The Authors:
Robert Brisbane
Marsha Barnett
Elise Sobol
1. What are some of the technology tools utilized during data collection?
The technology tools described in the dissertation include: Web 2.0 tools, in addition to wikis, blogs, Google docs, email, and web-based collaborative tools. (Murphy,p.2)
2. In your own words, describe the term “digital native” as referenced by the author in mentioning Prensky?
A digital native is a student who has grown up in the digital age and who is naturally at ease with using 21st century technology, e.g. I pads, laptops, smartphones, web tools and instructional technologies.
3. In your own words, what is the “purpose of this study”?
To investigate and compare the role of technology for learning in specific 21st century and adults students in classrooms.
4. What are the sub-questions used by the dissertation author(s) in support of the central question?
- How do educators prepare students for work in the 21st Century?
- How does project-based learning support the skills of the 21st Century?
- How do students use 21st Century skills and technology to create and share work?
- How do the professional development opportunities provided by teachers impact the work and products produced by the students?
- What is the nature of the information systems in place that support 21st Century instruction?
5. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) John Dewey’s ideas about students and work as gleaned from Chapter 2 of this dissertation.
Dewey believed that the teacher should be a facilitator in the learning process and not a transfer-er of knowledge. Learning should be tried to real life problems. The learning process is enhanced by exploration of a concept connected to an occupation. The student would try to answer problems and issues that arise from this exploration. The instructor would help guide the student and give assistance when needed. In Chapter Two of the dissertation the authors use the example of a teacher having students experiment on a car engine. The students “construct knowledge" until they needed assistance from the teacher to complete the task. This is learning tied to an occupation in which the teacher facilitated the learning process. Chapter Two reiterates Dewey’s broad concept of “education through occupations” and occupations include “purposeful education” that helps a student develop his/her full potential. Although written in 1916, Dewey’s Democracy and Education promotes ideas that currently fit into our educational landscape for the best of teaching and learning.
6. Contrast Technical vs. Illusory (1-2 paragraphs) vs. Constructivist schools as outlined by Popkewitz, and referenced by the dissertation authors.
Dissertation authors referenced Popkewitz (1982) and his ideas of IGE or Individually Guided Education, an instructional planning model Popkewitz studied with students’ work in six elementary schools. IGE was created by the Wisconsin Research and Development Center and its purpose was to improve educational practices at the elementary school level. (Murphy, p. 24). IGE was a response to the tumultuous social and political times of the 1960’s. Schools could not fail to address the times. How was this done? IGE had seven components: the unit, the instructional programming, the evaluation for educational decision making, the compatible curricular materials, the ad-vocation of home and school relationships, the system of facilitative environments and the continuance of research. (Murphy, p. 25).
Dissertation authors said that IGE reflected the three elements of school life: work, knowledge, and authority. Work was following the IGE instructional planning model with prescribed knowledge, directed by teacher and administrative authority.
Determining how knowledge, work, and authority was defined, Popkewitz could identify the school culture as technical (teachers do as directed, no action research, no additional consideration of teacher and student learning), illusory (students learn social mores, not necessarily academic content, followed patterns and rituals of IGE but considered student failure emanating from home life not school life), or constructivist (decisions are shared among constituents for good of the school, ) (Murphy, p. 28). In constructivist school, emphasis was given on students’ involvement in the lessons and inclusion of the arts. Out of the six schools that Pokewitz studied: three he identified as technical, two as illusory, and one as constructivist. Each of the three areas of description: work, knowledge, and authority were comparatively examined. Dissertation authors conclude discussion by showing value of constructivist learning of John Dewey for the 21st century Skills (Kay, 2005; Brooks, 1999).Popkewitz continues to demonstrate to us that we must observe school cultures to give meaning to what is observed. With the IGE model three types of schools predominate: technical, illusory, and constructivist. This focused dissertation authors next on Smith’s Advocacy Design Center framework to analyze their different school programs for good instruction, for concepts of work, for concepts of knowledge.
7. What is the dual focus of the “Advocacy Design Center” (ADC) framework?
“A focus on a holistic view of the school’s culture or on the school’s design as an institution in its social context; and · A focus on inquiry or self-assessment by a core group of the school’s stakeholders. Self-assessment serves as the basis for asking questions of leadership and planning.”
The purpose of the ADC framework is for a school community to come to a common understanding and agreement of values. This common understanding can be used as the basis the course a school will take to achieve their values.
8. What are the four components of ADC, and how many areas are contained within?
- how instruction is conducted in the school,
- Instruction has two related aspects: work (what students do) and knowing.
- how people work together or how the school is organized,
- Organization refers to the pattern of purposeful relations that exist among individuals within the boundaries of the school’s sphere of interest.
- its pattern of governance and decision-making, or how authority is used and distributed,
- Governance is the system by which members of the school identify problems, express preferences, and generate hypothesis about action, and make decisions about the connection between the ends they desire and the means they intend to use to achieve them: what is to be done and how.
- how the school examines and accounts for its performance.
- Accountability is the process through which public knowledge about the school work is created.
9. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) the work of Adria Steinberg as referenced by the dissertation authors.
Adria Steinberg’s Real Learning, Real Work: School to Work as High School
Reform (1998) puts John Dewey’s concepts in context for purposeful learning for post high school vocation. As an aside, Adria Steinberg is Vice President for Jobs for the Future (JFF) and knowing this we can understand her six principles for hands-on humanities and l8 questions for authenticity, academic rigor, applied learning, active exploration, adult relationships, and assessment practices. Adria Steinberg’s ideas enabled the dissertation authors to collect research data and organize the material to fit into Popkewitz’s three distinct types of school cultures. Steinberg’s ideas are viable, and fit into the Advocacy Design Center’s concept of instruction. (Murphy, p. 37).Steinberg wanted students to have authentic real life experience. She believed that students should have learning experiences that bridge the gap between school and the work place.Steinberg defines six principles for hands on humanities which she grouped into categories: Authenticity, Academic Rigor, Applied Learning, Active Exploration, Adult Relationships, and Assessment Practices. Steinberg wanted to students to engaged with adults in an apprentice-like relationship addition she wanted the student’s work to have meaning to the student and be applicable to the world beyond the school walls.
Reform (1998) puts John Dewey’s concepts in context for purposeful learning for post high school vocation. As an aside, Adria Steinberg is Vice President for Jobs for the Future (JFF) and knowing this we can understand her six principles for hands-on humanities and l8 questions for authenticity, academic rigor, applied learning, active exploration, adult relationships, and assessment practices. Adria Steinberg’s ideas enabled the dissertation authors to collect research data and organize the material to fit into Popkewitz’s three distinct types of school cultures. Steinberg’s ideas are viable, and fit into the Advocacy Design Center’s concept of instruction. (Murphy, p. 37).Steinberg wanted students to have authentic real life experience. She believed that students should have learning experiences that bridge the gap between school and the work place.Steinberg defines six principles for hands on humanities which she grouped into categories: Authenticity, Academic Rigor, Applied Learning, Active Exploration, Adult Relationships, and Assessment Practices. Steinberg wanted to students to engaged with adults in an apprentice-like relationship addition she wanted the student’s work to have meaning to the student and be applicable to the world beyond the school walls.
10. What are the right-brained aptitudes as outlined by Daniel Pink?
- Design-products, services and experiences need to be more than functional. They need to be beautiful, whimsical or emotionally engaging.
- Story-with all the information and data available, creating compelling narrative is 45 essential for make meaning.
- Symphony-analysis is not sufficient, seeing the big picture, crossing boundaries and combining pieces into a new whole.
- Empathy-the ability to understand and forge relationships.
- Play-in the conceptual age, a balance between work and play will bring benefits for both emotional and professional well-being.
- Meaning-the accumulation of material wealth is not enough, the pursuit of more significant desires such as purpose, transcendence and spiritual fulfillment
11. Summarize Thomas Friedman’s theory of a “flattened world” in one or two sentences.
Technology like the Internet,Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Google have allowed for a free flowing of information. This has helped to level (or flattened) to a degree peoples ability to succeed, to have a voice, to participate, to control their own destiny.
Technology like the Internet,Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Google have allowed for a free flowing of information. This has helped to level (or flattened) to a degree peoples ability to succeed, to have a voice, to participate, to control their own destiny.
12. The “Partnership for 21st Century Skills” visual framework was used as the backbone of the dissertation conceptual framework. Insert a picture of the P21 visual within your Blog page.
13. What are ALL the elements of the Conceptual Framework in this study?
The study contains all four elements of the Conceptual Framework. The researchers will utilize the framework to ascertain the instruction, organization, governance, and accountability (IOGA) systems in each school.
Work of T. Popkewitz ( to reveal school culture: constructivist, illusory, and technical)
Work of F. Smith (ADC) ( to analyze the IOGA systems of each school in their organization, governance, and accountability)
Work of A. Steinberg (to analyze each school’s instruction, knowing, working, 18
elements of real work)
Core subjects and 21st century themes: standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, learning environments, life and career skills, learning and innovation skills and information media and technology skills.
14. Briefly explain (1 paragraph) the “method” used in this study to collect data.
Four schools were chosen based on their commendable practice in preparing students for 21st century skills. Each of the five researches visited one of the four schools. WEB 2.0 tools were used to assist in the collection of data. The researches conducted interviews, observations and collect artifacts that displayed work schools were doing to prepare students for the 21 century. Methodology included 29 questions that organized each school’s artifacts into four categories (Instruction, Organization, Governance and Accountability). Further organization was by using the conceptual frameworks of Popkewitz, Smith, Steinberg, and the Partnership for 21st century skills. Advocacy Design Center model (Smith, 1991) provided the theoretical framework.
Four schools were chosen based on their commendable practice in preparing students for 21st century skills. Each of the five researches visited one of the four schools. WEB 2.0 tools were used to assist in the collection of data. The researches conducted interviews, observations and collect artifacts that displayed work schools were doing to prepare students for the 21 century. Methodology included 29 questions that organized each school’s artifacts into four categories (Instruction, Organization, Governance and Accountability). Further organization was by using the conceptual frameworks of Popkewitz, Smith, Steinberg, and the Partnership for 21st century skills. Advocacy Design Center model (Smith, 1991) provided the theoretical framework.
15. In looking at the “limitations” of this study, what could be a natural “next study” for a new dissertation in this arena?
A new dissertation in this arena could certainly be the use of a specific digital tool
used in school classrooms with respect for example to STEM disciplines in a comparative study for a specific age group of students - selected for advanced placement coursework at the high school level.
used in school classrooms with respect for example to STEM disciplines in a comparative study for a specific age group of students - selected for advanced placement coursework at the high school level.
A long term longitudinal study to measure the academic and professional success of the students in the schools studied by the researchers. This will help to ascertain the benefits of 21st Century schools in the lives the students that were in the schools at the time of the study.
