Powering Up

Despite many powerful visions of how technology can improve teaching and learning, the use of computers in schools continues to be limited. This in-depth study of a computer-using school analyzes the relationships among teachers’ knowledge, their ongoing learning, school organizational culture, and policy to understand how the school developed high-quality use of computers. The author traces the experiences of five teachers in a large public high school who have all used technology to augment core elements of their teaching, with particular attention to the use of computers for constructivist teaching.

Features:

• Provides real-life examples of teachers who are successfully using technology.
• Demonstrates a solution to the problem of how to “get teachers to use computers in the classroom.”
• Shows how teaching and learning must be at the center of computer use, helping new and established teachers develop creative ways to enhance curriculum with technology.
• Examines how the policies, structure, and culture of a school can support teachers who are learning new practices.

Eileen M. Coppola is a researcher in the Center for Education and a lecturer in the Department of Education at Rice University.

“Eileen Coppola has given us a powerful new way of understanding the meaning of technology in the practice of teaching.”

— From the Foreword by Richard F. Elmore

“ Powering Up will be valuable for anyone interested in how schools operate, how teachers learn on the job, and how new ideas are used by schools to improve their practice.

—Thomas W. Payzant, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools

“Coppola debunks myths and tells how to meet challenges head-on to reach ambitious goals. Her advice is detailed and practical for teachers, administrators, and policymakers.”

—Stone Wiske, Harvard Graduate School of Education, author of Teaching for Understanding with New Technology