Sandholtz Chapter 3

               Chapter Three titled, “The Evolution of Instruction in Technology-Rich Classrooms,” follows ACOT teachers and students as they embark on integrating technology in their classrooms. The first part of chapter three discussed different perspectives on learning and teaching noting arguments whether teaching is clinical pursuit, an enterprise, or like therapy.   

                The next part of chapter three, Sandholtz introduces the five stages of instructional evolution. The five stages are outlined as:  1. entry 2. Adoption 3. Adaptation 4. Appropriation 5. Invention.  The first stage entry, talks about how the ACOT teachers experienced problems with discipline, resource management and personal frustration.  The ACOT teachers had to let go of some of their beliefs in learning and teaching in order to launch the ACOT program successfully.  The second stage is adoption.  Teachers showed concerns about how they were going to adopt technology into their curriculum and how would students perform on standardized tests.  Parents also chimed with concerns relating to poor handwriting skills and developing skill sets that would prove non-useful in the real world.  In the third stage, adaptation, teachers reported the new technology increased productivity and quality in their classrooms.  The fourth stage is appropriation.  The author describes appropriation in the classroom as an individual, who comes to understand technology and use it effortlessly as a tool to accomplish real work.  Another way to look at appropriation as going from appreciation to a life changing milestone as witnessed from the teacher accounts in the chapter.  The last stage is invention.  The invention stage goes beyond appropriation where teachers not only found new ways of thinking and collaborating, but they made it better with the use of technology.

                My reflections of chapter three are:  the ACOT program was successful and the teachers received much needed support for the program.  Support is an immense factor for implementing innovation in the classroom.  I hope with the Common Core Standards, although some things are vague, teachers receive enough training and support to make it work in the classrooms.