A Policy Statement By
The Council Of Chief State School Officers 1991
Potential
"Learning technologies" encompass a wide range of equipment and applications that directly or indirectly affect student performance. Learning technologies range from ordinary telephones, which connect parents with teachers, to complex networks of satellites, cable, and fiber optics, which deliver interactive, multimedia learning opportunities. Technologies are tools. Their power as learning instruments is not inherent; their effectiveness is derived from the teachers and students who use them. This effectiveness is measured by whether they improve student performance and help students reach full potential.
Technologies offer information in a variety of formats--text, video, and audio--allowing students to use the medium most effective for their learning. General or standard transmission of information through the technologies enables teachers to focus their energies on coaching students with their individual growth. Teachers can give special attention to certain individuals without neglecting the progress of others who are successfully guiding their own learning. Technologies enable students working individually or in small groups to take advantage of vast sources of information and work with complex connections among varied disciplines. Technologies stimulate students as active learners who control the pace and direction of content, questions, and responses.
Learning technologies can provide students and teachers equitable access to learning no matter the geographic location or fixed resources of the school. Telecommunications provide students and teachers with the information resources of distant libraries, museums, and universities. Telecommunications offer courses, degree programs, and career development. Learning technologies expand the opportunities of teachers, students, and parents to connect learning activities in school with those in homes, community centers, and other institutions. They provide access to colleagues and specialists around the world and connect student work to the problems and real work of other students and adults.
Learning technologies are the tools for productive, high-performance workers in the 21st century. In the "Information Age," the workforce must be prepared to manage substantial amounts of information, analyze complicated situations for decision making, and react rapidly in a well-informed manner. Equitable availability of learning technologies is essential to prepare all students to be adults with access to productive employment and community and political power. To keep up with the tools of the future workplace and the technologies of the home, all students must have access to them and master their use.
Technologies are productive tools for teachers and administrators to automate record-keeping, student information, and data for accountability. They help provide convenient and timely access to essential information on student outcomes, thereby helping teachers tailor instructional programs to meet specific student needs.
State Action
Most states, districts, and schools have successfully used some technologies to develop effective, exciting and innovative learning environments. To stimulate systemic change and move beyond isolated model programs toward widespread integration of technology into learning, we must commit our efforts to these activities: planning at the state and local levels; funding; ensuring equitable access to technology; human resource training and support; expanding telecommunications networks; developing technology-based assessment tools; and establishing national leadership for learning technologies. To realize the potential for learning technologies, states must take action, both individually and together, as stated in the following "Recommendations for Implementation. "
States are at different stages in the development and use of learning technologies. Some have made bold moves or are ready to make a quantum leap in their actions. Many have completed steps such as those recommended below. Where bold actions have been taken, they are applauded as examples for other states to emulate. The comprehensive order of this paper is in no way intended to slow progress of any state to back-track or adjust its previous actions to the systemic approach suggested here. Quite the contrary, the intention is to encourage the leaders who have accomplished certain steps to maintain their leadership toward complete implementation.
The recommendations that follow provide guidance for a comprehensive approach to incorporating technologies into the center of teaching and learning. These are generic proposals intended for all states but not detailed to apply to any specific state. Each state must develop its own application, informed by this comprehensive design and cognizant that each of the components must be included in some form to ensure a complete and effective state strategy.
Recommendations For Implementation
Develop A State Plan For The Use Of Technology In Education
States should establish a clear, long-term, strategic plan for learning technologies. The plan should provide a vision of technology's role in education services, propose effective uses of funds, ensure equitable access to technology, and maximize connections among technologies.
Provide A State Vision Of Technology's Role In Education
States must communicate a clear and persuasive vision of technology's role in education to ensure that all key persons--the governor, legislators, state education agency staff, higher education authorities, school board members, administrators, teachers, parents, and students-- work toward a common goal for technology use.
Include Certain Key Components In State And Local Plans.
State and local plans for implementing the use of learning technologies should include an identification of needs; clearly defined goals and objectives; an evaluation of each selected technology's Capabilities and cost-effectiveness; a description of the governance structure and systems operation; a delineation of current and future funding sources; a strategy for teacher, administrative, and support staff training; strategy and schedule for implementing the plan; procedures for assisting local education agencies in the development of local technology plans; an evaluation plan; and a mechanism for modifying the plan itself. Planning is an ongoing process. Plans should be continually reevaluated based on program outcomes, analysis of program effectiveness, new research, and technology development.
Outline The Responsibilities At The State, District, And Building Levels Tracts And Building Levels To Ensure That The Technology Plan Is Successfully Developed.
Each state should determine the planning process that best fits its needs; there is no single planning process for all states. With a trend towards site-based decision making, districts and schools are increasingly responsible for planning and implementing technology programs to meet their specific needs. At the same time, the economies of scale derived from aggregate purchases and the use of telecommunications networks for large-scale delivery drive planning to higher levels within and among states.
Provide A State Vision Of Technology's Role In Education.
States must communicate a clear and persuasive vision of technology's role in education. While specific responsibilities vary by state, educators from different levels of each state's education system should participate in planning to achieve full integration of technology into education and to ensure clarity of responsibility and action at each level. Technology plans at each level should be developed by teams that include financial and policy decision makers; teacher and administrator representatives; post-secondary and higher education representatives; technical experts; individuals with experience in curriculum development, instructional management, and assessment; and other major stakeholders in education.
Ensure That Plans For Other Programs Within State Education Agencies Incorporate The Use Of Appropriate Technology.
State education agency plans for the state and federal programs should incorporate the use of appropriate technology to ensure that technology is effectively integrated into each state education service and across the services.
Ensure That The State, Districts, And Schools Have Sufficient Funding To Initiate And Sustain On-Going Use Of Technology As Articulated In The State Plan
Develop A Bold New Plan To Provide Steady Funding For Learning Technologies.
Technology is an integral part of education; consequently, the federal, state, and local governments are responsible for providing funds to initiate and sustain the use of educational technology. Funding should cover all costs associated with the technology and the necessary support for continuing effective use, such as training, maintenance, and upgrades. Avenues to decrease the cost of technology by aggregating purchases across the nation, state, or regions should be developed to the full extent. To supplement federal, state, and local funds, alternative funding options, such as business-state partnerships and foundation grants, should also be pursued.
Initiate State Development Of Learning Technologies.
States are in a unique position to stimulate and initiate the development of learning technology products. States should use this opportunity to undertake cost-effective projects in technology, which support the state's curriculum frameworks and education goals.
Include Expenditures For Technology As Part Of Capital Outlay.
Investments in educational technology should be considered capital expenditures, which may be depreciated over the life of the product.
Ensure That Students And School Personnel Have Equitable Access To Technologies For Their Learning, Teaching, And Management Needs
Equitable access must be addressed at the national, state, district, and building levels. Access to current technologies and fully interactive information networks that transfer voice, video, and data must be provided.
Federal And State Policies Should Ensure Access To Learning Technologies
Many current federal and state policies were developed prior to the introduction of new technology into education. Such policies may now limit access to technology and, therefore, it is imperative to review them for currency and equitable access. The following issues are especially important for policy review and update:
Cost Of Access: To ensure that students and school personnel have affordable access to technology and information networks, it is necessary for technology providers to establish rates and other policies specifically for educational purposes. What is affordable for education may not be what is affordable for profit-making corporations. For example, state public utility commissions and the Federal Communications Commission should establish special telephone rates for education. The rates must be low enough to enable students and school personnel to take advantage of the voice, video, and data services transmitted over the telecommunications systems. And the rates must also be sufficient to ensure continued investment in development of future applications for the education market. In addition, telecommunications costs should be equitable regardless of the factor of geographic location.
Information Access: Intellectual property and copyright laws must be revised to increase student and school personnel access to information and provide them the flexibility to use the information for instructional purposes. These laws must also ensure that the owners and originators receive adequate recognition and financial reward. In addition, these laws and other policies should encourage development of electronically accessible information sources.
School Facilities Design: School facility design requirements, whether for new schools or for building rehabilitation, must support the use of learning technologies. Electrical outlets and voice, video, and data lines are critical components of the modern school. School facilities must also support new instructional strategies that use technology (including individual or small-group learning, and varied workstations).
Use Of Federal And State Funds: Federal and state policies should authorize purchase of learning technologies with funds currently earmarked for textbooks, instructional materials, and learning resources.
Provide Access To Learning Technologies Both In And Outside The School Building Just As Access To Textbooks Is Provided Both In And Outside School
To compensate for unequal technology resources in the home and among schools, extra effort must be made by states, districts, and schools to provide all students access to learning technologies both in and outside school buildings. Schools should establish programs to loan equipment to students and school personnel for home use. Schools, libraries, and other information sources should make their resources accessible during extended or non-school hours.
Ensure That Educators Have The Staff-Support, Training, Time, Authority, Incentive, And Resources Necessary To Use Technology Effectively
Encourage Local Districts And Schools To Develop "Technology Teams."
To effectively integrate technology into the classroom, teachers need to work closely with strong support teams that include principals, library media specialists, technicians, and other support staff. Technology teams should include individuals with decision-making authority and expertise in technology, curriculum design, instructional design, and student assessment. Technology teams should provide teachers with technical support to keep equipment operating; inform them about emerging technologies and programs; suggest ways to renew the curriculum through technology; and assist in assessing the outcomes of the learning technologies.
Provide Professional Development Activities To Facilitate Full Integration Of Technology Into Education.
States must provide rigorous, continuous training to ensure that all educators develop the skills necessary to use technology in their work. Ongoing professional development activities should be offered cooperatively by states, local districts, and vendors to provide training along with technology purchases and upgrades.
As learning technologies become more powerful and complex, teachers must increase their capacities to use technology. Teachers must learn how to operate available equipment and applications; evaluate the potential of instructional applications; integrate the technology into the curriculum; use technology for administrative and assessment purposes; and develop a willingness to experiment with technology. They must receive training to develop the group management, decision-making, and coaching skills necessary to help students use technology effectively.
State and local education agency staff must be provided training that helps them understand technology's potential as an instructional, administrative, and assessment tool. They must also be encouraged to experiment with technology-based programs.
State education agency staff must join with higher education authorities to ensure that licensure requirements encourage professionals to use technology effectively in the learning environment.
Provide The Time, Authority, Incentives, And Resources Necessary To Use Learning Technologies.
The integration of learning technologies at the center of' teaching and learning requires substantial changes from the practice of the traditional classroom. Many of the changes pertain to the role of teachers--their use of time, incentives, relationships between colleagues, and the resources available to them. Examples of necessary changes follow:
Educators must have convenient access to a wide range of technologies in their schools, class-rooms, and homes. These include the technologies of the contemporary workplace of other professionals as well as specialized learning technologies. The more opportunity educators have to become comfortable with and competent in technology, the more likely they are to use it in teaching.
Many elements of the school day must be reviewed. Use of learning technologies may require substantially different class schedules, class lengths, and class sizes. Such changes cannot be made in isolation but must be part of decisions that authorize different arrangements for cooperation and logistics
Evaluation criteria and processes for teachers must ensure that they are fairly judged in the effective use of technology and are encouraged to use it. Current criteria and processes may effectively penalize teachers who use technology. For example, if the criteria is to require a teacher to deliver instruction, the teacher who coaches the students to use technology for "delivery" may be penalized.
Encourage The Development And Expansion Of Telecommunications Networks
State, inter-state, national, and international telecommunications networks are critical for providing students and educators equitable access to resources outside the school and establishing connections between the school and the home, the community, and other outside resources.
Plan, Fund, And Build Telecommunications Networks.
Governors and state legislators, the President and Congress are encouraged to provide support for the coordination and expansion of current telecommunications networks and to develop new statewide, inter-state, national, and international telecommunications networks to serve education.
Advocate National Standards To Increase Connections Among And Use Of Voice, Data, And Wide-Band Video Networks.
Telecomputing networks should operate as national, non-proprietary standard telephone networks do. A telephone user can communicate with another user regardless of which telephone companies provide the service. A routing system is needed to communicate across telecomputing networks. National standards and policies for telecommunications are needed to ensure that the networks serve education.
To Expand Distance Learning And Ensure That It Meets Acceptable Standards, Multi-State Cooperative Agreements Are Necessary For Teacher Qualifications And Course Specifications.
Varying state requirements for certification and course approval currently require teachers of distance learning to meet multiple state certification and course approval requirements. In some cases, teachers are required to take physical exams and demonstrate knowledge of the state's history and government, even though they are not teaching those subjects. Multi-state cooperative agreements are needed to promote high standards for teachers in a manner that facilitates the expansion of distance learning.
Multi-state agreements on standards for courses offered by distance learning are also needed to ensure effective expansion of learning opportunities.
Support The Use Of Technology In Student Assessment To Measure And Report Accumulated Complex Accomplishments And New Student Outcomes
Learning technologies are valuable tools for strengthening the teaching and learning of critical thinking and problem-solving skills and for measuring these capacities. Technology-based assessments help educators monitor student performance by allowing for: clear statement of multiple student outcomes; measurement of complex indicators of student learning; collection of data; management of information in such forms as portfolios; and the analysis, processing, and timely reporting of testing. The effective development of technology for student assessment should be encouraged through collaboration among the states, along with key stakeholders at national and local levels.
Develop National Leadership For Learning Technologies
The Federal Government Should Establish Leadership In Learning Technologies
The federal government should institute processes to develop a coordinated vision for the effective use of technology in education. This vision should be based on the Office of Technology Assessments reports, Power On! and Linking for Learning. Federal leadership is essential to the nation's efforts in research and development; to provide direction in the development of the national telecommunications infrastructure; and to ensure that all federal education programs incorporate the use of technologies as summarized below.
The Federal Government Should Provide Increased Investment In Research And Development Of Learning.
To realize the full potential of learning technologies, systematic research must be conducted on how students learn, the capabilities of current and emerging technologies, and the effect of technologies on student outcomes and the learning environment.
A national research agenda related to technology in education must be developed collaboratively by federal, state, and local education agencies with the federal government playing the primary role in providing increased and consistent funding for research and development of learning technologies and instructional strategies.
The Federal Government Should Take Leadership In The Rapid Establishment Of An Infra-Structure To Support Learning Technologies.
The use of learning technologies across the nation requires the federal government's leadership in establishing an infrastructure that includes fiber optic cable and other carriers to transmit all signals throughout the nation. This infrastructure must have the capacity to handle all signals including telephone calls, data transmission, fax, graphics, animation, compressed television, full-motion television, and high-definition television.
The Federal Government Should Ensure Time Transfer Of Technologies From Federal Agencies To State And Local Education Agencies.
The Department of Education should lead an effort to identify and disseminate learning technologies developed and used by the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Commerce, and other federal agencies. The federal investment in learning technologies in such agencies is far more extensive than in the Department of Education. State and local educational systems need access to these technologies through a coordinated dissemination program.
CCSSO And Other National Education Organizations Should Increase Advocacy For Education's Technology Needs At The National Level.
Federal policies and actions on learning technologies are critical to the availability of such technology at the state and local levels. CCSSO and other national education organizations must increase their efforts of advocacy to ensure that federal telecommunications and technology decisions support improvement of teaching and learning. Strong appeals need to be made to the President, Congress, the federal courts, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Departments of Education, Commerce, and Agriculture. Specifically, CCSSO should continue to take positions on learning technologies authorizations, appropriations, and legislation that effect the national information infrastructure and education's access as it has on the recent legislation and court rulings concerning the Bell Operating Companies' right to manufacture telecommunications equipment and provide information services. As Congress debates future actions concerning such issues as cable interconnectivity, spectrum allocation debates, and intellectual property rights, CCSSO should represent educational concerns.
Conclusion
The potential for technological advances in support of teaching and learning seems limitless. Each new generation of computers, each advance in multimedia applications, and each gain in telecommunications delivery opens more opportunities. Information Age realities seem close to the reach of some students, but the gap between current opportunity and actual use of technology in most schools is enormous.
We hope this paper captures a vision of the opportunities that learning technologies might provide for all. This vision will keep changing as invention follows new paths of technological creation. The vision will help us only if the states and our nation take the steps recommended here to bring the next generation's tools to the hands and minds of our students. The Council of Chief State School Officers is committed to bringing the vision and recommendations here to reality for all American students.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization composed of the public officials who head the departments of public education in the 50 states, five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The Council has functioned as an independent national council since 1927 and has maintained a Washington office since 1948. CCSSO seeks its members' consensus on major education issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, to federal agencies, to Congress, and to the public. Through its structure of committees and task forces, the Council responds to a broad range of concerns about education and provides leadership on major education issues.
Because the Council represents each state's chief education administrator, it has access to the educational and governmental establishment in each state and to the national influence that accompanies this unique position. CCSSO forms coalitions with many other education organizations and is able to provide leadership for a variety of policy concerns that affect elementary and secondary education. Thus, CCSSO members are able to act cooperatively on matters vital to the education of America's young people.
Council of Chief State School Officers, 1991
Werner Rogers (Georgia), President
Bill Honig (California), President-Elect
Gordon M. Ambach, Executive Director |
