THE ‘MIRROR’ ICT USE IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

Teacher Professional Development for Tomorrow, Today, 2009Mary Hooker, Research Manager, GeSCI, Dublin

CHANGES DUE TO ICT USE

New technologies have been created as a consequence of scientific advance.

They cannot become autonomous or be understood in isolation from the broader and more powerful social, economic, and political contexts and dynamics (Apple, 1998; Bromley, 1998).

In view of that, as their educational use becomes assimilated, it also mirrors and to a certain degree influences contemporary socio-economic problems and prevailing educational conditions.

Drenoyianni, 2006

THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES For understanding the process of ICT

integration in Teacher Professional Development systems:

Teacher professional learning and development are social processes growing out of joint activity.

People are active agents but they work in sites that are not necessarily of their choosing with tools that constrain and afford their actions.

Teaching and learning systems are constantly subject to change and these changes are driven by contradictions and tensions which can lead to expansive learning (Cole and Russel 2002 cited in Hardman, 2008).

MIRROR 1 – STORY TELLING

Story telling in a conversational setting with its associations for risk-taking and permissiveness, ‘may be more likely to reveal uncomfortable experiences, ideas, issues and concerns… conditions (that) can increase the odds for productive learning’.

McDrury and Alterio (2002, cited in Haigh, 2005:12)

Process involves

•The collection of significant change (SC) stories from the practice level

•the systematic selection of the most significant of these stories by panels or working groups of stakeholders or staff

THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE’ (MSC) TECHNIQUE

TH

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NEL

‘Looking back over the last month, what do you think was the most significant change in your practice since using computers in your classroom?’

THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE’ (MSC) TECHNIQUE

TH

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‘From among all these significant change stories, what do you think was the most significant change of all?’

THE ‘MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE’ (MSC) TECHNIQUE

MIRROR 2 – THE CHANGE ENVIRONMENT

Past

Present

Future

CHANGE ENVIRONMENT...

’Mirror’of everyday

practice(Historical and

ongoing)

Activity systemframework

StakeholdersFacilitators

New solutions, new model for practice

Conceptual tools

Engestrom, 2003

The activity system

Subject

Object

Outcomesense,

meaning

Rules Community Division of labor

Instruments:tools and signs

ICT IMPLEMENTSICT SKILLSCHANGE LABCHANGE OF MINDSET

ICT INTERGRATION ACROSS THE CURRICILUM

TEACHER/ STUDENT MANAGEMENT

A. TIME TABLING (COMPUTER LABS)

B. TEACHING LOADS

C. OTHER COMPUTER REGULATIONS

D. POLICIES

MINISTRIAL AND SCHOOL LEVEL COORDINATION (CDNE, DEPT SEC, SMT).

PROVIDERS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL

PTA

POLICY MAKERS

MOE DEPARTMENTS e.g. TT&D AND DNFE

CITIZENS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF ICT LITERACY

Facilitating Expansive School Transformation Using ICT in the SADC Region: A Botswana Pilot Project

Nleya, 2009

FIV

E L

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ELS

OF P

RO

FES

SIO

NA

L D

EV

ELO

PM

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Does Teacher Professional Development in ICT make a difference?

Evaluation Level What is measured and assessed

1. Participants’ Reactions

Initial satisfaction with the experience

2. Participants’ Learning

New Knowledge and skills of participants

3. Organization Support & Change

The organization’s advocacy, support, accommodation, facilitation and recognition

4. Participants’ Use of New Knowledge and Skills

Degree and quality of implementation

5. Student Learning Outcomes

Student learning outcomes: Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor Guskey,

2002

GROUP TASK: 4 STORIES OF ICT IMPLEMENTATION IN PRACTICE

Mirror 2What ‘tensions’ do the stories reveal in educational practice?

Mirror 1Which story represents the ‘most significant’ change?

Teacher A?Teacher B?Teacher C?Student D?

MO

ST S

IGN

IFIC

AN

T C

HA

NG

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TO

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What about Teachers B and C?

Groups Teacher A

Teacher B

Teacher C

Pupil A

1 √

2 √ √

3 √ √

Total 2 0 0 3

STORIES SELECTED

Teacher B – in the ‘mainstream’ of ICT integration programmes in education systems

Teacher B, Object, Tools, Role, Rules, Community

Tools

Teacher B Object

Rules Community Roles

TEACHER B

RoleWhat is your role in the ICT programme?

My role in this programme I think is to... to help students and teachers to be in contact with Partner Programme – they have to learn something.

Tools - ICT

Teacher B

Role Liaise between school and

partner

TEACHER B

GoalWhat is the purpose of the programme?

I think that it is all about ICT, about computer and programmes, different programmes…

Tools ICT

Teacher B Object ICT Literacy

Role Liaise between school

and partner

TEACHER BRules

Do you collaborate with other teachers about how ICT can be used in teaching and learning?

For now no, the teacher has a lot of, many periods, 27, 28, we are not permitted to get time to discuss about it... The high priority for teachers is to prepare notes for what they have to teach their students in their subjects... And marking, that is what I think...

Tools ICT

Teacher B Object ICT Literacy

Rules Role School time-table Liaise between school and partner Curriculum National Examinations

TEACHER B

CommunityDo teachers ever communicate with teachers in other schools?

Not so much actually, not so much... But if we can discuss with the teachers, during our time, our free time, we can say, we can help each other

Tools - ICT

Teacher B Object ICT Literacy

Rules Community Role School time-table Teachers Liaise between school and

partner Curriculum Management National Examinations

REFERENCES Davies, R and Dart, J. 2007. The ‘Most Significant Change’ Technique [Online].

Available from: http://www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.pdf Drenoyianni, H. (2006). Reconsidering change and ICT: Perspectives of a human

and democratic education. Education and Information Technologies [Online]. 11(3), 401-413. Available from: Springlink http://www.library.dcu.ie/Eresources/databases-az.htm [Accessed 14 April 2009]

Engestrom, R. 2003. Change lab – a new perspective to teachers’ professional development [Online]. Available from WITFOR at: www.witfor.org.bw/doc/dr_ritva_education.ppt [Accessed 19 April 2009]

Guskey, T.R. 2002. Does it Make a Diference? Evaluating Professional Development Educational Leadership [Online]. Available from: Academic Search Premier http://www.library.dcu.ie/Eresources/databases-az.htm [Accessed 21 December 2008]

Haig, N. 2005. Everyday Conversation as a Context for Professional Learning and Development. International Journal for Academic Development [Online]. 10 (1), pp3-16. Available from: Academic Search Premier http://www.library.dcu.ie/Eresources/databases-az.htm [Accessed 21 December 2008]

Nleya, P. 2009. Facilitating Expansive School Transformation Using ICT in the SADC Region: A Botswana Pilot Project IN: Workshop on Perspectives for North/South Research for ICT in Education 21 April, 2009 [Online]. Available from GeSCI at: www.gesci.org [Accessed 27 April 2009]