Currents in Literacy

Expanding the Use of Technology at the Hardy

By Barbara Siegel

For many years I have believed that technology can play a significant role in increasing student achievement levels. As the lead teacher implementing a federal grant at the Hardy School a few years ago, I turned this belief into practice. The grant enabled the school to purchase hardware and software and to train teachers how to infuse technology into their daily teaching. This experience convinced me to continue looking for alternative methods of funding to expand the use of technology in my own class after the grant ended in 1995.

Through one source I secured a free internet connection for my fifth grade classroom. By reviewing software for a technical periodical, I not only keep abreast of new programs but receive a free copy of the program to share with others at the school. I also train myself at home on new programs and on the internet. On my professional development days, I attend workshops and conferences that are focused on technology. And it was at one of those workshops last July that I became aware of the AlphaSmart keyboard.

AlphaSmart keyboards are relatively inexpensive (less than $250), lightweight (two pounds), portable keyboards that run on AA or NiCad rechargeable batteries and function like a word processor. They can store eight files of varying sizes, and are able to download to both Macs and PCs. I immediately saw the possibilities of the AlphaSmart in the classroom and approached the Arlington Superintendent with a proposal to launch an AlphaSmart pilot in my class. At that time, the pilot could not go forward.

In the Fall of 1997, when the Hardy School began a literacy-focused partnership with the Hood Children's Literacy Project, I revived the AlphaSmart proposal. Hardy's principal Barbara Fischer-Long endorsed the proposal, Hood Project Director Bill Stokes enthusiastically supported it, and in March my fifth grade class began to pilot a set of five AlphaSmarts.

So far, the introduction of the keyboard into the classroom has been very positively received by the students. They are willing to do more reading and writing just to have the opportunity to work on them. They beg to take them home and in order to do so each student must bring in a signed parental permission letter and sign a student contract saying they understand the appropriate care and use of the AlphaSmart.

From my own perspective as a teacher, these keyboards easily lend themselves to interdisciplinary studies. For example, I am integrating social studies and science while teaching my class how to write a research paper. Students type notes on their topic using the AlphaSmart, then they download their information into one of the classroom computers, refine their notes, and print out their work so that they can paste it into the corresponding topic page in their research folder. To facilitate writing the draft and the ongoing revision process, students are able to take the AlphaSmart home, making it particularly valuable for students who do not have computers at home (often an access inequity between students).

The AlphaSmart's mobility has great potential for application in other fields of study. In our weather unit, students will take the keyboard outside to record data from the weather instruments they made. They will then download their data directly into a database on the classroom computer and send their information to their teammates across the country. Students can also write their own math problems, either individually or in small groups, for others to solve. Basically, the AlphaSmart units can be used for brainstorming ideas in any subject.

Assessment measures of the AlphaSmart pilot will include written evaluations by me, students, parents, personnel who work in the room, and Lesley faculty. Faculty will also interview students and instructors about how the AlphaSmarts are used and their effectiveness. Comparisons will also be made between the original drafts produced on the AlphaSmart and the finished product on the computer. A parent volunteer will take pictures and videotape the students using the keyboards.

It has been a worthwhile experience building up the technology capabilities in the Hardy School over the last few years, and I am excited about how the AlphaSmarts will be used in our school to effectively (and inexpensively) increase literacy skills. We will share the outcomes of this project in future issues of Currents in Literacy.

In 1985, Barbara Siegel joined the Hardy School as a sixth grade teacher. After a few years, she returned to teaching fifth grade, her present position. She remains committed to using technology as a tool in her teaching as she sees the positive benefits to her students.