Zhao

By: Yong Zhao, Kenneth A. Frank, and Michigan State University Members of "The Wookies": Hillary Henson, Jasmine Hobson, Daniel Britton, Cyrus Hwang, David Hyler
 * Factors Affecting Technology Uses in School: An Ecological Perspective **

toc =**Introduction**=  Zhao & Frank (2003) use the analogy of the invasion of the Zebra mussels into the Great Lakes to explore the introduction of technology in the classroom. Both are seen as foreign species.

Zebra mussel Quick facts: By using Zhao & Frank’s analogy, schools are described as ecosystems, computer uses as living species, teachers as the keystone species, and technology as the exotic species.
 * They are filter feeders; this causes a dramatic increase in the water clarity in infested lakes and rivers
 * The animals and algae that are the food of zebra mussels are also the food for larval fish and other native species like fish, mollusks, and birds
 * They have been steadily invading America’s rivers and lakes
 * Young zebra mussels are small and free swimming, and can be easily spread by water currents
 * Older zebra mussels attach themselves to hard surfaces by an external organ called a byssus, which consists of many threads
 * Zebra mussels may attach to boats, pilings, water pipes, and other hard surfaces, as well as crayfish, turtles, other zebra mussels, and native mollusks
 * They can reattach themselves easily if dislodged
 * Zebra mussels upset ecosystems, threaten native wildlife, damage structures, and cause problems

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= **Schools as Ecosystems ** = A teacher’s environment is considered an ecosystem because it is a complex system made up of many biotic and abiotic components. These include: teachers, students, parents, and the physical setting, grades, and subjects being taught. The school has different “species” that interact: students, teachers, and books. This forms the school ecosystem that allows learning to take place. This is just a subset of the state educational system which is in turn a subset of the national education system. In other words, the school ecosystem is part of a larger ecosystem. This school ecosystem has a lot of diversity and with each species occupying a unique niche within the school ecosystem based on their characteristics and roles. Their characteristics and roles affect each other, constantly changing their relationships.

=**Computer Uses as Living Species and Invasion**= Computers and their programs are akin to the invading creatures that live in this world. This is evidenced by the invasion of the Zebra mussels in the Great Lake ecosystems. When any species invades and ecosystem, the invader either wipes out the existing species, successfully integrates into the ecosystem, has little or no impact on the ecosystem, or perishes. When the Zebra mussels invaded the ecosystem of natural mussels, both were forced to adapt to each other and to the environment. For example, in the classroom, technology is an invading species. The invasion of new technology forces old technologies to either survive and thrive or to perish. The "fittest of the moment" is important in that programs are usually developed on top of existing ones, thereby pre-selecting the more fit ones. As a result, those survive and become better performers in their environment. Computers are forever adapting to new environments, causing new functions to emerge, which causes computer to further adapt; these characteristic relationships constantly modify each other.

=**Teachers as Individuals and Members of a Species**= Interactions between different species are always visible, but interactions within a single group or species is not always evident. This is the case with teachers.While a teacher may be secluded within their own classroom, interacting with students, leaving at times to interact with administration (a different species), there are also instances where teachers will cross paths with other members of their species.These teachers may need help or have the resources to offer help. This brings up the idea of "reciprocal altruism", which shows how this can help any species survive. If a member of one group can help another, they will, knowing members of their group will help them in return if and when the need arises. When this idea of reciprocal altruism pertains to technology, teachers will "draw on help" from their colleagues from within their school or even district to help employ these new opportunities.

Teachers are not considered to be the invading species, like the zebra mussel, but rather as members of a species already established within the region of the great lakes. Teachers have been, and always will be a part of the ecosystem of academia, but it is technology which is the invading, transplanted species. This technology can require the help from others within the species to properly employ within the classroom. As each teacher is a member of this greater species, it is the district that is responsible for the training and opportunities to learn. These opportunities are not provided directly to the students, but rather, are facilitated through the teachers, who are trained by the district. There will be slow adaption because generations of teachers have gone through training without technology. On the other hand, teachers are also individuals with their own experiences in technology outside of the classroom, who can benefit from technology inside the classroom as well. When this same technology is facilitated by the teacher through student use, it will have an immediate benefit on classroom management.

=**Interaction within the Teaching Ecosystem**= As computer usage becomes more common, teachers are being forced to adapt. The result of this ecological shift in school ecosystems appears to be a situation in which both species adapt and work together, learning to coexist without damaging their environment; however, the success of these changes depends on the invading species’ compatibility with the environment. This compatibility is determined by the factors that influence the behavior of the invading species. For technology in schools, some of these factors are costs, benefits, teaching opportunities, and current teacher practices. In order for the ecosystem to succeed, both species must adapt, and teachers may only use computers to address their most direct needs. The importance of the Zebra mussels metaphor is that it highlights the opportunities in the school ecosystem that could lead to the successful balance between teachers and technology. media type="custom" key="23453748" align="center"

=**Findings and Analyses: Interpreting Technology Uses from an Ecological Perspective**= **__Current Technology Uses In Schools__** The most frequently used technologies are phone systems, emails, and computers in the classroom. Zhao noted that these different technologies can be considered complementary or competitive. For example, a phone system and voice mail are considered complementary, while the use of video over Powerpoint presentations can be considered competitive. From an ecosystem standpoint, these technologies compete for the same niche, that is, the same function in the teacher's professional life.



=**Discussion**= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are three phases on the timeline of the introduction of a new species to the school ecosystem:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The school is presented with technology: Institutions, teachers, higher-ups may help or hinder the invading species. Some ideas and technologies survive, some do not.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How the teacher uses and involves the technology: How the teacher implements the technology is dependent on either the help or pressure they receive from other teachers. Social interaction is crucial for the survival of the new technology. With the analogy of invading species, it can either can be viewed as threatening or valuable.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The technology conforms to the teacher. Both teacher and computer co-evolve. When the teacher becomes more comfortable, they are free to make changes to the technology, while the technology adapts to suit the teacher's needs; however, in a rare and unlikely scenario, it renders the teacher extinct and technology takes over.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How teachers interact with each other regarding technology can greatly influence how an individual teacher functions and evolves in the classroom with the new technology. Multiple sources outside the classroom can influence the teacher. The school itself acts as a filter for technology usage/effects. There is an importance of peer pressure amongst teachers to follow internal norms. The more teachers feel their peers are using the technology, the more likely they are to embrace the new species. Help from other teachers is the most important aspect for the success of technology implementation. **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Implications for Research ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Future research needs to evaluate the current factors affecting technology in schools, and use the findings to develop future studies. For example, the next study should look at different schools at earlier stages of implementation instead of looking at a school that was experienced with technology, so that the native species (teachers) will not have seen the invading species (technology).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The teacher’s perception of cost vs. benefit of the technology greatly affects its implementation but is based on perception not reality. Future studies should look at what influences a teachers perceptions and how to effectively change their perception. It would be beneficial to explore the social dynamics between native and new species. This study was done to see how much computers were used and also how they were used; future studies might examine each resource that already resides in ecology, such as books and flashcards vs a computer program. **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Implications for Policy and Practice ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For implicating a new policy, the study gives two caveats: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While the districts can influence computer usages up to 10-15%, most of the implementation of computers is up to the school, so our focus must be on factors that affect teacher usage. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Change agents need to treat the school like a small ecology:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The sample schools were in a slightly more advantageous position than others - technology had been implemented for a while, and had ample monetary resources.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The small sample size meant they needed to cross-section their data, to reduce interference, so sweeping policy changes should still be cautious.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1st change agent: During the hiring process, pick teachers who have technology knowledge and are adaptable - most effective
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2nd change agent: Offer training for teachers - not very effective
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3rd change agent: Give teachers and students time to explore and learn about new technology - surprisingly effective
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4th change agent: Leverage through social context. Can be good or bad depending on the social structure at the school. Change agent must be aware of the structure, intra-group and inter-group dynamics before introducing change. This can be effective, but only if the conditions are correct.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They must ask - “Are they ready for change?”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allow time for co-adaptation, change does not happen overnight.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allow adaption through social processes. Learning from colleagues is the most effective application.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do not overburden the system! Pick one change at a time.

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=**Conclusions**= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By using the ecosystem metaphor, the article has created an analytical framework. The study of the framework was applied to understanding how technology is used in schools. Then, discussion was made of the implications for future research and future policies and practices. There are a few cautions, suggestions, and hopes for this article. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(1) Biological ecology is not the same as the human social system so the ecosystem metaphor should not be applied to all theories and practices <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(2) By creating an ecological metaphor, a lot was learned about the interactions, activities, processes, and practices of the computer in schools and this MAY prove to be useful for understanding other types of educational innovations <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(3) Innovations cannot be implemented without considering the internal social structures of the school and other pressures that schools face, so it is suggested to use an evolutionary, rather than a revolutionary approach, to school change.

=**Bibliography**= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Zhao, Y. and Frank, K. A. (2003). An Ecological Analysis of Factors Affecting Technology Use in Schools. //American Educational Research Journal, 40//(4), pages 807-840. Yong Zhao. (n.d.). Education in the age of globalization. Retrieved July 9, 2013, from //http://zhaolearning.com///. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Schools as Ecosystem Image from: [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Technology Uses Image 1 from: [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Image 2 from: [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Video 1: [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Video 2: [] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Video 3: []

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