Sharing EdGrid Activities
Focus Group Summary
May 31, 2001
This report is a summary of a focus group discussion of faculty involved with NCSA’s EdGrid PT3 initiative held on May 30, 2001. All quotes and suggestions come from the participants of that group.
Effectively sharing the EdGrid vision with others depends on three things:
Clear Vision
Technology
The audience
The following themes emerged from the discussion of sharing EdGrid activities:
Having a clear understanding of the vision of EdGrid was seen as a necessary prerequisite for being able to effectively share the vision with others.
- “It depends upon what the EdGrid vision is. I can’t share unless I know what the vision is.”
There was a great deal of discussion that involved the role of technology in modeling and visualization programs.
- “Sharing is connected with defining vision. How are we defining vision-- in terms of modeling or technology?”
According to one respondent, the vision can either be “activity-driven or learning-driven.” This individual went on to suggest that the vision “needs to be learning-driven” while another respondent asked: “What is learning and how do we get students to learn?”
Clearly articulating the vision seemed to involve clarifying the role of technology in the learning process.
Those involved in the discussion agreed that technology had the potential to add value to learning.
- “Our teachers can be users and developers [of technology] not just passive receivers.”
- “I think of students modeling and visualizing themselves. If teachers can assist in that, I am all for it, but they don’t need high tech to do it.”
- “Technology shouldn’t drive learning, but it can support learning.”
- “You can do modeling without a computer, but it is better on the computer. It helps me organize the material.”
- “We can no longer get away with the teacher lecturing in front of the room”
- “Taking a constructivist learning style, bringing technology in as powerful tool. That is different than ‘lets get lots of technology in classroom.’”
They offered some practical examples of using technology to enhance learning:
- “Have students keep journals on computers, then you can ask them non-trivial questions.”
- “Technology can help students learn concepts, then they can compare and contrast and not have to memorize things.”
However, some respondents questioned the value that technology brings to the learning process
- “I question the centrality of the computer in technology.”
- “We can model without technology.”
- “Modeling and visualization are not same, but they can interact. We can do modeling that is not dependent upon computer technology. [The question is] how can you use technology to enhance learning?”
Respondents identified different audiences with whom they hoped to share the EdGrid vision. These included: content area faculty, state education agencies, university administrators and K-12 schools.
- “Your message might change depending upon the audience. With administrators, you might emphasize money but with teachers, you emphasize what goes in class.”
- “Whatever audience you are addressing affects the message you send.”
- “Sharing means my colleagues in my department. We have to win them over, and I don’t know if I will be successful. My goal is get students to learn and learn to learn.
The respondents offered some concrete examples of how they have shared the EdGrid vision with faculty and K-12 teachers:
For College Faculty:
Create useful tools for faculty
- I make as easy as possible [for colleagues by providing tools which] link them to an interactive web board; align syllabus with site; provide a column for in-class ideas. Make it easy for those who do not have energy to surf the net.”
- “Develop success stories to share with faculty.”
Enlist aid of other EdGrid team members
- “Other team members are trying to make contacts as well.”
For K-12 Schools:
- Provide summer inservice training. “We can plant some seeds.”
- Provide stipends for teachers to attend training and then have them write lesson plans.
- “We ask them to write several lesson plans to receive part of stipend. They get the rest when the lesson plan is on web and they reflect on it.”
- Provide follow-up with teachers via distance learning tools such as Blackboard and WebCT.
- “We can put up site with instruments resources that you use with your own college class. Advertise the site to teachers to sign up. Those are the teachers I invite to workshop; using the site is part of the selection process. I keep contact with them through the Web.”
- “Use WebCT and you can allow them time to reflect on things.”
