Using Technology to Increase Student Learning

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Summary: The Disney School Model Works!
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There is increasing pressure from educational policymakers, the media, politicians, taxpayers and parents to implement a continuous flow of educational reforms. Technology is at the forefront of school reform. Governmental leaders say that every school and library should be connected to the Internet. Business leaders demand that new hires be computer literate. Parents believe that knowledge of information technology is critical to their children's education. In addition to these demands regarding the importance of implementing an educational technology program in schools, there is a clear caveat coming from these same constituencies: Investments in educational technology must result in improved student performance.

For technology to be used as a tool that will measurably increase student performance, three basic elements must be in place:

1. The school environment must be conducive to the kinds of changes that students and teachers will need to make.

2. The curriculum of the school must be organized for effective integration of technology.

3. A workable action plan must be in place.

Dr. Reksten guides school principals and their leadership teams towards integrating technology into the school curriculum in a practical manner that will improve student achievement.

The author relies on the work of highly regarded researchers and practitioners to build the foundation for her case that, with the appropriate leadership, implementing a dynamic plan for integrated technology and concept-based instruction could be a powerful tool to improve student achievement. The author studied the work of Deming whose ideas on quality work and collaboration converted post-war Japan from an inferior producer to a formidable competitor. Later, Glasser applied these same quality management principles to education and identified the Leader Manager concept. The school principal, Dr. Reksten maintains, as the Leader Manager for the school, is responsible for creating the kind of school environment where quality educational technology can thrive.

The setting for applying these theories was Walt Disney School in Burbank, California. As school principal, Dr. Reksten was able to build her own leadership team using teachers who were receptive to change and wanted to work collaboratively. Starting with the students in mind, the school leadership team developed a technology plan for Walt Disney School.

The technology plan was dynamic, established specific student expectancies and benchmarks, and used a concept-based instruction approach where the student acquires knowledge that can be broadly applied across disciplines, rather than simply learning stand-alone facts within each discipline. The plan focused on helping students develop integrated process skills, where knowledge would be applied across disciplines at each grade level, transferred up grade levels as education continued, and eventually transferred to future employment.

This book is written as a tool for helping schools develop and implement a technology plan integrated with concept-based curriculum. Two questions have to be asked. First, why is educational technology important, and next, does the model really work?

In his report on the role of the United Nations in the 21st Century, the Secretary-General stresses the importance of both education and technology towards the goal of sustained growth. Intellectual capital, according to the report, is replacing finance capital as the key ingredient to success in the digital economy, and its availability is much more widespread. Furthermore, those who have learned to integrate technology into their learning processes can leapfrog to success. But does the model work in terms of improved student achievement?

All indications are that the plan at Walt Disney School is a genuine success story. The school is the most ethnically diverse school in its district, with 12 languages spoken, and half the students speaking only limited English. In spite of these challenges, since implementing the ideas in this book, Disney became a model technology school in Los Angeles County, and a California Distinguished School. In California's Statewide Academic Performance Index for year 2000, Disney School improved more than any other school in the district, and was one of the most improved schools in the state.

Previous research has shown that using technology as tutorials that emphasize drill and practice routines has had little effect to improve student learning. Some have suggested that such usage may decrease the ability to think reflectively and critically. However, Dr. Reksten has demonstrated that when technology is used as a tool that causes the student to think and apply concepts from the curriculum, learning is improved.

This book is important because the author has developed a proven system to accomplish a very important objective. No matter what constituency you are a part of (be it a school principal or administrator, teacher, parent, business person, public administrator, or general public), you should read this book and keep it where you can refer to it again and again.