Integration & Use of Technology in the
Collaborative Learning Centers Project

	The use of new instructional technology was an important goal throughout the life of the project. Teachers, professors, and other project participants all participated in a variety of activities designed to increase their knowledge and skills related to computers, internet resources, email, video, digital cameras, and image scanning.
Wednesdays on the Web During Year 2 CLC technology staffperson David Sperling lead a weekly drop-in session at the Chicago Teachers' Center. Called "Wednesdays on the Web", this informal course provided teachers from the six project schools an opportunity to build their instructional technology skills. Teachers got email accounts and began to use them, learned image scanning
	Teacher Leader Group Focuses on Technology In Year 3 the Teacher Leaders decided to use their monthly meeting time for expanding their technology skills. David Sperling helped the group refresh their email skills, learn image scanning, video freeze techniques, and practice the use of a digital camera. The final CLC Spring Forum combined sessions on these same skills with reflective conversations for school-based professional development teams planning projects to document their work over the three years of CLC.
CLC Use of Video Throughout the Project CLC provided video cameras and editing equipment to partner schools, as well as a seminar in video techniques and possible educational uses. School and project staff used video to document a wide variety of project activities. Over the course of the project videos produced included documentation of preservice involvement in partner schools; a summer instititute on thematic units and implementation over the following year in one school; team building at a project forum and an indepth look at McCosh Elementary School. Video footage also served as source material for images used in the website and other project presentations.
Price Teachers Create Web Page During the summer and fall of 1996 a team of interested Price teachers met regularly with the goal of creating a school web page. Group members varied widely in their experience and expertise with technology but, with support from CLC staff and university partners, the team used web page software and video freeze techniques to create a web site that documents the school's arts integrated curriculum and related arts activities.
	Professional Development Teams Work With Educational Technology Teacher teams at Hay and Wells, in particular, chose to focus on educational technology. NEIU professor Jeff Messerer guided Hay teachers in the selection and use of high quality educational software. Wells teachers took courses that ranged from beginning computer use to Image Processing. Wells teachers still continue to request further technology training.
Universities Benefit From CLC's Technology Integration At NEIU (see picture at left) professors benefitted from new equipment as well as increased recognition of the importance of technology, fostered by the CLC experience. A group of NEIU professors continues to meet to share technology skills and to reflect on educational practice. At RU the former dean of the College of Education reported that participation in the CLC project, with its emphasis on technology, led to a new awareness of its importance to the College and to increased funding for upgrading the College's capacity substantially.