Reflective Blog #2 - Using technology in elementary education

Berg, S., Benz, C.R., Lasley II, T., Raisch, C. D., (1998) Exemplary technology use in the elementary classrooms. Journal of Research on Computing in Education; 31 (2) 111-122. Retrieved from NL.Edu EBSCO Host Academic Search.


Authors Susan Berg, Carolyn R. Benz, Thomas J. Lasley II, and C Daniel Raisch discuss how classrooms are changing to incorporate technology to become exemplary classrooms. Technology is being used to supplement and support teaching and is showing advances in the skills of the students. Technology is becoming more prevalant in classrooms, and teachers are expected to teach with technology, but are not given the examples of what an exemplary classroom looks like. "...that students at the elementary level used computers overwhelmingly in an exercise mode, doing drills and playing various educational games, rather than in a productivity mode."  This study also looked at what an exemplary teacher looked like and what the difference between a teacher and exemplary teacher looked like. How could they incorporate what the exemplary teacher does for others to raise their level of instruction and equate to student success? This study was conducted in southwestern Ohio in the early 1990's, which makes the research a little outdated, but valuable none the less. They looked at what exemplary looked like and then took that data to look at what teachers were exemplary. Once that was determined, the teachers rated the uses of technology by importance. Then it was rated by frequency of use in the classrooms. Just because a piece of technology is available doesn't mean that it is useful in instruction. The parties involved in this study were in agreement that the more technology that was integrated into the lesson plans as a tool or support, the greater the success of the students.