Knowing the Technology Tools: The First Step in Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Integrate Technology in Classroom

Kuldeep S. RawatDepartment of Technology

Elizabeth City State UniversityUnited States

ksrawat@mail.ecsu.edu

Abstract: In this paper author discusses the hardware and software tools that teachers can use to create technology enabled classroom to enhance active participation in a classroom. One barrier to integrating technology in classroom is the difficulty many teachers face in finding and using appropriate instructional hardware and software technologies for instruction. In addition, the lack of time and experience to make informed decisions about what particular hardware and software products have the potential of fostering learning goals can make technology integration a frightening prospect. Introducing various instructional hardware and software technologies available is the first step in preparing teachers to integrate technology in classroom. Details of mobile Tablet-PC technology, note-taking applications, classroom management tools, and wireless learning environment that teachers can adopt in their classrooms will be discussed in this paper.

Introduction and Background

Good teaching principles involve student-faculty contact, collaboration among students, active learning, provide rapid feedback, task on time, communicating high expectations, and diverse talent and ways of learning (Chickering & Ehrmann, 1996). These seven principles of high quality teaching can be easily accomplished with the positive attitude towards use of instructional technology tools in classroom. Technology integration not only brings changes to teachers’ instructional roles in the classroom, but also dynamics of classroom as students become more self-directed. The teachers’ roles in a technology-infused classroom shifts to that of a facilitator rather than a lecturer (Zhao, Pugh, Sheldon & Byers, 2002). Teachers need to develop their understanding of the value of technology and then achieve proficiency in using technology to enhance student learning experience.

A large body of literature supports the idea that to effectively infuse technology into the curriculum, teachers need to participate in an intensive curriculum-based technology training that move them beyond the attainment of basic computer skills to activities that teach them how to seamlessly integrate technology into the curriculum (Baylor & Ritchie, 2002). Exposure to various instructional technologies and proper training will help teachers develop a positive attitude towards technology and encourage them to integrate technology into their curriculum.

Tablet-PCs with pen-based computing and hand-written recognition software, has the potential to unite the freedom of drawing on paper with the power of educational software and enable the creation of educational tools that make students a more active part of the learning process. The ink-based presentations can be made available to students with different accessibility needs. Electronic distribution of lecture materials creates the possibility of tailoring course materials to meet the needs of individual students. Electronic distribution could also enable deaf students to submit (in real-time) written questions about the lecture materials. The Tablet-PC lectures can be saved on the computer, allowing teachers to make their notes available to students for review, helping students to concentrate on the lecture rather than worrying about taking notes from the blackboard or overhead projector screen.

Recently, wireless and mobile technologies are being used to effectively change the teacher’s instructional practices. Studies have demonstrated that wireless learning environments can increase students’ usage time of instructional technology and improve their learning achievement and attitude (Swan, van’t Hooft, Kratcoski, & Unger, 2005). Wireless technology has many features which benefit the implementation of learner-centered instruction. Introducing wireless learning environments into the classroom will encourage teachers to change the instruction to fit the features of the mobile technology. Wireless mobile Tablet-PC can help students to access online

courses and communicate with other students or teacher. With classroom management software (CMS) tools teacher can improve course delivery by centrally instructing their students on their Tablet-PCs, maintain student attention by monitoring application and Web usage, save time by quickly polling the class and showing results instantly, and provide feedback with no latency. The software tools also provide teachers with insight into each student’s level of understanding and performance through instant surveys and feedbacks.

Fully adopting the features of these available technologies will necessitate changes from traditional style instruction, thereby causing significant changes in classroom, such as types of classroom interaction, social relationships between students, and the nature of teaching materials and assignments. Due to the overwhelming profusion of instructional technology options available in the market, teachers at novice stages of technology integration may need guidance in deciding on the hardware and software tools to support the school’s learning goals and fully benefit from them. Teachers in the past have reported challenges in finding and using appropriate software tools or courseware for instruction (Zucker, 2004).

Whenever possible, hardware and software-selection decision should be made in a team with consultation with computer technology coordinator or an instructional technology specialist. Teachers working together can plan curricular projects, develop and apply criteria for selecting software and reflect upon how their teaching is changing through technology integration. In this paper a detail overview of available hardware and software tools that can be used to create technology enabled classroom are discussed.

The paper is organized as follows. In next section, author discusses the current state of teachers’ knowledge and usage of technology. Section 3 will present various hardware and software tools that can facilitate technology-based teaching and learning. Tablet-PC technology, classroom management tools, note-taking programs, and screen recording tools are presented in this section. This is followed by a section on setting up a wireless and mobile classroom. Finally, the relevant conclusion is presented.

Current State of Teachers’ Usage of Technology

Given the technology-driven nature of our global, information based society, lack of technology integration among teachers in classrooms is a major concern in education today. A study conducted by U.S. Department of Education found that many teachers do not know how to incorporate computer skills into classroom instruction (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). According to this report almost two-thirds of all teachers reported no preparation at all or were slightly prepared to use technology in their teaching. The importance of establishing technology literacy and integration as a part of effective teacher development has been observed and reported by professional organizations, accreditation boards, and state departments of education across the nation. In fact, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has published national standards for teacher competencies in technology use, which have further been adopted by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Integration of instructional technologies into education has become a high priority for schools nationwide. A wealth of initiatives is currently being funded by federal, state, and local governments, as well as private industries, to bring a variety of these technologies into schools. Technology skill level among teachers ranges from nonuser to experts (Dexter & Riedel, 2003). Today both state and national organizations involved in teacher standards recognize that teachers need to be trained in technology skills if they are to develop a foundation upon which to build their understanding of technology integration. Preparing teachers to use technology and how that technology can support learning is an integral skill for all teachers. Studies suggest that teachers who obtain higher levels of technology training are better prepared to integrate technology in their curriculum (Stetson & Bagwell, 2002).

Several studies and surveys have been conducted to assess the level of participation of teachers in integrating technology in their classrooms. In one such nationwide survey of teachers, students, and administrators conducted in 2003 for the Gates Foundation, found that over 53% of the teachers they surveyed do not routinely use technology in the classroom and over half the students responding to questionnaires reported they use technology no more than once a week (Abbott, 2003). In another National Teacher Survey in 2005, commissioned by CDW Government, Inc., found that 80% of K-12 teachers use computers mainly for administrative functions and only slightly more than half are integrating computers into their routine instruction (National Teacher Survey, 2005). The survey revealed that teacher technology training has focused on administrative applications, rather than instructional applications. Even more concerning was that approximately one third of teachers have received little or no training with integrating computers in classroom instruction or training on instructional software.

Instructional Hardware and Software Tools

The author uses Tablet PCs both in the laboratory and the classroom lecture to provide students with access to notes at all times and direct feedback during lectures. The Tablet PCs are loaded with software programs such as Microsoft Windows Journal, NetSupport School, Classroom Presenter, Microsoft OneNote and other subject related software tools. The Tablet-PC and supporting applications help students to take notes, draw diagrams, retrieve assignments, access electronic textbooks, organize class work, and mark up handwritten notes that can be publicly displayed, and used as the basis for class-wide discussions. A brief description of Tablet-PC and pen-based technology is presented next.

Tablet-PC and Pen-Based Technology

Tablet PC is a recent innovation in laptop computers that promises a significant advancement in instructional technology. The screen of Tablet-PC doubles as a writing board, with an electronic pen taking the place of chalks or markers. Attached to a multimedia, the tablet-PC acts as a virtual blackboard, with the lecturer writing on the tablet screen and with the writing saved as electronic strokes on the computer. Teachers may drag multimedia files onto the presentation screen and annotate them, which would not be possible using traditional lecturing methods. PowerPoint-based lecturers can use the electronic pen to write directly over their slides, thereby customizing their presentations on the fly.

As a Windows XP machine, the Tablet PC has the benefit that it can directly execute any program that runs on a standard Windows machine (e.g. PowerPoint, Word, Excel) without needing a translation step. Tablet-PCs are available in both “slate” and “convertible” form factors as shown in Figure 1. The slate is a form factor that looks like a large personal digital assistant (PDA) with a separate detachable keyboard. The convertible looks like a traditional laptop except the screen may also be turned 360 degrees and turn to lie flat on the keyboard to become a slate.

Figure 1: Convertible and Slate form factors

Tablet-PC features a full-sized color screen, an internal hard drive, and other features associated with a standard computer. This greatly enhances the use of a tablet for public presentations. The moderately high resolution color screen is suited for use with a video projector, and the large amount of on-board storage (20-60 GB or more) allows even a complicated multimedia presentation to be loaded into a tablet without the risk of running out of space. The latest Tablet-PCs come with built-in wireless networking capability. The HP Tablet-PCs used by the author and his students in the classroom also have built-in fingerprint identification. This might be useful for teachers who need to carry confidential information (grades, exams, research data, etc.) on a Tablet PC. The key features and capabilities of a Tablet-PC, which can be considered as a quasi-hybrid of laptop and palmtop computers, are (i) work from anywhere, (ii) take notes electronically, (iii) import documents into journal, and (iv) edit, search and convert handwritten notes into typed text.

Classroom Management Software

There are varieties of classroom management software (CMS) tools that can be used in conjunction with Tablet-PCs to facilitate mobile technology-based learning. Some of the most popular and commercially available classroom management software (CMS) tools are NetSupport School, DyKnow Vision, and WriteOn. When used in

conjunction with a Tablet PC, these CMS tools allow teachers to choose to broadcast the dynamic screen contents along with electronic ink in real-time. Alternatively, the CMS user can save the ink annotations and desktop activity as a movie file (or individual screen captures) and then later broadcast these files to the students. Using WriteOn CMS tools the teacher can utilize electronic ink to annotate on top of any application visible on the Tablet-PC display screen. This capability can be useful in improving both the presentation of information as well as the teacher-student interactivity in classroom instruction. The CMS tools allow the teacher to capture individual screen images for use in subsequent review of material presented in the lecture.

The NetSupport School CMS networks students’ tablets to the teacher’s tablet; supports sharing and viewing student screens. This feature provides teachers with insight into each student’s level of understanding and performance. Figure 2 shows screen captures (superimposed) depicting chat and survey features of NetSupport School. CMS tool, such as DyKnow Vision fosters interaction through collaborative note-taking, student response tools, content replay, and anywhere, anytime access. Teachers can use DyKnow Vision or NetSupport School to instantly transmit content to student screens for annotation. DyKnow Vision works with desktops, laptops, Tablet-PCs, and interactive whiteboards in fixed, mobile, and distance environments.

Figure 2: NetSupport School screens depicting chat and survey features

Dynamic Presentation Tools: Classroom Presenter and Ubiquitous Presenter

An important part of any lecturing is adjusting material in response to audience reactions and developing spontaneous examples and explanations to clarify and expand on topics. The commonly used presentation using electronic slides tend to script a lecture and do not provide mechanisms to adapt the presentation to the audience. To overcome this weakness a distributed Tablet-PC application called as Classroom Presenter (CP) was developed by Richard Anderson, University of Washington, in partnership with Microsoft Research. This application, first deployed in 2002, allows a teacher or presenter to handwrite notes on computer-projected PowerPoint slides. The slides and ink are broadcast to students’ computers where the students are able to add their own private annotations. The application allows for students to submit inked responses to teacher questions, and the teacher may select responses to be displayed to the entire class. The whiteboard feature makes it possible for the teacher to add handwritten slides on the fly. The Deck Builder utility, which comes as a part of CP can be used to convert regular PowerPoint files to conference slide deck (.csd) file format suitable for Classroom Presenter. A screen capture of a CP slide showing ink annotation created on the fly is depicted in Figure 3.

The main limitation of CP is that it uses multicast networking to broadcast the slides to the student tablets. Many routers at universities have been configured to block multicast packets, and in such cases, CP cannot be used. Furthermore, each student PC had to have the CP applications installed and properly configured to joining the multicast network. The Ubiquitous Presenter, an extension to CP, is a Web server-based application that eliminates the need to set up a multicast network. It is similar to CP and enables students without tablets to access key components of CP with any Web-enabled device. Using a Web browser, students can view slides and ink that are broadcast by the teacher and submit typed text overlaid on the teacher’s slides. No custom software is required for the student machines. The server generates simple HTML and some JavaScript, so all students need to use all of the features is a Web browser with JavaScript enabled.

Figure 3: A screen capture of Classroom Presenter showing ink annotation

Note-Taking Tools: Windows Journal and Microsoft OneNote

Windows Journal and Microsoft OneNote are note-taking programs which are included with Microsoft Window XP Tablet Edition. Windows Journal has several useful features, such as importing documents created in various applications into Journal and ability to annotate imported documents. Microsoft Word documents, Web pages, Microsoft PowerPoint slides, pictures, and several other printable formats can be easily imported in Journal. These features enable teacher to import a file their student has created and grade them or make comments on that file in his or her own handwriting electronically. Journal can also be useful for presentations, meetings, and collaborative work between students. All the information, including ink, imported documents, text boxes, and pictures can be saved in the note file. Figure 4 shows a screen shot of notes taken in Windows Journal.

Figure 4: Screen shot of notes taken in Windows JournalIf teacher or student wants to share their Journal notes with someone who does not have a tablet, and

therefore does not have Journal, can export the note either as a Web archive file (.mht) or as a Tagged Image File Format image (.tif).

Microsoft Office OneNote, usually referred to as Microsoft OneNote, is also a very useful tool for note-taking, information gathering, and multi-user collaboration. OneNote also adds modern features such as drawings, pictures, multimedia audio, video, and ink as well as multi-user sharing of notes. Audio and video recording can be synchronized with notes as they are written during a lecture or interview. Any set of notes created in OneNote can be send to Word to create a document. Handwritten notes in OneNote are searchable directly without having to convert to text. Using the current 2007 version of OneNote one can also create server-hosted shared collaborative notebooks that any user can edit online or offline at any time. The changes are automatically merged as well as marked with who made them and when. One drawback of using MS OneNote is that it requires the end user to also have a copy of the program, unlike Windows Journal that allows exporting a Journal file to an Internet (.mhtml) file.

Other popular digital note-taking and collaborative support tools include ReMarkable Texts, NotePals, LiveNotes, and ScreenCrayons. LiveNotes was in fact initially developed to support note-taking for deaf students. ScreenCrayons also enables students to take notes on documents across multiple formats such as Web pages and Microsoft Word. With this tool, students can annotate and collect information from any type of document.

Screen Recording Tools: Microsoft Producer and Camtasia Studio

The ability to perform live recording of lectures, including audio interaction between students and teacher that can be made available for distant education students is an important aspect of classroom technology. Microsoft Producer and Camtasia Studio are the two most commonly used lecture video recording tools. Microsoft Producer is a popular add-in for Microsoft Office PowerPoint that can be used to produce online, media rich, and fully interactive engaging presentations. It offers an array of tools that make it easy to create, edit, synchronize, and publish presentations that can be viewed anytime in a user’s Internet browser. The latest version of MS Producer has ability to (i) capture live audio or video using any capture device that is supported by Microsoft DirectShow, (ii) include compelling transitions and video effects, (iii) embed presentations in HTML iFrames for greater layout control, (iv) develop on-demand training content that engages users and complies with eLearning standards, and (v) mobilize and index archived videotapes and training material. Furthermore, you can add still images and HTML files to your presentation.

Camtasia Studio, developed by TechSmith, is a complete and powerful screen recording solution for quickly creating professional-looking videos of your Tablet PC screen activity. A screen shot of Camtasia Studio video recording/producing interface is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Screen shot of Camtasia Studio video producing tool

Using Camtasia Studio’s suite of applications, one can (i) record full-motion screen video with perfect quality, (ii) include a variety of cursor highlights during recording, (iii) edit, cut, and join video clips, (iv) add digital video files (DV, MPEG, WMV) to your screen recordings, (v) add interactive callouts, and (vi) create a Web-based or CD-based menu from which to launch your video and other media files. Camtasia Studio screen recording is already optimized to give the smallest video file size for screen content. In addition to straight screen recording, Camtasia Studio’s advanced features allow one to draw, annotate, and add effects during recording. Teachers can easily record their tablet screens, PowerPoint presentations, multiple audio tracks, and webcam video to create compelling lecture videos that can be delivered as high-quality streaming video content anytime, to even the most remote audience.

Setting up Wireless and Mobile Learning Environment

Tablet PC provides an easy and flexible environment for making computer-based presentations that can be carried so that teacher can move around in the classroom to better work with individuals or groups of students. Tablet PCs also have built-in wireless adapters that are becoming much more commonplace in portable computers. In addition, long battery life of tablet PCs ensure that students can use them throughout typical class days without worrying about availability of power connections. A typical Tablet-PCs based wireless learning environment in a classroom is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Wireless and mobile learning classroom

The lecture presentations can either be projected directly from the teacher’s Tablet-PC, or can be shown from a second machine that is wirelessly networked to the first. An advantage of the latter configuration is that the teacher can move during lecture while holding the Tablet-PC. In the beginning of class the teacher can run NetSupport School tutor to search for tablets with student versions of NetSupport School. The student versions are automatically loaded when their Tablet-PCs boot up. Once the teacher’s Tablet-PC recognizes all student Tablet-PCs on the wireless LAN, an attendance register request can be send to all the Tablet-PCs. The students can complete the registration attendance request, which can be saved as an attendance record in a Microsoft Excel compatible comma separated value (.csv) file format.

The Tablet-PC is used in the wireless classroom as a presentation device that takes the place of the blackboard. The lecture presentation is output to a screen using a multimedia projector. With Classroom Presenter, a teacher has the ability to prepare lecture material in advance or write “on the fly” during class that may be difficult to with PowerPoint. It is also easy to switch between other computer applications – e.g. a web browser, telnet, or an integrated developer environment. Teacher keeps track of the students’ understanding of subject material through instant surveys and feedbacks. Using the chat and messaging features of CMS, a student can engage in a dialogue with the teacher without disturbing the entire classroom. The key features of mobile Tablet-PC based wireless learning environment are (i) support and monitor student learning activity in a mentoring role, (ii) facilitate communication and collaborative group work activities, (iii) facilitate to analyze and enhance project work by recording and replaying audio, (iv) Provide instant feedback in response to a survey question, and (v) facilitate storage of student work on an institutional repositories that can be accessed via the Web.Conclusion

Technology enabled classroom has the potential to provide an effective an exciting learning environment for teachers and students alike. The continuous advances in technology and the rapid proliferation of instructional software can easily overwhelm teachers who wish to integrate technology in their courses. Though many factors influence the application of technology in classroom and determine its educational benefits, such as the pedagogical approach of teachers, technology used, technology training, and teacher classroom practices, their attitudes about educational technology and classroom management skills can definitely be improved through some technical help. Detailed information on mobile Tablet-PC technology, classroom management software tools, note-taking programs, dynamic presentation applications, and video recording software were discussed in the paper. Teachers can choose appropriate software tools to improve instructional delivery in technology-based classroom. This information can help teachers make informed decision in selecting appropriate tools to achieve their teaching goals. In addition, Tablet-PCs and supporting software tools coupled with wireless networking technology can help teachers in creating a flexible learning environment that can enhance interaction and student engagement during class sessions.

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Acknowledgements

This project is supported by HP Teaching for Technology grant awarded to the author. The information provided, the statements made, and the views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author.