CROP

Basic Ideas

CROP stands for Communities Resolving Our Problems. CROP is a process implemented as a Web site product and as a paper product. The idea map above summarizes the intellectual geometries of the conceptual foundations of CROP. The further up the curve, the greater the interest in and application of the design elements. Hot spots in the online version of this handout lead to greater explanation of the ideas above. That is, hot spots require that you drag your mouse pointer arrow over the text in the idea map above and click on different words and phrases in order to learn more.

Through CROP, pre-service and in-service teachers use real problems as context for integrating technology into classrooms and for leading education and technology integration into the larger community. Beyond the classroom, CROP has universal application. CROP promotes constructivist principles, engagement through situated learning, authentic problems, higher order thinking through problem solving skill development, just-in-time training, collaboration and team building and technology integration. It provides scalability from very young to adult, no-tech/low-tech to high-tech, beginner to expert and individual/small group to large populations. Additional information about the basic ideas of CROP is also available.

As Web site, the integration of Web features provides a new form of application, a generic online problem processor. An online database facilitates meeting room interaction in the SUP module with question collection and response which in turn yields Still Unsolved Problems and Finally Answered Questions. The THINK module provides a library of models and scripts for higher order thinking skill development. The LEAP module provides a toolbench of processors for Looking for information, Evoking a response with composition processors, Assessing development through a multitude of forms for web interaction, and Publishing through processors both online and off. Come visit and participate through through CROP's web address provided at top and bottom of this sheet.

http://www.ceap.wcu.edu/Houghton/Learner/learnerhomeEasy2.html

A Presentation Handout by Dr. Robert S. Houghton at the 8th International Conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE). Orlando, Florida , April 5, 1997, 11:15 a.m. (revised April 6. 1997).