Interesting Authorization and Translation in process Education Teaching
Vol. 17, No. 2, June 2006, pp.
167-179 ISSN 1047-6210 (print) / ISSN 1470-1286 (online) / 06/020167-13
© 2006 Faculty of Education at the University of Queensland
DOI: 10.1080/10476210600680390
How the integration of technology
in teaching science and mathematics
can happen: The role of the wayward professor
* Barbara Hug and George Reese
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
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help change teaching practices through the adoption of new tools and pedagogical approaches
interest to a wide range of educational researchers and practitioners. This article describes a teacher,
Ms. Hogan, who is one of the first to adopt a technological innovation: the authoring tool Squeak.
We analyze the e-mail messages Ms. Hogan apply Rogers model for innovation diffusion.
We believe that this teacher was quickly persuaded maverick and decided to adopt the tool even
prior knowledge of the tool is completed. The tool met the needs of the teacher in his
context, but in order to make your experience more generally, the authors hypothesized that
materials must be created to make the tool of interest to teachers no maverick. Introduction
Recent reform movements within the United States requires greater awareness
math and science (National Research Council (NRC),
1996, Steen 2001). This reform movement is not limited to the United States - similar
reform efforts have been in other parts of the world (Goodrum, Hackling,
and Rennie, 2001, Millar and Osborne, 1998). Key in the current conceptions of modern
math and science is the role of technology as a tool
allow for literacy and understanding, and research.
To help facilitate the objectives called for in these reforms,
national organizations around the world have established standards that identify key learning objectives and processes
students should understand scientific and quantitative basis. The
* Corresponding author. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois, 317
Education Building, 1310 S. 6th Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. Email: bhug@uiuc.edu
168 Barbara Hug and George Reese
different documents emphasize science education a través de investigación y situado
en el contexto del mundo real y la comprensión de los contenidos que puede
vienen a través de la participación en una serie de prácticas científicas (AAAS, 1993; NRC, 1996).
También abogan por una comprensión de la función de la tecnología en estas prácticas y
la utilización y exploración de los instrumentos de la tecnología por los estudiantes en las aulas. En estos documentos,
así como la más localizados los documentos regionales, los profesores están llamados a
modificar sus prácticas de enseñanza y de participar en más centrado en el estudiante la instrucción
utilizando una range of strategies. One such strategy is to use the tools. A
fundamental question then is how to incorporate new technologies into
reform frames.
A bullet from a Master Maverick
In this paper, we present the story of a teacher, Ms. Hogan, who adopted a new technology
. She did as part of a project to address the teaching practice and student learning
. The project is an ongoing collaboration between a university and local school district
. Through this case study, a vignette of a maverick teacher, we hope
give an idea of \u200b\u200bhow professional growth can be improved by adopting an innovative tool
.
report a change in the history of a single individual mediated through a collaborative partnership
. This association was allowed to participate in reflective practice and professional development reflective
, which affected his growth as a teacher
(Borko, 2004; and Placier Richardson, 2001). While we recognize that this is the story of one
teacher, I think this story is worth sharing, so that more
a detailed overview of the early adopters and educational leaders can be created. That story
show how education has changed and aligned with new frameworks. As
Dukes (1965) has stated, a single instance (N = 1) may be important in cases where
opportunities to observe a class of events are limited. We believe that our environment
fits your description of an important example. We use the specific example of the maverick teacher
to illustrate the challenges of adopting and raising questions about
the adoption of technology by other teachers.
To move from the individual to the group, we use Rogers (2003) concept of "relationship
advantage." We wonder, what is the relative advantage of a maverick professor
adopt and use new technology, Why the teacher is necessary to expand the field of energy
to learn and use a new technology tool? The term "relative advantage" describes the
proportion of the expected benefits for the expenses of the adoption of an innovation. We would like
able to extend our studies to examine how the relative advantage of the early adopters
compared to the advantage of being seen with other teachers or groups of teachers
not meet the criteria of a teacher maverick. To carry out this second
part of the study, it is necessary to document the relative advantage of an early adopter
experiences. We believe it is important to study these cases, school districts often struggle
significantly to the integration of technology, but when that technology integration is achieved
, increased participation and student learning occurs (honey
McMillan, and Carrig, 1999). The role and experiences of teachers in this maverick
The role of the maverick teacher 169
process helps us understand both why and how teachers learn to adapt and use new technology
. Their story also helps us understand the general issues around
dissemination and use of these instruments by other teachers.
Who are the Mavericks?
Not all teachers are both willing and able to adapt their teaching to new teaching
standards in math and science, nor to the integration of technology.
While many do not reform, a group of teachers who constantly
includes new methods and strategies to support students engaged in independent research
. These teachers have been labeled as "maverick" teachers or
"early adopters" (Jacobsen, 2000, Rogers, 2003). These are teachers who are
willing to try new strategies, curricula, tools and technology before
colleagues. In reviewing the literature, we found very few case studies that describe these teachers
maverick and features that enable them to succeed in the changing environment
. As a field, do not know why these teachers chose to use
new technologies or to try new teaching strategies. As participants in the project
Ms. Hogan was part of, we are interested in understanding more about what drives this type of teacher
and how it changed through the use of the tool. Key questions
We are interested in adding to the literature with the study of the first to adopt a
as she explored and developed his own experience on an object-oriented programming
implementation, Squeak. Our main questions are:
● Why is selected over other tool?
● What are the characteristics of the process of adoption of the tool?
● How to influence the growth of Ms. Hogan as a teacher?
In the case here, Squeak is replacing more traditional forms of teaching.
As such, it requires new ways of learning and solving technical problems that Ms. Hogan
buy these and how to implement the she used the new technology tool
with your students? Describe
tool technology of this paper is the multimedia authoring tool, Squeak.
Squeak is object oriented and open source. Allows users to draw pictures, except
as objects, create scripts to animate objects and have them interact. Squeak
provides opportunities for simulation and visualization. Easy
masks underlying sophisticated program interface, which allows "the entry" even for very young
(eg kindergarten) students. Students leave with a basic scope
programming and powerful can develop thinking and problem solving skills
. Ms. Hogan found this tool as our team made several attempts to integrate
170 Barbara Hug and George Reese
other visualization tools in our work with schools. We were looking for a tool to
incorporate a number of classrooms that could be used to model the major scientific and mathematical concepts
significantly. Shortly after Ms. Hogan found Squeak,
efforts have fallen all the other tools to focus on this. Literature Review
Early adopters often described as motivation, risk taking, or teachers who are teaching
trust and its content, however, early adopters have different characteristics.
What are these characteristics is not clearly articulated in the literature.
Rogers (2003, p. 264) describes how the early adopters to "
the greatest degree of opinion leadership in most systems. Potential adopters look to early adopters of
advice and information about an innovation." Jacobsen (2000) accepts Rogers
categories to describe the diffusion of innovation in general, but it
stressed the importance of the cases with their unique stories. In addition to describing such
maverick teacher, how to present the document for Squeak
the local community education and changes that occurred.
issues related to the use of technology in schools
There has been considerable skepticism about the effectiveness of technology in schools
(Cuba, 1986, 2001, Noble 1998, Oppenheimer 1997). Particularly problematic are
equipment used to drill and practice (Manoucherhri, 1999). However,
advocates the use of technology in the classroom have long believed there
media effective use of digital technologies in the classroom (Papert, 1980, 1993, 2002;
Tapscott, 1998). Computers can be used to teach skills and knowledge
explicit or can be used to encourage students to explore options and pursue individual learning objectives
so it would not be possible without the use of technology (Bereiter and Scardamalia
, 1992). These two forms, skills against individual targets,
can be seen as two points on a continuum with a wide range of options between them.
Both these ways of thinking about computers can be used in a reform-oriented teaching
that is more student centered.
A report, how is it calculated? (Wenglinsky, 1998) illustrates how
the crucial role of teachers' professional development may affect the use of new technologies and new teaching strategies
. This study found that, in order to show positive gains in academic achievement
is not only professional development that is important, but also
way computers are used. Technology to have a significant impact
must go beyond the routine drill and practice activities. The development of teachers in the knowledge
effective use of technology is crucial to be successful and sustainable adoption. Components
Rogers Rogers Diffusion Model (2003) the diffusion of innovation model encompasses five phases
adopters encounter as they interact with an innovation: knowledge, persuasion,
The role of the maverick teacher 171
decision implementation, and confirmation of all these issues.
We use this model to determine the issues to be addressed in order to understand why a certain
tool may or may not be approved. We recognize that we limit our
framework for a single person and as such, we are focusing on adoption and not
of diffusion. We believe that Rogers framework is applicable in this
analysis. Connecting
Teacher Professional Development with the needs
In the recent literature has increased alignment documentation
professional teacher development to the real needs and context (Borko, 2004; Fishman, Marx
the best, and Tal , 2003, Loucks-Horsley, Love, Stiles, and Hewson Mundry,
2003). This has come with the recognition that professional development is fundamental to the success
of standards-based reform, as called for in the national papers
(AASS, 1993, NCTM, 2000, NRC, 1996), as well as recently approved
not Child Left Behind legislation in the United States.
We are interested in understanding the use of technology in schools, as this
is often seen as a cross-sectional area for professional development.
in understanding what moves and allows a maverick teacher to adopt a new technology,
begin to understand issues related to technology adoption, including the need for specific professional development
. Scenario Methods
Ms. Hogan works with our project at a Midwestern university town. We
collaboration research project between the University 1, a district local school and several community organizations
. Our project is currently active in 18 local institutions,
schools, public libraries, community college, university courses and outreach programs
and the Boys and Girls Club.
This vignette focuses on a maverick teacher, Ms. Hogan (a pseudonym).
Ms. Hogan taught in school as a music teacher for 30 years before taking early retirement
. Following his retirement, he returned to school as
enrichment teacher. In this capacity, she teaches small groups of students from 11-2
Grade 5. Each teacher sends a small number of students who will benefit
curriculum to explore topics in a nontraditional way.
Students are expected to maintain good grades and make the kind of work they miss while the
space for enrichment. Ms. Hogan's main objective is the geometry that has proved
be a rich vein of interesting topics for children. Class meets for 40 minutes once a week
. She has no class of works and the upstairs hallway. Here
has four tables where students can work, and four computers, with which students
can explore a wide range of applications. Ms. Hogan is not certified in math or science
but are interested in these areas and structures of its enrichment
172 Barbara Hug and George Reese
activities to incorporate as much of mathematics and science as possible. She is a very safe and capable
teachers working with young children.
The Squeak Squeak application is platform independent "rich media authoring tool" that allows easy
entry into the exciting world of programming (Opinion Research Institute
Inc., 2006). Platform support multiple is important to us, as a project
created in an open system and can run on almost any computer.
project began in the home can stay in school. In addition, students can use Squeak
along their K-12 years as they develop their programming skills Squeak, which
can schedule more and more complex models that meet their curriculum. Squeak meets
As scripts can click and drag the tiles, allowing beginners to concentrate on the logic
their ideas rather than syntax. Written in a programming language
space or incorrectly placed punctuation mark makes the script fail. Click and drag tiles
eliminate such problem for the beginner. It can test ideas rather than
typing skills. Squeak scripts can be changed while running through the addition or removal
tiles script or changing a numeric value in a script. The effects are immediate. Squeak
examples of projects created by students in Mrs. Hogan was sent to the SqueakCMI
superswiki (available through the web site SqueakCMI.org). Data sources
Our main data sources are the emails with Ms. Hogan and other electronic devices
a period of 20 months of the project. Were identified as Ms. Hogan
maverick teacher and early adopter as soon as possible after discovery of Squeak.
had been searching for appropriate modeling and visualization tools to be used in elementary classrooms
to help address the main rules of science and mathematics
as articulated by national, state and local documents
States. At a conference on the professional development of modeling and visualization tools
SuperComputing Conference 2003, our group was exposed to a variety
owner of visualization tools for integration technology in the classroom.
Most of these tools such as Mathematica, Fathom, agent sheet, interactive and Physical
are suitable for integration into the curriculum
high school students or older. Ms. Hogan was interested in tools for elementary school teachers and students
realized that the tools had worked with her were inappropriate.
However, she believes that she still believes in the importance of
modeling and visualization in the classroom.
One day in February 2004 as project members struggled to find ways to put the
tools known in the use and reorientation primary school, sent to Ms. Hogan
group a note: Today I found
Squeak. I downloaded the software is free, has good and tutorials
fun. "I can hear some opinions on whether or not a good place for
[school name deleted] children to start playing. There are rules, there are xy
The role of the maverick teacher 173
coordinates, and no creativity. The software chain commands together about
objects in the world created on screen and you move like a cartoon.
This modest announcement, the doors were opened for research.
This was the first of about 700 messages sent in the next 20 months that included a discussion
Squeak. We report on the analysis of messages collected from February
From 2004 to October 2005. E-mail messages from this period were selected as the master
a critical review of their progress during this time.
During the 20 months of the project, Ms. Hogan has organized and conducted over 100 presentations and workshops
and the use of Squeak has had the program installed on
teams in 18 institutions, schools, public libraries, community colleges
libraries, and children's computer club, and college computers. For Ms.
Hogan, our group was connected to the network of users and developers of Squeak
and hundreds of students and teachers in the area have learned and are using the tool
. According to our records, largely on electronic exchanges and events
led this team member is our most important sources of data. She created a series of
notebooks in which she keeps a detailed explanation of how the project was progressing
. In these books, their own learning path and can be assigned
analyzed.
Data Analysis Data were analyzed for themes related to the model of Rogers (2003) presented
on "the diffusion of innovations." We examined a subset of Ms. Hogan's email
for tests of knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation
all of which are key steps in Rogers' innovation decision process. In our analysis, we
began to see trends across the data could be organized around these categories.
In each of these categories, we saw evidence of change of teachers and
implications for technology adoption and use and future professional development. Our
codes for the five stages of Roger's innovation-decision process (p. 169) includes:
● Knowledge: Understanding of application of the tool and what it could do for the
teacher and students. This includes evidence of development of the discipline
math and science and knowledge. ●
Persuasion: Expressed beliefs about what the tool will allow students to do and
how the current impact of teaching practices. Proof of beliefs about how the tool
change student learning is included in this code. ●
Decision: Understanding the factors influencing the decision to adopt or not the tool
in the case of teacher education and a desire for more teachers
use of the tool.
● Implementation: A description or indication of instructional strategies that took into account
strengths and weaknesses of the tool. ●
Confirmation: Advantages and disadvantages of the adoption or application of the tool
. Indication of a desire to continue using the tool included in
this code.
174 Barbara Hug and George Reese
● We present our findings below and illustrated with excerpts from emails written by Professor
, Ms. Hogan. Findings
In examining our data, we identified the characteristics of a maverick professor
participate in the stages of Roger's innovation-decision process. This is a highly motivated teacher
veteran teacher who was willing to try new approaches and possibly a
unorthodox teaching. In this study, the participant was identified as a possible tool to use Squeak
with students to teach new approaches to problem solving and technology literacy
. This identification and subsequent belief in the fundamental tool is
for success. We that this willingness to explore and develop new skills
in teaching and learning is a key feature maverick. As
involved in the analysis of the adoption of this tool by Ms. Hogan,
did not see the phases identified as Roger various stages that the teacher had to spend
from one to another. On the contrary, we have seen overlapping each category
adoption phase of the tool. For example, we found no evidence that Ms. Hogan
needed to fully understand the tool before making a decision to use the tool in your own classroom
and try to convince other teachers in the use of the tool. Therefore, she is convinced
prior knowledge was complete.
Knowledge Knowledge of the tool as well as the development of content knowledge that is coded in this category
. Ms. Hogan has continued to develop in this area during the entire course of the project
. This phase of the diffusion of innovation has been a model
has seen as much change. Ms. Hogan initially focused on the application and how it is perceived
their knowledge of the application. This belief of understanding
simply by tool with the tool of a day has passed a
more complex and detailed knowledge of the tool and the awareness that she
master the tool for an extended period of time. In understanding more about the tool
, Ms. Hogan also began to develop a deeper understanding of mathematics
was doing, as illustrated in the two extracts email addresses below.
I did some early experiments (months) to see if the order of script
tiles forward and turn matters over the place ... Knowing that the scripts that run on the tiles up to
bottom made me realize I could do the math problem using tile script in the order I wanted
mathematical operations to happen. That is not having to do everything in one line
script.
And Squeak
previous projects referred to in the title of a car for the title and link
wheel of a car turning around in a wheel are
experiments have tried many times. I think the realization of two things can be added to a control, then the
other was a step towards solving this problem. Dropping a tile in a tile Another ...
was learning to do and add a variable speed to a car in front and then add a
The role of the maverick teacher 175
Supplies random number of the flap. Realization of the variables still feels a bit like conjuring
for me. This is more math than I actually needed to or wanted to do in a long time
.
But even here, Ms. Hogan is the joint that you realize that the tool has more than
its offer and will continue to get more information about the tool and content
has become in the context of its use tool. Ms. Hogan has recently organized
"Private tutoring sessions with a professor of computer science to develop
their understanding of the tool at a deeper level. She is increasingly convinced that
useful tool for students and is a tool you need to continue learning so
that not only can teach their students how to use the tool, but also in other
teachers.
Persuasion and Decision
Ms. Hogan recognition Squeak as the instrument for our efforts
is almost immediate. In the study by Ms. Hogan's e-mail messages can see why.
had a strong belief that the tool may change the learning of their students and had impacted
what I was learning too. This self-reflection is evident in the
email address below.
The interest for me is in the study of the uses of Squeak. For example I do not care about the ant
/ pheromones project I did for months, but I did like the fact that I had the tools to model
what happens. It's hard to think of how I would show
something. Not that I'm fascinated with the subject of ants. The same was true for the Paramecium
project.
Ms. Hogan has experimented with importing images and music as well as Squeak
as recording his own music for how to include a range of different materials in the tool
. In addition to his own experiments, which has had its students
record sounds different to include in their models and have
images taken with digital cameras. Ms. Hogan
confidence in the importance of the tool has been extended for
efforts to inform others. She has been the keynote speaker at a dozen national and state conferences
, in which he spoke with teachers and researchers with experience in the
tool and its belief in the value of its use. While his confidence in his teaching
strong confidence in the depth of his knowledge was weaker. In an email sent
other project leaders expressed frustration about
not know enough to respond clearly to the teacher's questions on the operation of the tool
could benefit their students. This frustration and resolution is shown in the excerpt below
.
I worked with a man from New York State is a school teacher with
more energy than any person should be allowed ... He took me out
questions and finally found some I could not respond. I have aggravated my
to worry about the fact that he could not answer to every question so the unit back
[city name deleted] I liked the conversation in my head in
one that says "good job", the saying "why do not you know that answer" and
176 Barbara Hug and George Reese
Alfred E. Newman the person who said, "What, me worry?"
We had a good conversation!
However, the tool has dominated the instructions of Ms. Hogan. Enrichment
education has shifted to use only this instrument technology. Initially, Ms.
Hogan uses multiple applications that she believes helped her students
model different situations. But, as experience developed Squeak, began to emphasize these other applications
less and less. She has not totally abandoned
other technology tools, but has chosen to focus on their students have learned at a depth
tool. She still has her students use different tools, such as digital cameras and microphones
, which could be integrated into Squeak projects. Application
Issues surrounding the implementation focused on how Ms. Hogan could improve its own
use Squeak in their education. This is reflected in an email that she wrote in
that discussed the differences between their own use of Squeak and
students use the tool.
I have been amazed at how I've been slow to learn Squeak when I see how quickly children learn
. Part of the reason for speed is that they are good teachers and
pave the way for us to be rocky. Another part is that they are so used to seeing
game or animated images that have a set of ideas that want to try once you see a tile that Squeak
allowed near what they want. This could be "scaffolding."
Here are pulling students from other backgrounds and knowledge of the work
they are doing in school.
As we reflect on how it should be to use the tool in his teaching, which had
teachers time to visit other classes to see how to use Squeak. In the email
then she is talking to a computer scientist who was teaching a
summer program for girls at risk and had chosen to use Squeak.
I have to see how they approach and desire as something that will go back through it
me so I can take notes. From the beginning I had
fundamental principles of programming in the forefront. Pity I do not know any. Ms. Hogan Squeak
realized that education needs more resources if
was adopted as a tool in a regular classroom. To assist teachers with the implementation of
Squeak in the classroom, Ms. Hogan began developing ideas for other
supports instruction. Here is one such idea that she is working. Another resource
considering the use of film. Classic AVI is what I found, but
certainly made no definitive research on it. Just wait, that is, used.
undoubtedly makes clear examples of the use of tile view. It does nothing to help
anyone understand why. Why add a variable to a project? Why use a detailed vigilante? Therefore, so do not do it alone
film, but a library of minutes waltzes would be useful.
The implementation process has been slower than I thought, but she has met with more success
in the second year of the project. Perhaps this is because teachers are
now see how their students are using Squeak in community organizations or
The role of the maverick teacher 177
Ms. Hogan enrichment program, as has been encouraging its
students continue to use Squeak in the classroom regular class.
future I offered to help the enrichment of a group of teachers started with Squeak
next year. Call me crazy, but I think only a few supply me and I will manage
which is a bit of me. There were several who were already experiencing
and some that were lost. But I felt many were intrigued by the possibilities
. Given his aversion to the interventions of a shot-workshop,
ventured into the future. This is where I thought it was in October last year.
We are also beginning to see evidence of student learning in programs
Squeak community using Squeak in their regular classroom. Confirmation
In the confirmation phase of the diffusion-innovation model, Ms. Hogan has been
articulate in expressing their views on the strengths of the application. This strongly indicates
what he sees as the application value and the desire to continue to use in specific situations
. Squeak
I play a role as a means to express the ideas of any number of disciplines.
Developers labeled "a multimedia authoring tool" looms larger and larger in my mind
as an accurate description of Squeak. It has allowed me to express ideas
I have no other tool. I think the way when I'm trying to write a script for a project has given me new strength
in the analysis, spatial reasoning, patience and perseverance, orderly and precise
think. It has given me knowledge of how effects are achieved when I
other models and visualizations. For example, when I see a weather map
simulation of a high or low front moving across the country, I can see how it might show something similar
Squeak. Or, the little "help" messages that appear only in a program when a right mouse button
stands or click is the same as the mouse / Show and hide in
Squeak. This kind of understanding reduces the mysteries of what I'm seeing all
time that they spend many hours on the computer when I'm not using Squeak.
Ms. Hogan has specific views on what you want to apply for
students and clearly articulated that she believes that this approach is based.
My interest is more in the process of the product or issue. That may partly be because
of my experience in music. It's almost all processes. The 'product' in music is
but performance is such that a small proportion of time goes a musician in a composition.
When I am playing a musical piece I'm not aware of the minutes and hours that are happening
clock. Time is not suspended, but be transformed by the experience of the game piece
to become a separate world where time is only time to the music.
I think this same effect is felt in Squeak when you see children sitting and working hard
for half an hour to an hour or more if they have left ... This sense of time passing
not common for anyone who has a deep interest in something.
however, realize the limitations that she is working within and is willing to try
work within the system to show that Squeak is valuable and should be used
in a larger scale than it is.
We will try to measure academic gains in verbal, non verbal or math achievement. Naglieri
I still think he has the potential to do so. Can you request a sample copy of some
178 Barbara Hug and George Reese
resources on campus, ie psychological, or I'll do some research on this? If not Naglieri, then
otherwise. Barbara any idea about this? There are specific skills and knowledge
Squeak (click and drag, objects, methods and properties of a working group and a valuable
vocabulary words such as scale factor, angles, degrees, obtrude, heading, positive
negative, Boolean, true, false, variables) involved, but also general skills in logical thinking and analysis
. Not to mention aspects of the start character of all
because "publish" froze halfway. [Name] has pointed out the advantages
sees that allow children to take more risks with ideas that had not
paper and pencil tests. Squeak Student portfolios would be another way of showing what
reach of children. Conclusions and implications
What we have seen in our exploration of the adoption in the case of Ms. Hogan is
that the early stages of the model have been compressed. Because the adjustment tool
need, the decision, persuasion, and implementation phases
arrived quickly and before a very full sense of knowledge. Indeed, Ms. Hogan
still learning many aspects of the tool and, as she learns more,
stated in its initial decision to use. For her, the relative advantage of using Squeak is
obvious. It is always an immediate success in programming and has been extended to
new projects as his knowledge has grown.
While we see that Ms. Hogan has adopted the innovation itself, and that the artifacts
their emails show that its rapid progress through the five stages of Rogers
adopted as a model of the tool for use in education, this model has not yet
be generalized to a wider group.
For other teachers, the adoption could be much slower. We believe that the delay
the adoption or spread of innovation is mainly caused by the lack of immediate applicability
for most teachers. In a recent workshop in which a scientific team
Squeak presented to a group of middle and high school teachers, teachers
asked if using this tool in its class. After a silence, one said: "No,
would take too long to learn." In other words, the teacher did not see the
advantage, for the time involved in learning the tool. For Ms. Hogan, who
was willing to devote many hours to study the program, payment of compensation
was well worth the effort, as illustrated by the many emails and then use the tool .
The challenge for our project is to make this innovation relevant to the many
teachers who are immersed in the daily demands of mathematics and science
lesson plans, and are looking for a tool that requires little preparation.
it remains an open question, and future research directions for the authors to find
if a greater number of teachers in the Squeak. References
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