Few of the high school teachers I spoke with had access to computers in their classroom. Instead their students went to the computer lab to study programming. The Springfield school district in which the ISM is located is cutting-edge in terms of using computer technology to restructure the classroom. The head of technology for the district, Mike Holinga, gave me new insight into where schools were going with computer technology. We encourage students to create their own multimedia using scanners and software like HyperStudio and Power Point.
Students use the letters and photos from the Civil War as a writing prompt.
Mike and his team train teachers from the different school districts located near Springfield every summer. In their workshops they introduce the technology by modeling ways for teachers to integrate it into their classrooms. For example, a class on Kid Pix has teachers design posters and T-shirts in collaborative groups. Mike told me that the greatest challenge to integrating computers in the classroom was teacher training. If teachers are not trained in how to use the technology and given the opportunity to brainstorm together, they will never bring it to their students.