the U.S. Embassy, Jo-Ann McDevitt, and Ann Flynn. of ICT in schools. While technology is used in some creative ways, ICT has yet to be realized as a catalyst for overall innovation in learning. We did not hear talk of needing to make deep level changes in the nature and structure of schooling, nor did we get the sense that ICT was provoking efforts to reconstruct the nature and role of schools in an “extensively wired” society. ICT is viewed as important, primarily, to ensure student success in future careers. There is little or no effort to embrace the one-to-one model increasingly prevalent in the U.S. We also observed that in countries that had scored highly on international comparisons, there was less focus on the use of ICT for innovation. Perhaps success on traditional high stakes tests encourages policymakers and educational administrators to view technology as a tool for improvement versus transformation. Leadership and Vision A recurring theme from our Scandinavian visit was the critical importance for policymakers and education administrators to see how technology can improve teaching and learning. In Sweden, which was an early adopter of ICT in schools, the national government disbanded its national technology initiative in 2002 because “ICT was ubiquitous throughout Swedish society.” The presumption was that with technology in every home and school, it was unnecessary to have a policy specifically focused on getting teachers/ students to use technology. Yet there seemed to be a sense by the experts we met that without a specific focus on the pedagogical role of technology, ICT is not being used in profound ways in many classrooms. Technology was mostly being used by students outside of school or simply to do their work. Access to technology does not inherently mean the technology will be used to transform learning. Leaders need a coherent vision to change the way teaching and learning happen. Reflection The current discussion about providing U.S. students with the skills and knowledge to succeed as effective citizens, workers, and learners did not surface during our visit. Though Finland, Sweden, and Denmark are not particularly focused on 21st-century skills as an articulated goal, it appears that their philosophical approach to education matches the very skills identified as essential—critical thinking, real life application of knowledge, and collaboration of learning all supported by technology as a strong enabler for that learning. Editor’s Note: For more about the CoSN trip, visit www.cosn.org. Technology & Learning February 2008 | 25 http://DREAMSTIME.COM/ http://www.cosn.org
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