Graduate Research Papers

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Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Keywords

Educational technology;

Abstract

Based on two years of experience teaching in the Kofu middle schools and ten years teaching in Des Moines Public Schools, this paper compares technology integration between Kofu, Japan middle schools and Des Moines, Iowa middle schools. For over twenty years the two cities have enjoyed a strong sister city relationship, participating in many annual cultural exchanges including a teacher exchange. Five Des Moines educators teach English in all the Kofu middle schools for one school year. Over the years attempts to create web based or electronic cultural exchanges have met with limited success.

This paper examines the current technology deployment, curriculum, and teacher education in both districts, and looks at barriers to technology implementation. It also briefly addresses the issue of learning, and the benefits of technology in the classroom. Despite their cultural differences, both districts face many of the same hurdles: lack of funding, teacher training difficulties, finding the right fit of software and hardware, and an ever increasing emphasis on testing. In addition, Japan, due to its unique cultural paradigms, experiences many unique obstacles also addressed in this paper.

Year of Submission

2000

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Sharon E. Smaldino

Comments

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Date Original

2000

Object Description

1 PDF file (40 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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