| This study evaluated the implementation of a Technology Literacy Challenge Grant, Project TREK, in a small, urban kindergarten through eighth grade school district. The project involved teaching fifth- and sixth-grade students to attain digital literacy skills through the use of portable keyboards and word processing software by training their teachers to integrate technology into classroom instruction. There were 25 teacher participants from four elementary sites, two trainer/coordinators, and four administrators involved in the study. The study assumed that teachers would become more comfortable in their use of technology with ongoing staff development and support, but that a thorough knowledge of the barriers to successful classroom use of technology was needed.; A qualitative, descriptive case study methodology was used to conduct the research. Data were gathered using surveys, online questionnaires and in-depth interviews with one third of the participants. Results indicated that teachers were making progress in adopting technology instructionally but still needed personal coaching and ongoing support.; Participants in the study reported positive results with their students when using the portable keyboards and word processing software especially in the appearance and quality of student writing. Due to their lack of overall instructional proficiency with technology, most teachers were not using these tools to teach the entire writing process from prewriting to final draft. Instead, they were using them to publish partially edited student writing. Teachers reported that lack of time for planning, collaboration and familiarizing themselves with the technology tools was a major obstacle. Not having Internet access in their classrooms was also considered a barrier to effective use of technology instructionally.; Conclusions include the need for more consistent district-wide training in pedagogy that supports the integration of technology into the curriculum, builds communities of practice, and teaches technology-assisted process writing techniques. This can be accomplished by using a personalized training/coaching model using rubric-driven Individual Learning Plans for each participant and by providing regular opportunities for teacher collaboration.; Recommendations include developing a district-wide mandate for electronic writing portfolios that include Internet research projects and computer assisted student writing that has been assessed using standards-based rubrics. In this way teaching writing using technology tools should become an integral part of the language arts program and thus of instructional practice. |
