CATI and Technology Support to Education

In 1992, CATI underwent a review out of which has emerged a redefining of its core services, the development of new products, and an integrated education support services group which is responsive to the changing needs of the educational community. This ideally positions CATI to help facilitate the new initiatives outlined by Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) State Superintendent Dr. Paul LeMahieu to encourage the adoption of the new technologies for supporting teaching and learning at the K-12 public school system, as well as assisting the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS), the community colleges, the University of Hawaii, and other educational organizations in Hawaii and the South Pacific.

The Problem

The need for Hawaii’s educational institutions to be innovative, competitive, and world-class in their approaches to the adoption of new technologies in the classroom is growing at an unprecedented pace. The new technologies allow few barriers to entry and create many new opportunities and choices in how information is delivered and received. In the video, audio, and graphic industries, this development has also created great change. There has been a convergence of skills, the integrating of products, and a blurring of categories.

Simply stated, there are not enough teachers, technology support staff, or allocated funds to provide adequate technology support in Hawaii.  All recent studies addressing Hawaii’s current and planned efforts have graded our educational system as a low “C” at best, and more often “D” and “F”.  This situation is not the result of bad teaching: it is instead the result of our accelerating technologies and their impact on students, parents, and educators.

According to California Senator Dianne Feinstein, “It is extremely important that teachers learn to use technology effectively as a teaching tool.  Technology will strengthen instruction and learning and better prepare students for the increasingly technological workplace. Thanks to efforts in recent years to bring technology to the classroom, there is now a national student-to-computer ratio of 10 to 1 and 78 percent of our nation's schools have access to the Internet. Unfortunately, these numbers are meaningless unless the teachers are trained to use the equipment at their disposal.”

What Can We Do?

CATI’s Computers for Kids Program (CFK) has transferred donations of thousands of computers to K-12 schools statewide, but cannot address either the physical infrastructure or the technology support problems.  Dr. Goldstein has been working with the DOE to provide recommendations on how to implement a more effective technology implementation and training plan, which has been favorably received.  However, no effective endemic plan is expected in the near future.

Thus, CATI has formed alliances with over 50 key technology vendors, including Autodesk, Adobe, Macromedia, Symantec, IBM, and Microsoft, to bring specialized educational products, training, and support to Hawaii’s educators.  This program, entitled “Train Teachers in Technology Today!”, or T4, offers a wide range of services and options.  The close name resemblance to the Teacher Technology Training (T3) program is not an accident.  Many of the same concepts apply to CATI’s T4 Program.

While T3 places an increased emphasis on teachers' abilities to appropriately use multiple technologies and media in their preparation for and delivery and evaluation of structured curricula, T4 takes this concept a step further.  CATI wishes to ensure that both teachers and students use technology to develop a series of projects that are fully applicable to and accomplished in the same way real-world businesses are run.  Again, this approach is not new.  It has been referred to as “integrated learning,” “project-based teaching,” and similar nomenclature.

Technology Through Visual Thinking

A key part of T4 is called “Technology Through Visual Thinking”™ or TTVT.  TTVT implements cross-curricular training for both teachers and students using two Autodesk products (AutoCAD and 3D Studio MAX), two Microsoft products (Word and PowerPoint), and other computer applications as desired.  Initially, teachers are provided with hands-on training and complete lesson plans via the Autodesk Teacher Training Program (TTP), and a follow-on meeting is scheduled within 45 days to evaluate new lesson plans developed by the teachers as a result of the TTP.  These new lesson plans are shared with all teachers who have participated in a TTP course.

Once trained, teachers from each school are teamed so that they all share a single project-based homework module.  For example, at Aiea Intermediate School, the 12 teachers chose a TTP project that addressed the Hawaiian ukulele.  The shop teacher taught students how to create the ukulele in AutoCAD using 3D techniques, and then to construct one using actual shop tools.  The English teacher taught how to write project materials, including procedures and reports.  The math teacher taught students how to calculate the correct material thicknesses, angles, and similar physical features.  The music teacher taught them how to play the ukulele.  The art teacher taught students to create marketing materials and illustration manuals.  And the history and geography teachers taught the historical significance of the ukulele around the Pacific Basin and in Asia.

CATI’s TTVT approach of integrated teaching has not been tried before in Hawaii, and a number of DOE teachers and administrators reviewed our courseware before approving its use in Central District.  We expect that TTVT will rapidly be implemented as teachers find that it both lessens their workload and increases students’ understanding via real-world project-based learning.

Computers for Kids Hands-On Training

In the summer of 1998, CATI offered technology training at no charge to Hawaii K-12 teachers, based on our Computers for Kids Program.  After Metro Rotary helped locate a 5000-square-foot office space in the Gold Bond Building that was donated for the summer course, CATI moved several hundred donated computers into the space for refurbishment.  Taught by Wesley Koga of Aiea Intermediate School, this technology training course provided several groups of teachers with two weeks of hands-on diagnosis, repair, upgrade, configuration, and application loading.  As this curriculum has been used with over 1,000 students who participate in CFK, it was also applicable to the teachers.

Although it was CATI’s intent to provide the same training during the summer of 1999, the economic downturn made it unable to locate a donated class space.  However, efforts are already underway to secure donations of class space for the next 5-10 years to ensure continuity of this valuable training.  As long as volunteers are available, no charge will be made for this hands-on training.

Educational Software and Site Licenses

As an educational reseller, CATI can offer deep educational discounts on a wide range of software.  A partial list of software vendors that offer these discounts through CATI include:

These and many more software packages are available in single units for students, teachers, and faculty.  Site licenses are also available for classroom, school, complex, district, and statewide contracts.  Please contact us if you need additional information on these or any other software applications.

Computer Systems, Hardware Components, & Peripherals

A number of vendors offer educational pricing on computer systems through CATI.  These include Compaq, Hewlett Packard, and IBM.  Although CATI is an authorized Apple reseller, Apple has chosen to resell their educational systems via their inside sales force.  In Hawaii, please contact Bob Lew, (808) 734-1359 or <boblew@apple.com> for educational hardware pricing.  CATI can also assist in building custom computer systems, based on the latest Intel architectures.  Please call for more information.

 

Hardware components and peripherals are also available with educational discounts through CATI. 

A partial list of these vendors includes:

These and many other peripherals and hardware components are available through CATI.  Please contact us for more information.

On-Site Technology Training

CATI offers on-site technology training on a wide range of technology hardware and software.  We can work with you in your classroom, or in our in-house lab, to teach you the basics, tone up your skills with an intermediate-level course, or help get you out on the leading edge with an advanced curriculum.

Our staff is available when you need us, or you may choose to contract with CATI on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.