Network Communication-Network Communication-Supported Teacher Inservice Supported Teacher Inservice DevelopmentDevelopment

Mark Hawkes

Haomin Wang

Dakota State University

Network Communication

“The provision of learning opportunities to a geographically dispersed multidimensional target audience”

Gall and Fuchs, 1988

Evolution of Computer-Based Communication

Broadcast radio—the “one-to-many” model Cable and closed circuit televisionVideotapes and disc circulationBroadcast satellite—full-motion television Microwave band—transmitters and receivers with line of sight of each other Audiographics—combination of audio conferencing and usually graphic support

ARPANET to Internet

Interactivity Time Independence Place Independence Multi-Participant Capacity Communication Storage and Retrievability Text Orientation

Network Communication Supported Professional Development

Satisfies knowledge-based professional development needs:– Content area– Educational Policy– Professional Community

Promotes teacher collaborationFacilitated teacher critical reflection

* indicates significance at the .05 level on Z-tests for percentages.

Social ExchangesLogistics

Technology UseGeneral PBL Development

PBL Technology IntegrationReview Curriculum Implementation Events

Student AssessmentClassroom Roles

Compare/ContrastResource Sharing

Motivation/Encouragement

General

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Percent (%)

Face-to-Face

CMC

*

**

*

*

Categories of Teacher Messages

Percentage of Rater Observations at Each Reflective Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Reflective Level

0

10

20

30

40

50

Per

cent

(%

)

Face-to-Face CMC

Asynchronous & synchronous tools

Asynchronous Tools– BBS– Email – Listserv and Newsgroup

Synchronous Tools– Chat– Internet Telephony– Video Conferencing– Data conferencing

Asynchronous Tools

BBS– WebBoard– FrontPage built-in discussion board– Other tools – such as caucus.com

Listserv & newsgroup– Joining existing listserv– Setting up a listserv for yourself– Subscribing to newsgroups through your ISP– Free newsgroup services on the Web

WebBoard

Where to get it?How much does it cost?What’s required to run it?AdvantagesLimitationsInstructional implementation

Synchronous Tools

Text Chat -- IRC chat, Instant messengerInternet Audio/Video Conferencing – NetMeeting, CU-SeeMeInternet Data Conferencing -- Application program sharing, WhiteboardIntegrated Web Course Offering Tools – WebCT, FirstClass, Lotus NotesTeleconferencing through dedicated connection -- VTEL

Chat

ICQMS MessengerAOL Instant Messenger

Internet Conferencing

MS NetMeeting 3.0– Chat– Internet Telephony– Video conferencing– Program sharing– Whiteboard– File transfer

VTEL

What’s VTEL?– Capturing & encoding– Streaming & receiving– Computer and connection requirement

Three models– Personal desktop– Workgroup– Studio

Implementing Network Technology for Professional Development

Climate of Interaction—the extent to which teachers in the discourse feel comfortable taking risks in communicating their ideas

• Ensure the confidentiality of their contributions

• Make sure that criticism is constructive and offered in an amiable way

Implementing . . .

Moderator with limited facilitation role• Assists participants in gaining access to

conversational floor• Ensures technical topics do not dominate

discourse• Helps maintain discourse focus• Synthesizes contributions and points out how

reflective ideas were processes and how individual messages contributed to the reflective discourse

Implementing . . .

Discourse Focus• Immediately applicable to the classroom• For K-6 teachers: age-level focus• For 7-12 teachers: content area focus• Anchored in pedagogy, not technology

Implementing . . .

Participant Composition– Narrow participation--Homogeneous

grouping• Convergent tasking activities--curriculum

development, study group, study task force– Broad participation--Heterogeneous

grouping• Divergent tasking activities--brain storming,

anecdotal/experience sharing . . .

Implementing . . .

Access at home– Better/faster access at home– More time at home– Teachers do a good deal of their

professional work at home

Message Postings By Time of Day

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11am pm

0

5

10

15

20

Num

ber

of M

essa

ges

Week Day Weekend Reflective Messages

Implementing . . .

Teacher Skills Training– Screen for presence of appropriate prerequisite

skills– Provide training concurrent with reasonable

technology access– Provide technical assistance away from the

discourse forum either through e-mail or as a separate conference thread

– Provide pointers to helpful online documents (FAQs)