Description
The purpose of this project was to research the effects of a professional development intervention designed to build local capacity for technology integration among teachers at the school level. This was done by providing focused face-to face and online training to twelve teachers referred to as the Technology Core Teacher (TCT) group. This project utilized the theoretical framework of social learning and communities of practice to provide an environment of ongoing support for technology integration. The findings addressed four areas: the TCT teachers' practice, their technology skill levels, the use of the online collaboration tools utilized for collaboration and virtual synchronous meetings, and whether the TCT teachers demonstrated signs of being a self sustainable community of practice. The findings demonstrate that the intervention had an influence on the participating teachers' practice and influenced the practice of other teachers as well. TCT teachers increased their skills when applying new learning with their students. TCT teachers used online collaboration tools minimally for communication, and synchronous meeting tools presented some difficulties. TCT teachers showed signs that they may be a sustainable Community of Practice. Although teachers reported that their technology skills increased, a pre-post survey of skills based on the ISTE NETS-T Assessment yielded lower confidence scores after the intervention. A follow up survey designed to explain these results indicated that teachers rated their skill set lower in light of more knowledge, indicating a possible paradox in self reporting of skills prior to awareness of technology based learning possibilities.
Details
Title
- The Technology Core Teacher community: considerations for a community approach to professional development and technology integration
Contributors
- Morgenthal, Mary Julia (Author)
- Puckett, Kathleen (Thesis advisor)
- Foulger, Teresa (Committee member)
- Bengochea, Taime (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2011
Subjects
- Education, Technology
- Community Of Practice
- Education
- Educational technology
- Professional Development
- Technology
- Educational technology--Study and teaching--Arizona--Phoenix--Case studies.
- Educational technology
- Teachers--In-service training--Arizona--Phoenix--Case studies.
- Teachers
- Communities of practice--Arizona--Phoenix--Case studies.
- Communities of practice
- Professional learning communities--Arizona--Phoenix--Case studies.
- Professional learning communities
Resource Type
Collections this item is in
Note
- thesisPartial requirement for: Ed. D., Arizona State University, 2011
- bibliographyIncludes bibliographical references (p. 79-84)
- Field of study: Educational administration and supervision
Citation and reuse
Statement of Responsibility
by Julie Morgenthal