in the Implementation of Instructional Technologies
Melody J. Elrod EME 6055 University of South Florida Introduction Though technological advancements seem to race by at lightning speed, educational reform often feels more like the sands of time, shifting inexorably at its own pace. Looking ahead to the year 2020, technology may take us into a world that looks like science fiction from the perspective of 2014. Educationally, the scene may be a bit more familiar. The difference in these expectations results not from the advancements available, but from the beliefs of end users. Classroom teachers are the end users of educational reforms and are but a small subset of those who will adopt new technologies. These teachers are unified by their desire to help students learn, but divided by their beliefs about how that goal should be accomplished. Though learning is a cultural activity (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999), various (and at times, contrasting) learning theories are evident in the day-to-day activities, assignments, and instructional methods used in classrooms. These enacted beliefs about learning and teaching are the backbone of education and demonstrate the very personal stake teachers have in teaching. In this way, the beliefs of classroom teachers rule the implementation of educational reforms. For example, though it may be reasonable to expect the current implementation of the Common Core State Standards to be completed by the year 2020, we cannot guarantee that all teachers will be doing so as the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (2010) intended. The development of new applications and platforms for tablets, phones, and other devices, however, is not as dependent upon the end users beliefs. In the world of technology, users are looking for convenience, speed, and ease of use. With the exception of scientific and medical advancements that challenge religious and political beliefs, day-to-day technology is not ruled by users beliefs, but by efficiency and effectiveness, ideas that are not as dear to educators as they are to programmers. Technology for Teachers and Teacher Educators Technology, then, will not permeate day-to-day classroom life in 2020 (or in 2090) unless the use of technology to improve students learning is integrated into teachers beliefs (Chapman, 2012; Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Glazewski, Newby, & Ertmer, 2010). Deliberate, respectful, ongoing teacher education is needed to (1) help teachers see the value for technology in the classroom and (2) empower teachers to seek out and implement technology that meets the needs of their students. As such, it is my intention to use this position paper to focus on the view of technology for preservice teachers, in-service teachers, and teacher educators. Value of Technology for Educators Teachers beliefs play a pivotal role in the choices they make about teaching and learning. Those beliefs, however, may be harder to identify than one might expect. Professed beliefs and enacted beliefs are often at odds. [T]here is not always a direct relationship between beliefs and practices. Even though teachers may espouse student-centered technology beliefs, their practices many not necessarily follow those beliefs (Ottenbreit-Leftwich et al., 2010, p. 1322). In order for technological tools to impact the enacted beliefs of educators, teachers must be able to put those tools to use on a daily basis. Organizing day-to-day tasks. The simplest entry into the day-to-day worlds of teachers is by way of organizational tools. Teaching is an intricate profession filled with overlapping tasks and management systems. From taking attendance and creating seating charts to lesson planning and grading, teachers are required to organize a vast amount of information. Already teachers value computer programs and school-mandated systems to organize their work. Many other systems are also available for lesson planning, collaboration, and organization. For example, PBWorks (Industrial Toys, 2014), an online team collaboration program, equips users to create webpages, link resources, and add comments to the work of others. Programs like Trello (Fog Creek Software, 2000), offer both website and mobile application uses so that users can update their work in real time. Zotero (Takats, Stillman, Kornblith, & Cheslack-Postava, 2014) and other citation programs allow users to store documents, citations, videos, and other resources in a synchronized online environment with access online, through a desktop program, and on mobile devices either in isolation or with collaborators. These tools and an endless list others can empower educators to find organizational systems that are immediately applicable to their own classrooms, research endeavors, and collaborations. By establishing value in this way, educators can begin to incorporate emerging technologies into their everyday lives. Sharing the lived experience. It is also important to note that teachers do not operate in a vacuum. Classroom teachers are accountable to subject or grade level teams, school administrators, district personnel, state assessments, and national standards. As such, it is essential that educators share their experiences with others, offering expertise to and seeking help from colleagues through collaboration, lesson study, teacher research, and self-study (Hamilton, 1998; Loughran & Northfield, 1998; Loughran, 2006; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). Though team meetings, faculty meetings, and in-person mentoring and lesson study offer opportunities to share information and experiences, technology offers additional means of communication. Synchronous and asynchronous communication online and through mobile applications offer educators a way to reach out in several innovative ways. Synchronous focus groups can be formed to include educators from disparate geographic locations (OConnor & Madge, 2003). Asynchronous message boards and forums offer educators a way to ask questions or provide aid to others who are not necessarily within their immediate community. The online environment also afford users anonymity to discuss frustrating, painful, or sensitive topics that might otherwise go unexplored (James & Busher, 2009; Robinson, 2001; Salmons, 2010; Shields, 2003). In addition to online resources, mobile applications are becoming more readily available to facilitate capturing and sharing experiences in real time (e.g., Merlien Institute, 2014). Rather than waiting until the end of the day, users can quickly login and jot down a few notes with journaling websites with accompanying applications like Penzu.com (Penzu Inc, 2014). Mobile applications for iPhone, iPad, and Droid devices such as QualBoard (20/20 Research, Inc., 2014), MyInsights (Mobile Market Research, 2014), and Ethos (Ethos, 2014) allow users to capture text, video, and pictures in real time. With these applications, qualitative researchers can also gather participants to study particular classroom phenomena for educators throughout large geographic areas. Ready access to the experiences of educators across the country and around the world can have an impact on the day-to-day lives of classroom teachers and teacher educators. Educators sharing their experiences with one another in real and immediate ways will certainly have an immediate impact upon educational research as well through action research (Chapman, 2012; Pajares, 1992; Philipp, 2007), lesson study (Brodie, 2010; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999), and self- study (Koch & Suurtamm, 2012; Loughran & Northfield, 1998; Russell & Loughran, 2008). As they experience the benefits of technology in their own lives, educators will begin to assign value to emerging technologies. Supporting educators in using such tools can empower them to experiment with new programs and incorporate technology into their classrooms and research studies. As teacher educators, then we must dedicate ourselves to encouraging the ongoing use of technology in the classroom. Meeting the Needs of Students The current educational climate calls for educators to attend to the needs of students in new and innovative ways. Differentiated, inquiry-based instruction challenges the ideas of equity and equality in the classroom and empowers students to step outside the restrictions of lecture and practice and construct knowledge for themselves (Becker et al., 2013; Brodie, 2010; Elrod & Strayer, under review; Institutes on Academic Diversity, 2009). Culturally responsive teaching requires teachers to go beyond the bounds of equity to appreciate and include students cultural backgrounds and experiences (Ladon-Billings, 2014). Embedded assessments encourage teachers to use formative assessment as a part of instruction to inform teaching and learning (Anderson, Zuiker, Taasoobshirazi, & Hickey, 2007; Clark, 2008; Guskey, 2003). All of these reform initiatives can be supported by technological innovations. Differentiated, inquiry-based instruction. Inquiry-based instruction (sometimes called standards-based instruction or problem-based learning) can be aided by games and tasks that are designed to allow students to make decisions, exercise reasoning and sense-making, and draw conclusions independent of standardized rules and procedures. These tasks become differentiated when they include multiple entry points for students of various ability levels, needs, and interests. The online world offers educators a wide variety of such tasks and games. For example, I designed a task using Second Life (Linden Research, Inc., 2014) that requires students to explore various geometric theories and produce a geometric work that uses one of those theories. By allowing students the freedom to explore and providing them with a wide variety of difficulty levels, the task is both inquiry-based and differentiated. Culturally responsive teaching. Beyond a specific application or program, the online environment offers students the opportunity to be global citizens, providing access to cultures across the country and around the world. Websites dedicated to service learning and cultural responsiveness, like Teaching Tolerance (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2014), provide teachers with resources for use in the classroom. Other sites, like YouTube (YouTube, LLC, 2014) and Teacher Tube (Teacher Tube, 2014) provide a myriad of videos that grant students access to disparate cultural perspectives. Still other sites connect students directly to other cultures around the world (e.g., PenPal World, Inc., 1998) Embedded assessment. Rather than relying only on summative tests and quizzes to demonstrate student learning, embedded assessments make use of instructional tasks, discourse, and activities to assess students and inform instruction (Anderson et al., 2007; Clark, 2008; Wiggins & McTighe, 2005; William, 2007). Technology can aid this process by taking discourse online and supplementing it with pictures, videos, and other artifacts that allow classroom teachers to gather data about student knowledge while driving learning forward. Applications and programs like those described previously can allow students (as well as educators) to collaborate with one another while offering teachers new insights into students understanding (e.g., 20/20 Research, Inc., 2014; Fog Creek Software, 2000; Takats et al., 2014). Recommendations for Supporting Educators in the Use of Technology It is not enough, however, to simply expose educators to instructional technology. Teachers and teacher educators alike must be supported in their exploration and use of any new tool (Hiebert & Morris, 2009; Loughran, 2006; Pajares, 1992; Philipp, 2007). Much like the need to allow students to struggle with problem solving through inquiry-based instruction, teachers must also be allowed to struggle with new technologies, exploring their uses and relevancy for everyday life. Teachers, then, must receive careful introduction to technology as well as ongoing support. Initial Use Recently, I interviewed a middle school teacher whose school had issued an iPad to every student and faculty member several years ago (Susan**, 2014). The iPads were to be used during instruction, but other than an initial training session in the weeks preceding the fall semester (that was not mandatory), teachers received no support as to their implementation in the classroom. After three years, her class used the iPads for note taking, organizing files and pictures, and accessing the electronic version of the textbook. Though she had taken advantage of a few online resources, she said that she simply did not have time to research uses for the iPads in her classroom without neglecting the scope and sequence already established by the district. Susans experience could have been aided by a greater level of comfort with the iPad for everyday use. Educators who are unfamiliar with the technology thrust upon them will not be effective in implementing that technology and may have a great deal of resistance in doing so. Professional developers need to be sensitive to this issue. First engaging teachers in a voluntary capacity for the use of technology will improve the rate of implementation and empower teachers to explore and utilize these tools in their classroom (Sowder, 2007). Change is difficult and often wrought with emotion and frustration. Developing a culture of change must be the first task of educators who wish to impact teaching and learning at the classroom level (Fullan, Cuttress, & Kilcher, 2005; Fullan, 2001). Ongoing Support Change in education is not a quick process. Educators seeking to implement technology must do so with a long eye, recognizing the steps and stages of change, including the inevitable implementation dip that occurs while teachers and students alike struggle with new ideas and structures (Fullan, 2002). It is not enough to schedule a PD Day and consider the job done. Educators require support throughout implementation and teacher educators would be wise to assess the progress of the implementation to move learning forward. Just like the embedded assessment in the classroom discussed above, professional developers must intentionally create structures within the implementation process that will both support teachers in exploring technology and inform teacher educators about the progress of implementation. Indeed, some of the same tools would be useful in doing so. By using collaborative resources such as Trello (Fog Creek Software, 2000) or Zotero (Takats et al., 2014), teachers can share ideas and experiences with their peers while giving their trainers new perspectives on their understanding of technology. Ongoing training will also help to support teachers who are having difficulty with technology. With such a wide variety of resources, it is inevitable that teachers will have technical difficulties, trouble with lesson plan ideas, struggles with choosing an appropriate application or program, or even issues with safety and propriety. It is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss precisely the ways and means instructional technology tools should be assessed and vetted, but those structures should be in place to support the efforts of classroom teachers (e.g., Green, Hechter, Tysinger, & Chassereau, 2014). Long-term structures designed to support teachers during implementation will provide teachers with more immediate relief for frustrations and encourage them to persevere in exploring and using technology that may still be somewhat foreign to them. An ongoing connection with their trainers may also be pivotal in preventing teachers from giving up on these new ideas (James & Busher, 2009). Discussion and Conclusions When schools, districts, or states implement the use of technology in the classroom, they must do so with the understanding that teachers beliefs guide their actions in the classroom. Some teachers may embrace new instructional technologies, eager to lead the way into innovative tasks and assessments. Others, however, may be resistant and uncomfortable with the unknown. Research shows that steamrolling over the reluctant and mandating new initiatives is not the answer, however. Teachers whose beliefs do not encompass these initiatives will find contrived or shallow ways to incorporate technology into their established practices, stripping the new ideas of their power (Loughran, 2006; Ma & Singer-Gabella, 2011; Ottenbreit-Leftwich et al., 2010). Teachers must be able to see value in new instructional technologies and be able to use them easily. Carefully designed and implemented ongoing teacher education is needed to support teachers in using new tools. It is important to remember, too, that it is teachersnot toolsthat enact changes in education. It is true that technological advancements have the potential to positively impact teaching and learning in a myriad of ways. Without the actions of teachers, however, those tools cannot be implemented effectively in the classroom. Every teacher who earns certification is entrusted with the welfare and learning of our students. We must equip teachers to approach technology in a professional way and trust them to make instructional decisions that will benefit students. We must empower teachers to determine which tools are appropriate for their unique classrooms and support them in their efforts to do so.
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