Project Summary
Name of Institution (Include Branch/Campus and School
or Division)
Louisiana
State University - Baton Rouge, College of Education
Address (Include Department)
221
Peabody Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Principal Investigator(s)
R.
Lafayette, K. Fossey, T. Wilkerson, J. Stuhlmann
Title of Project
Beyond
Computer Literacy: Preparing Teachers for a Different World
Abstract (DO NOT EXCEED 250 WORDS)
The College
of Education at Louisiana State University proposes to provide a model
that will serve as the basis for the systemic integration of technology
into preservice (K-12) teacher education programs. The model will
especially target students in preservice "methods" courses which have significant
field experiences in order to assure a solid transition of technology from
theory to practice. In addition, the model will assure the integration
of technology in all other courses within its preservice teacher education
programs. Through the development of technology rich model classrooms,
enhanced lab-based and portable technologies, and targeted faculty training,
we will prepare teachers with the knowledge and skills to go beyond mere
computer literacy and fully apply existing technologies to teaching, learning,
and assessment in all disciplines. Moreover, we will instill among
these future teachers a commitment to continually update their teaching
as new technologies become available.
Therefore,
the College is requesting funds to enhance and extend our existing commitment
to integrate technology into preservice teacher education. Our project
features four interconnected objectives:
1) To systematically expose preservice teachers
to technology rich instruction in all teacher education courses.
2) To prepare preservice teachers to systematically
integrate technology to support and enhance student learning and achievement.
3) To support preservice teachers in the application
of technology in teaching through access to technology-rich model classrooms.
4) To support the integration of technology among
preservice teachers in field-based school settings.
Table of Contents
NARRATIVE
A. The Current Situation
a.1.
Institutional
Description
a.2. Rationale
for the Project
a.3. Impact
on Existing Resources
B. The Enhancement Plan
b.1. Plan
of proposed project
b.2. Evidence
of Potential to Achieve and Maintain Eminence
b.3. Impact
on Curriculum and Instruction
b.4. Impact
on Quality of Students
b.5. Impact
on Faculty Development
C. Equipment
c.1. Equipment
Request (including justification)
c.2. Equipment
on Hand
c.3. Equipment
Housing and Maintenance
D. Faculty and Staff Expertise
E. Economic and/or Cultural Impact
e.1. Relationship
with Industrial/Institutional Sponsors
e.2. Contribution
to the Academic Resources of the State
F. Additional Sources of Funding
G. Previous Board of Regents Support Fund Awards
A.1 Institutional Description
Louisiana State University is recognized both nationally and internationally
for outstanding research, teaching, and service. As a respected academic
leader, Louisiana State University strives to provide students with academic
and cultural experiences of the highest quality. Students and faculty
distinguish themselves in 202 undergraduate and graduate/professional programs.
The College of Education at Louisiana State University offers bachelor's,
master's, educational specialist and doctoral degrees through three academic
departments: Curriculum and Instruction; Educational Leadership,
Research and Counseling; and Kinesiology. The College's 25 percent
increase in undergraduate enrollment from fall 1996 (939 students) to fall
1997 (1174 students) was the largest of any LSU division, and enrollments
are projected to continue rising. The College encourages educators
to be reflective in practice, actively involved in the research tradition
of the University, and at the cutting edge in using sophisticated teaching
technologies. A wide range of perspectives and approaches are supported
within the College for educating a diverse population in a complex and
interdependent world.
A primary purpose of the College is to prepare high-quality teachers, administrators,
counselors, and human service professionals for Louisiana's elementary
and secondary schools. Each year the College certifies approximately
ten percent of Louisiana's new teachers. The teacher preparation
program enrolls more than 900 students and takes place both on the campus
and in carefully selected Professional Development Schools (PSD).
Professional development schools resemble teaching hospitals in medicine,
where university faculty are actively engaged with professional practitioners
and pre-service students. The PDS network includes LSU's K-12 Laboratory
school and sixteen public schools that are identified as effective models
of teaching and learning. In these sites, education students connect
theory and practice through integrated, field-based teaching experiences.
In the fall of 1997, the LSU College of Education received approval for
a new master's concentration in Educational Technology. This concentration
is designed to develop technology specialists who serve schools, districts
or state agencies by helping to develop curriculum standards and teaching
practices for utilizing technology in an effective and supportive fashion.
The College of Education, therefore, is in a unique position to create
a model of technology integration in teacher education. We have (1)
an extremely large initial teacher preparation program, (2) an existing
theory to practice infrastructure consisting of clinical faculty, teachers-in-residence,
and Professional Development Schools, and (3) the technical expertise to
maximize project impact.
A.2 Rationale for Project
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the preparation of next generation
teachers will require systemic change in teacher education programs.
Certainly, the demands of schools of the 21st century will call for a yet
to be determined mix of tried and true methods and constantly emerging
technologies. The demands on colleges of education will be to prepare
teachers with a firm grasp of content knowledge and pedagogy as well as
the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to apply and adapt continually emerging
technologies. Perhaps the most critical conceptual error will be
to train teachers to use technology that will be outdated three to five
years into their teaching careers.
From 1997 to 1999, the administration of Governor Mike Foster will have
spent $78.3 million, not including 8g funds, to enhance the technological
capabilities of K-12 schools across Louisiana. Between 1995 and 1999,
the number of students per multi-media computer with CD-ROMs and networking
capabilities will have dropped from 88 to 15 students, with 80 percent
of classrooms connected to the Internet ("Computer-to-student ratio improved,"
Baton Rouge Advocate 8/28/98). But this investment will be
in vain unless teachers are also trained to use technology to the fullest
advantage in their daily interactions with students.
School boards, state departments of education, and professional education
organizations have come to view computers as basic classroom tools essential
in supporting standards-based instruction. In order to secure benefits
that will outlast the limited lifespan of most computer software, the College
proposes systemic change in its teacher preparation curriculum to address
the demands of the educational system. For example, content standards
have been adopted on a state and national basis and in all cases they target
higher levels of learning. Traditional teaching methods must be altered
in order to address these new demands. Among the promising practices
to address these standards are project-based learning and performance assessment
(e.g., portfolio assessment and curriculum-based measurement). Each
of these practices will be enhanced and more likely to be implemented in
the classroom through the effective use of technology as an instructional
resource.
While there are no simple answers to the complex educational problems faced
by our state, it is our premise that preparing pre-service teachers to
integrate technology in teaching and learning must begin with their first
exposure to the teaching field. Technology integration must be systematically
modeled, practiced, and refined throughout LSU's preservice teacher education
programs.
A.3 Impact on Existing Resources
The LSU College of Education is accredited by the National Council
for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). During the last
NCATE review in 1994, one of the few weaknesses cited in the LSU program
was in the use of technology in instruction. The College has gone
to great lengths to address this criticism, and has even begun to achieve
recognition for its pedagogical uses of technology. Many faculty
now communicate electronically with public-school personnel in the professional
development schools, and several provide distance education activities.
In the summer of 1998, the College offered its first course completely
via the Worldwide Web. The LSU College of Education also recently
received a major grant of software valued at over $40,000 from Microsoft's
teacher.training@microsoft program. These site licenses are designated
for use by K-12 pre- and in-service teachers, and can be networked on the
computers requested in this grant. This will represent a significant
savings for the College, and will provide most of the software programs
necessary for the activities described elsewhere in this proposal.
To date, the College has received two Board of Regents grants to support
its efforts to integrate technology throughout the curriculum. The
first is a 1996 LEQSF grant entitled "Technology Innovations in Instruction."
Although this grant was written to provide resources and training for 10
college faculty, the project surpassed all expectations, and actually prepared
17 faculty to author multimedia presentations and interactive activities.
Through "Technology Innovations in Instruction," project faculty made significant
progress in learning how to integrate multimedia and telecommunications
in their teaching, with early results demonstrating the power of technological
innovations on the performance of students.
In the intervening two years since the grant was implemented, student needs
for computer access have dramatically increased, in part because of the
project's success. Today, more professors require students to use
technology not only for special assignments but in day-to-day coursework.
The second grant is a 1998-99 CITAL grant entitled "Preservice Elementary
Teacher Education Program: A Total Community Effort." The purpose
of this grant is to integrate technology in the math and reading components
of the elementary education program by forming a community of scholars
consisting of faculty from the LSU Mathematics Department, the Department
of Curriculum & Instruction, and four Professional Development Schools.
The College of Education has indeed made significant strides in keeping
up with and applying technological advances. However, more than half
of the teacher education faculty still need additional training in order
to strengthen their skills in the pedagogical application of computers
and the use of the Internet. The proposed program intends to prepare
all teacher education faculty to demonstrate the use of instructional technology
in model classrooms. This is essential if pre-service teachers are
to be expected to adopt such practices in K-12 classrooms.
B. THE ENHANCEMENT PLAN
B.1 Plan of Proposed Project
The College of education is requesting funds to enhance and extend
it's existing commitment to establish new learning environments and to
integrate technology throughout its preservice teacher education programs.
Our project features four interconnected objectives:
1) To systematically expose preservice teachers
to technology rich instruction in all teacher education courses.
2) To prepare preservice teachers to systematically
integrate technology to support and enhance student learning and achievement.
3) To support preservice teachers in the application
of technology in teaching through access to technology-rich model classrooms.
4) To support the integration of technology among
preservice teachers in field-based school settings.
Plan of Action for Objectives One and Two: Focus on Faculty Training
In order to provide preservice teachers with systematic exposure to technology rich instruction and to teach them how to integrate technology in their own teaching, it is imperative to provide faculty with increased training and expertise so that they will incorporate and model the best technological practices into their own courses and subsequently instruct their methods students in using technology in the elementary or secondary classroom.
In order to have the greatest impact and to assure that there will be an unbroken link between theory and practice, the primary focus of this project will be on the teacher education students enrolled in and the faculty assigned to teach the methods courses in each of our teacher education programs. Since all of these courses have substantial field experiences, it will provide preservice teachers ample opportunities to apply technology-enhanced instruction in actual classrooms.
Number of Pre-service Teachers Enrolled in Methods
Classes
Academic Year 1997-98
| Program | Course | Enrollment
AY 1997-98 |
| Elementary Education | EDCI 3125 -- Elementary Science Methods | 152 |
| EDCI 3126 -- Elementary Math Methods | 152 | |
| EDCI 3127 -- Elementary Social Studies Methods | 155 | |
| EDCI 3200 -- Reading, Writing, and Oral Communication in the Elementary School | 168 | |
| ELRC 4507 -- Computing Technology for Educators | 133 | |
| Total Elementary | 760 | |
| Secondary Education | EDCI 4269, 4465, 4470 (Secondary Methods Courses in 6 different content areas) | 170 |
| Total Secondary | 170 | |
| Projected teacher education methods enrollments affected yearly by the proposed technological enhancement to the teacher preparation curriculum | 930 | |
Specific activities planned to meet these two objectives
are as follows:
1) Professors will participate in a three-day in-house
technology workshop in August of 1999. The purpose of this workshop
is to allow faculty to work in content-specific groups to identify learning
experiences and strategies that are enhanced by new technologies, to extend
their existing technological skills, and to develop ideas for technology-based
instructional units. Faculty will:
The Chairperson of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction will review:
In order to prepare preservice teachers in the application of technology in teaching and learning, these future educators need access to technology-rich model classrooms. In these settings, faculty will utilize teaching strategies that demonstrate essential conditions for effective use of technology to support learning in today's K-12 classroom. In our model classrooms we plan to simulate environments that engage students in activities that interweave educational technology skills and curricular content. The model classroom will be especially useful in teaching assessment methods, which are essential to the teacher preparation curriculum. Technology has great potential to aid teachers in evaluating levels of behavioral and intellectual development, particularly with students at high risk of failure.
1) The College of Education will:
The Principal Investigators will:
In order for the integration of technology in teacher education programs to be viable, the latter must provide its preservice teachers with opportunities to use technology in actual classrooms. This requires that preservice teachers have access to portable equipment to transport and share technological innovations in instruction in K-12 classrooms. Furthermore, it is important for future teachers to be able to complete all assignments requiring the use of computers and the Internet.
The College of Education will:
1) enhance existing instructional laboratories to improve access to informational and multimedia technologies for all teacher education students and faculty.
2) purchase laptops to allow pairs of students in methods classes to transport, practice and refine technology-based lessons in the field. The portable equipment will be used in conjunction with the two model classrooms in order to impact the largest number of students possible. During the two semesters preceding their student teaching experience, all elementary education majors take course which include field experiences. The first field experience, language arts and social studies, will be given priority when scheduling the use of the mobile lab and the model classrooms. There are a maximum of 4 sections with approximately 24 students in each section. These 4 sections will be given a minimum of 2 weeks of time in the model classrooms followed by 2 weeks of time using the mobile lab out in the field. Students currently work in pairs out in the field; therefore, only one laptop will be required for every 2 students. Additionally, students are typically scheduled to be in classrooms 2 days per week. This will enable more than one pair of students to use one laptop in a single week. After the first field experience is scheduled, remaining times will be provided to the second field experience and other academic areas. With the above schedule all students will participate in technology experiences through their first field experience. Additionally, many students are likely to engage in further technology activities during their second field experience or in other academic classes.
3) post preservice teachers' projects to a resource website thus giving them access to authentic lessons that can be incorporated into their practice teaching and beyond. This website, maintained by the project's graduate assistant, will also serve as an instructional resource for all K-12 teachers.
Evaluation of Objective Four:
ETS (Educational Technology Services) will:
1) ETS (Educational Technology Services in the College of Education) will be responsible for the acquisition of technology infrastructure and equipment for the project. (Summer/Early Fall 1999)
2) Principal Investigators will organize and host a three-day in-house technology workshop. (August 1999)
3) Faculty will participate in the technology workshop at the College of Education. (August 1999)
4) ETS will post a schedule of weekly training seminars offered to faculty, staff and graduate students on the College's World Wide Web site. Offered every fall, seminars range from training in the latest application software and recent changes to campus telecommunications services to state-of-the-art equipment use. (August 1999)
5) Principal Investigators will administer surveys at the beginning and end of the semester to participating methods students. (August/December 1999 and January/May 2000)
6) Students in methods classes will be taught in model classroom laboratories and utilize technology tools to complete collaborative curricular projects and explore assessment techniques. (On-going through fall and spring semesters)
7) Faculty will invite colleagues to observe model classroom projects and share technology integration ideas and resulting students' work at monthly departmental meetings. (On-going through fall and spring semesters)
8) Utilizing enhanced lab equipment, students will design lesson plans that focus on content, but apply information resources and appropriate technology-related tools. (During each semester)
9) In dyads, students will present lessons with laptops while completing the field-based component of their methods courses. (During each semester)
10) Students in methods classes will work collaboratively with masters' level students to crate a website repository of integrated lessons. (On-going through fall and spring semesters)
11) Preservice teachers will reflect upon the experience and the learning outcomes that the technology approaches had on their students via online conferencing. (December 1999 and May 2000)
12) Principal Investigators and participating faculty will present the results of the project to the entire College of Education community. (May 2000)
B.2 Evidence of Potential
to Achieve Recognized Eminence at the Regional, National, or International
Level
The College of Education's mission statement includes five goals one
of which is "to expand the application of instructional and informational
technology in support of the College's programs, faculty, students, and
staff." This proposal builds on the existing strengths of the LSU
College of Education as a leader in teacher preparation and educational
technology. It posits an integrated plan to ensure that all students
graduating from the College's teacher preparation programs are confident
and competent to use the latest technological innovations to help children
learn the skills they need as workers and citizens of the twenty-first
century. The proposal envisions a College of Education whose students
and faculty transcend mere literacy in the field of educational technology
to become models to educational professionals throughout the state and
nation. Finally, this project will strengthen the teacher education
program at LSU by helping the college attract better students into teacher
education on all levels. It will prepare more teachers to use educational
technology and expand the College's research and development into innovative
curriculum for schools. The objectives of this proposal are consistent
with the focus of national educational technology standards and will ultimately
enhance the College's ability to provide leadership for the state in the
improvement of schools.
The learning project approach has been successfully used in the college's
introductory technology classes (ELRC 3500 and 4507), which enroll approximately
100 students per semester. This process gives students the opportunity
to use technology as a natural learning tool by applying it to solve real
problems whose solutions will benefit students and teachers throughout
Louisiana. Students have published their lessons on the Web, many
of which have been used by practicing teachers. In this way, we are
creating World Wide Web teacher communities that support classroom innovation.
Not only has the College provided successful examples of technology integration
in its undergraduate curriculum, but educational technology master's students
have already achieved significant recognition within the program's first
year of existence. The 1998 National Education Computing Conference
featured a website created by graduate students in Professor Harriet Taylor's
course, "Telecommunications and the Internet." The site was also
chosen for the Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE).
The director of SCORE described Taylor's students' work as "very solid
pieces of technology-based curriculum that would be of great value to teachers
everywhere."
This unique
alliance between the Department of Curriculum & Instruction which is
responsible for teacher education programs and the Department of Education
Leadership, Research, and Counseling which houses the master's program
in educational technology will serve to strengthen both programs.
The project directors envision this project as a model for the type of
collaborative efforts needed in the future to foster professional alliances
within schools and to create school environments needed to support active,
learner-centered models of education.
B.3 Impact on Curriculum
and Instruction
Most national directives from organizations of professional educators
call for the integration of technology into specific educational content
area training. Since its last accreditation visit to LSU in 1994,
NCATE has revised its unit standards to measure the extent to which technology
is integrated into the curriculum. NCATE requires a quality professional
education unit to complete a well-planned sequence of courses and/or
experiences in pedagogical studies that help develop an understanding and
a use of ....... educational technology including
the use of the computer and other technologies in instruction, assessment,
and professional productivity. (p. 17-18) This project
will integrate technology in all teacher education courses with special
emphasis on methods courses which will permit preservice teachers to apply
technology enhanced lessons in actual classrooms.
NCATE's Approved Curriculum Guidelines includes standards developed
by ISTE to describe what every teacher should know and be able to do with
technology. The ISTE Foundation standards, which are currently
being used as benchmarks by many educational institutions in the United
States, specifically address the use of technology within content areas.
NCATE-accredited institutions must apply computers and related technologies
to support instruction in their grade level and subject areas. They
must plan and deliver instructional units that integrate a variety of software,
applications, and learning tools. (p. 7) All teacher education
students will have numerous opportunities to evaluate available software.
In methods classes they will be required to design technology enhanced
units and to teach them to real students during their field experiences.
Thus technologies must be used to support the curriculum and these competencies
should be achieved through a series of experiences within the professional
education curriculum that build on one another and reinforce skills and
methodologies. In particular, practical experience using technology
tools is important to all educators: It is critical that these
experiences continue throughout the professional preparation. This
includes modeling of technology integration within specific curricular
and content areas by professors and actual practice in the design and delivery
of technology-based learning units. (p. 8) The four objectives
of this project make it clear that the College of Education is seeking
systemic change in its teacher preparation programs by integrating technology
in all aspects of its programs.
B.4 Impact on Quality of Students
The project will directly impact the more than 900 preservice teachers
enrolled in LSU's teacher education programs. In addition, it will
also impact students in area elementary and secondary schools because LSU's
teacher education students will foster increased use of technology by having
to apply the lessons which they designed in their methods classes.
Teaching with technology-based tools requires collaborative classroom management
techniques as well as basic technology proficiency of the teacher.
This project will address all of these areas and produce an exceptional
education student prepared to face the challenges of the classroom.
It is essential that students learn to evaluate and effectively use instructional
materials, including computer software. Using the model classroom,
preservice teachers will preview and select appropriate software for the
students they will be teaching in the field. Further work outside
of regular class time will be conducted utilizing computer labs currently
available to teacher education students. After preparing in the model
classrooms and existing labs, the students will take laptops out into the
field and use the software with elementary or secondary students.
Follow-up activities will focus on a thorough evaluation of the effectiveness
of the software, including student outcomes and feasibility.
Appropriate assessment is also important, including curriculum-based assessment
(CBA) and portfolios. In preparing teachers, it is important that
they are able to use technology to accomplish these tasks efficiently and
successfully. Computerized applications of both CBA and portfolio
creation are currently available.
B.5 Impact on Faculty Development
Since the 1996-97 "Technology Innovations in Instruction" grant, the
16 participants from teacher education have formed a cadre of faculty members
who are becoming comfortable in designing and using instructional technology
with the needs of prospective teachers in mind. The proposed grant
would greatly enhance the efforts of these faculty members to explore additional
ways to use technology in their courses. In addition, the remaining
teacher education faculty members will be invited to join this group, thus
assuring that all faculty members are capable and confident in using technology.
Faculty will use technology to enhance and extend existing instruction
in a variety of ways, including (a) using instructional software with elementary
students in the field and evaluating its effectiveness, (b) designing their
own learning activities using technology, and (c) using technology to appropriately
assess students.
Teachers in elementary and secondary schools will also be influenced as
they work with the preservice students when the latter present their technology-based
lessons. Many current educators received their teacher training before
the technologies used in this project were available. Quality professional
development is scarce, particularly in a classroom setting. This
project may help current inservice educators to address their own training
needs and thus impact their students as well for years to come.
The Web repository that is being created will also address faculty development
needs. The website will provide links to the curricular projects,
samples of student work, and related resources. This site should
routinely be expanded each year by new students. Thus university
faculty members and K-12 educators across the state can use the website
as a source of professional development and a way of keeping current in
the field.
C. EQUIPMENT
C.1 Equipment Request
The criteria for this section are fully covered in the attached Budget
Narrative.
C.2 Equipment on Hand for Project
Microcomputers are available for all faculty and staff in the College
of Education. Classrooms as well as offices have been wired for access
to the Ethernet local area network. To handle the telecommunications
needs at remote sites, the College also boasts a modem line that provides
links with Professional Development Schools. The servers based in
the College accommodate distribution of software and College web pages.
The College maintains four instructional technology labs. These multi-platform
labs are equipped with printers, scanners, display systems, video recorders
and software. The labs are scheduled throughout the semester by the
entire College for the teaching of technology-based courses, research,
and training. When the labs are not scheduled, students, faculty
and staff may use them for the development and completion of coursework
and projects. Besides the instructional labs, a non-linear audio/video
editing station is available for the development of multimedia projects
and CD-ROMs.
The College also maintains two classrooms and one large meeting room that
are equipped with a workstation and projection system. These classrooms
are scheduled by faculty who wish to deliver technology-enhanced instruction.
C.3. Equipment Housing and Maintenance
Education Technology Services (ETS) is a division of the College of
Education designed to service and support all technology needs for the
College. ETS is responsible for the maintenance of instructional
software and equipment inventories. Equipment available on a check-out
basis includes: scanners, printers, video cameras, CD-ROM drives,
zip drives, digital cameras, projection systems, and a limited number of
laptops. ETS consists of a systems manager, a systems analyst, an
instructional coordinator, a secretary, a graduate assistant, and several
work-study students. Equipment is received by ETS, and its staff
is responsible for its maintenance, security, and accountability.
D. FACULTY AND STAFF EXPERTISE
Dr. Robert Lafayette, Dr. Janice Stuhlmann, Dr. Trena Wilkerson, and Ms.
Kim Fossey will administer the project.
Robert C. Lafayette is chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and has more than 30 years experience in teacher education. He has been keynote speaker at more than 25 language education conventions and has conducted some 200 inservice workshops throughout the United States. He is principal investigator for the grant "Preservice Elementary Teacher Education Program: A Total Community Effort," which is creating a community of scholars and integrating technology and telecommunications in the mathematics and reading/language arts components of the preservice elementary education program at LSU. Dr. Lafayette will be responsible for the overall administration of the project including all budgetary concerns.
Janice Stuhlmann, assistant professor of Curriculum & Instruction, is a nationally known scholar in the area of integrating technology into teacher education. She has published in a variety of journals and is a frequently sought after presenter and trainer. She has administered highly successful education grant programs, including the Apple Partnership in Education grant (Apple PIE) and the Portfolio Assessment grant. She teaches pre-service and in-service teachers to integrate technology into teaching practice, primarily in the area of language arts. She has developed two highly subscribed courses at the graduate level, "Reading, Writing, and Technology," and "Advanced Reading, Writing, and Technology," which incorporate both software applications and telecommunications. Dr. Stuhlmann works extensively with area schools in a variety of teacher development and in-service projects. She is one of only two LSU faculty selected to participate in the university's Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable, and is a member of the College Technology Committee and the University Technology Committee. Dr. Stuhlmann will be responsible, along with Dr. Wilkerson, for organizing the initial technology workshop and the subsequent seminars that will take place throughout the academic year.
Trena L. Wilkerson, assistant professor of Curriculum & Instruction, serves as a clinical faculty specializing in mathematics education. She will assist in leading the proposed technology workshops for teacher education faculty. She has 18 years of teaching experience in the high school mathematics classroom, as well as four years of teaching instructional methodology and techniques in mathematics education at LSU. She teaches the mathematics teaching methods course to pre-service teachers and supervises the mathematics teaching interns while they are in the field. Dr. Wilkerson has shown leadership in reform efforts in mathematics education through active participation, leadership roles, and presentations at local, state, and national professional meetings. In addition, her teaching methodologies and strategies reflect a direction in mathematics education that is advocated by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and in line with the standards for technology integration into content areas stressed by NCATE.
Kim Moffatt Fossey, Instructional Technology Coordinator for the College of Education, will supervise faculty training and equipment check-out. Ms. Fossey has 18 years of experience in the public schools where she coordinated and promoted parish-wide technology activities for five years. Her current responsibilities include providing instructional support and training for faculty and staff in technlology-related efforts and in teacher preparation courses offered by the university. In addition to these services, her office also maintains an electronic link via the Internet with the College's Professional Development Schools. Ms. Fossey was a co-director of the College's highly successful LEQSF project entitled "Technology Innovations in Instruction." In October 1998, Ms. Fossey made a presentation on the learning project approach to technology integration at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Tel-Ed conference.
E. ECONOMIC AND/OR CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT
E.1. Relationships with Industrial
/Institutional Sponsors
This project will strengthen existing relationships between the LSU College
of Education and the area public schools, especially the East Baton Rouge
Parish school system. In May 1998, LSU and Southern University signed
a collaborative agreement to expand the current network of professional
development schools and improve teacher training and the quality of education
in East Baton Rouge Parish. These relationships are also being strengthened
through a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regent's Center for the Improvement
of Teaching and Learning, which is designed to create a "community of scholars"
among academic and pedagogical faculty, K-3 classroom teachers, and pre-service
teachers. Participants will use the Internet to enhance the quality
of student-teacher interactions on and off campus.
The College has recently increased its efforts to find corporate partners
to aid in the improvement of teacher preparation. Such a relationship
has already been secured with Microsoft, and a grant from the Georgia-Pacific
Foundation for environmental education workshops for pre- and in-service
teachers is currently pending. The enhancements requested in this
proposal will put the College on a more solid footing to compete for the
significant corporate funding available to support teacher education.
E.2 Contribution to the academic
resources of the state
The proposed project has the potential to significantly contribute to the
academic resources of the state by improving the quality of instruction
not only in LSU's teacher preparation curriculum but throughout the K-12
school system. It will produce a generation of educators prepared
to lead the state in instructional reform, following the principles of
the state curriculum framework. This will influence students and
faculty at all schools where LSU-trained teachers practice both during
and after their university training. Currently, LSU certifies approximately
ten percent of all new Louisiana teachers each year. LSU-trained
teachers are in high demand in school districts across the country.
At LSU's spring 1998 Teacher Recruitment Day, more than 140 school districts,
including at least 50 out-of-state, conducted on-campus interviews.
These teachers are leaders in the state in computer-based instructional
technology. LSU teaching interns and other LSU-trained educators
routinely provide professional development workshops to other teachers
in this area and at local, state, and national meetings. During the
1997-98 academic year, the College's Educational Technology Services presented
over 72 hours of professional development instruction to help teachers
from local school districts integrate technology in their K-12 classrooms.
In addition to the overall excellence of LSU's teacher preparation program,
students in the educational technology master's program are preparing for
leadership roles in schools and school districts. This project provides
real experience that links them to technology in schools. It will
help develop a cadre of technology leaders who can help plan and implement
sound learning experiences that will enrich our state and its citizens
and prepare them for a lifetime of economic productivity.
F. ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES
None
G. Previous Board of Regents
Support Fund Awards
One project director, Kim Fossey, was co-director of the 1996 LESQF grant,
"Technology Innovations for Instruction in Education," in the amount of
$111,475.
BOARD OF REGENTS SUPPORT FUND
ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, FISCAL YEAR 1998-99
BUDGET
PROJECT YEAR (CIRCLE ONE):
1 2 COMPOSITE
Title of Proposed Research: Beyond Computer Literacy: Preparing Teachers for a Different World
Principal Investigator (s): Lafayette, Stuhlmann, Fossey, Wilkerson
Institution(s) of Higher Education: Louisiana State University and A & M College
I. PROPOSED BUDGET
| Support Fund Money Requested | Institutional Match (In-Cash) (a) | Private Sector/Other Match | |
| A. Equipment | $130,726 | ||
| B. Software | $33,326 | ||
| C. Supplies | $3,600 | ||
| D. Shipping/Handling | |||
| E. Installation | |||
| F. Personnel Training (including fringe benefits) | $12,000 | $34,491 | |
| G. Other Expenses (identify)
1. Travel LACUE Conf. 20 2 $400/person 2. Printing and Telecom |
$8,000
$2,400 |
||
| H. Indirect Costs | NOT ALLOWED | $16,211 (b) | $0 |
| I. Maintenance | STRONGLY DISCOURAGED | ||
| J. Total Costs (A through I) | $190,052 | $50,702 | $0 |
___________________________________________________________________
(a) This match (In-Cash) will be funded through Departmental
or College operating budgets.
(b) Indirect costs are calculated on the base of the
federally negotiated rate of 47% of Modified Total Direct costs (MTDC).
(c) Indirect costs are calculated on the base of 25%
of the MTDC.
| Quantity | Cost/Unit | Totals | Total Costs | |
| HARDWARE | $130,726 | |||
| Classroom Labs: | ||||
| Multimedia Computers | 10 | $2,200 | $22,000 | |
| Printers | 2 | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Scanners | 2 | $400 | $800 | |
| Digital Cameras | 2 | $750 | $1,500 | |
| Security Cabinets | 2 | $400 | $800 | |
| Mini-Cam Video Camera | 1 | $800 | $800 | |
| Carts for Computers | 10 | $250 | $2,500 | |
| Projection Systems | 2 | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Mobile Equipment: | ||||
| Laptops | 24 | $2,500 | $60,000 | |
| Portable Printers | 12 | $299 | $3,588 | |
| Converters (video) | 12 | $399 | $4,788 | |
| Existing Lab Enhancement: | ||||
| G-3 Processing Board for Macs | 24 | $550 | $13,200 | |
| Zip Drives | 22 | $150 | $3,300 | |
| Audio-Video Cards for PC | 22 | $130 | $2,860 | |
| CD-R Recorder | 1 | $600 | $600 | |
| Speakers (pairs) | 22 | $25 | $550 | |
| Microphones | 22 | $20 | $440 | |
| SOFTWARE | $33,326 | |||
| Application Software: | ||||
| Suite Software (Office) | 34 | $200 | $6,800 | |
| Hyperstudio | 34 | $100 | $3,400 | |
| Claris Works | 34 | $150 | $5,100 | |
| Inspiration | 34 | $89 | $3,026 | |
| Content Specific Software: | ||||
| (approximate Average / computer) | $500 | $15,000 | ||
| SUPPLIES | $3,600 | |||
| Misc / month | 12 | $300 | $3,600 | |
| INSTALLATION | ||||
| PERSONNEL TRAINING | $12,000 | |||
| Graduate Assistant (CY) | $12,000 | $12,000 | $12,000 | |
| OTHER (SPECIFY) | $10,400 | |||
| Travel (20 @ $400 / person) | 20 | $400 | $8,000 | |
| LACUE (Printing & Telecommunications | 12 | $200 | $2,400 | |
| INDIRECT COST | ||||
| TOTAL COSTS | $190,052 | |||
| INSTITUTIONAL MATCH | ||||
| Personnel: | % of time | Total | ||
| Fossey (CY) Salary | 20% | $39,305 | $7,861 | |
| Fringe | $1,769 | $9,630 | ||
| Stuhlmann (AY) Salary | 20% | $41,421 | $8,284 | |
| Fringe | $1,864 | $10,148 | ||
| Wilkerson (AY) Salary | 20% | $36,192 | $7,238 | |
| Fringe | $1,629 | $8,867 | ||
| Lafayette (CY) Salary | 5% | $95,443 | $4,772 | |
| Fringe | $1,074 | $5,846 | ||
| Subtotal Salary/Fringe | $34,491 | |||
| Indirect Costs (47% MTDC) | $16,211 | |||
| TOTAL MATCH | $50,701 |
Budget Narrative
Hardware
The requested funds here are to serve three purposes
directly related to the substantive goals of the proposed project.
First, the establishment of two model classroom laboratories to demonstrate
the integration of technology for both faculty and preservice teachers.
Second, the acquisition of portable materials (mobile laboratory) to facilitate
the use of technology by preservice teachers in their field based methods
courses. Third, to enhance existing equipment to expand the available
technology to address the changing demands of instructional software and
information technologies.
1. Equip two classroom laboratories each with
5 multimedia
computers
1 printer
1 scanner
1 digital
camera
1 projection
system
1 locking
cabinet (for peripherals and software)
5 mobile carts
The requested hardware will equip two classrooms within
Peabody Hall to demonstrate the application and integration of state of
the art technology into pre-service teacher methods courses. Each
classroom will have the capability to access information services through
the internet, demonstrate software application and integration, create
multi-media demonstrations, and ultimately allow students to move from
learning about software applications to integrating a wide range of technology
enhanced instructional practices within their teaching. One mini-cam
video camera will be purchased to serve both model classrooms.
2. Portable equipment for students to use during
field experiences
24 laptop
computers
12 portable
printers
12 video converters
so that computers may connect with the classroom television. Note
the some schools already have video converters.
The portable equipment (mobile equipment) is intended
to take the technology to the streets (or schools) by providing preservice
teachers the opportunity to apply technology application within real world
settings. We believe this is critically important for at least two
reasons. First, students are often placed within school settings
where technology is limited. The availability of technology to apply
newly developed instructional competencies for students to problem solve
applications within real school settings, the supervising teachers and
other teachers within the setting gain new knowledge and are able to participate
in scaffolded instruction. In this manner, both the supervisor and
the pre-service teacher are engaged in a reciprocal teaching and learning
activity which is mutually beneficial to both parties.
3. Enhancements to Existing Computer Labs
Multimedia
Enhancement to Windows Machines (A-V cards, speakers, zip drives and microphones)
Processor
Boards for Macintosh (G-3 300 MHz Cards)
CD-R recorder
for multimedia storage and presentation.
Technology labs are continually faced with the problems
of providing access to newer technologies. The average life cycle
of a technology is approximately three years form emergence to obsolescence.
We are requesting funds for the enhancement of current lab facilities to
enable pre-service teachers in methods courses access to technology for
instructional development. While the model classrooms will allow
the students to have software modeled and practice the newly acquired competencies,
the existing labs will provide a much wider access and more intensive learning
time for perfecting their newly acquired skills. It also allows students
to develop cross platform (Windows & Macintosh) skills to prepare them
for a variety of school environments. The newly purchased processor
boards will extend the life of existing machines by providing market standard
speed and processing for less than one-third the cost ($550 versus $2,200)
of acquiring new machines.
Software
1. Application Software
Each of the 24 portable units and each of the 10 computers within the model classrooms will be equipped with basic application software (e.g. word processing, presentations and spreadsheets). Additional programs will be purchased and installed for adding programming capabilities (e.g. Hyperstudio, Clarisworks [HTML editor]) as needed.
2. Content Specific Software
A variety of software will be purchased to reflect the latest developments in content areas such as math, science, reading and language arts, foreign language, and special education. Specific examples include:
Math
Thinking'
Things (1&2)
Data Explorer
Tesselmania
The Graph
Club
Science
BioQuest
Benchmarks
for Science Literacy
SimEarth and
SimLife
Voyage of
the Beagle
Reading and Language Arts
Kidpix Studio
Deluxe
Student Writing
and Publishing Center
Interactive
Storybooks
Foreign Language
Ultimate Multimedia
Spanish Vocabulary CD
The French
Experience: Multimedia Course for Learning French
Special Education
Monitoring
Basic Skills Progress
ASSESS (Software
to instructional support and physical access for students with disabilities)
In preparation for this proposal, all content area faculty members have developed detailed software request and rationales for purchase. Although the actual software on each machine will vary according to use and specific assignments, an average of approximately $440 per machine has been used to budget content specific software.
Supplies
Supplies include the necessary materials to support the
model classrooms, field experiences associated with this proposal, and
the instructional personnel participating in the program. Supplies
include videotapes, recordable CD's, diskettes, paper, print cartridges,
etc. Approximately $300 / month has been budgeted for each month
of the proposed project.
Personnel Training
We are requesting support for an advanced graduate student
to support the proposed activities. This individual will possess
an advanced degree (Masters) in either educational technology of curriculum
and instruction and will assist the faculty in the development, implementation
and evaluation of the model classrooms, technology supported field applications,
and lab supervision.
Other
1. Travel
Funds are requested to support the participation by 20 Faculty members directly impacted by this proposal to attend the Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE). The purpose will be to present the project and describe the activities for planning and implementation. Funds are budgeted at $400 dollars per person.
2. Printing and Telecommunications
Funds are budgeted to support project dissemination and to install Ethernet hookups and classroom television connections for each of the model classrooms.
Institutional Match
1. Personnel
Dr. Lafayette, in his role as department chairperson and principal investigator, will oversee the entire grant process. Dr. Stuhlmann, Dr. Wilkerson, and Ms. Fossey will facilitate the involvement of the numerous participating faculty serving as co-principal investigators for the proposed project. The proposed funds represent their contributed time and associated fringe benefits for the project. This time commitment represents a substantial contribution on behalf of the principal investigators, the departments involved, the College of Education and Louisiana State University.
2. Indirect Costs
Louisiana State University provides a very substantial contribution in allowing the waiver of indirect costs for these proposals. This institutional match represents over $16,000 during the proposed project period.