2000 - 2001 CSP Technology Initiative

Site Directors Survey

USC CSP Site

Project Websites

1. Do you have a website? yes

If not, why not?

If yes...

How often do you update it? weekly

For what purpose is it designed?

To provide the science teachers we serve with a site where they can; 1) be apprised of meetings and workshops information; 2) communicate with their peers; 3) to see what other schools are doing; 4) a summary of events and pictures of activities; 5) to share our ideas with other science educators and to encourage interactions; 6) to post publications and articles that originate from our site; 7) to provide information on lessons learned and challenges.

Do you encourage your teachers to use it? Do they?

Our website was only recently built - our teachers don't use it a lot as yet, we are currently in the process of letting them know it exists.

2. What would you like to convey with your website?

Our vision of how science teachers' professional development can be effective; and, through sharing with other educators how we achieve our goals and outcomes, engage in meaningful discussions and strategies for success.

3. What would your teachers like to see on your website?

Current items i.e. meetings, dates, summary of events, links to other district and cluster schools, items of interest, contact information, pictures of activities, scholarly articles, meaningful discussions of current issue, resource links, effective lesson plans, examples of successful school reform plans, effective instructional matrices.

4. What do you think of the idea of developing online institutes (to reach teachers out of your service area)?

We don't think that would be very effective for us.

Statewide Website

5. We see the statewide website as serving two purposes. 1) Providing information and resources to Site Directors and their teacher leaders, and; 2) Serving as an online "brochure" of what the CSP is all about for outside interested parties. Here are a few suggestions for the statewide CSP website. In general, what do you think of each?

2000 - 2001 CSP Technology Initiative - Site Directors Survey

Not of Interest	Good Idea
		Links to reputable scientific online resources for teachers (each project would link to this page so that teachers generally only use the local website and not the statewide site). The statewide site could also have links to educational organizations, nationwide, legislators, policy, the pros and cons of issues and information of the type Maria sends on her listserve. It could also list innovative strategies being used at a particular site (site of the month maybe - with video clips and rationales) as a way of sharing what's being done in California. The strategic plan for the whole statewide CSP should also be posted as a way to coordinate efforts within the State on a common vision for education.
		Forums for password protected group communication (e.g., threaded discussions on spontaneous and planned topics like, "What do we mean by partnership?") We would rather define partnership after input from all - which we've had and then be done with it. Define it and do it.
		Database of standards based lesson plans that are peer reviewed (by the sites) and grade specific. We would rather see links to sites with those plans - there are thousands out there
		Information about upcoming conferences of interest and statewide CSP meetings. Include meeting agendas and you got a deal
		General CSP news

6. What else would you like to see on the statewide CSP website?

• Links to government offices and legislators (departments involved in educational issues
• Links to educational organizations
• listserve addresses for the above organizations
• posting of new and reworked policies with commentary and form to input comments
• List of upcoming meetings where policy will be decided (curriculum committee, textbook committee) also include a form for those who wish to participate.

7. What kind of assistance, if any, would you like from the statewide office in developing and maintaining your project's website?

We would like to have some help setting up a chat room for our teachers to share ideas.

Other Technology Issues

1. Please designate ONE person from your site to be the technology coordinator, include their name and email address. Patricia Thompson pathomps@hsc.usc.edu

2. We will schedule a meeting (of the coordinators above) this winter to develop a technology plan for the CSP based on the results of this survey. The technology plan will include the development and maintenance of websites but COULD also include elements of the following:

2000 - 2001 CSP Technology Initiative - Site Directors Survey

Statewide and/or regional technology institutes/conferences.

Sending CSP representatives to national Ed Tech conferences.

Applying for tech grants as a project.

3. How does your site view the integration of technology into the CSP? How committed is your site to this integration?

We think it's great - we're committed. Technology is a wonderful tool for communication, and to gather and share ideas. We see a need for a common vision about the use of technology in the classroom and it's real impact on children and learning. An exploration of the argument that the Internet hinders the development of creativity and critical thinking by providing so much information that these crucial elements are lost, would be interesting. Also, innovative and creative "things" can be done with technology and it takes those characteristics to develop new uses and tools, but how do technological advances impact the average child in the average classroom? Will that child be able to BE the person that develops new and innovative products?

4. Any suggestions for alternative effective ways of using the Internet to meet the goals of the Project?

On-line forms and sign-ups; short newsletter about daily happenings in education Postings by individual sites about what they found effective and/or not effective as they work with teachers at their site. Evaluation and assessment strategies.

5. How much responsibility does the CSP have for ensuring that teachers are adequately prepared to integrate technology into their curriculum? Should this be a goal of the Project? (You don't have to provide a detailed answer here but this will be an important question to keep in mind whenever we make decisions regarding technology and will help shape the discussion at the winter meeting.)

CSP has a lot of responsibility as a representative of science education statewide, in that it can mobilize business and universities to provide training to teachers and to donate computers and cutting edge equipment and trainers. Technology integration should be a main goal of the statewide effort and part of the statewide vision.

We see this as a sub-goal for the sites; we already have been integrating technology into our main work as a part of content and pedagogy delivery. Technology is a part of pedagogy - another tool to provide content and a tremendous resource for information.

6. Finally, what is your "wish list" concerning technology for your site and for your teachers? Think BIG, out of the box, expensive, creative, unethical, politically infeasible, etc.

• Interactive lessons teachers can use in their own daily teaching that develop skills i.e. mathematics, and reading, and are tied to hand-on investigations and critical thinking challenges

• Vans equipped with computers and trainers that travel between schools (and remain on-site for a length of time ) and raise the comfort level of teachers, train teachers to use the computers, train teachers how to use technology in their classroom, allow them to try different software and inform them about what types of technology and educational software are available and effective.

• School-site technology nights where students teach their parents and teachers (if needed) about computers, building web pages, the Internet etc.

2000 - 2001 CSP Technology Initiative - Site Directors Survey

• Collaborations between schools where secondary students work with elementary students on computer skills, web building, how to locate resources, etc.

• Collaborations between the IHE Schools of Engineering where teachers can solve the technology problems that are on the school site with the help of engineering students, learn cutting edge techniques and send secondary students for summer internships. Involvement of engineers of all types in curriculum development and content acquisition by teachers, working with teachers on engineering principles relative to robotics and other technology content.