Perspectives of Elementary Teachers Implementing Blended Learning While Participating in Virtual Coaching

As the use of blended learning in classrooms has increased across the United States, it is important to provide differentiated professional development and support to educators. As a technology-enabled form of professional development, virtual coaching connects teachers with experts in the field. However, the usefulness of individualized virtual coaching as a differentiated professional development support for elementary teachers implementing blended learning is not well understood. Using Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Magana’s T3 framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary teachers’ perspectives on the usefulness of individualized virtual coaching in supporting blended learning implementation and to determine how the level at which the teachers used technology influenced their perspectives. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 K-5 teachers who participated in at least 1 year of virtual coaching for blended learning. Interview data were analyzed using a priori and emergent coding. Results indicated teachers at higher modes of cognitive processing and higher levels of technology innovation found virtual coaching useful for (a) the implementation of technology tools and strategies, (b) for shifting instructional practices for student impacts, and (c) for reflective practices for professional growth. This study contributes knowledge to the field of blended learning professional development and furthers understanding of virtual coaching as an innovative approach to professional learning. The findings may contribute to positive social change in that school districts can make informed professional development decisions that provide a convenient and flexible means for K-5 teachers to access expert support for blended learning implementation

Course Catalog, Summer 1973

Course Catalogs include available majors, course requirements, costs, pictures, a brief institution history, and more.https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/ua_kc_cc/1000/thumbnail.jp

Large-scale educational telecommunications systems for the US: An analysis of educational needs and technological opportunities

The needs to be served, the subsectors in which the system might be used, the technology employed, and the prospects for future utilization of an educational telecommunications delivery system are described and analyzed. Educational subsectors are analyzed with emphasis on the current status and trends within each subsector. Issues which affect future development, and prospects for future use of media, technology, and large-scale electronic delivery within each subsector are included. Information on technology utilization is presented. Educational telecommunications services are identified and grouped into categories: public television and radio, instructional television, computer aided instruction, computer resource sharing, and information resource sharing. Technology based services, their current utilization, and factors which affect future development are stressed. The role of communications satellites in providing these services is discussed. Efforts to analyze and estimate future utilization of large-scale educational telecommunications are summarized. Factors which affect future utilization are identified. Conclusions are presented

Examining the Effect of Utilizing 1:1 iPad Technology on Third Grade Reading Achievement: A Causal-Comparative Analyis

This quantitative causal-comparative study examined the effects of one-to-one (1:1) iPad instruction versus traditional instruction on urban third-grade students\u27 English Language Arts (ELA) achievement. The research is significant given the rising use of technology, like the 1:1 iPad initiative, to combat declining reading proficiency. It highlights the pivotal role of third-grade reading proficiency in future success, aligning with education policies and catering to modern learners. This study provides valuable insights for educators, administrators, and education stakeholders by elucidating the impact of technology on reading achievement. As one-to-one instruction gains prominence, understanding its influence on students\u27 reading performance is crucial due to its potential for improving achievement. The study encompassed 293 third-grade students from elementary schools in North Carolina\u27s Central Piedmont region, with 170 in non-iPad classrooms and 123 in iPad-equipped classrooms. The North Carolina End-of-Grade Reading Test (EOG RT) assessed reading achievement, with pre-and post-test scores derived from archival student data. Data analysis employed analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings indicate no significant difference in reading achievement between third-grade students using 1:1 iPad technology and those in traditional classrooms. Future research recommendations encompass longitudinal testing, broader geographical sampling, exploration of various subjects, examination of diverse student groups, and investigation into reading instruction methods, iPad usage time, and teacher-student attitudes. These avenues can deepen our comprehension of technology\u27s impact on student achievement

Advanced Technology for Engineering Education

This document contains the proceedings of the Workshop on Advanced Technology for Engineering Education, held at the Peninsula Graduate Engineering Center, Hampton, Virginia, February 24-25, 1998. The workshop was jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Computational Technology and NASA. Workshop attendees came from NASA, other government agencies, industry and universities. The objectives of the workshop were to assess the status of advanced technologies for engineering education and to explore the possibility of forming a consortium of interested individuals/universities for curriculum reform and development using advanced technologies. The presentations covered novel delivery systems and several implementations of new technologies for engineering education. Certain materials and products are identified in this publication in order to specify adequately the materials and products that were investigated in the research effort. In no case does such identification imply recommendation or endorsement of products by NASA, nor does it imply that the materials and products are the only ones or the best ones available for this purpose. In many cases equivalent materials and products are available and would probably produce equivalent results

Training Model for Incorporating Interactive Whiteboards Into the K-12 Classroom

School divisions have been implementing interactive whiteboards, as well as other instructional technologies, in ever-increasing numbers with the intent to improve student performance. The benefits of these technologies have been hotly debated, with some researchers claiming that interactive whiteboards improve student achievement, while others claim that the technologies have no effect on student progress. Other researchers concluded that interactive whiteboards are tools which can improve student achievement only if they are used effectively. Research has further suggested that teachers need high quality professional development that incorporates both formal and informal elements to assist teachers incorporate interactive whiteboards into the K-12 classroom. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for providing effective professional development for teachers for incorporating interactive whiteboards, into the K-12 classroom. Three research objectives guided this study: (1) identify best practices for providing teacher professional development that incorporates formal training, (2) identify best practices for providing teacher professional development that incorporates informal training, and (3) integrate best practices for professional development into a model for incorporating interactive whiteboards, into the -12 classroom. Data for this study were collected from a review of literature to identify best practices to create a draft model of professional development and from a survey of Virginia Society for Technology in Education members who serve as instructional technology resource teachers to refine the proposed model. Forty instructional technology resource teachers completed the survey. Closed form questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Open-form questions were analyzed and coded to identify themes. The findings of this study suggested that professional development for incorporating interactive whiteboards and other instructional technologies should be carefully planned prior to implementation and should utilize both formal and informal methods. Best practices dictated that professional development should be sustained, ongoing, hands-on, job-embedded, scaffolded, individualized, differentiated by technology skill level of participants, differentiated by subject/grade level, and evaluated routinely using a variety of methods. The study determined that the professional development should conform to theories of adult learning by providing choices and relevancy, include troubleshooting tips, foster awareness of the many features of the interactive whiteboards, go beyond technological fluency but also focus on pedagogy and lesson planning, be validated through portable credentials, have administrative buy-in, provide time for reflection and practice, reflect budget constraints, provide options to overcome barriers to engaging in professional development, and identify ways to motivate learners

Factors relating to the acquisition of computer literacy and computer science skills in California high schools

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that related to the acquisition of computer skills in California high schools. Procedures. The first part of the study was examination of data from a sample of 63 California schools: scores from computer skills tests, achievement tests, and other pertinent information. The second part was an in-depth study of four schools taken from the sample of 63 schools with high or low scores on computer skills tests. Case study methodology was used with the sample of the two high scoring and two low scoring schools to examine other factors that may have contributed to the differences in scores. Findings. Significant statistical relationships were found between the high scores on computer skills tests and parents\u27 educational attainment. High percentages of recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) showed a negative correlation with the test scores. Significant statistical relationships were also found between scores on reading and math tests and computer skills tests. The case studies revealed differential access to computers based on ability, and a lack of integration of computer skills into the curriculum in the low scoring schools. The importance of teacher training, and the commitment of school and community to computer programs with high quality hardware and software were important factors in schools with high computer skills scores. Recommendations. (1) Districts desiring to implement successful comprehensive computer programs should secure involvement of, and commitment from all aspects of the school and the community. (2) Administrators of programs should utilize additional resources in computer classes for those who have low reading and math scores. (3) Districts need to be wary of the relationship between sources of funding for computer programs and their classroom utilization, as this study indicates that categorical funding tends to result in narrow categorical use. (4) A recommendation for further study is the extent to which there is a division among the school districts of the state into have and have-not districts with regards to access to computer literacy courses for all students. Such a division, if it exists, might be of interest to the legislature as a matter of State Policy

Digital Teaching and Learning: Technology-Empowered Pedagogy in American Education

This research involved a collected case study of use of technology and digital tools by practitioners in an upper-Midwest, American, education cooperative in the areas identified by International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). This included the knowledge and skills to: (1) facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity, (2) design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments, (3) model digital age work and learning, (4) promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility, and (5) engage in professional growth and leadership (ISTE, 2014). Exemplars for technology-based pedagogy are described in relation to the ISTE framework and an appendix included for application to practice. Analysis results indicated technology use across all standards and in the format of substitution, augmentation, modification and transformation of teaching. Emergent themes included teacher choice and redefining possibilities through access to devices and technology-rich learning experiences

Expanding evidence approaches for learning in a digital world

Executive Summary: Relatively low-cost digital technology is ubiquitous in daily life and work. The Web is a vast source of information, communication, and connection opportunities available to anyone with Internet access. Most professionals and many students have a mobile device in their pocket with more computing power than early supercomputers. These technological advances hold great potential for improving educational outcomes, but by themselves hardware and networks will not improve learning. Decades of research show that high-quality learning resources and sound implementations are needed as well.The learning sciences have found that today’s technologies offer powerful capabilities for creating high-quality learning resources, such as capabilities for visualization, simulation, games, interactivity, intelligent tutoring, collaboration, assessment, and feedback. Further, digital learning resources enable rapid cycles of iterative improvement, and improvements to resources can be instantly distributed over the Internet. In addition, digital technologies are attracting exciting new talent, both from other industries and from the teacher workforce itself, into the production of digital learning resources. Yet even with so many reasons to expect dramatic progress, something more—better use of evidence— is needed to support the creation, implementation, and continuous enhancement of high-quality learning resources in ways that improve student outcomes