Educational Technology Support Center (ETSC)

ESD 112 > Services > Ed Tech > Sustainable Classroom Model

What is the Sustainable Classroom?

The meaningful integration of technology into the learning process is a challenging one, at best. While academic achievement is the end goal for the students, there are many other logistical factors that must be considered when designing a technology model for a classroom learning environment in a school or district:

Original cost of procuring the equipment.
Replacement cost of equipment in a 3-5 year cycle.
The purpose for selecting the identified equipment.
The kinds of instructional practices that the equipment is intended to support or enhance.
Professional development for the teachers on the use of the equipment for the instructional practices.
The essential conditions in the school's or district's culture that are required for sound and sustained technology integration.

Click here to view a list of videos that demonstrate how interactive technologies support the instructional strategies in Marzano's book.

The Sustainable Classroom is a classroom technology model that utilizes a broad number of highly visual, interactive technologies with a single computer in order to support the nine instructional strategies that are identified in Robert Marzano's book Classroom Instruction That Works (Marzano, Pickering and Pollock, 2001). The continued use of these technologies in a meaningful way is possible for many years to come, for the following reasons:

Teachers build upon strategies that they already know and use, and focus on using the technology to support those strategies.
In the 3-5 year replacement cycle, only one computer will need to be replaced in the classroom (as opposed to 6-10+ computers in a high-tech classroom), resulting in a reduced technology budget.
The remaining interactive technologies will still serve their original purpose at that time, which is to increase visual and interactive learning in the classroom to support sound instruction.
The need for additional training will be minimal during the replacement cycle.
Schools that focus on sustainable classrooms narrow the range of technologies that require ongoing technical and network support.

This model promotes a realistic approach to using technology in ways that yield big results.

What do you mean by "yield big results?"

Technology is only a wise investment if it changes something about the way students learn, opens new doors and possibilities, and/or helps engage them in their learning experiences. We get excited when we see students engaged in research projects, visual learning, collaborative groups, authentic learning projects, problem-solving and dynamic discussions. If technology is used to help make those effective classroom practices happen, then it is used well. But at the heart of it all is...well, you guessed it...an effective teacher!

What kinds of technology can do that, if you aren't talking about computers?

There are many technologies that, if put into the hands of a dynamic teacher, will engage students in their learning experiences. Interactive whiteboards/panels, document cameras, projectors, wireless response systems and classroom audio systems are all sound technology investments that can make learning a richer, more meaningful experience for a child. And all of them only require a single computer to use with them!

What do you mean by "sustainable?"

Sustainable solutions will stand the test of time. In five to seven years (or more), they will still be doing what they were meant to do at the time of their original implementation. This applies to both instructional practices and technological solutions.

Instructionally, there are some sound, practical teaching strategies that are research-based and proven to increase student achievement. Nine of them are identified in the book Classroom Instruction That Works (Marzano et al). In talking to teachers, staff at the ESD 112 Educational Technology Support Center have learned that they are already using several of these strategies to some degree in their classrooms, and are likely to continue because of the results they get with their use:

Identifying similarities and differences
Summarizing and note taking
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
Incorporating homework and practice
Using nonlinguistic representations
Involving students in cooperative learning
Setting objectives and providing feedback
Generating and testing hypotheses
Using questions, cues, and advance organizers

Schools that invest in sustainable technology solutions maximize their technology budgets and reduce their budgets for replacement cycles. In talking to several district technology directors in the state of Washington, it was learned that collectively, they define "sustainability" by using the following criteria:

Broad in scope:
This is technology that can be used in a wide range of settings: general classrooms, professional development, board presentations, and general meetings, such as PTA, community and staff meetings.
Applicable to most classrooms:
Sustainable hardware can be used in most, if not all, content and subject areas: math & science, language arts, social studies, health, technology, etc.
Easy to use:
The ease with which a piece of technology can be connected to something else and set up is a major indicator of sustainability in a classroom. For instance, document cameras are easy to connect to a projector and computer, easy to switch between itself and the computer, easy to zoom focus and reposition, and easily achieve high end results!
Easy to integrate:
A technology solution that is easy to integrate into lessons and activities is very sustainable, as it is likely to be used more than a piece of equipment that takes preparation. Technologies that allow students and teachers to use actual documents and 3-D items and engage in real time learning are solutions that teachers will naturally embrace and use.
Minimal training and support:
Setup of a sustainable solution is less than a day; basic training on each technology takes less than four hours; annual support takes less than four hours; and teachers can trouble-shoot easily, especially when they do so in teams.
Stands the test of time:
Five or more years from now, a sustainable solution (both instructional and technological) will still be used to meet its original purpose, because it is intended to help achieve higher educational goals. Software upgrades can be downloaded off the Internet with ease.

Has ESD 112 developed this model in Southwest Washington? If so, why?

Yes! Ten K-12 classroom teachers participated in a pilot project during the 2005-2006 school year. During this time, they led the way as they developed a replicable classroom model of technology integration that is sustainable and that supports research-based instructional strategies through the careful selection of technology tools, the provision of technology-related professional development, and through ongoing support and collaboration. Through formative assessment, the project was refined and improved for the subsequent year.

In June of 2006, key technology companies made a commitment to partner with ESD 112 to support the continued development of this model in Southwest Washington State. As a result, 59 new sustainable classrooms are in place for the 2006-2007 school year, and the teachers are being prepared to practice and refine the use of the research-based instructional strategies with the use of the highly visual, interactive technologies that are provided by the ESD 112 Educational Technology Support Center and these companies:

AverMedia (document cameras)
Califone (sound amplification system)
Epson (LCD projectors)
Hitachi in North America (LCD projectors, interactive panels, and wireless tablets)
InterWrite (interactive whiteboards and wireless tablets)
Mimio (interactive whiteboards)
Promethean (interactive whiteboards and classroom response systems)
Qwizdom (classroom response system)
SMART (interactive whiteboards)

Alden Associates (reseller of Mimio products)
Ernst Communications (reseller of Promethean products)
MicroComputers (reseller of Epson and InterWrite products)
Saxton Bradley (reseller of SMART products)
Troxell Communications (reseller of AverMedia, Hitachi products and Califone products)

The purpose of developing this project is to observe and document the kinds of changes that are possible when technology tools are employed to change the learning experiences of the students.

Objectives:

To develop learning environments that utilizes technology for research-based instructional strategies;
To identify the most valued technology solutions for each instructional strategy;
To document the successes and challenges of technology integration with research-based instructional strategies;
To disseminate information about the observed changes in the teacher, students and learning environment.

What is the recommended equipment for a Sustainable Classroom?

The recommended equipment for a Sustainable Classroom includes one Internet accessible computer and one each of the following technologies:

LCD projector
Document camera
Interactive whiteboard, panel or wireless tablet
Wireless response system
Classroom audio system
Multimedia AV cart

What is the recommended professional development for the Sustainable Classroom?

Sustainable Equipment Training

Participants engage in hands-on training on the use of the Sustainable Classroom equipment such as the interactive whiteboard/panel, document camera and student response system. In addition, they participate in collaborative activities that support research-based instructional strategies that are supported by the technology.

Sustainable Classroom Strategies Training

Participants examine the nine instructional strategies explored in the book Classroom Instruction That Works (Marzano et al, 2001). Each session explores one of the strategies in depth, and the goal it so develop a clear understanding of the research and the recommendations covered in the book. Self-reflection on current practices is a major focus of the professional development, and there is also a teacher sharing segment along with collaboration activities that support the best use of the strategies and the use of the sustainable classroom technologies.

So, what conditions must be in place to support the sustainable classroom?

The International Society for Technology in Education has identified 11 essential conditions for implementing the National Educational Technology Standards in schools. While all 11 conditions are important, the following are key in developing a sustainable classroom:

Skilled Personnel: School and district leaders who are skilled at using technology for their job responsibilities;
Professional Development: All staff have continual access to professional development in technology-related areas;
Technical Assistance: School staff have the technical assistance they need for using and maintaining technology;
Content Standards and Curriculum Resources: Teachers and school leaders are knowledgeable about content standards, pertinent curriculum resources, teaching methods and technology integration;
Student-Centered Teaching: Technology is used to support classrooms where students direct their own learning experience.
Assessment and Accountability: There is a system to continually assess the use of technology for increasing student achievement.

Additional supporting documents:

Download the Excel spreadsheet that shows a cost comparison of the Sustainable Classroom Model and the high tech classroom model. This spreadsheet includes the approximate costs of the initial purchases, and the long term (five year) replacement costs of hardware, software and professional development.
View the article that appeared on the eSchoolnews website (Brumfield, 2005) on July 14, 2005.

Who can I contact for further information?

Debbie Tschirgi
Director of Educational Technology Programs
debbie.tschirgi@esd112.org

Educational Service District 112
2500 NE 65th Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98661
Phone: 360.750.7500
Fax: 360.750.9142

References:

(2005). Essential Conditions for Implementing NETS for Administrators. Retrieved July 27, 2006, from NETS for Administrators Web site.

Brumfield, R., eSchool News Online, (2005). Grants encourage sustainable tech.
Retrieved Jul. 14, 2005, from eSchool News Online Web site.

Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom instruction that works.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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