II. A Conceptual Model

Innovative programming necessitates a "changing of the rules" within the organization. The actions of the organization must demonstrate that the innovation is desired and provides incentive for change. A sudden change in paradigm is not likely to be trusted by the members of the organization. Thus, the type of innovation that schools advocate must be agreed to by all of the stakeholders and well articulated: it should consist of a clearly defined goal, plan of action, timeline, evaluation plan, and most importantly, a reward for those that accept the challenge.

Based on the experiences of the Common Knowledge: Pittsburgh education staff and their knowledge of the school district culture, a new paradigm for implementing technology was developed. This model for implementation was based on the following assumptions:

• Those people who will actually be implementing the program (teachers) must have ownership of the program and be accountable for the results. Ownership means that teachers are empowered to plan, design, develop, coordinate, and evaluate the activities in their classroom. Accountability means that teachers begin to reflect on the process being implemented and modify the program accordingly.
• If one is going to construct his/her own knowledge base, one has to experience learning on an ongoing basis. The constructivist literature (Constructivist pedagogy is beginning to be applied to both student and teacher learning. One excellent source in the area of mathematics is Davis, Maher, and Noddings, 1990) provides a framework for this process. Teachers must experience the learning process before they feel comfortable using new technology in their classroom. Thus the process of planning, implementation and evaluation needs to be ongoing and self-reflective.
• Although prodded by various constituencies, it is the teacher alone who must balance textbooks, assessment, instruction, technology, and resource materials. A teacher who sincerely attempts change must be comprehensive in approach, taking into account as many of these variables as possible.
• Due to the amount of new material to digest especially when technology is concerned, support becomes a key issue. Procurement of technology is a minor point in the use of technology in the classroom. Teacher training, ongoing classroom support, technical support, administrative support and assessment that is aligned with appropriate use of technology must be in place for significant change to occur.
• Success can only occur when instantiated through the efforts of the classroom teacher. Many programmatic ideas begin with administrators, curriculum specialists and academics. They must ultimately be filtered through the skills, abilities and desires of the classroom teacher. Classroom teachers must feel empowered and be rewarded for taking gambles, growing as an educator and becoming more involved in their overall school programs.

Having articulated the assumptions for the model that will be described in this paper, there is still one missing ingredient - motivation. CKP believes that motivation can best be supplied through a competitive process for funds, equipment and support. Competition is the one element of our evolving model that creates dissonance in the culture of the school and forces people to reconsider the rules that bind the culture. Competition is not part of the school culture described by Hodas, but it is a common part of the culture of our society. Writing a grant proposal to the NSF, advertising for bids for a new roof, and participating in the marketplace are all competitive activities. They force the participants to articulate a vision, produce a plan of action, implement a program and reflect on the success or failure of that program. The competitive processes empowers participants and creates ownership of ideas.

Return to Title Page