Technology literacy in the 21st century: Teacher and student outcomes of a technology innovation program model

The study investigated student and teacher outcomes from a Technology Innovation Challenge Grant project, NatureShift Linking Learning to Life (NS), to determine if the project influenced teachers' work and student learning. The approaches were twofold: (1) to examine the implementation of higher order thinking and relevant use of technology by students and teachers and (2) to understand a teacher's reactions to and implementation of a teaching model and methodology for Internet delivery and technology use.;A quantitative study examined the student projects and teacher materials created as part of school implementations of the NS model and curriculum. The sources of data were student pre/post test scores of content knowledge and technology use, and student and teacher products resulting from NS implementations. The qualitative study looked at a participant teacher's understanding of NS. The sources of data for this case study were interviews, descriptive field notes from observations, and artifacts including lesson plans and student projects.;All quantitative instruments were subjected to psychometric analysis for content validity and reliability. Pre/posttests were scored and analyzed using the t-test for related samples. Student and teacher products were scored using a five-dimensional rubric.;Outcomes from the quantitative study indicated a positive relationship between student and teacher use of NS and technology literacy. Pre/posttest comparisons of content knowledge and technology application rose significantly after implementation of a model exploration. Student products showed a higher than average implementation of four of the five dimensions, and teacher products showed a higher than average implementation in three of the five dimensions.;From case study coding of observations and interviews of a teacher, the following assertion emerged: Access to educational technology and professional development in technology integration promotes constructivist teaching. Findings from this case study indicate that the teacher utilized a highly constructivist teaching style when technology was employed and a more traditional instructor-directed teaching style when technology was not employed.;Taken together, the quantitative and the qualitative investigations indicate that teacher and student technology literacy were positively influenced when NS was a part of the teaching and learning experience.