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All things are connected
 
Chris Held uses "powerful teaching" to join the best traditional teaching methods with cutting edge technology.
 
By Serena Roberts and ChiaChee Chiu
SCR*TEC
 
As a master teacher from Bellevue Public Schools, Washington, Chris Held is working to transform today's schools with technology. Held's creative solutions to education problems are recognized throughout the country. With 27 years of classroom experience and staff development work, he is pioneering a vision of an integrated technology classroom. In addition to being well published, in 1995 he became the first teacher from Washington State to receive the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award.
 
     Remarkably, Held did not plan to become a teacher. The start of the Vietnam war caused him to focus on his studies and led him to pursue a career in teaching. After his first teaching experience, he returned to graduate school. His first teaching experience proved to be successful, he says that he "found out that elementary education was just exactly where I belonged. It's been a wonderful time ever since."
 
Today, Held considers himself a facilitator of instructional technology. That is why he continues to teach rather than assume an administrative role. His involvement is not in the mechanics of technology nor does he do administrative work. He says that he focuses on the curricular end of the program. He puts together the catalogue for training of teachers. He also runs and organizes study groups for teachers. Participants get together and discuss why integrating technology is important and address their concerns about what to do with technology once they do have it in their classrooms.
 
     This year, one of his big projects is trying to find out where technology really fits into the curriculum. He says he's "trying to nail down when kids ought to start keyboarding and how that ought to look in the school. I'm really trying to get rid of all the fluff about technology and just get down to 'Where does it really fit?' and 'Let's do it universally' and 'Let's do it right.' So a big project I have now is in a quarter of the elementary schools in our district, inservicing all the teachers and outfitting the rooms appropriately with laptops and computers."
 
The process of getting teachers involved in technology is challenging at times. Held says that a common situation he faces is teachers saying, "'I see heat from the community to have computers in my room, but I don't really get what I'm supposed to be doing.' So that becomes our job in a lot of ways: to get out in the rooms and see what is happening and work with those people either through classes, or whatever, and a lot of how we try to finagle our budget, which has a lot of money for the hardware, is we often will use that as a carrot to say, 'Gee, if you take these classes, we'll give you this equipment' as an enticement. Public schools, in a lot of ways, have their hands tied. You just can't go off and say, 'We'll pay you to do this.' There really isn't the money, and our technology money, like so often around the country, is derived through levies where we actually go to the community and say, 'We'd like to improve the technology in the schools. Will you support it?' and our community's been good about it. We've been a lucky district in that we've probably passed $25 million worth of technology issues for a 15,000 student district since 1988."
 
Chris Helod, his wife, and five students at NECC
Chris Held, his wife and her students at NECC 1997.
 
 Once money is allotted, if teachers are included in purchasing decisions, they have difficult choices to make. In Held's experience, there are so many new products that many teachers find themselves wanting the latest technology, but have not given much thought to how this will help children learn. Getting people thinking about good ways to change learning for children is difficult. As Held puts it, "I mean that kind of thinking is a big step for some people, and the problem we have today in public education, or even private education, is there's really not the will, yet to provide the money to make that happen, because it's tough to train teachers."
 
Held mentioned the many factors that come into play when planning to train teachers. The problem he has encountered is that some teachers want compensation for going through extra training, especially if they are expected to give up their summers to take technology classes. If the training takes place during the school year, it usually must take the form of a one-day workshop and then administrators must determine how useful a one-day workshop really is in transforming the way teachers have taught for 20 years. He also talks about a dilemma that is steadily growing in our nation. The threat of having a "two-tiered society" where the "haves" are the only ones that get ahead and the "have-nots" are left behind, unable to succeed because they didn't have the same educational opportunities that school districts rich in technology have. "If we don't jolt legislators and business people, I think we stand on the verge of becoming a very distinctly two tier society . . . that's why I fear charters and vouchers and all of this; they're all ways to eventually establish a two-tier system and I'm afraid that the bottom-tier is not going to get watered and fertilized. We're just going to end up sending the 'have-nots' there." Held further says that this country is based on the idea that "anyone can become president. I hate to lose that and I think we're going to start going that way if we're not careful."
 
One of the local private schools in Held's community is an example of the distinction between public and private schools. This private Catholic girls' school requires every student to have a laptop as part of their school supplies for the year. Well, public schools cannot compete with standards like that, especially those districts who only rely on state funds to purchase technology. These schools may have one or two computers and, as Held says, "It's like saying 'Okay, we're all going to write stories, but we're going to have to share two pencils.'"
 
     Another concern Held expressed is that this trend toward technology transforming education is not just a temporary movement. "I hope it really is embraced thoughtfully so that we do transform education because I believe the old model of . . . trying to keep the kids all together with an instructional delivery mode . . . really only appeals to one type of learner: somebody who's pretty good at listening, sitting quietly, taking notes and remembering facts for a test."
 
The problem with changing this model of teaching is that it has been the model for teaching for so long that some just don't want to let it go. In working with teachers, Held is amazed that even today there are educators who feel that their way has been successful so far, so there's no reason to change. Even when you encounter educators who want to integrate technology, they may be unaware of how to integrate it into their teaching. If their first attempt is unsuccessful, they may then decide technology doesn't work and go back to their tried-and-true methods.
 
Held is amazed that even today there are educators who feel that their way has been successful so far, so there's no reason to change.
 
 What's the solution? There's no one solution but Held believes that all of the assumptions about teaching and technology are getting in the way of progress. "It's becoming clearer and clearer to me, for this to really work, you've got to find the people who will really be thoughtful about it, believe in it. Then you've got to get to the power brokers and you've got to structure situations that make complacent people take a look at it. I think that's happening sort of magically in a lot of different ways, the fact that state legislatures and ultimately communities are demanding it."
 
     In Held's state they call their effort to transform "Essential Learnings." In their model, "children are going to have to, within about 4 years, start demonstrating mastery, actual performance-based assessment at age 16 to get this certificate of mastery. Well, that's absolutely knocking people on their ears, trying to think entirely differently about, 'Oh, what does that mean we should be doing with kids?' I was amazed to find as recently as yesterday there's still pockets of teachers out there that absolutely have their heads in the sand. I mean it's hard to get teachers to move away from 'There is a right answer and you can memorize it' to 'Wow, there's probably ten ways to skin that cat.'"
 
In order to make reform efforts effective, parents and community members need to become involved. And they have. "They're saying, 'We want our kids to be more challenged. We want our kids to work harder. We believe that our kids aren't always getting the skills they need for the jobs of the future.' I think that kind of discussion is very healthy even though it's threatening to a certain segment of teachers and school districts. It's real healthy and that's what I hope will continue to drive it, but it's going to have to come from more than just tech people. It's going to have to be broad-based curriculum."
 
     Held cites a recent conversation with the Superintendent of Education in Washington state, Terry Bergsen, in which she expressed the need for communication between the technology people and curriculum people in order to facilitate the most effective use of technology in the classroom. This notion is in keeping with Held's own fundamental beliefs about technology and education.
 
One organization that Held is involved with, the Milken Family Foundation, is making efforts to do just that. Held is enthusiastic about the fact that they have conducted a national study to determine how each state is progressing technologically in terms of creating learning environments that are appropriate for kids. This progress report appeared in Ed Week and was also presented in Chicago on September 4, 1997. His point in mentioning this is to emphasize that private sector organizations must get involved. Beyond financial assistance they must champion the educational movement.
 
     "Luckily the Milken Family Foundation is fairly philanthropic and so they are paying for a lot things that schools just can't afford to do in terms of organizing at a national level.
 
Reflecting on his relationship with the Milken Family Foundation, Held explains that the relationship happened just as a coincidence. They give out awards at their yearly conference and the year Held won, the topic happened to be about technology. He's been involved with them ever since. They formed a board called MEET (Milken Exchange for Educational Technology) Board. He and a couple of teachers were invited to be on that board along with influential business people and politicians. This involvement allows him to become more aware of what Milken's goals are.
 
     "It does appear here that this family is genuinely interested in giving something back and they are doing it on a pretty large scale. In fact, they really do have the best intention of kids in mind. I am sure there are other equivalent efforts going on around the country."
 
"I'm interested in getting teachers to give more, but I'm also interested in getting everybody else to give more."
 
 When asked whether he sees himself as a technology leader, Held replied, "I would like to think so. I mean, I am trying. It's why I've accepted speaking invitations like at NECC, I'm trying to reach a broader audience. I'm trying to act a little bit as a conscience and I also want to be, through my background, with 25 years of classroom teaching, obviously my bias is toward the teacher in a lot of ways . . . While you heard me suggesting that I think they could be doing more, I still think that everybody else could do more too, and I think teachers take a bum wrap in some ways. It's not just 'those lazy teachers with the summer off,' it's a whole complicated structure about how you change things. I'm interested in getting teachers to give more, but I'm also interested in getting everybody else to give more."
 
     Held suggests "rethinking the schoolhouse"--making schools more open to community involvement, and allowing the community to use new technology tools, too. Getting everyone involved in this effort is what will show the community why spending money for technology is important.
 
In addition to what he has already accomplished, Held mentioned some of his on-going projects. His district brought in about 100 new teachers last year. He actually sits in the classrooms and helps generate ideas about how each teacher could use technology in different subjects like social studies, science, and writing. These types of projects are ongoing. He also suggests reading materials that will help teachers make more educated decisions when using technology as a tool in their classrooms. Some of his suggested readings are Silicon Snake Oil, The Axemaker's Gift, and The Children's Machine..
 
     Held also conducts 40-hour workshops. In his experience, intensive training combined with follow-up meetings once a month to see how teachers are doing with what they've learned, has been a successful method. He has found that without some form of follow-up plan, teachers can easily lose the initial excitement they had about implementing technology after the workshop.
 
In addition to the projects he works on, Held works full-time, but he tries to reach groups outside of his area by speaking at conferences a few times a year. In October, he will be speaking to the National conference for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Although he can only do this four or five times each year, it's his way of reaching out on a larger scale and trying to have an impact on communities that are further away.
 
     "The goal, the really strong passion I have now, is that people really give a fair look at how technology could be the Trojan horse. Right now I figure that I liken it to a Trojan horse; we just want to roll it inside the gates now. I think that once it's there we can doubleback and say, 'Hey, this could really change the way you behave as a teacher. Your kids could get a lot more excited about school. They could learn a lot more and you could be much more able to individualize what they learn.'" Held goes on to say that change may come ore naturally as teachers discover what is possible with the equipment being put in their rooms. Everyone needs to get involved to make that change happen.
 
Held said that at the forefront of this technology movement, there needs to be a well thought through philosophy of teaching or all else will crumble. Held calls philosophy a "catalyst for powerful ideas," citing diverse cultural perspectives on this concept. For example, referring to a Classical thinker, Held mentions Plutarch's idea that "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." He appeals to every educator's responsibility to spark learners' excitement. On a similar note, using a Chinese proverb, Held points out the need for increased hands-on learning opportunities.
 
"I hear and I forget;
I see and I remember;
but when I do, I understand."
 
Modern or current pedagogy should embrace both "the best of traditional ways" and "promising new ideas."
 
 Held also quotes Chief Seattle, who said, "If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts soon happens to man. All things are connected." After the philosophical foundation, Held feels that the second most important component of teaching is epistemology. Held calls this "powerful learning." It focuses on students and how they learn best. Held discusses Bloom's taxonomy and the need to move to higher cognitive levels and Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences citing the need to teach students how to think and not only to remember trivial facts.
 
     The third category which Held addresses is pedagogy or, as he calls it, "powerful teaching." He emphasizes the need for content to: be important, be worth doing, have meaning, be real world or a simulation, be integrated, be cooperative, be shared, have an audience, be project-based, be documented, be acknowledged, and be used. In order for pedagogy to be most effective and bridge the gap between theory and practice, Held says common sense needs to be incorporated. Modern or current pedagogy should embrace both "the best of traditional ways" and "promising new ideas." In this way, "a master teacher can be both a guide on the side and a sage on the stage," giving kids the spotlight while allowing teachers to step in to provide information when needed.
 
Finally, there is technology as a powerful tool. Reasons Held gives for the lack of change in education are too little vision, technology, training, support, and understanding and "too many changes too fast." His vision for Integrated Technology Classrooms (ITC) includes among other things: a 4:1 ratio of kids to desktop computers, palmcorder (hand-held camcorders), and Lego-Logo kits. To convey his ideas, Held uses the acronym K.I.S.S: Keep It Simple Schools and urges uniformity in both software and hardware adoption for districts when possible. In addition, he underscores the necessity for enough equipment to do the job.
 
     In conclusion, Held quotes a Jewish proverb, "We should educate our children for their future, not our past." Although technology may not have been a large part of our education in the past, he reiterates its importance for today's students who will be shaping and defining the future.
 
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