W4_Reading

Connecting instructional technology professional development to teacher and student outcomes

Veteran teachers

overwhelmed by technology and difficulty gaining fluency

worry that something will go wrong with technology when alone with students

Prefer someone to show them

Need ongoing support

Teachers will be teaching for more years now so must be proficient in using technology

Knowledge brokers

Possessors of knowledge

Modeling knowledge

Redirecting knowledge

Integrating knowledge – have time to fine-tune activities

Need to

Connect peer mentors with teachers

Provide time for learning and developing curriculum

Knowledge Brokers plus different professional development can insure technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge come together to alter teaching and learning

‘Peer coaches’ spark technology integration

Integration disappointing despite millions spent for hardware, software, and networks

Need high quality professional development (PD) with continuing support

Districts using “peer coaching” have higher degree of integration and student achievement

eMINTS (Missouri), EAST (Arkansas), ESTEP (Iowa) all have high degree of professional development and support with peer coaching

Virginia uses technology coaches – ITRT Instructional Technology Resource Teachers mandatory positions – peer technology coaches – by law

Also voluntary summer trainings for ITRT’s

Have already seen increases in technology integration

Tennessee ESTEP program (Evaluating State Technology Programs)

Created Ed Tech Launch – school-based technology coaches at 54 schools – received equipment and PD – noted

Increased # students using technology and more educational use of computers

Those students used hands-on and independent inquiry more than other students

Those students used 21^st-century skills, cooperative learning than others

Those students more academically focused than others

Iowa teachers paired with others across state after PD – use video conferencing to observe each other

and in 2006 found:

8^th graders improved average math scores by 14 points

4^th grade students improved average math scores b 16 points

4^th graders improved reading scores b 13 points

“Technology coaches are a vital part of helping schools and teachers embrace available technology and move forward as we individualize instruction and plan for the 21st-century global marketplace.”

When asked about the value of this program in Orange County, Solek-Giles responded, “This program is really helping teachers learn how to teach ‘digital natives’ with innovative teaching strategies that mimic student learning styles–and will help provide the tools necessary for the future workforces.”

Does Research-Based Professional Development Make a Difference? A Longitudinal Investigation of Teacher Learning in Technology Integration

Professional development (PD) programs/in-service programs

Relatively ineffective

Short-term experiences

Fragmented

Don’t consider how teachers learn

Experts agree on quality professional development characteristics

Little empirical work to document benefits

Series of studies done on connection between specific characteristics of professional development and changes in teacher knowledge and practice

Six key principles

Focus on content and pedagogical knowledge

Reform-type activities

Relevance of activities to teacher needs

Opportunities for active learning

Extensive duration

Collective participation

(Garet, et al.)

Focused on math and science

Need to investigate PD for technology

Examine teacher learning and practice for more than a year

Sustainability? Growth of PD gains?

This study long-term impact of PD on teacher learning and practice in technology

Investigate sustainability and growth of teachers’ learning

Identify conditions facilitated or hindered capacity to develop thinking, knowledge and practice

Map trajectory of teachers’ learning over time

Findings:

Educational technology knowledge

Abilities low at start

Prof dev improved knowledge and use of peripherals

All maintained and built on skills acquired in program

Application of technology into classroom practice

Very limited at beginning

All developed pedagogical capability using a range of technological tools and strategies

Able to create integrated lessons

Beliefs toward teaching with technology

All became used to using technology for professional tasks

Instructional use very diverse

Conventional and integrated at first

All sustained use over time, some exhibited growth in ways used in instruction

Need change in knowledge, practice and belief

Change process is cyclical and spiral, not linear

Training to new knowledge to new instructional practices

Noted change in student motivation

Led to more uses of technology

Follow up support after PD very important

Research based PD can create sustained teacher learning

“Future research needs to examine whether teachers with diverse backgrounds

and experiences exhibit similar learning trajectories. Such

research is of fundamental importance to the design of more effective

professional development programs that can recognize, anticipate, and

support possible trajectories of teacher learning and change.”

Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: Current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research

General barriers

Resources

Institution

Subject culture

Attitudes and Beliefs

Knowledge and skills

Assessment

To overcome barriers

Having shared vision and tech integration plan

Overcoming scarcity of resources

Changing attitudes and beliefs

Conducting prof dev

Reconsidering assessments

Successful integration requires holistic approach

Need to study specific barriers in detail

Relationships between strategies – differences among different subject areas

Need to examine role of prior use of technologies

Need to look at barriers to integration

Looking at computing learning environments

Recommend mixed methods research

Provide rich description of methodology for adequate interpretation

Examine teachers in actual practice by observation, not just self-reported comments

Should be longitudinal to study dynamic relationships

Examine roles of other stakeholders (administration/leadership) Both internal (school staff) and external (board, administration) necessary for technology integration

References

Martin, W., Strother, S., Beglau, M., Bates, L., Reitzes, T., & Culp, K. M. (2010, Fall). Connecting instructional technology professional development to teacher and student outcomes. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(1), 53-74.

Mouza, C. (2002/2003, Winter). Learning to teach with new technology: Implications for professional development. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(2), 27.

Neugent, L. & Fox, C. (2007, January). Peer coaches’ spark technology integration. eSchool News, 10(1), 32.

Plair, S. K. (2008, November). Revamping professional development for technology integration and fluency. Clearing House, 82(2), 70-74.

PE6_Flash

Continuing with my tutorials, I had some fun with the paintbrush tool and with painting inside shapes. I know it looks like a kindergartener did it, but I guess that's where I am with Flash.

There was a way to make curves with the pen tool called making "Bezier curves". What a humbling experience! As Todd quickly created a perfect cactus using that tool, I was left practicing. He showed how much better the Bezier tool created smooth lines, as opposed to the basic pen tool using lines. I'm totally Bezier challenged, and I'll probably stick with the plain pen tool for now if this is the result:

Now that I've finished the basic shape manipulation tutorials, I decided to look for a tutorial that would put me through an animation. I chose one for vines that appear to be growing on the screen. The first step was to get some free vector artwork. That's artwork made with curved lines rather than pixels, which are used for bitmap artwork. I went to www.vector4free.com and found one called Floral Ornaments which is available through Creative Commons. I'm following step by step along with the tutorial, and I managed to import the artwork, resize it, and turn it into a raw image. I then had to open thetimeline and create an artwork layer and a mask layer. Here's where I am so far:

The next step is to put the artwork inside the green oval, and I'm sure I'll find out why just as soon as I return to the video.

This is actually exciting stuff, but I'm just doing "monkey see, monkey do" at this point. I am familiar enough with the tools and menus now that I can find what is being shown and do it along with the tutorial. I'm going to still work with my tech director, because I want to understand what I'm doing so I can be ready for our work in course 6. I think this program can do some very amazing things, but I've just scratched the surface. It will take much more hands-on practice before I can say that I'm proficient at a very basic level. So I've learned a lot, but I have a long way to go.

PE5_Flash

My second session with Flash went a bit better. I managed to actually draw some shapes and fill them. I even was able to change the shapes. I'm gradually learning all the basic tools, but I really don't get a sense yet of how I will use them to create animations. The tutorial goes really fast, and I've stopped and started it a hundred times. Somehow in the midst of it all I'm getting faster at following along, and I'm hoping to get to really see something move at some point.

I can see that this really requires lots of time to practice (and a video that goes slower than the Lynda one with Mr. Perkins). I'm going to be getting some help from the tech director at my school. He used to teach Flash, so I'm hopeful that I can get up to speed before month 6.

FV_AR Pitch

This video is the final one is the series for the ETC course. In it I'm making a pitch for my action research project involving solutions to effective technology integration in the classroom.

PE4_Flash

When I found out I would be facing Flash in month 6, I decided to get a head start. My first step was to visit Lynda.com for a tutorial, and I chose one that looked pretty comprehensive. That's where I met Todd Perkins, a very articulate young man who talks at such a speed I couldn't even take notes.

As an indication of just how much there is to learn about Flash, the tutorials require 7 hours to view them all, and that doesn't count replaying them at least 4 times to understand them.

I learned that Flash is used to create animations and interactive applications. There are basic drawing tools for simple animations, and one can create "tweens" or animated animations. It's possible to add media and sound. There are two types of files, 'fla' files are working files and 'swf' files, which are output files. The area where one creates is called the stage, usually white but can also be colored. The gray area around it is where deselected objects can reside while working. I made it as far as resizing the workspace in properties, but I somehow detached my toolbars while trying to follow him and got myself into a bit of a mess. After trying the help menu, I managed to get them reconnected, although I have no idea how I did it, and they were backwards. Todd displayed this sample of a "simple" animation:

I had to chuckle reading that "if you have mastered all of these (Google Docs, Flash, etc.) you can choose something else. I think "mastering Flash" is a bit of an oxymoron.

BP12_Keynote

Please note: all images used in this presentation obtained from Wikimedia Commons

PE3_Keynote

I've found working with Keynote to be very energizing. I'm able to find exciting graphics and quick ways to do just about everything. You don't have to use the graphic library. Any image file can be used. There are great convenience features for beginners and plenty of advanced tools for animations and special effects. I think it's easier to 'keep it simple' in Keynote without sacrificing the finished appearance. As I've said, I'd like to do some presentations a la Garr Reynolds for my Action Research Project. With Keynote and Presentationzen as tools, it should be easier and more creative to make an image statement as well as a verbal one. I have some pretty challenging convincing to do if I'm going to help increase the amount of technology integration at my school.