What did they try?

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department at the University of Maryland College Park is preparing preservice teacher interns and their school-based mentors to

• use technology to analyze and interpret student achievement data (Standard IV);
• plan and deliver technology-enhanced lessons, based on the data, using the Building Learning with Technology (BLT) template (Standard V); and
• use technology to determine the outcomes of these lessons and make necessary revisions (Standard IV).

Initially, intern/mentor teams were identified in the spring of 2004 at certain ECE Professional Development School sites. These teams were provided a one-day workshop and online resources for analysis and interpretation of student achievement data, as well as individual consultation on lesson planning and implementation. An additional resource available was the BLT web site, which contained sample lessons and other downloadable resources. The technology-enhanced lessons were videotaped and scored by mentors and project staff using scoring tools developed by the project. Adjustments to this approach were made in the subsequent school years because it was very difficult to accomplish everything in just one semester. Modules were imbedded in existing education courses that extended for the full school year. That is, the assessment module, where the interns investigate data sources and use technology to find and analyze data from their classrooms, was embedded in an already existing fall education course. Then using data from the fall course, interns, in their spring education course, designed data-driven, technology-enhanced lessons collaboratively with their mentor and university supervisor. The lesson execution and intern reflection are scored by the mentor and university supervisor.

What worked and why?

The interns benefited from the experience, as did the students they taught, as evidenced by the Intern, Mentor and University Supervisor surveys. Having additional resources allocated to train interns, mentors, and university supervisors was key to the success of the project, as were the monthly PT3 meetings. Training was a critical component; now mentors who continue can help trouble-shoot for others.

What didn't work and why?

Several important lessons emerged from the project:

• It was important to set and clearly communicate specific target performance levels to insure uniform intern accountability.
• Because it was logistically difficult for interns to peer review their data analysis and lesson plans, university supervisors were trained to review the interns' data analysis.
• Data sets had to be linked to actual classroom data in order for interns to make meaning from them.
• Because it is crucial for the faculty to work together to plan, execute, and modify assignments, planning time had to be built into the yearly calendar and protected.
• All standards could not be covered effectively in the context of one ECE class module; therefore, proficiency with all technology standards must be addressed throughout the entire degree program.
• A framework for developing lessons and rubrics for evaluating lessons were essential in order for the interns to be successful.
• Additional articulation and professional development is necessary to ensure sustaining efforts and to ensure coverage of the technology standards throughout the ECE undergraduate curriculum

What will they do next?

There will be an all day articulation retreat for all University of Maryland ECE faculty May 2006 in order to sustain and continue the progress made. The focus will be training on the Maryland Teacher Technology Standards and brainstorming what is already done in the classrooms that addresses these standards and where there are gaps to fill in. The goal is to establish a good base line on most of the standards so that by the time students are in their senior year, they can concentrate on Standards IV and V. This retreat is in addition to the technology training provided yearly to Interns, Mentors and University Supervisors. Members of other departments will also be invited.