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Promising Practices in Technology
Recognizing and Supporting Teaching with Technology
The Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) research project was both exploratory and open-ended. The project was initiated in 1985 by Apple Computer, Inc. to answer the question: What happens to students and teachers when they have access to computers whenever they need it? Over the following four years, sites were selected, computers were provided for ACOT classrooms, and training was provided for teachers. In 1990, the first reports were published, and ACOT project staff began making presentations at conferences and educational meetings. By 1995, the message was clear: the conversation should be about learning, not computers.
During the decade of study from 1985 to 1995, the ACOT teachers used technology as a motivator for change. They enriched their lessons with technology and turned the assignments into collaborative learning activities. The ACOT study determined that teachers progress through certain stages as they incorporate technology into teaching and learning in their classrooms. These stages can be described as shown in the chart below.
| Stage | Examples of What Teachers Do |
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Entry
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Learn the basics of using technology |
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Adoption
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Use new technology to support traditional instruction |
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Adaptation
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Integrate new technology into traditional classroom practice (Here, they often focus on increased student productivity and engagement by using word processors, spreadsheets, and graphic tools.) |
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Appropriation
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Focus on cooperative, project-based, and interdisciplinary work-incorporating the technology as needed and as one of many tools |
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Invention
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Discover new uses for technology tools, for example, developing spreadsheets macros for teaching algebra or designing projects that combine multiple technologies. |
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From Changing the Conversation About Teaching, Learning, & Technology: A Report 10 Years of ACOT Research. Apple Computer, Inc. |
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Extended Knowledge
Construction |
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| Activity | Teacher-centered and didactic | Learner-centered and interactive |
| Teacher role | Fact teller and expert | Collaborator/sometimes learner |
| Student role | Listener and learner | Collaborator/sometimes expert |
| Learning emphasis | Facts and replication | Relationships and inquiry |
| Concept of knowledge | Accumulation | Transformation |
| Demonstration of success | Quantity | Quality |
| Assessment | Norm-referenced and multiple guess | Criterion-referenced and performance portfolios |
| Technology use | Seat work | Communication, collaboration, information access and expression |
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From Changing the Conversation About Teaching, Learning, & Technology: A Report 10 Years of ACOT Research. Apple Computer, Inc. |
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For more information on how teachers learn to use technology for effectively integrating technology into their teaching practices, go to the bibliography.