The district was looking for both hardware and software to meet the following needs: incorporation of standards, alignment with chosen curriculum, ability to utilize in whole class instruction, and content that was both engaging and adaptive for the needs of many students. They chose Apple iBook laptops and Toshiba data projectors for each teacher and classroom. The school also had a stationary lab and a wireless mobile lab that could be used several time weekly. Destination Success software from Riverdeep was chosen because it contained a learning management system that linked to standards, allowed teachers to create tests, and had tutorials that utilized real-world examples, songs, and animations. Intensive on-site training was provided for every person in the school before the program began and a trainer returned once a month.
Eaton states that the program was successful. The scores on the Ohio state reading test rose from a 37.5 percent passing rate in the fall 2003 to an 84 percent passing rate in the spring 2004. The district received additional grant money to expand the program to include seven more schools. To expand on the previous success they bought interactive white boards and began training teachers in grade level groups so that the specific curriculum at each grade could be addressed in the training. To further facilitate the teachers� ability to implement the program, a �traveling coach� was hired to visit one school every day. She helped individual teachers with technology problems, taught lessons, and worked with individual students in the lab.
Eaton, a curriculum specialist for instructional technology in her school district, explains the process this district went through to provide the resources, feedback, and management of technology that a Technology Facilitator must utilize in her work to support the teachers and the learners. The article is especially useful for a Facilitator because it not only discusses teacher friendly hardware and the use of mobile labs; it focuses on the need to connect available software to district and state standards. Fairmount Park�s program also takes into consideration the need for a variety of learning experiences, including whole class instruction, interactive learning with whiteboards and individual instruction through the use of the computer labs. The concepts of refining the appropriate professional development and a hiring a �traveling coach� as the implementation of the program progressed are also valuable insights for the Technology Facilitator as she defines the needs of her district.
Eaton�s article is organized, well written, and straightforward. The hyperlinks within the article were easy to follow and were all up to date. The use of large and bold text to define the four criteria for technology integration make this section especially easy to read and as this is of prime importance to Technology Facilitators it can be referenced easily if the article is read at another time.
Eaton, C. (2005). Sparking a revolution in teaching and learning. T.H.E. Journal, 31(1), 20-24.
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