Electronic
Library
As
American education moves into the electronic age through high-speed technologies, a
portion of the teaching profession, and subsequently their students, are being left
behind. Elementary level educators seldom are
provided the same level of technology as higher-level grades. Most now have a single computer or access to a
computer lab. Few have open access to the
Internet or use of Email systems.
Multiple
reasons exist for this void. School
administrators apply existing resources to the upper level grades in preparation for work
force development and to strengthen TAAS scores. Technology
applications seem to begin at the high school level and work lower. Yet somehow, by the time implementation in the
elementary levels occurs, resources are instead committed to updating the technologies in
the higher grades. Not all of this technical void can be placed on administrators faced
with too few resources. Teachers and the
institutions that train them must also take some responsibility. Many higher-level institutions do not empower and
instill confidence in technology applications for new teachers. Always the last to change, higher education has
begun to change the instructional focus and methods for training new teachers.
One of
the overriding reasons against implementation of technologies in the elementary classroom
is the fear of the ‘red-light district’ that exists now within the electronic
world. So the question remains, “How do
we provide the positive electronic experiences in the elementary level classroom?”
Partners
within the Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching at Region XII have
designed a program that will answer a portion of the question. Members of the Regional Collaborative will be
recruited to identify and create appropriate material for elementary level teachers. Phase I will focus on reading material for the
second and third grade levels, regardless of age of the individual. This focus should support mainstream second and
third graders, remedial reading in fourth through sixth grades, and incarcerated
populations that exhibit low reading ability. The
goal is to engage student learning by providing interesting and topical information for
reading.
K12
educators will be asked to identify and replicate reading materials from the Internet. In
fall 2000, five teachers will be asked to identify materials for incarcerated teens, ages
12-18, with an average reading level of 2nd grade.
Selected
material:
q May be in the form of entire books,
short stories, or magazine articles that will engage students in reading,
q Should be age appropriate for 2nd
grade reading level, and
q Must be applicable in interests to
target population.
The
objective is to initiate an electronic library through the development of 550,000 MB of
material or approximately 10 CDs prior to May 2001.
Each
participating teacher will receive a $200 stipend at the conclusion of the project, 6
CEUs, and a completed set of the Electronic Library (CDs) of replicated material for use
in his/her classroom, school or district.
q Ten (10) educators will be
identified through the Regional Collaborative program or recruited into the program.
q Training is mandatory for
participation.
q Educators will receive training in
the appropriate selection of material available through the Internet through an
established criteria and evaluation process.
q Educators will learn the methods for
replicating the material electronically.
q Educators will evaluate each portion
of reading material and correlate the material to TEKS.
q BellNET will design and produce
cover material and reproduce multiple copies for distribution of each CD.
Tasks.
Educators
will attend a two-hour training session that includes the established criteria for
selection of web sites, investigation of all links, and use of web-replication software. CEUs will be provided for training time, as well
as project development time. Team members
will communicate with each other to insure no site duplication in the selection process
and to provide peer review for potential sites. When
a site has been collaboratively selected, a team member will be responsible for
replicating the web site, including links, onto a master Read/Write CD.
In lieu
of appropriate replication equipment, the site will be forwarded to BellNET for
replication. BellNET will be
responsible for the design and replication of cover art and CDs. BellNET will also assume responsibility for
distribution to appropriate parties in June of 2001.
Learning
Assets for Teachers.
Enhance
Internet search capabilities. Strengthen
selection criteria for use of web in teaching process and supplement electronic portfolio. Network across multiple school districts to
electronically communicate with peers. Instruction on website replication software, and
practical applications of the software.
q Ten educators
q Development of web site
q 100 master CDs of reading material
or 550,000 megabytes of material
q 12 copies of each CD
© BellNET
Last Edited: 10/18/00