GEN: Ed. Tech. in CA K-12 paper published

[Ken Umbach <kumbach@UNLIMITED.NET>]

Hi, all ...

"Computer Technology in California K-12 Schools: Uses, Best Practices, and
Policy Implications," has just been published by the California Research
Bureau, at the request of Assembly Member Kerry Mazzoni.  It has a
California focus (since that is the key audience and is where I did most of
my interviews), but the issues are just as applicable everywhere, I think.

If you would like a printed copy (or a few -- within reason), please let me
know, and provide a postal mail address.  (Reply to me at
kumbach@unlimited.net with such requests, please, not to the list.)

Here is a brief excerpt from pp. 10-11, summarizing "priorities among best
practices":

============================================
>Setting priorities is especially difficult in the light of the ways in
which the practices interrelate and the ways in which some practices
facilitate others.   If one had to pick out some of the practices as most
significant (which may really mean "most fundamental"), they would include:
>
>1. Plan first, implement later
>2. Provide staff development
>3. Train teachers specifically in the use of technology in delivering
curriculum
>4. Provide technical staff to support the technology
>5. Provide a properly equipped, appropriately stocked, and well staffed
library media center
>
>A school that has carried out all five of those practices is in an
excellent position to follow through with all of the other best practices
and to support effective use of technology over the long run.  An effective
planning process will address needs for staff development, curriculum
integration, technical support, and the role and management of the library
media center, all in the context of the school's overall educational goals.
============================================

The paper is brief (only 35 pages, including appendixes and bibliography),
and I'll be following up with papers focusing explicitly on technical
support and computer/Internet-related staff development (with emphasis on
curriculum integration).  It is not going to tell you anything you did not
know already (heck, you folks were my source for a lot of it), but does
summarize pretty well, I think.

The paper will be posted online by my office (on its server) in PDF and HTML
format.  My home page and education links page will have links to the online
versions.  The tech. folks here are not quite done, but the papers *should*
be posted later today, or tomorrow (Thursday) for sure.  In the meantime,
the Word 97 version is posted at
http://members.unlimited.net/~kumbach/98003.doc for those who are in a
hurry.  (That file is nearly half a meg, on account of graphics.)

Please feel free to pass complete copies along to anyone who might find the
paper of interest, and let me know what you would like to see in the
follow-up papers.

Thanks,

Ken
--
Kenneth W. Umbach, Ph.D., Policy Analyst
California Research Bureau, California State Library
Sacramento, California
E-mail: kumbach@unlimited.net (or kumbach@library.ca.gov)
Phone (voice) 916-653-6002 (fax) 916-654-5829
Personal Web page and selected papers: http://members.unlimited.net/~kumbach
This message reflects my opinion, not that of my employer or anyone else.

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