Action Research Leads to Teacher Initiated Changes in ICT integration
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This document summarizes an action research study conducted by a group of 9 teachers at Lower Canada College exploring technology integration. Through journals, observations, meetings and questionnaires, the teachers found that action research helped shift their approach to technology from controlling to letting go and transforming practice. It also fostered a sense of community as they learned from each other. As a result of their technological initiatives, the teachers were better able to achieve differentiated learning and teach new digital literacy skills to students such as information, media and ICT literacy. Overall, the action research process helped establish an ICT professional learning community that supported trying new approaches and questioning existing practices.
Action Research Leads to Teacher Initiated Changes in ICT integration
- 1. Action Research Leads to Teacher-Initiated Changes Nathalie Lemelin & Rachel Gendron Lower Canada College
- 2. Overview Who we are Objectives of the study Theoretical framework Our research questions Results
- 3. Who we are A group of highly motivated teachers & administrators sharing a common vision 9 teachers (+1 on leave) Junior, Middle and Senior School French, English, Geography, Biology, Media Studies 3 to 25 years teaching experience 25 and 50 years of age Year three of a three-year initiative
- 4. Objectives of the Study Reflect, analyse and assess our use and integration of ICT across the curriculum. Achieve something new in terms of ICT integration. Take PD in our own hands
- 5. Theoretical Framework Adopt and Adapt (Prensky, 2007) Dabbling Doing old things in old ways Doing old things in new ways Doing new things in new ways Incremental vs. fundamental change (Einhorn, 2009) Sustain Supplement Subvert and transform
- 6. Why action research? Research by teachers which represents a distinctive way of knowing about teaching and learning. Professional, Personal, Political (Noffke, 2009) Practical and collaborative process Engaged practitioners in examining their knowledge = PAR
- 8. Research Questions What constitutes technology integration in our school? How can action research be used as a tool for professional development in our school? How do our technological initiatives help us achieve differentiated learning in our classrooms? To which end do we integrate technology into our curriculum? How do we teach new literacy skills?
- 9. Data Sources Journals Film Peer observation Meeting every 6 to 8 weeks Reflective questionnaires NING
- 10. Results Shift in ICT integration • letting go of control • skills A sense of community • COP vs. PLC • Peer coaching and mentoring • Web 2.O and NING • Staying current * Other Digital Literacy Skills positive gains • Information literacy • Media literacy • ICT literacy
- 11. Digital Literacy Skills Information Literacy: 1) Access information efficiently and effectively; 2) evaluate information critically; and 3) use information accurately Media Literacy: Teaching students how to best apply media resources available for learning and to create effective communication products
- 12. Digital Literacy Skills ICT Literacy: 1) Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information; and 2) Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the access and use of information technologies.
- 13. ICT Professional Learning Community Transform Subvert Sustain Trying out new things To change the way we Using technology in a letting go of control do things. safe comfortable and transforming one’s To question what we do manner and maintaining practice through and how we do it via successful initiative membership in the AR AR learning community
- 14. References Eihorn, S. “Are We Moving Too Slowly in Using Technology in Our Schools?”, CAIS Best Practice Conference, 2009 Hord, S.M., Sommer, W.A.. (2008) Leading Professional Learning Communities; Voices from research and practice. Thousand Oaks, Corwin Press Noffke, S. and Somekh, B. (2009) The SAGE Handbook of Educational Action Research. London, Sage Prensky, M. (2006) Adopt and Adapt; 21st-Century Schools need 21st Century Technology, Edutopia, Dec/Jan: 42-45 Trilling, B., Fadel,C. (2009) 21st Century Skills; Learning For Life In Our Times, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice; Learning, Meaning and Identity. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
- 15. Nathalie Lemelin - [email protected] Rachel Gendron - [email protected]