You Can Teach "Old Dogs" Without Wielding "Big Sticks"
Susan Ramp Ridout
Indiana University Southeast
New Albany, Indiana
sridout@ius.edu
Jane E. Reihl
Indiana University Southeast
New Albany, Indiana
jreihl@ius.edu
Carl deGraaf
Indiana University Southeast
New Albany, Indiana
cdegraaf@ius.edu
Background
Until the late 1980's, the faculty members at Indiana University Southeast were slow to acknowledge the need for infusion of technology into the elementary methods courses. With a little encouragement from a colleague, however, the Language Arts and Reading methods instructors decided to change their courses so that future teachers would truly be prepared for the classrooms in which they would find themselves.
The university professors' first attempt at incorporating some "new tricks" involved the teacher education students teaching thematic units that incorporated some word processing and Logo. At first the university provided the leadership in the area of technology. Computer workshops were held for university faculty and students to attend together as the "old dogs" and the students learned the software. The veteran elementary teachers learned about the technology as they observed the university students teaching their units. Now, however, the children and teachers at Galena Elementary are making decisions that "drive" the university's program.
Technological Leadership From Galena
Two years ago, Galena Elementary School received a Buddy Grant from the Corporation of Educational Technology which enabled them every forth and fifth grader's family to have a computer and a modem. The grant has afforded the fourth and fifth grade teachers at Galena--all of whom have taught at least twenty years--to attend workshops and conferences and collaborate with other "Buddy sites". These teachers now model the use of technology in the classroom for veteran and pre-service teachers and give presentations at conferences. They even hold a summer Buddy Camp to help families learn to use technology. The schools maintains a home page on their Intranet and on almost a daily basis, the children at Galena problem-solve and engage in the writing process as they prepare e-mails, multi-media research presentations, stories, and other classroom projects.
Teacher Preparation Today
As of the late 90's, the college students teach literature-based units that incorporate comprehension strategies, the writing process, poetry, study strategies, Web sites, "life skills", and student-created multi-media presentation.
Now the elementary school loans laptops to the university students. The children come to the campus for "Professor for a Day" and teach the college students about the laptop and its software. The university students and the children also correspond via e-mail. In addition, some of the children and college students are "Webytes;" they engage in research and then spend a day on the university's campus and create collaborative Web pages.
Closing
Not any of the teachers or faculty members involved it the Galena project are or ever have been "techies." Based on the data we continue to gather, however, we recognize that technology is playing a significant role in our preparation of studnets, both future teachers and children. We have never needed "sticks" to promote technology; just risk-taking and progressive educators willing to challenge their beliefs about teaching and learning.