Computer Lab Usage in

By Keith Williams and John Krewer

T he Pennsbury School District in Falls- ington, Pennsylvania is committed to providing a program that values stu- dent achievement through instructional effectiveness. Clear and stable policies,

expectations for improvement, and strong support systems assist 9,800 students in 14 district schools in their efforts to provide the best possible teach- ing and learning environments with effective re- search of available technology. Accordingly, the Pennsbury Board of School Directors recognizes the need for coordinated and well-planned growth and the development of systematic evaluation of all aspects of district operations.

Each year, during the budget-building process, the district identifies meaningful, challenging and manageable objectives that may be addressed at a district-wide, building or department level. These objectives determine our use of both human and financial resources during the next school year. One objective during the 1987-88 and 1988-89 school years was to integrate microcomputers into the elementary school curriculum.

THE NETWORK LAB PROJECT

The district decided to enhance the elementary curriculum with software geared specifically for our Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics Pro- grams and set up a laboratory of networked com- puters. The classroom networked laboratory is equipped with both conceptual and practical pre- written software programs. An IBM network using IBM Classroom LAN Administration System con- nects 20 PS/2 Model 30's and a PS/2 Model 80 file- server equipped with 70 megabytes of storage to facilitate student learning/outcomes in our reading/ language and mathematics programs.

Keith Williams is Curriculum Supervisor for Math- ematics and Computer Science. John Krewer is Assistant to the Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. They may be contacted at: Pennsbury School District, Yardley Avenue, Falls- ington, PA (215) 295-4131.

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A minimum of five mobile microcomputer units are also housed in the elementary buildings, in or- der to allow for specific classroom demonstrations outside the realm of the lab and/or teacher initiat- ed classroom instruction that necessitates the use of a computer.

We do not believe the use of a computer labora- tory facility should constitute a special instructional environment in the elementary school program of studies. Nor are we comfortable with computer use becoming a student "pull-out" program. However, we are dedicated to using computer equipment to improve that which we already do quite well---as- sisting the student in increasing his/her comprehen- sioin of grade-level priority objectives in the areas of reading/language arts and mathematics. To ac- complish this annual objective, we have designed our CAI (computer-assisted instruction) program in a manner that consolidates the normal classroom environment and our IBM networked computer fa- cilities into a single instructional unit. The school system is working diligently to totally integrate com- puter software materials with the concepts/activities that the student is confronted with on a day-to-day basis in the normal mathematics and reading/lan- guage arts curriculums.

THE COMPUTER AIDE

Although our lab is run by a fully trained com- puter aide who regulates and controls the lab and its relevant grade-level software to correlate with classroom learning objectives and activities, our computer lab aide is not involved in any diagnos- tic or prescriptive activities relating to student achievement of specific course outcomes. Nor is the aide responsible for matching the content of the software with the student's prescriptive learn- ing.

It is strictly the role of the classroom teacher to prescribe what the student needs to accomplish in the lab and what interactive software the student will use to facilitate his/her learning activities. Each classroom teacher selects the software to ac- complish the identified objectives in both reading/ language arts and mathematics. After the teacher

the Elementary Program:

An integrated approach

has made his or her software selections, the aide designs the grade level class menus for both areas of study. Once the selection menus are entered onto the system control software, the student is limited in what programs he/she can use when he/ she "signs-on" to the network. The student mere- ly selects the software for his/her lesson and im- mediately begins the computer session. The aide mainly assists the student in performing the hard- ware and control processes necessary for access- ing, using and understanding the system's soft- ware. In reality, the aide is a facilitator for ad- dressing the learning objectives of the classroom teacher.

SCHEDULING

For two quarters of the school year, all students in grades two through five have access to the lab. For two periods each week, in the 1st and 3rd quarters of the school year, second and fourth grade students use the lab. For two periods each week during the 2nd and 4th quarters, third and fifth grade students use the lab. At the beginning of each week, the computer-room aide meets with teachers to design the computer laboratory sched- ule. At these meetings, the classroom teacher and aide discuss the following:

�9 what area of study (math or reading/language arts) the teacher will be addressing during the lab session,

�9 what course objectives the students will be studying,

�9 whether the students will be involved in a re- teaching/remedial assignment or an enrich- ment exercise,

�9 how many students will be sent to the center (either the whole class or any portion of the class may be involved in the session)

�9 what software program(s) will be used to as- sist the student(s) in the comprehension and retention of the teacher's objectives.

This framework enables the aide to logistically prepare the software and activities in the labora- tory environment prior to the class's instructional time-slot. When the students are scheduled to

leave the classroom for the computer room, the aide accompanies the students to the center. Upon arrival at the computer room, the students will have immediate access to the designed software for his or her individualized lesson--no time is wasted due to software selection and "loading". This individualized lesson also enables the teacher to schedule more than one group of students into the lab during the same class period. For example, since our lab accommodates twenty students, one teacher may assign only eight students to the lab during a particular period, thus allowing another teacher from that grade level to assign up to twelve students during the same time-slot. The two classes of students could be assigned to work on completely different objectives, using different software, and for a completely different subject area. This is due in part to the excellent "down- load" feature of our IBM networked computer facility.

CONTROL SOFTWARE

The aide is also responsible for reporting to the regular classroom teacher the progress made by each student as a result of the student's interac- tion with the lab environment. The computer's software does the greater portion of the work. An automatic tracking program is built into the courseware management software of the file-serv- er that records the student's position and accumu- lated progress on any of the grade-level relevant software on the system. The tracking program rec- ords the software program the student was work- ing with and where the student stopped respond- ing. It also records the concepts involved in the session and the number and percentage of correct and incorrect responses/decisions the student made during the session.

The following day when the student "signs-on" for another computer session, the system will in- quire whether the student wishes to proceed with the former lesson or proceed to a new lesson. If the student wishes to proceed with the former les- son, the system enacts entry to the software at the exact spot where the student previously "signed- off."

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The integrated learning system software allows us to build into the system any performance objec- tives that correlate to the concepts being studied. By entering a single command the lab aide can cause the system to produce a comprehensive as- sessment report on any or all students from a par- ticular teacher's classroom roll. Hand written pro- gress charts relating to the various concepts and activities involved in a lab session are kept by the aide for each participating student.

CONCLUSION

The integration at Makefield and Manor Ele- mentary Schools of the microcompuer with the el- ementary curriculum has increased student achievement and teacher comfort with her new technology. Our programs are still being refined as an outgrowth of these efforts and our on-going self-assessment.

We are currently screening computer software for integration with curriculum prior to purchase. A staff development program is also in place in each building to increase teacher comfort with the technology and assure teacher experience with software prior to student involvement in the labo- ratory. A computer room committee has been es- tablished in each school to pro-actively address is- sues in scheduling, curriculum integration, and staff development. And, due to varying levels of the abilities of students at the primary levels to work independently, a program of recruitment and training of parent volunteers has been developed. We are also developing a comprehensive evalua- tion design to assess: 1) effects on student learning (rate, degree, and retention); 2) curriculum deliv- ery effects; 3) student and staff comfort levels with computers. The computer labs will be available to district staff at the conclusion of the instructional day and parent courses will be offered in each building during the evening hours.

We are just beginning to understand how the computer will affect the way we deliver the curric- ulum to the student. Our initiatives at Pennsybury School District have only involved the reading/lan- guage arts and mathematics programs, and have,

for the most part, been confined to grade levels two through five. Other subject areas, such as sci- ence and music will eventually be integrated with the usage of computer technology on the elemen- tary school level. The students in kindergarten and first grade will also become involved in the computerization processes. We have much work left to do!

GRADE FOUR READING AND MATH CLASS MENUS:

Grade 4 Reading Class Menu

Program Selections Bounce Bee Learns Words Combining Sentences II Parts of Speech III Punctuation II Reading for Meaning I Spelling I Spelling II Touch Typing--Beginner Vocabulary II

Grade 4 Math Class Menu

Program Selections Math Concepts--Level I Math Concepts--Level II Math Practice--Level I Math Practice--Level II

Elementary computer labs are located at: Makefield Elementary School, Principal---Mr. Raymond Naylor Manor Elementary School, Principal---Mr. Richard Housknecht �9

Datebook �9 February 11-16: SPIE/SPSE Symposium on Electron- ic Imaging: Science and Technology, at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel, Santa Clara, California. For more infor- mation contact the Society for Imaging Science and Technology, 7003 Kilworth Lane, Springfield, Virginia 22151.

�9 February 15-17: The Colorado Educational Media As- sociation will hold its Annual Conference at the Broad- moor Resort, Colorado Springs. This year's theme is "Partnerships." For more information contact CEMA Executive Secretary Terry Walljasper, P.O. Box 22814, Wellshire Station, Denver, Colorado 80222; phone 303- 756-6023.

�9 February 20-23: The Learning Resources Association

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of California is hosting "The Change Dimension: Learning Resources for the 1990s" in San Francisco at the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn. For further informa- tion contact Donald Kirkoria, LRACCC, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, Suisun, California 94585; phone 707-864- 7106. �9 March 14: 9th Annual New Hampshire Association for Computer Education Statewide Conference, "Emerging Technologies" with keynote speaker Dr. Harvey Long from IBM. In Concord. Contact Clint Cogswell, Dewey School, Liberty Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301; phone 603-225-0833. �9 March 15-16: 4th Annual New Jersey Educational Computing Conference at Raritan Valley Community College, Somerville, New Jersey. Contact N.A.M.E.