ALTP Interview Quotes in Precis Form
Original interviews conducted by Mark Goldstein 1997-98 Terse summaries by Byron Davies -- April 4, 1998
Critical Issues

instruction/technology in focused learning

grow local talent instead of importing

teacher fears, funding, training, tech support

professional development to support effective use

funds (capital and operating), teacher knowledge, tech support, effect of technology on education organizations

still in pioneering phase, need for organizational transformation

20-30 paid days/year for teacher training

teachers need Internet at home

attitudes are a barrier

need focus on equipment and software

administrator needs technology too

professional development

state leaders need to understand importance of education to stateís future

what is the outcome goal for technology, technology parity across districts, professional development

incorporation of technology into curriculum

state recognition of education as a priority

education is critical to future of Arizona

need stable, ongoing funding for technology

need technology-specific funding, with dedicated budget for support

teacher training, reduce administrative load, interact with parents

itís a system problem

teacher development, how to accelerate learning with technology

focus on the classroom teacher, more training

public and school awareness of potential of technology

focus on actual use

earmark technology funding

Educational and Societal Trends

amazing power on desktops

need to validate effectiveness of software

kids know more than teachers about technology

need to align technology education with business needs

teamwork

technology makes learning more fun

public schools are losing their monopoly status

need to learn, think, and work globally

project-based learning is important

technology enhances teachers efforts

inter-district technology equity, constructivist learning

industry needs well-educated high-school graduates

older teachers and administrators need to understand generational differences

school monopoly is evaporating

children expect technology at school

students have access to unlimited information through the Internet -- teacher must serve as a guide

technology and independent thinking are now critical skills

printing press led to earlier cluster of revolutions -- technology may wreak similar change

students have better technology at home than at school

students need a variety of skills, including career development and entrepreneurism

students are no longer tabula rasa -- they get info (right or wrong) from the Internet

technology will transform work

lifelong learning is emerging

real-time feedback (ìassessmentî) permits real-time adjustment of curriculum

public awareness of technology is driving policy, asynchronous learning is important

Role of Government

government money has high leverage as seed money in technology introduction

Department of Education (fed or state?) should control money, in two tiers (1) same basic amount to all schools, (2) competitive grants large enough to provide critical mass

state governments should drive technology policy

state matching funds for technology

need strong support of Governor

state needs focus on the future of education

state government should fund technology, with approaches depending on characteristics of school district

state, not federal government, is appropriate level for driving technology in schools

government should fund technology-rich models as well as strive for equity

federal government has a role: only they could do E-Rate

states should evaluate software (like textbooks)

state should bring all schools up to a basic level of technology

funding should come from diverse sources (public and private), need measurable results (learning goals) to support public funding, will take time/money/people to reach goals

state should ensure schools are doing their job (graduating good students)

governments should fund network infrastructure for education

education technology needs separate state funding, so schools wonít spend it on something else

state and federal government should ensure base level of education

the Governor can support/is supporting technology literacy, school innovation, and industry/school cooperation

state should ensure technology equity across school districts

government should lead technology planning process and provide support for technology in schools

state and federal governments need to spend more on education

government can help ensure interoperable networking infrastructure

state should specifically target technology in education to ensure our graduates are competitive

federal government should support R&D in learning technology, state government should help train teachers and modernize technology in schools

local government, driven by parents, should take a larger role in education

technology should be funded like land, buildings, infrastructure, tools, and textbooks; federal and state governments should fund basic instructional R&D; state government should develop measurements of school effectiveness

Skill Development and School-to-Work

basic problem is teacherís discomfort with technology (wrong category?)

technology or no, students need better thinking skills than theyíre getting now

students need operational skills, awareness of technology issues, and willingness to learn forever

concerned that schools may give bright kids marketable skills too early, preventing some from going on to university

an English teachers effectively uses technology to accelerate learning of writing skills

some schools do exciting things with multimedia production; all should

teachers need to use technology themselves, for their own purposes, before advocating it to their students

students need skills to use information, not just access it

technology increases the opportunity for accessing and using knowledge, for using creativity

schools should help provide students workplace experience,with co-op programs or simulations

technology literacy is fundamental in high-tech employment

most critical issue for business is workforce development, which requires a good K-12 educational experience

technology literacy is fundamental in higher education

as society becomes more dependent on technology, it should supply people who are more capable in using technology; global competition requires technology competitiveness

need to know higher-level thinking skills as well as computer tools

critical thinking skills more important than technology skills per se

technology supports individualized education and distributed collaboration

education should focus on concepts and functional skills (such as presentation development) rather than just on tools (such as Powerpoint)

technology can truly enhance learning, in core subjects, through stimulus, input, simulations, etc.

all students need to understand the basics of word processing, databases, spreadsheets, web searches, evaluating software

students should learn to touch type and to use the computer and standard software packages

kids need to understand how to assimilate, manage, and use information

kids need to enjoy and understand basics of math, reading, writing, computer skills

computer is important as an expander of learning opportunities, not as an end in itself

students need communication skills: reading, writing, use of coherent sentences

no workforce entrant should be without computer skills

there is an opportunity for Arizona to become a leader in workforce development and lifelong learning, based on effective use of technology, thus improving the way business is done

students need to develop comprehension, conceptualization skills

schools need to cooperate and share resources; high schools are already successfully providing skills (e.g., C++ programming, network administration) that immediately qualify graduates for high-paying ($35K) jobs; schools should also stress work socialization skills

unable to find appropriately trained graduates, companies are training their own; business needs people with advanced technical skills (routers, bridges, NT administration)

students should learn to interpret and use information, not just access it

students need to read and ìkeyboardî at very early age; if you know that, computer can tell you what to do (???)

school-to-work seems like a remedial program -- kids should learn discipline earlier than high school

industry says they need certain skills, but their employment practices donít follow what they say, but they do want people to be familiar with software (???)

expectations for high school graduates continually increase, but qualifications donít: education doesnít change; society will force education to change, using technology as a lever

technology can and should be used to support learning, decision support, and performance support

technology in schools will lead to technologically prepared students

students need real literacy, technological literacy, and job-skill literacy

basic computer skills are now fundamental to participation in society

students should use technology automatically, as appropriate; perhaps schools should develop a pre-engineering curriculum

everyone should know word processing, databases, and the Internet

Role of Higher Education and Industry

industry is dissatisfied with knowledge of graduates, but schools provide a rounded education as well as serving industry

industry needs to help by offering workplace experiences and by helping to define the skills needed in the workforce

industry should partner with schools, donate used equipment, and assist in classroom

successful industry partnerships already exist, but Arizona must do more to continue to attract new business

industry wants to see ìauthenticî measurements of students abilities: portfolios, not multiple choice tests

industry needs to stop complaining and simply state what they see as necessary basic skills

industry can help us learn about and implement technology in schools

industry should go to schools to teach about the workplace, and provide opportunities to visit the workplace

educators should give parents and the public realistic expectations about the potential gains and costs of technology; industry should help articulate the vision and support the costs of it

industry needs to contribute to the development of a solid work force -- and is, but mainly as remedial education

biggest question is the role of industry; industry should bring teachers into the workplace; education system should deploy existing standards for workplace skills and technology skills, and make classroom more relevant to industry

industry can supply mentors to school; universities and industry can help schools plan and implement technology

need a database or electronic portfolio to keep track of studentsí learning from many sources

industry needs to let schools know how important computer literacy is

industry should show students how knowledge and technology is used in the workplace

industry can help by supply technology expertise for schools, both for installation and for training school staff

industry can help via mentoring, funding, educating state government; a vibrant economy is based on talent and technology

higher education can help K-12 via library content access, local communication connections, non-traditional training experiences, flexible class scheduling for teachers and capable students, and modeling the use of technology

higher education can help train teachers in technology and available curriculum content

industry needs to inform students and government that technology is important

industryís needs are clear; schools need to change to satisfy them, while still providing a well-rounded education

industry should include local school support in their mission statement; technology will help dissolve barriers between school and industry

industry needs to work more closely with teachers, provide internships, and demonstrate realistic scenarios

higher education needs to educate teachers about technology and its uses as a tool to support curriculum

industry should adopt schools, contribute technology, articulate workplace needs, explore partnerships with K-12 and higher education

Economic Impact

if we donít do ìthese thingsî, industry will continue to hire from out-of-state

if we donít succeed with school-to-work, Arizona will suffer economically

if we donít have an adequately trained workforce, industry will leave

if we donít ìsucceedî, weíll continue to import talent, business will move elsewhere, and our students will be left behind

if we donít meet technology challenge, our students will be left behind and our economy will suffer

if studentís donít have technology skill, economic competitiveness will suffer

industry wants to be here, but it needs a workforce skilled in learning, knowledgeable about work, and comfortable with technology

technology, by transforming the economy from physical to informational, will help save the world from pollution and resource scarcity

if we donít lead in technology, someone else will reap the benefits

thereís little point attracting companies to Arizona if we donít prepare our people to work for them

Computers in the Classroom

each kid needs a computer, with more emphasis on laptops in the higher grades

one modern computer per four students, to promote collaboration and interaction

technology supports individualized education and distributed collaboration

4-to-1 is a good starting point, but we need to move to 1-to-1; people need to have continuous access to a computer

technology supports individual learning styles, such as visual learning

state should support a minimum level of technology for all schools

need to have computers in the home and in accessible community centers

best use of technology is in individualizing instruction

technology motivates learning in other curriculum areas

schools need to use both teachers and technology; technology will make teachers more productive; eventually, weíll see the ìfree agentî teacher offering broadly distributed learning

technology makes education more exciting, more flexible, more individualized, offering multiple chances to those who didnít ìget itî the first time

students using multimedia learning score higher on exams, complete courses more often, and retain more, due to more active learning

technology is a tool for all learning

technology is primarily a tool; students also need critical thinking skills and group skills

next-generation software will be intelligent, providing powerful learning environment for all subjects, supporting team-oriented learning and individual learning styles

the basics -- reading, writing, arithmetic -- are still important, but technology will provide a ìsafeî learning environment for those subjects

we canít afford one computer per student; 1:12 is absolute minimum; students need non-computer-based education, too, to promote rational thinking and contemplation

computer ratio is not as important as perceived availability

Role of the Internet

project-based, real-time learning is the way of the future; Internet resources support it, but a guide is needed

Internet is great resource; teacherís role changes to navigator, facilitator

administrative computing is being used a vehicle to get schools connected; hopefully, administrative loads will be reduced and the infrastructure will be used for education as well

the Internet, combined with intelligent agents, will give access to legacy data and put intelligence into everyday objects

the distributed multimedia communication made possible by the Internet will help students learn to self-direct, collaborate, communicate, and have a more positive outlook

Internet makes vast amounts of information available, unfiltered, so people must learn critical reading and thinking skills

endless net surfing is as bad as endless car cruising; we have to make sure students donít become self-absorbed in technology

the educational technology that really counts is the Internet, which serves as the great universal library

the impact of the Internet will be highly profound, though unpredictable

digital encyclopedias on the web are just the tip of the forthcoming Internet iceberg

distributed learning can make university classes available to school kids of any age, wherever they are and whenever theyíre ready

Internet has made amazing amounts of information available to students worldwide

Internet needs to be in the classroom and it needs to be used in all curriculum areas; video conferencing, authentic synthesized environments, simulations will be more powerful than the current classroom

lack of school connectivity is holding back the potential of the Internet in the classroom

the Internet is a potential instructional delivery system, but the content needs to be just as carefully evaluated as any other

much faster networks will be here soon, making video conferencing a valuable educational tool

Administrative Support (most of these barely fit the category)

each K-12 school should have a dedicated master technology teacher to train the teachers

one of the first uses of technology should be to reduce the teacherís administrative load

technical support of technology is critical, so that teachers donít get turned off by the glitches

technology should be transparent: need local infrastructure support, district standardization and support, and outside support if necessary

computers and networks should be used to reduce teacherís administrative load

Supporting and Maintaining Technology

key school problem is the unaffordability of support for affordable computer technology

federal programs provide inadequate funding for ongoing support; school districts must budget for it

need to consider total costs of ownership: software and annual maintenance each amount to 1/3 of initial hardware purchase costs

schools lack resources for maintenance; students are getting valuable experience while taking over part of the job

two possibilities for maintenance/support: (1) hire people, (2) outsource so that all data is on someone elseís Internet server

teachers shouldnít have to support technology; need appropriate staffing

parents and the public need to understand the potential benefits and actual costs of technology

teachers shouldnít maintain computers; trained people should, but perhaps it would be a good learning experience for students

supporting and maintaining technology is the Achillesí heel of learning technology: support is tough, and expensive; possible answers: (1) budget and pay more, (2) reduce total cost-of-ownership, (3) use students

schools need technical support, some internal, and some outsourced

schools have to budget for technology maintenance just as they do for building maintenance

schools canít afford to retain experienced technology people, so use students

educational computer technology requires professional, appropriately compensated support

students can do technical support

university MBA programs and business should engage in ìexternshipsî to schools

Miscellaneous Stuff (some of these belong in Administrative Support)

educational technology needs systematic support

state needs a standardized current student attendance record keeping system

technology should be an integral part of studentsí daily lives

parents and community must be made aware of benefits and true costs of technology

technology, by bringing the outside world into the classroom, can bring meaning to learning

as Arizona economy changes from large companies to small, education must adapt

new teachers may have technology skills, but still may not know how to use technology to support learning

students need to become comfortable with technology, not just a particular platform

the next generation of educational software needs to have a common look and feel

the real benefit of technology is in freeing the teacher to be a mentor or guide

some teachers adapt naturally to computers; others need more training, which needs funding

teachers need time to adjust to technology and incorporate new ideas

former teacher: principal had trouble adapting to my use of computer for lesson plans; students liked to see just how their grades were calculated

schools need better ways to track dropouts/truants

underutilized technology is just a waste of money

teachers need time and training to adapt to technology

technology will make it possible to manage individualized instruction

real productivity gains come from improving processes; real improvement in education will come from changing how education works

one route to technology is to have some students become technology specialists and participate in group projects as such

new technology will help in the operation of the school as a multifaceted organization

funding needs to be applied to faculty development; real gains from technology will require restructuring how we do work

need system -- electronic portfolio -- to track studentsí acquisition of competencies

using technology forces teachers to think harder about pedagogy

elementary teachers have complete charge of their studentsí learning; they need to be given the training and tools to bring technology into the classroom

the technology diffusion curve (segmented into innovators, latents, abeyants, phobics) can help guide technology introduction

the E-Rate program will help bring technology to Arizona schools, particularly in rural areas

libraries will continue to be a valuable learning resource

current K-12 technology is limited, but the next generation -- based on cognitive psychology and studies of learning -- will be exciting

the Technology Literacy Challenge Grant program has much potential, particularly if mechanisms are found to broadly share resulting experience

availability of technology is less a barrier than the lack of knowledge about what to do with it

technology can reduce administrative burdens

state should support technology as one of many learning tools

to achieve technology equity and to avoid using long-term capital to pay for rapidly depreciating equipment, technology should be paid for out of specially earmarked operating funds