Hi -
One of the "nudges" we're getting under NCLB is the need to identify,
acquire, and use technology-based programs that are research-based as being
effective in improving student performance. This is no small task... but
fortunately there is a growing set of tools that not only suggest some
technology programs, but more importantly provide some criteria and/or
rubrics to help you assess such programs - perhaps even your own. It will be
important for us in Vermont to identify what really works and to inform one
another of those successes.
Last Monday at Dynamic Landscapes I did a presentation called "Best
Practices - Who Says?" I don't think the term "Best Practice" is correct,
however. I think it should be "Exemplary or Promising" becasue what someone
might identify as "Best" today, may become eclipsed by even better practices
as we learn to use technology better.
In any event, below I've included a few links to the tools I've come across
so far. Hopefully these will be of some use. AS you identify other such
tools please share them via this list.
Thanks -
Bill Romond
Educational Technology Coordinator
Vermont Department of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
(802) 828-0064 (V)
(802) 828-3140 (F)
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Exemplary and Promising Programs in Educational Technology (Educational
Technology Expert Panel) http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edtechprograms/
This initiative first developed a set of criteria to use in judging the
quality of a technology-based program, then identifies a few of them.
Significantly, from an initial list of 134 proposed programs this panel
accepted only 8 or so as either exemplary of promising. Even more
significantly, Vermont's own "Web Project" was identified as one of the
Promising programs. The publication from this group is available on the web,
downloadable as a PDF file, or free as a hard copy. The best part of their
work (from my perspective) is the fact that they went back and produced
rubrics to use in making judgments about programs. This is a "must have"
document.
The Metiri group reviewed a bunch of technology-based programs as well...
and in doing so they created their own set of criteria. They have documents
for both elementary/middle school and high school. The documents can be
downloaded from http://www.metiri.com/WebInvestigation/k8.doc or
http://www.metiri.com/WebInvestigation/HS.doc
Another resource is called the "Knowledge Loom"
http://knowledgeloom.org/index.shtml
This effort, led by our friends from EDC in Newton, MA also developed some
criteria to use in judging the quality of online or technology-based
learning materials/programs. They then went on and found some that fit their
criteria. They provide links to those programs that they consider to be
high-quality. Significantly, this group also cited some Vermont work - that
of Bill Kimball and the teachers and administrators from Morristown, VT.
Finally, the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), which developed
standards for professional development a few years back, has now produced a
set of standards for online professional development. Their work is
available at http://www.nsdc.org/standards_tech.html where you can download
a PDF of these standards.
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