Addressing the Nets for Students Through Constructivist Technology Use in K–12 Classrooms

The National Educational Technology Standards for Students promote constructivist technology use for K-12 students in U.S. schools. In this study, researchers reported on 716 cases in which teachers described technology-based activities they conducted with their students. Narrative analysis was used to examine case transcripts relative to the NETS*S, and the constructivist principles that support them. Findings suggest teachers' instructional technology use has shifted from the drill-and-practice and word-processing usage that was so pervasive in the 1980s and 1990s, to more constructive hands-on tool-based uses. However, teachers missed opportunities to engage their students in higher-order thinking when they limited problem-solving potential and over-structured student design activities.