• How is a KITE case different from other technology integration cases?


• How is KITE different from other technology integration case libraries?


• How is learning from Case-based Reasoning different from case-based learning?


• How can I use KITE as a teacher educator?


• Many of the cases that I have found in the KITE case library are not stories of best practices. How can I use them to teach my students about technology integration?


• What is the purpose of the KITE project?


• What is a KITE case?
• Where does a KITE case come from?

Question:
How is KITE different from other technology integration case libraries?

Answer:
The KITE case library has a very different search mechanism for retrieving cases from the library. The search engine utilizes Case-based Reasoning (CBR) that allows for more flexibility in selecting cases as they relate to a user's situation. While there may not be an exact match, (i.e., no cases that discuss a 4th grade class learning about bugs using an online learning environment) there are always cases with some similarities which can help the user consider various options that would not otherwise be considered (i.e., studying bugs using Inspiration and digital cameras).

Question:
How is learning from Case-based Reasoning different from case-based learning?

Answer:
Case-based Reasoning in learning incorporates the concept that, when faced with a problem, humans typically assess various situational features presented in the problem, search for memory of past experiences with similar situations, seek out similar experiences of peers and colleagues, and apply the lessons in these experiences to develop new solutions. After the new experience is proven to be satisfactory, it is added to successful knowledge and retained in memory for future use. The process is similar to what Aamodt and Plaza (1996) describe as the CBR process, which includes the cycle of the four RE's - REtrieve, REuse, REvise, and REtain.

Question:
How can I use KITE as a teacher educator?

Answer:
The KITE project has developed an instructional tool to assist you as a teacher educator in using KITE for teacher education. The Technology Integration Learning Environment (TILE) is being developed to assist teacher educators in utilizing KITE cases to teach technology integration. It offers teacher educators learning modules utilizing a variety of roles including teacher, principal, and technology coordinator. The learners are presented with learning scenarios, given KITE cases to help them solve the problem in the scenario, and asked to develop products that demonstrate their learning. TILE can be used as a complete learning course or individual modules or learning activities can be used separately to teach the desired lessons. Additionally, KITE offers a list of Instructional Activities as a sample of possible teaching activities that can be used in education methods courses.

Question:
Many of the cases that I have found in the KITE case library are not stories of best practices. How can I use them to teach my students about technology integration?

Answer:
While examples of best practices are often used in teacher education, this does not reflect the average experience of a regular teaching situation. When teachers in actual teaching situations share their experiences, it is a gauge of how well the real world matches with what is considered to be a strategy, method or pedagogy that is research-based and accepted as the "correct" method for teaching. KITE cases are real stories collected from actual teachers sharing their knowledge of technology integration activities. While they may not always be "correctly" done according to the most accepted research, they are authentic and have great value. In addition to creating a community by sharing teaching experiences, KITE cases also offer great learning opportunities as a resource for comparison with standards, best practices and textbook strategies, methods and pedagogies. KITE cases can be used as a "reality check" for those interested in how teacher practices relate to the expectations and standards set for technology integration. Users can learn from the mistakes and experiences of teachers sharing their strategies in the cases. For example, students presented with a teaching scenario can search KITE cases looking for ways that they can improve either the technology used or the learning activity. For more instructional ideas, see the TILE site or the Instructional Activities List.

Question:
What is the purpose of the KITE project?

Answer:
The purpose of the KITE project is to provide a knowledge repository or a gathering place for information about technology integration experiences. The KITE project worked with a group of seven partner universities to visit schools, interview teachers about their technology integration experiences and organize those stories into cases for use in the KITE Case Library. The cases are intended to be used by teacher educators, in-service and pre-service teachers to support them as they learn more about how to use technology in learning situations.

Question:
What is a KITE case?

Answer:
A KITE case is a story. It consists of demographical information about the teacher being interviewed and the students in the learning situation, contextual information about the experience and information about the technology integration experience. The teachers are asked to share the learning activity, the technology that they used, the students' role in the activity, the teacher role in the activity, the reason for using the technology and other information about the story.

Question:
Where does a KITE case come from?

Answer:
KITE cases are stories collected from actual teachers as they share their technology integration experiences. The teachers come from a variety of locations across the US. A "knowledge scout" or interviewer meets with the teacher and discusses the technology integration experience. The interview is then transcribed and organized, or indexed for placement into the knowledge repository.