Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow Backgrounder

Overview

Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) is a research and development
collaboration among public schools, universities, research agencies and
Apple Computer, Inc. Started in 1985, ACOT began its work in seven
classrooms that represented a cross section of America's elementary and
secondary schools. Its' goal was to study how the routine use of
technology by teachers and students might change teaching and learning.
Over the 10 years, ACOT has studied instruction, assessment, teacher
development, school design, the social aspects of education and the use of
new technologies in more than 100 elementary and secondary classrooms
throughout the country. After a solid decade of research the ACOT project
is the longest on-going educational study of its kind. 

ACOT's Mission

ACOT's mission is to change the way people think about and use technology
for learning. This includes investigating how teaching and learning change
when people have immediate access to technology and helping people better
understand how technology can be an effective learning tool and a catalyst
for change.

Inside ACOT

In ACOT classrooms, technology is a knowledge-building tool used for
multimedia composition, simulation, modeling, information access, analysis
and collaboration. At some locations, teachers, researchers and technology
developers create and implement a single experimental technology that is
later transferred to other classrooms for widespread application and
longitudinal study. 

ACOT classrooms have immediate access to a wide array of technologies,
including Apple Macintosh computers, laser disc players, video cameras,
scanners, voice recorders, compact disc players, modems and on-line
communication services. Students and teachers use software applications
such as word processors, databases, spreadsheets, graphics, page layout
programs and software designed for multimedia composition, digital imaging
processing and simulation. 

ACOT Sites

Primary ACOT Sites are located at: Dodson Elementary School, Nashville,
Tennessee; Portal School (opened 8/95), Cupertino, California; and West
High School, Columbus, Ohio. Schools in Arizona, California, Florida,
Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Tennessee,
Texas, Vermont and Washington have participated in ACOT projects and
experiments.

ACOT Affiliations

* ACOT has affiliated with researchers from leading universities and
institutions, including: Cornell University, Northwestern University,
Stanford University, The Ohio State University, The New Jersey Institute
of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, University of
California at Irvine and University of California at Los Angeles. More
than 21 published reports from these researchers corroborate ACOT findings
and provide an independent perspective on the profound impact of
technology on teaching and learning. 

* ACOT has also affiliated with national educational organizations who
study and assess changes in student behavior and teaching practices. These
include: The National Center for Education and the Economy, The National
Science Foundation, Educational Development Center, Institute for Research
on Learning and The Center for Children and Technology. 

ACOT and National School Reform

Through its organizational affiliations, ACOT has had the opportunity to
apply its findings to national school reform efforts:

* In 1992 The National Science Foundation granted S 1.2 million to the ACOT
project and three school districts to create national teacher development
centers at the primary ACOT sites. These centers help non-ACOT teachers
learn how to integrate technology into their classrooms. 

* ACOT gained new relationships when it became a member of The National
Alliance for Restructuring Education, a consortium of schools, agencies,
and businesses. In 1992, the Alliance won a national competition funded by
the New American Schools Development Corporation. The Alliance used the
funds to implement school restructuring strategies in seven states:
Arkansas, California, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and
Washington. 

ACOT: The Next Phase

* ACOT launches its second decade of research by continuing to examine the
social implications of the education environment developed through its
original goal of making technology readily accessible in the classroom.
The next phase also emphasizes staff development: how to help teachers
bring technology into schools in a meaningful way, how to help teachers
through the significant instructional shifts taking place and how to build
a teacher work force that is aware and eager for change. ACOT's goal is to
create a teaching and learning model that can be replicated by teachers
and students outside of the ACOT program. 

* In the fall of 1995 ACOT opened a new site at Portal School, an existing
elementary school in Cupertino, California. The school is the first site
designed around ACOT research. The school offers ACOT researchers the
opportunity to study approaches to learning in an environment that is
built around the use of technology, rather than in an environment that is
in transition. 

* This year the ACOT project expands internationally with sites planned for
Europe and the Pacific Rim to create a more powerful global educational
research community. 
 
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