California's Smart Classroom

California's Smart Classroom Nearly a generation ago, futurists were saying that high-tech education would teach students more, and faster, than traditional methods ever had. Convinced that technology will deliver that promise, the administrators and educators of Hueneme School District in Port Hueneme, Calif., have installed a junior high school science room whose delivery of computer-assisted instruction (CAIe is electronically sophisticated to such a degree that it is called a classroom. An outspoken critic of education spending, California Assemblyman Tom McClintock, agrees with their decision. He gives the smart classroom a rave review: Haven't seen anything like it, except at Cal Tech. He points out that California already spends more than $100,000 per 30-student classroom, and he thinks people should get more for their money. McClintock is a conservative Republican who listens to those who complain about graduates passing school tests without learning to think and reason. He likes the smart classroom focus on higher-order thinking skills. What he saw in Port Hueneme seems to be an example of what he wants. Hueneme smart classroom focuses on the basic teaching act: student-teacher interaction. Simply stated, its implementers feel the smart classroom demonstrates that the intelligent use of technology significantly improves both the quality and quantity of student-teacher interaction. them, improved quality means interaction involving higher-order thinking skills and, most often, interaction that motivates learners. Irving E. Sigel, a senior research scientist for Educational Testing Services, says his research clearly demonstrates that when teachers engage children in thought-provoking dialogues, rather than merely present them with facts, they stimulate student thinking and enhance learning. smart classroom is a medium for just such an approach. Smart Process Chris LaRose, now an assistant principal in the district, was the teacher who developed and executed the initial project. She describes the smart-classroom process this way: The first day, all 196 students are pretested. That pretty much tells the teachers where in the learning process to start each of them. One large presentation to the whole roomful of students is made once every two weeks. unit is introduced and students are told what will be covered and what is expected of them. rest of the teachers' in-class time is spent with individuals and small groups, sometimes just asking questions and at other times tutoring, much of which entails problem-solving discussions. The basic science curriculum is installed on the classroom's main computer. That software teaches basic objectives and covers the seventh-grade content prescribed by the California Science Framework. content and reading levels range from Grade 4 to Grade 12. computer-assisted instruction given in the smart classroom is completely interactive. Each student moves at his or her own pace. We back all this up with an assortment of presentations and problem-solving activities: laserdisc interactive programs, an entire encyclopedia on CDROM, a robotics system, videotapes and programs we pick up with our satellite dish. some programs go to the entire class, but most go to individual students or small groups. For example, students learn about forecasting weather. they go to a Dog Sled Race program that poses questions like: 'The relative humidity is 80 percent; the temperature is minus 40 degrees. Do you want to go on with your race today, or do you want to hold back because you think it may rain?' They apply what they've learned in a fun way. They spend the next two days applying those concepts. they're tested again to see how much of what they have been taught they have really understood. Then they go to the next level. This could take them up through the 12th grade, depending on how fast each student can cover the material. …