Catherine Shreves wrote:
> I've been following the thread on the use of computers in the schools,
> and I want to pass on some information from the technology department of
> the MPS about computers in the schools.
I'm impressed, this response is several levels above the normal
knee jerk rhetoric that comes from the school board. However,
there are still a few unanswered questions and a number of
details that need to be expanded on.
> Secondly, Dr. Johnson has been working with EDS (Electronic Data
> Systems) over the past 6 months, again, on a pro bono basis (about
> $250,000 worth), to do an information management assessment of the MPS,
> and identify ways to help MPS achieve a new level of performance and to
> accelerate implementation of initiatives and achieve goals. EDS will
> loan MPS an executive to help with the implementation of its
> recommendations, as well as help MPS to seek additional support in the
> business community for this effort. This work was discussed at this past
> Tuesday's board meeting, Nov. 13th, which was televised.
This is good news, but it must be executed careful to be truly useful. The
district needs more than just a managerial information system: it needs
a database that would support both strategic decisions and educational
research. If all you get is an "information management assessment"
system you will be missing half of the picture. The district needs a database
that can be used to determine the effectiveness of the educational
programs it introduces in the schools. It is highly probably that some
distric somewhere in the country already has developed such a system
('tis not my area) and would be willing to share it. If not, if EDS were
to develop such a system I'm sure they could market it across the
country. I would suggest that you form an advisory committee from
the Methodology in Educational Research group at the U:
http://education.umn.edu/EdPsych/Foundations/methodology/default.html
They might even do it for free, if you were to promise them access
to the database for future research.
MPS Proposal #2: The district should not implement any program (e.g.,
schools-within-schools) without first testing it on a small scale for
at least one year.
> Okay, on to the computer discussion.
>
> In general, I think that the use of computers for very young children is
> somewhat overrated. However, computers are an incredible benefit as
> adaptive technology for special education kids and also incredibly
> helpful as additional supplementation on basic reading and math skills,
> which is provided in the MPS through CCC and other online curriculum
> programs.
Well, yes and no. Yes, some computer programs have been beneficial
for special education students, but you need to discuss exactly which
programs and exactly which students you are referring to. For example,
if you are referring to FastForWord, then I think you maybe wrong.
And, we should not forget that special education students represent a
fraction of the general student population.
> My older son took keyboarding the first semester of 7th grade,
> and has typed all of his papers since. In 8th grade, he took a computer
> applications class, and created a video documentary that was an award
> winning national history day project. The video was created with a
> digital camera and an ibook computer.
I suppose that I should chalk this up to middle-class obviousness.
First of all you don't need a $2000 computer to learn to type and
the fact that you can create a award winning video misses the
point. The point being, that there are more important issues at
stake than the visual and performing arts. If my child is one of
the 50% (that's HALF of the students in the MPS) who fail to graduate,
I am not concerned that they know how to create videos on a computer
system, I want them to be able to read and write, and do simple
math, and pass basic (and I mean basic) standards tests. Which
is something that many (and sometimes most depending on school)
students in the MPS cannot do. Hello, Hello? We seem to have
a reality gap here. Or, do we have a stratified educational system,
one level for middle-class students and one for poor students.
As an aside, I am not that worried about your son missing out
on their creative endeavor. As attorney (you are ... right?), I'm sure
there is a computer(s) in your home. Would you have said no
to your son, if you'd need to purchase such a system for him?
You see, I'm most worried about minority students being able to read,
write, and graduate, find jobs, go to college, etc. I would think
that your son is not at much risk of "not making it."
> The rest of this post is information I am forwarding from the MPS
> technology department regarding the use of computers in MPS. Our
> director of technology, Colleen Kosloski, writes,
Thanks. This information is very helpful.
> "Students K-3 use software to help with basic skills, learn pre-research
> skills, some intro keyboarding skills, as well as basics of media
> literacy and how to express themselves with words, pictures, and
> graphics-- even basic concept of databases and how information is
> organized. For older students, computers give access to the large
> magazines and newspaper search databases that the state has funded free
> for schools and libraries, as well as access to CCC and other online
> curriculum programs that support basic reading and math skills, an
> incredible amount of lesson plans K-12 for our teachers available on the
> internet, plus our Classroom 2000 that allows practice lessons and test
> for the 8th grade reading and math
> test.
Please have Ms. Kosloski explain to me why you need a computer
to practice for an 8th grade reading and math test.
> "Total instructional computers district wide are 10,804, but only 8,721
> are on the network for internet and email access. Only 4,653 of those
> are newer computers (less than 5 years old).57% of all computers are
> older than 5 years. Our goal is to have the majority of computers in
> schools be less than 3 years old.
> Our district ratio of computers to students is 1 to 5 if we count all
> networked computers, but 1 to 10 if we count only newer computers.
So how much do the MPS budget for computers each year?
> ""What some of the research says about technology and student
> achievement:
>
> The West Virginia Story: Achievement Gains
> http://www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?page=155
>
> Lesson learned: The top Technology School Districts in the Nation
> http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A3748.cfm
>
> NCREL's Research on Technology in Education
> http://www.ncrel.org/tech/research.htm
>
> The impact of Education Technology on Education
> http://www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?page=161
>
> Tranforming Learning Through Technology
> http://www.mff.org/publications/publications.taf?page=266
>
> Does it Computer? The Relationship between Educational Technology and
> Student Achievement in Math ftp://ftp.ets.org/pub/res/technolog.pdf
>
> Accelerating Student Achivement and National Standards for Technology
> for
> students http://www.iste.org/research/reports/tlcu/tracking.html";
Ah, the old shotgun approach to parent involvement: give them so much
information they won't be able to evaluate it. Not that I have the time,
but I can almost promise you (knowing the older research) that
none of these studies will show that computers have more than
a 10% impact on overall student achievement (and that's being
really generous; I think that most well designed and controlled
studies will show far less).
You forgot to answer one of my original questions: "Are any studies
that have been done in Minneapolis that show that computers contribute
to achievement?"
Great dialog, if we can keep this up we might even be able to
help improve the schools.
Michael Atherton
Prospect Park
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