Article Analysis Assignment 1

1. What are some of the technology tools utilized during data collection?                          

The technology tools utilized during the data collection were WEB 2.0 tools.  They also used wikis, blogs, Google docs, email, video conferencing and web-based collaborative tools to correspond and collect the research data.  Interviews were conducted using social networking sites and other online venues.   The research team also used iphones, flip videos, and digital cameras, and Google voice to memorialize their research evidence.

2. In your own words, describe the term “digital native” as referenced by the author in mentioning Prensky?

A digital native is a person who has grown up in the digital technology world and     uses the technological tools for all instant communication such as a smart phone, the iPad, a computer, video games, kindles.  A digital native has been surrounded their entire life by digital tools and uses as a “second nature” to communicate to the rest of the world.  

3. In your own words, what is the “purpose of this study”?

According to the authors’ the purpose of the study is to investigate the infusion of educational technology in daily instruction practices in the 21^st Century classroom.  With the large amount of dollars being invested by school districts to implement technology this study will shed light on how  exemplary educators an school systems both school adults and students in 21^st century education.  

4. What are the sub-questions used by the dissertation author(s) in support of the central question?

The research team used the following sub-questions in support of the central question:

How do educators prepare students for work in the 21st century?

How does project-based learning support the skills of the 21st century?

How do students use 21st century skills and technology to create and share work?

How do the professional development opportunities provided for teachers impact the work and products produced by the students?

What is the nature of the information systems in place that support 21st century instruction? 

5. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) John Dewey’s ideas about students and work as gleaned from Chapter 2 of this dissertation.

Dewey was a proponent of project-based learning.   The researchers state  “Dewey advocated the philosophy that education can only be facilitated through activity guided problem solving and the connections associated with the relationships that the program has to real world; the relation between reason and sense.”  Occupational instruction was seen as a means of exposing students to future career opportunities.  Students should not be taught one particular job skill (vocational training). Instead, students acquire a large knowledge base in order to understand the meaning of his/her work as it relates to the well being of the greater society and its social significance.  The idea is that students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills so they can apply this level of thinking to future jobs in an ever-changing environment.

6. Contrast Technical vs. Illusory (1-2 paragraphs) vs. Constructivist schools as outlined by Popkewitz, and referenced by the dissertation authors.

The analysis of the Technical vs Illusory vs Constructivists schools are different philosphies as to the concept of authority. The role of the professionals, teachers and administrators during reform is critical to the success (Popkewitz et al., 1982).  This type of schools philosophy transmitting knowledge, defining students' work and exercising authority of the teachers and administrators during the implementation of IGE. Popkewitz defined the differences in these cultures as illusory, technical or constructivist as based on understanding knowledge, work and authority. Technical schools is defined by the teacher adhering to the standardized form of education. There is a clear distinction between work and play. Play is ony permitted when instruction is completed. This is more of a traditional method. The idea that mastery of a subject is important and assessments and records are recorded. The teachers view themselves as experts in assessing students' deficiencies. Teachers also adhered to strict rules in the education process. The Illusory schools define education as passive in that students success or failures are not solely the result of the school itself. Classroom procedures are directed to a passive approach. These students are not assessed correctly therefore resultung in an inappropriate underastanding of the particular students abilities. Teacher's focus is more directe to the behavioral aspect of the student and not the cognitive development. The Constructivist theory defines education as a comprehensive integration of skills.The teacher assesses student progress based on the students performance rather than the assessment score. Students have the ability to self evaluate that are sent home to their parents. This philosophy develops a sense of self esteem and control as to where they are cognitively and what access they need to develop. When I assess students as to IQ (cognitive assessment) I always give a behavioral assessment to understand the child's perception of themselves. This  philosophy places an emphasis on the student's involvement in the education process.

7. What is the dual focus of the “Advocacy Design Center” (ADC) framework?

The dual focus of the ADC model (Smith, 1990) is a) a holistic view of the school’s culture or design, as an institution in its social context, and b)    an inquiry or self-assessment by a core group of the schools stakeholders.  The self-assessment serves as a basis from which the leadership may focus the school's comprehensive education plan. 

8. What are the four components of ADC, and how many areas are contained within?

The four components of the ADC system are: 1) instruction, 2) organization, 3) governance, and 4) accountability.

9. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) the work of Adria Steinberg as referenced by the dissertation authors.

Adria Steinberg is noted for her work in Real Learning, Real Work: School to Work as High School Reform (1998).  This key piece of literature redefined the boundaries between academic reform and vocational learning as a structured movement toward high school reform.
Steinberg’s work addressed the historical questions of John Dewey: Is the school-to-work movement a new version of the old vocational education, a series of programs for the non-college bound students? Or is school to work a paradigm for the education of all students in which the world of work becomes the point of entry for looking at a range of issues, which will make the learning process, come alive for all students? 

She believed that programs in school should bridge the gap between school and community life and the world of work.
Steinberg defined six principles for hands-on humanities to guide the process of deepening students’ understanding of how people and institutions deal with real life events.
She also developed 18 design questions that can be used in conjunction with Advocacy Design Center's (ADC) concept of instruction. These questions fall into six categories: authenticity, academic rigor, applied learning, active exploration, adult relationships and assessment practices.
Steinberg's 18 questions, along with ADC's instruction component (i.e. student work) can be used to  define the culture in schools under study using Popkewitz' (1982) three distinct types of cultures - illusory, technical and constructive.

10. What are the right-brained aptitudes as outlined by Daniel Pink?

This dissertation focused on the preparation of learning in the 21st century and it noted two books that informs us on how humans process information and how technology changes the role of information. Daniel Pink wrote a very interesting book called "A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future". Daniel Pink describes how the human brain is divided  into 2 hemispheres. The left hemisphere is responsible for the ability to comprehend language. It was noted that for many years, it was believed that the left hemispheres were superior for cerebral functions. The left hemispheres is where one processes information analytically, understands language and reasons sequentially. The right hemisphere is responsible for recognizes patterns, resons holistically and is able to interpret emotion and non verbal expression. He reveals that we are in the conceptual age and in order to succeed, one must use the skills of the right hemisphere to be able to see the big picture and be able to" inventive, creative and empathetic".  Pink described this age as dealing with abundance, automation and Asia and that we need to develop and compete in the modern age of technology. People are connected around the world with all forms of technology and it is the right brain thinkers that could compete and succeed in this new world. Right brain thinkers can develop automation because computers are now doing the work that people did in the past. Pink demonstrated the progression and transition from the agricultural age to the conceptual age of today. These stages are the Agricultural Age to Industrial Age to Informative Age (where left side brain was cinsidered superior) to Conceptual Age (where right hemisphere brain is considered superior). Previously, the left brain was considered superior because it involved humans to analytically appliy their hard work for success. Pink outlined 6 right brained aptitudes that workers will need to acquire to master over left brain reasoning. These 6 types of aptitudes are needed to shape the new world. They are: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. Pink also noted that the future needs to include the ability to create the product that can be produced overseas that is cheaper, can it satisfy what is needed in society and can computers do it faster. Pink's idea that the right brain has to develop for new generations to flourish. It is important to note that in assessing students, those who are left brain are more the analytical students and those who process information tend to excel in computers, and are able to cognitively score higher on the assessments given today.

11. Summarize Thomas Friedman’s theory of a “flattened world” in one or two sentences.

Thomas Friedman wrote "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty First Century. He describes his own view of the new world of technology. He described how globalization has affected the way generations flourish. He described his own personal experiences in his travels where he was in another country and noted advertisements that were American. He reported that he saw how conferencing where people across the world were meeting and conversing with eachother.He quoted "We are entering a phase where we are going to see the digitization, virtualization and automation of almost everything.. the great challenge for our time will be to absorb these changes in ways that do not overwhelm people but also do not leave them behind" (p.45). Briefly what he is describing is that the world is becoming flat because the interraction is occuring throughout the globe in more ways then every before. It is as if there is a straight line to everywhere around the globe. He enumerated this idea by describing ten forces that flatten the world. It began with the fall of the Berlin Wall to today with the invention of all forms of technology that allow people to collborate within seconds from any place around the globe.

12. The “Partnership for 21st Century Skills” visual framework was used as the backbone of the dissertation conceptual framework.  Insert a picture of the P21 visual within your Blog page.

13. What are ALL the elements of the Conceptual Framework in this study?

The purpose for the partnership for 21st  century skills is to connect learning with the new century of technology. The student will evolve and contribute what he has learned to become successful in this new age. All the elements of the framework that were noted in this dissertation were the skills, knowledge and expertise that students need to acquire to be able to succeed in the 21st century.

  1. Core subjects and the 21st century themes

 2. Learning and Inovation Skills- a) Creativity and Innovation b). Critical thinking and problem   solving and c). Communication and collaboration.

 3. Information, Media and Technology Skills- a) Information Literacy b) Media Literacy c) ICT Literacy.                                                                                                                         

4. Life and Career Skills- a)21st Century Standards b)Assessment of 21st Century Skills c) 21st Century Curriculum and Instruction d) 21st Century Professional Development e)21st Century Learning Environments

14. Briefly explain (1 paragraph) the “method” used in this study to collect data. 

The method used in this study is identifying and reviewing all aspects of the study in the collection of the data. The research was focused on the function of instruction and educational technology in the 21st century classroom.This includes studying the research questions, the population and sample used in the experiment, the instruments, the procedures for collecting data, the reliability and validity of the reseatrch design. Briefly, the population included 4 schools in different areas of the country that have high standards in the preparation for their students for learning. The researchers focused on 4 questions. These questions were designed to elicit the type of preparation in educating students for the 21st century as well as professional development for the teachers. It also focused on the support system used in the education process. This study used a qualitative research method. The data attained and depicted was in the form of words and pictures. The researcher used a case study approach. The data collected utilized a critical incident technique. This is flexible data that focuses on defined behavior in a defined situation. The researchers used video recording, photography and voice recordings in a practical situation. The data collection involved interviews with people, filed observation and focused group discussion panels and artifact collections.The artifacts included samples of district mission statements, lesson/ project plans, course outlines, student work and rubics associated with completed projects. The team used 21st century technology such as wikis, social networking and video conferencing to communicate with eachother.Finally google documents were used as a collaboration for the findings of the study.

15. In looking at the “limitations " of the study, what could be a natural "next study" for a  new dissertation in this arena?
One of the limitations of this study was the hand-picked teachers and parents by school administrators to provide feedback in the interview process. Another limitation was the lack of different socio-economic groups in the study.  Schools of high needs may have high quality infrastructures that have been provided by federal and state grant funding.  A broad range of  schools with  varying economic-wealth may have resulted in a different finding.  Students’ feedback and perceptions was not included in this study.  We do not know if the students feel they have been properly trained with the 21^st Century skills needed for this competitive global society.

The next study should include interviews of students and their perceptions of the learning tools and environment provided by the schools.  Do they think they are “college ready?”  Has their school properly educated them and provided them with the technological skills needed to ensure future academic success?  These may be some of the questions for a future study.