Chapter 3 from Sandholtz, Ringstaff and Dwyer

CHAPTER 3: THE EVOLUTION OF INSTRUCTION IN TECHNOLOGY-RICH CLASSROOMS

In Sandholtz, Ringstaff and Dwyer

                I’m assuming this entire book is about the ACOT 10 year study. Chapter 3 discusses the changes that occurred in these pilot classrooms over time. The authors broke down the evolution of these changes into distinct stages: Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, Appropriation and Invention. It was really interesting to read about the struggles of these teachers in the entry phase of this study and then to cover their progression from the initial bringing in of the computers to how they couldn’t imagine how they would be able to teach/survive without them. (While reading this, I kept thinking that we still have a lot of classrooms today that are either still in the entry phase or haven’t even gotten that far yet and it is 20-25 years later.) The authors point out, as we’ve seen in a lot of our readings thus far, that the attitudes and beliefs of the teachers, their administrators and students are the key to making these changes come about and work. Integration of technology is futile if no one really believes in it and wants to make it happen.

                The quote that is on the first page of this chapter was really interesting. “One thing I have a hard time with as a traditional classroom teacher is to let them go, let the students try a new way.” Realizing that this book was written regarding a 10 year study over integrating technology into the classroom back in the late 1980’s-1990’s and yet this quote is still so applicable to today was kind of sad. I think a lot of it boils down to the fact that many people have such a concrete idea of what a classroom teacher is in their heads and it is very hard to change that. I think a lot of it is that not only are teachers afraid to let students try a new way but teachers are afraid to let themselves try a new way.