Technology is fast becoming a fact of life for all students, from Kindergarten to graduate school. As a result, K-12 teachers are looking at ways to integrate technology into their curriculum. As one way to help teachers use technology, UC Davis reached out to history teachers during a summer institute on technology sponsored by School/University Partnerships (S/UP), the Area 3 History and Cultures Project, and Information and Educational Technology's Technology Support Program. The effort has been so successful that UC Davis is considering extending their program to science teachers in partnership schools to support the use of technology in their classrooms.

There are many people involved with providing university support to K-12 schools in the area. The S/UP coordinates outreach to low-performing K-12 schools, most of which are located in the Sacramento area. They also collaborate with the California Subject Matter Project sites on the UC Davis campus, such as the Area 3 History and Cultures Project. The History and Cultures Project works specifically with K-12 history teachers to help them use University resources and learn from each other as a community of teachers.

"There are many stakeholders involved," says Dr. Daniel Roy, S/UP director. "The corporate sponsors provide the hardware. The site manager has expertise and understanding of that school. The subject matter specialists know about the needs of teachers in different areas. The principal knows if there is adequate space and capacity. The teachers will integrate the computers into their curriculum. Information and Educational Technology (IET) provides the technical support."

The schools that work with the S/UP and the History and Cultures Project generally have a very small technology base, usually only one technology support person for an entire school. Some schools have corporate sponsors who donate computer equipment (sometimes broken), but often instructors do not know how to use it. "The worst thing is to see computers not being used because schools don't have the means to make good use of them," says Dr. Roy.

Still, when students in low-performing schools have access to technology, there are more learning opportunities available to them. "Technology can knock down the walls of the classroom," says Kathy Medina, director of the History and Cultures Project. "It can teach students that history is something that is being shaped and interpreted every day."

With its large technology base, UC Davis has a lot to offer teachers in the way of technical support. "The campus is in a position where we can help. The project is ambitious, but we can do it," says Greg Fellin, the main Technology Support Program staff member who provides technical support to the teachers.

The plan was fairly simple: create a pilot program for the K-12 teachers modeled after the Technology Support Program. The Technology Support Program is available to department-level technical support staff who, by participating in the program, have direct access to IET resources and support. Each teacher involved in the pilot was given UC Davis affiliate status, giving them access to the following resources:

• A UC Davis email address
• Computer-Based technology training courses
• Technology training courses provided by the Technology Support Program, such as network administration or Web authoring
• Access to the UC Davis Library's databases
• An assigned IET representative (Greg Fellin) who they could contact with questions
• Access to an email list called hcp-tech that teachers could use to ask each other questions about technology and curriculum.

So far, 15 technology support staff members from different UC Davis departments have joined the new list to answer the teachers' technology support questions. This list also facilitates information sharing among the teachers about questions related to technology in teaching.

"We like to think of it as an interactive help desk," says Fellin. "They can call me if they need help or get help from the other teachers and UC Davis staff on the email list. We will provide free-of-charge consulting services to help them create technology plans for their schools and classrooms."

This pilot began with almost 50 history teachers who attended the Summer Institute on "Using the Web to Teach History," offered by the History and Cultures Project and directed by Matthew Pigg. IET made available computer classroom space for the institute, and UC faculty and staff taught the teachers how to use the Web in their classes, how to connect to the UC Davis network and use email, and how to access resources available to them as affiliates.

The pilot with the History and Cultures Project has been a success by all accounts. "The teachers love it and the technical support people who respond also get involved in questions about content and curriculum," says Medina. "It's quite a nice community." According to Fellin, the UC Davis technical support staff have also found the experience valuable. More staff members have joined the list as the original subscribers spread the word of its success.

"The potential for this to serve as a scalable model for other institutions is great," says Dr. John Bruno, Vice Provost for Information and Educational Technology. "This pilot could set the standard for how the University can support and encourage the integration of technology in K-12 curricula."

Still, there are challenges ahead. "Getting teachers involved is most important," says Fellin. "We present all of the support they will get from the campus and talk to the administrative and technology folks and give them every opportunity to get involved. "Unless teachers from the partner schools get involved, it is hard to provide them the support they need. Sometimes, all of the stakeholders involved can make the communicating with the teachers difficult.

"It can be a complicated process," says Tecoy Porter, Technology Support Program Coordinator, "but there is a strong need. A little help goes a long way. It's really beneficial to the schools."

Following the success of the pilot, the program might branch out to work with local science teachers as well. Medina says that the success of the program has other subject matter projects interested in implementing some of the ideas into their programs. For more information on the pilot or to join the mailing list, contact Fellin at gcfellin@ucdavis.edu.