ERIC Number: ED342160
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1991-Oct-31
Pages: 175
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Evaluation of the Integration of Technology for Instructing Handicapped Children (Middle School Level). Final Report of Phase II.
Zorfass, Judith; And Others
This report describes the development and field test of "Make It Happen!," a school-based approach to integrating technology into the middle school curriculum. This activity, conducted between October 1989 and May 1991, constituted Phase II of a 5-year study of technology integration for mildly handicapped students in four middle schools in Massachusetts. "Make It Happen!" supports teams of content area and special education teachers in designing and implementing an interdisciplinary, inquiry-based curriculum unit that integrates technology in multiple ways. Seven principles form the backbone of the approach; they affirm that it: (1) guides schools in producing curriculum that responds to the dramatic developmental changes in adolescence; (2) engages teachers themselves in an inquiry process; (3) reflects the assumption that inquiry-based learning benefits all students, including those with special needs; (4) promotes change concurrently at the organizational, curriculum, and instructional levels; (5) involves all sectors of the school community in developing the curriculum; (6) makes ongoing communication and collaboration a priority; and (7) identifies specific tasks required during each phase and provides guidance over an extended period of time. Key organizational components of the approach include overall leadership by the principal; ongoing guidance by a strong facilitator; decision making by a site-based management team; and curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation by an interdisciplinary team of teachers. The instructional core of the unit is a model of inquiry learning called the I-Search in which students pose questions, gather and integrate information from varied sources, and write both about their inquiry process and what they have learned. Appendices contain questionnaires used in administering the program and a list of activities carried out to disseminate program findings. (Includes approximately 70 references) (JDD)
Descriptors: Computer Assisted Instruction, Curriculum Development, Demonstration Programs, Federal Programs, Inquiry, Integrated Activities, Interdisciplinary Approach, Intermediate Grades, Junior High Schools, Mainstreaming, Middle Schools, Mild Disabilities, Models, Program Development, Teaching Methods, Teamwork, Technology Integration
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Education Development Center, Inc., Newton, MA.; Technical Education Research Center, Cambridge, MA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A