RES 5040: Teacher as Researcher (spring 09)

Your project connects with mine in a way. I am also bewildered when teachers don't see how the cool technology is going to change the way they teach and how their students learn. Teachers are more open to integration just after a staff development session. I think the biggest problem in our county is that we do not have someone to go into the classroom and model if for the teachers. I know when I was in the classroom, I would have loved for someone to co-teach with me what I learned in a staff development session. Maybe this is what it will take to integrate. Good luck.
Jill

Your focus seems great--why aren't teachers making better use of available technology? I have to hold myself back from answering that question because I've got a lot to say about the issue based upon five years of teaching and NOT being a tech person, but it's not my answer to the question that you need.

Re: the setting: What role does IMPACT play in the school culture? How is the media/technology program staffed? For a school of about 400, IMPACT recommends 1 full time media coordinator, 1 full time technology facilitator, a 1/2 time media assistant, and a 1/2 time technology assistant. What does the technology team at your setting look like?

Are you using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model to facilitate change or something else?

Your question is about teacher motivation to implement technology, but I think your focus involves a lot more than motivation.

I'm curious to see where your project will go.

It is wonderful that you are willing to collaborate with the teachers about the new technologies. That doesn't take place in all schools. I can see where teachers can get overwhelmed with it all and decide it's too much trouble. It just depends on the ditigal native vs. ditigal immigrant theory. I am curious to see what the teachers have to say.

Great idea. Do you see more older teachers who are afriad of the technology starting to try it? I know in our school, there are a few seasoned vets who are beginning to lose some of the fear and begining to explore some of the things that are available involving technology. I have heard you say before they are often uninterested because they are ther to get hours or they were forced to attend. I look forward to seeing if you can spark their interest in technology like you have many of us on Saturday.

Of course I like it because it sounds a lot like our original topic...I am curious about two elements. How are you going to define what you consider technology integration? I find some teachers that think they are using technology all of the time, but they aren't integrating it. So in interviewing teachers, it is going to be tricky not to impose your own definition on that term when they may have a lot of pride in using it as much as they do. And secondly, what is the biggest factor? That was going to be my real interest on my old staff develoment question. Daniel is making mention of the lack of support personnel and processes and I am sure those are factors. Though I expect to hear access is an issue, I know that is being solved at a rapid rate recently. I wonder what the point of view of most teachers really is. I think you will pull away from your focus on motivation as you see what people's response are to your line of questions, but I wonder how many are going to really relate it to anything more than attitude and it personal relevance.

I'm curious to see why there is not more technology integration in your school. With all the technology at their fingertips, why aren't they taking advantage of it? I can think of a few "excuses" that several teachers will come up with, but I'm interested to see your official findings.

I am curious to see what your findings are. Since I don't work in a school, I am unfamiliar with smartboards and those cool projectors that took the place of older stuff. I thought it was cool that we moved from the chalkboard to the projector thing that they wrote on with dry erase markers. I personally can't wait to learn about these new techno toys and be able to teach how to use them. I wonder if the reason they are not being used goes back to lack of knowledge on 1) how to use them and 2) how is it better than what I am doing already? You know the don't fix what ain't broke mentality. Good luck with that.

Jason,

I think Kyle touched on a huge issue....What does true integration look like? I see it all the time at our school teachers using technology but not really integrating it.

I can't wait to see what your teacher interviews reveal....Will they be completely honest?

I think it is great idea, goes well with our other class....

Jason,
Your research question is solid to get you started. I think you should drop "factors" and just leave it as "What motivates..." or even more simple "Why do teachers implement...."
I see the point of some of the feedback about defining implementing or integrating. I would rather you not define that right away, but let your participants talk about it and let *THEM* define it. It may actually be very, very interesting to see if there is an incommon use of the term, or not!
Also, save the larger survey for another study. While I"m not opposed to quantifiable data, it would take too long to pilot the survey to make it valid and then administer it and then analyze it. Let's keep things small for starters.