ÿWPC¥ ˆ2ÂüÞèÐŒûO€3AžºÞj3Ùf%<Ù1C&Ù,<#xO—¼’lc:&Û°ÏǬQ´}®ã«ŠÊßDí=Ö$Æõa%£ÕÜÎT@Ml,ΘpHGï ™—7:ÌhÅ\ìw~†[ÍßÚþ~‰uªÂûÖK‘.çˆ.²lËNaTlbr€¸xÚ?°‘ùÆ9eLIZ¿Ö-#’êݾàN¹å®Mt V²«|(1ò-rOÔ¯% µMôã**ÍF±}ɹc2ÑM„y/yA»•;a˜ îÊ~S-¸°€µDhº_ìò§Ã{°°Ûiw‚ªŽ²oRwò^<3˜ZZ<úx©üXhjÿÖ¬¨P;³”ÁüXèN]EYrVæ>kÊžKIò̇IÐò€¥„ 8 »¹v#Ò-vÓë̽¼¿Nî½Ö_íÈ”aº¼2bµ–õz$Ï(.Û,äª7z?ùM^ÄÿP]škçQo>ò´÷–qì%.eÓMBïùÔÐÉ:5¹ßÐó %TV¸3\ ßSÏ0Ý—¼²WéäEhù§Çé$Îê06òI¢—D§E¹ƒéÑ°“ý¼/~ƒ,¾0öá¯ÑB epÙ}nÔ¡8êß|&t Xÿ¿~óõC`}XqXìÁà’“ #!ŒUN­ %û 0(w@)4i}Œ mŽ˜HP LaserJet 4L,ü,,,,,ü0(ÖÃ9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡ ëEìíEîïEðñEòóôj®“-.bk1P ƒ3|xôÿU‹ÿÀÀÀÝ ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÓÓà@HH#ìàò òResponse€Paperó óˆÐ ° ÐETEC€695à0 ` àà0¸ ` (#` (#àà0¸ (#¸ (#àà0h(#(#àà0Àh(#h(#àà0À(#À(#àà0p(#(#àà0Èp(#p(#àà0 È(#È(#àTerry€S.€ToneyÐˆØ (# (# ÐÌà  àA€major€paradigmatic€shift€must€occur€if€technology€is€to€become€a€leading€tool€in€aÏclassroom€teacherððs€arsenal€against€illiteracy.€€Teachers€must€be€encouraged€to€accept€andÏwholeheartedly€exploit€the€inherently€different€and€unique€abilities€that€classroom€technologyÏoffers,€rather€than€simply€view€a€computer€monitor€as€a€surrogate€textbook.€€Existing€paradigmsÏmust€be€crushed€and€teachers€must€be€empowered€to€utilize€technology€in€new€and€exciting€ways.€€ÏCritical€to€the€successful€incorporation€of€technology€into€American€classrooms€is€unflaggingÏsupport,€in€the€form€of€teacher€training,€beginning€at€the€pre„service€level,€but€continuingÏuninterrupted€throughout€the€teacherððs€career.Ìà  àTraditional€educational€paradigms€are€one€reason€why€classrooms€teachers€as€well€asÏadministrators€do€not€recognize€or€feel€comfortable€utilizing€the€inherently€different€and€uniqueÏfacets€technology€offers€students€today.€€Thomas€Kuhn€explained€in€his€book,€the€òòStructure€ofÐ ¨ø ÐScientific€Revolutionsóó,€that€a€scientific€community€cannot€practice€its€trade€without€some€set€ofÐ €Ð Ðconceived€beliefs.€€The€advent€of€these€ð ðconceivedðð€beliefs€became€the€structure€for€what€KuhnÏdefined€as€a€ð ðparadigmðð.€€These€paradigms€provided€crucial€infrastructure€to€help€train€otherÏscientists€in€the€way€this€particular€paradigm€worked.€€This€idea€of€a€paradigm€can€logically€beÏextended€to€encompass€more€than€just€scientific€communities.€€In€truth,€most€of€societyððs€rulesÏhave€a€basis€€formed€around€some€type€of€€paradigm.€€Paradigms€can€be€thought€of€as€formalÏð ðcomfort€zonesðð,€and€when€viewed€in€this€light,€it€is€easy€to€see€why€people€tend€to€avoid€havingÏto€break€a€paradigm€that€has€been€useful€and€comforting€to€them€in€the€past.€Ìà  àThere€is€probably€nothing€in€American€society€today€that€is€so€firmly€entrenched€andÐ @-(, Ðenduring€as€the€ð ðeducational€paradigmðð.€€The€educational€paradigm,€that€of€sitting€quietly€in€oneððsÏdesk,€book€open,€pen€in€hand,€is€so€firmly€entrenched€in€the€minds€of€school€children,€parents,Ïadministrators€and€the€general€public€that€it€is€virtually€unshakable.€€The€influence€to€anÏeducational€paradigm€is€begun€in€early€childhood,€whereas€other€paradigms€tend€to€€make€theirÏpresence€known€in€early€adulthood,€when€formal€training€or€study€of€a€field€normally€begins.€€Dr.ÏJane€Healy,€in€òòFailure€To€Connect,óó€states€it€simply,€but€eloquently€on€the€first€page€of€her€book,€Ð è 8  Ðð ðThe€younger€the€mind,€the€more€malleable€it€is.ðð€Ìà  àIndeed,€the€educational€paradigm€is€perhaps€the€most€universal€and€enduring€paradigm€inÏsociety€today.€€Mandated€school€attendance€ensures€that€each€and€every€American€child€born€inÏthe€recent€past€is€exposed€and€raised€in€this€traditional€educational€paradigm.€€This€ð ðparadigmaticÏcomfort€zoneðð€tends€to€be€a€deep,€abiding€and€intensely€difficult€zone€to€break€out€of€for€theÏmajority€of€elementary€and€secondary€classroom€teachers.€€The€pre„service€teacher€educationÏstudent€enters€their€first€methodology€course€with€a€much€clearer€(albeit€narrow)€mental€pictureÏof€what€ð ðteachingðð€entails,€as€opposed€to€a€junior€physics€student,€intent€on€beginning€a€formalÏstudy€of€Ô_ÔastroÔ_Ô„psychics.€€This€is€due€to€the€early€and€perhaps€overwhelming€exposure€to€formalÏeducation€in€the€U.S.A.€today.€Even€when€faced€with€the€mandated€task€of€incorporatingÏtechnology€into€an€already€overloaded€lesson€plan,€teachers€try€to€force€technology€to€becomeÏsurrogate€textbooks€and€glorified€typewriters.€€This€is€nothing€but€a€desperate€attempt€to€try€to€fitÏthis€new€threat€into€the€comforting€bonds€and€boundaries€of€an€old,€outdated€comfort€zone.Ìà  àIt€is€little€wonder,€then,€that€teachers€tend€to€view€technology€in€the€classroom€as€justÏanother€way€to€write€the€same€old,€ð ðWhat€I€Did€This€Summerðð€essay.€€It€is€little€wonder€that€theÏInternet€is€viewed€as€nothing€more€than€a€glorified€encyclopedia,€where€mouse€clicks€replaceÏfingers€turning€pages€in€a€book.€€The€educational€paradigm€is€a€strict€and€unyielding€one,€whichÐ @-(, Ðallows€many,€if€not€most,€to€ignore€the€inherently€different€and€unique€facets€that€technology€hasÏto€offer€the€classroom.€€Ìà  àKuhn€suggests€that€when€an€existing€paradigm€breaks€down,€a€ð ðrevolutionððoccurs.€ÏRevolutions€happen€when€there€is€a€sufficiently€large€number€of€followers€who€feel€comfortableÏenough€to€switch€from€the€accepted€paradigm€to€the€new€paradigm.€€As€difficult€as€it€is€to€breakÏout€of€a€paradigm,€particularly€one€as€firmly€entrenched€in€the€minds€and€souls€of€people€as€theÏtraditional€classroom€methodology€paradigm€of€lectures,€notes€and€quizzes€on€Fridays,€it€òòhasóó€beenÐ À  Ðproven€that€paradigm€shifts€do€occur,€and€therein€lies€the€hope€for€technology€in€the€classroom.ÌÌà  àParadigms€are€not€the€only€concern€of€educational€technologists,€however.€€There€is€aÏnaive€idea€floating€about€that€espouses€that€by€simply€exposing€students€to€information,€via€theÏInternet€or€some€other€technology€source,€€somehow€magically€Little€Johnny€will€suddenly€learnÏto€read.€€€Neil€Postman,€the€proverbial€doomsayer,€in€òòÔ_ÔTechnopolyÔ_Ôóó,€under€the€interesting€title€ofÐ Ð  ÐChapter€Four,€ñ¼ñòòñ¼ñThe€Improbable€Worldñ¼ñóóñ¼ññ½ñ,ñ½ñ€goes€so€ñ¹ññ¸ñdñ¸ññ¹ññºñfar€as€to€stateñºññ»ñ€statesñ»ñ€ð ðThe€world€has€never€before€beenÐ ¨ø Ðconfronted€with€information€glut€and€has€hardly€had€to€time€reflect€upon€the€consequences.ðð€ÏSchool€administrators€demand€extra€minutes€of€computer€time€each€week,€stuffing€yet€anotherÏmandate€into€an€already€overloaded€curriculum,€in€the€vain€hope€that€exposure€to€information€willÏsomehow€seep€with€the€click€of€a€mouse€button€into€eager,€but€unprepared€little€minds.€SimplyÏput,€òòdownloadingóó€is€not€òòthinkingóó,€yet€it€is€perceived€as€such€by€many.Ð à%0!$ Ðà  à€Given€this€naivete,€one€would€expect€€this€simplistic€view€of€educational€technology€andÏits€effect€on€learning€outcomes€would€come€from€either€simpletons€or€rural€route€hillbillies.€ÏPerhaps,€in€some€peopleððs€views,€it€does€indeed€come€from€simpletons,€since€in€actuality,€it€comesÏfrom€the€federal€government.€€The€federal€governmentððs€commitment€to€ð ðwireðð€all€schools€in€theÐ @-(, Ðnation€by€the€year€2000€suggests€that€simply€dropping€wires€Ô_ÔhelterÔ_Ô„Ô_ÔskelterÔ_Ô€will€dramaticallyÏimprove€learning€outcomes,€in€a€way€not€seen€since€Sputnik€took€the€American€public€by€surpriseÏall€those€years€ago!€When€the€federal€government€has€such€naive€dreams€and€unrealistic€ideas,€it€isÏnot€difficult€to€see€why€even€the€best€and€brightest€tend€to€fail€miserably€when€it€comes€to€tryingÏto€utilize€technology€in€new€and€exciting€ways.€€Ìà  àIn€Seymour€Papertððs€book,€òòÔ_ÔMindstormsÔ_Ô:€Children,€Computers€and€Powerful€Ideasóó,€PapertÐ è 8  Ðespoused€the€use€of€LOGO,€a€self€developed€programming€language€to€teach€using€theÏÔ_ÔconstructivistÔ_Ô€approach.€€This€learner„centered€educational€method€is€a€controversial€one,€given€itÏis€diametrically€opposed€€to€other€more€traditional€educational€methodology.€€LOGO€itself€hasÏexperienced€its€share€of€controversy.€€Research€does€not€typically€support€the€use€of€LOGO€toÏimprove€learner€outcomes,€at€best€the€research€is€inconclusive,€at€worst,€it€is€vaguely€negative.€ÏHowever,€the€use€of€LOGO,€in€its€purest€Ô_ÔconstructivistÔ_Ô€form,€would€probably€not€be€well€receivedÏby€administrators€when€perusing€the€weekly€lesson€plans€of€the€teachers€and€so€LOGO€wasÏprobably€somewhat€doomed€from€the€start.Ìà  àChildren€today€are€members€of€the€Nintendo€generation€and€as€such,€are€much€moreÏintuitive€in€exploring€the€uniqueness€of€technology.€€Teachers€recognize€that€most€children€haveÏmore€computer€knowledge€at€the€age€of€nine€than€they€may€òòeveróó€possess.€€It€is€little€wonder€thatÐ 0"€  Ðfacing€a€classroom€of€nine€year€old€budding€little€Bill€Ô_ÔGatesesÔ_Ô€would€be€intimidating€for€a€teacherÏwith€little€time,€less€experience€and€virtually€nonexistent€training€in€the€use€of€correct,€ageÏappropriate€computer€usage.Ìà  àIn€ñôñChapter€Twoñôññôñthe€second€Ô_ÔchapterñôñÔ_Ô€of€Jane€Healyððs€book,€it€is€stated€that€in€1997€only€15€percent€ofÏteachers€had€received€at€least€nine€hours€of€educational€technology€training,€yet€school€boardsÏtoday€continue€to€mandate€computer€usage€in€the€classroom.€€Still,€even€with€several€hours€ofÐ @-(, Ðbasic€technology€training,€without€a€change€of€great€magnitude€in€teacher€attitudes,€classroomÏmanagement€styles€and€curriculum,€classroom€technology€is€going€to€find€it€difficult€to€find€aÏcomfortable€and€happy€place€to€rest€in€the€average€classroom.€€Leading€educational€paradigmsÏmust€undergo€radical€revolutions,€leaving€room€€to€embrace€the€new,€the€dreaded,€the€òòunfamiliaróóÐ 8 ˆ Ðð ðÔ_ÔconstructivistÔ_Ôðð€approach€to€education,€whereby€project„based,€problem€solving€approaches€toÏlearning€can€be€explored€and€accepted.€€Healy€notes€in€the€last€chapter€of€her€book€that€this€as€aÏmajor€factor€in€placing€technology€into€a€classroom€and€having€it€be€used€effectively€andÏefficientlyñëñ,€ñëññìñ.€€She€then€goes€on€to€ñìññëñas€well€asñëñ€mentioñíñningñíññîñnñîñ€that€technology€implementation€has€been€force€ð ðgraftedððÏonto€old,€outdated€educational€paradigmsñïñ.ñïññðñ€wherñðñññññðñ€ñðñññññòñe€the€fit€is€awkward,€ñòññóñunwieldy€and€uncoordinated,ÏÔ_ÔñóññòñtoÔ_Ô€say€the€least.ñòñ€€Ìà  àIt€is€unfortunate€that€local€school€boards€and€administrators€still€feel€that€their€job€is€doneÏwhen€the€computer€is€unpacked€from€itððs€cardboard€box€and€the€network€line€is€dangling€limply€inÏthe€corner€of€an€overcrowded€classroom.€€To€truly€support€and€encourage€the€use€of€classroomÏtechnology€state,€national€and€local€school€boards€must€provide€adequate€teacher€training€of€aÏtype€that€explores€and€embraces€the€inherently€different€and€unique€abilities€of€classroomÏtechnology€as€well€as€encourage€the€use€of€Ô_ÔconstructivismÔ_Ô€as€an€acceptable€approach€to€learning.ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÐ @-(, ЇÌÌà@88%ìàReferencesˆÌÌHealy,€Ô_ÔJ.M.Ô_Ô€(1998).€òòFailure€to€connectóó.€€New€York,€New€York:€Simon€&€Schuster,€Inc.Ð  ` Ðà0  àà ° à€Kuhn,€T.S.€(1996).€€òòThe€structure€of€scientific€revolutionsóó€(3òòrdóó€ed.).€Chicago,€Illinois:€UniversityÐ è 8  Ðof€Chicago.Ð (#(# ÐÔ_Ôà0  àà ° àPapert,Ô_Ô€Seymour€(1980).€òòÔ_ÔMindstormsÔ_Ô:€Children,€Computers€and€Powerful€Ideasóó.€€New€York,Ð ˜è  ÐNew€York.€€Touchstone€Publishing.Ð (#(# ÐPostman,€N.€(1992).€òòÔ_ÔTechnopolyÔ_Ôóó.€€New€York,€New€York:€First€Vintage€Publishing.€Ð H˜ ÐÌÌà  à€€