Browsing by Subject "Technology integration"
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Item A case study of the use of professional development to support mobile technology integration(2012-08) Maradiegue, Erin Kelsey; Liu, Min, Ed. D.; Palmer, DeborahMobile devices are playing an increasingly prevalent role in K-12 education, as school systems are adopting the technology to enhance student learning. Consequently, teachers have to learn how to incorporate the devices into their classrooms, with the help of professional development activities. This case study examined the professional development of four teachers who participated in their school district’s iPod touch initiative for English Language Learners (ELLs), as well as the perspective of the instructional media specialist charged with assisting the teachers. The study aimed to understand what district-led and independent training activities K-12 teachers engage in and the influence the activities have on how mobile devices are used by the teachers. The educational activities of the teachers and their impact on the teachers’ technology integration were documented through a series of interviews, a training observation, and teacher questionnaires. The research identified four types of professional development support provided by the district and five types of self-guided or incidental learning activities that teachers engaged in that directly impacted the way they used the device. The district-led trainings are 1) group trainings 2) in-class demonstrations 3) one-on-one training and 4) ongoing support. The self-guided and incidental learning activities found are 1) research for resources and ideas 2) brainstorming 3) experimenting with apps and activities 4) collaboration with others and 5) students serving as trainers. Increased personal instruction, cultivating formal learning through mentoring and an online forum, and developing online training resources for a mobile format are proposed for professional development that would aid in the integration of mobile devices in a K-12 environment.Item Preparing 21st century teachers : the relationship of technology integration, digital equity, and the preparation of new teachers(2013-05) Dholakia, Gloria Gonzales; Hughes, Joan E.This study aimed to understand the relationship between (a) student teachers' conceptions of classroom technology use and digital equity and (b) the teacher education programs in which they study. This mixed method study occurred during the spring semester of 2012. Forty-one student teachers enrolled in two different university teacher certification programs completed an online survey in regards to their technology attitude and beliefs, technology knowledge and skills, technology support and infrastructure, and digital equity perceptions near their graduation date. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 of the participants to allow for student teachers to expand upon their conceptions of classroom technology use and their understanding of digital equity. The study found that student teachers in both programs were inclined to integrate technology in their future classrooms, but were lacking in experiences of student-centric, faculty modeling of technology integration within their subject, content areas. In regard to digital equity, student teachers that completed a formal educational technology course had a more complex and conscious conception of digital equity and its impact on the classroom than student teachers lacking a formal educational technology course. Discussion focuses on (a) persistent traditionalist power and pedagogy, (b) lack of content-based modeling, (c) dodging digital equity, (d) varying digital equity conceptions, and (e) persistent societal inequalities within these two teacher education programs. I then introduce 'critical transformative technology integration' (CTTI), which needs to be established in teacher education. CTTI provides students with opportunities for contextually and culturally relevant integration of technology into subject-content areas. Additionally, CTTI considers existing power relations, and aims to empower action and change. Student teachers possessing an understanding of technology integration and an awareness of digital equity will be better equipped to offer CTTI in their future classrooms. By providing all PK-12 students with opportunities for CTTI, teachers can reduce classroom digital inequities. To empower future teachers with the knowledge, skills, and conceptions necessary for CTTI, teacher education programs must consider their approach to technology integration and the development of digital equity.Item Teaching styles and computer use in family and consumer sciences teacher education programs: A survey of university faculty in Texas(2005-12) Koukel, Sonja D.; Felstehausen, Ginny; Couch, Sue; Wu, Chih-Kang; Maushak, NancyThis study was conducted to investigate the teaching style of university faculty who teach courses in Family and Consumer Sciences teacher education programs in Texas and to determine how those teaching styles might be related to computer use in the college classroom. Standard multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship to computer use in the classroom as measured by variables that included university faculty members’ preferences in instructional planning, teaching methods, student groupings, classroom design, instructional environment, evaluation techniques, teaching characteristics and classroom management, and educational philosophy. Related issues, such as university faculty’s perceived use of computers in instructional delivery, years of computer experience, numbers of attended computer related learning activities, types of access for computer use, attitudes toward computer-based instruction, and perceived level of computer and technology skills were also explored with regard to classroom computer use at the university/college level. Seventy-four faculty members in ten universities in Texas that were identified as providing Family and Consumer Sciences teacher certification programs participated in the study. University faculty members’ preferred teaching styles and use of the computers were determined to test the null hypothesis of this study. Results indicated that one teaching style variable, evaluation techniques, was found to have a relationship to computer use in the classroom. No differences were found between classroom computer use and university faculty’s years of experience using computers or number of attended computer related learning activities. The current study did show that type of access to computers influenced faculty use in the classroom. University faculty who taught in computer labs showed a higher level of computer use than did those with other types of computer access. Likewise, the study found increased classroom computer use among those faculty members who perceived their level of computer and technology skills to be above average. Overall, university faculty members rated their attitudes toward computer-based instruction as supportive, yet identified factors that they perceived as barriers to increasing computer use in the classroom. Specifically, these barriers included availability of up-to-date hardware and software, the need for computers and related technology to be permanently located in the classroom, and the lack of continuing professional development in how to integrate technology into the curriculum.Item Technology integration and novice teachers : looking at technology use of novice teachers in the context of their first year of teaching(2006-08) Abate, Lisa Marie; Resta, Paul E.The aim of this study was to examine first year teachers' experiences incorporating instructional technology into their teaching through the lens of Technology-Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Technology-Pedagogical Content Knowledge is a fairly new concept drawn from the concept of Pedagogical Content Knowledge, originating with Shulman. Participating teachers were graduates of a Southwestern University's College of Education laptop initiative that required all College of Education students to purchase a laptop. The laptop was used throughout their pre-service teaching course work. The first graduating cohort of this initiative was surveyed during their first full year of teaching. Ten of those surveyed then participated in interviews and journal writing related to their technology integration experiences. Results indicated that for the most part these new teachers are not facing access and support related barriers to technology use, though time constraints are still an issue. Results also indicated that the teachers are using technology in their instructional activities, and are continuing to grow in their technology integration skills. The basis in technology use from their College of Education combined with the technology-supportive school atmosphere in which they teach appears to be an environment that is fostering teachers who are willing to experiment with technology integration and are planning how to integrate it more in the coming school year. Their understanding of the connections between technology, content and pedagogy, their t-PCK, are developing and transforming. Impact on the field includes a greater understanding of how teachers come to design lessons for technology integration as well as a greater understanding of how graduates from teacher preparation programs with an emphasis on technology integration are able to apply their skills upon entering the teaching field.