Self-directed teacher inquiry in technology integration:

exploring the dynamics of synchronous and asynchronous

collaborative learning

Monica Batac

OISE/University of TorontoDean’s Graduate Student Research Conference

April 3, 2012

@monicabatac

#mtrp2012

What a complicated title.

I know...

Agenda

• My journey & inquiry

• Participants

• Findings

• Next Steps

My Journey

• Master of Teaching (OISE/UT); Preservicetraining, seminars, & research

• Dr. J Hewitt & Dr. K MacKinnon

• Elective in “Computers in the Curriculum”

• ISTE Conference; Philadelphia PA - June 26-29

INIISTE Inspiration

Telling the stories

David

George

Lisa

Mirrored theoretical framework

David

George

Lisa

TK

PK CK

TPACK (Mishra& Koehler 2006)

Shared beliefs and experiences

Authentic modeling of technology use for student & teacher learning

also means

Practice what you

Preach(at all levels)

“If you want to do Bring

Your Own Device, where

you get students to

bring their own devices,

do you bring your own

device? Because that’s

not an event. That’s a

culture you’re going to

have to develop. And

you have to be part of

that culture.” – David

“I carry around technology on my person… I just breathe it every day. I have the internet in my pocket and can connect with you, with the world, and learn. Any-time learning, 24/7.” - George

“Every week there’s something new out there. I have struggled to always want to buy something new. I have to go back and ask if it meets my [instructional] needs, or why am I changing my plan… I am always showing the kids my learning.” – Lisa

What does this look like?

“I got connected to people who I formed relationships with, who taught me things…

I met people who helped me be a better teacher.” - David

How?

“By getting tapped on the shoulder. From them being introduced… by learning very slowly but surely to become a networked professional. To surround myself with people I looked up to and learning with them, instead of learning by myself or only in my school.”

But, how did we meet?

“I really, really need the on-line professional learning community because that moves me forward in my thinking and learning. No one here knew [how to solve issues], so I was the only one in the school, in the whole town who was using the iPad [for learning] last year. I didn’t have anyone that I could really bounce ideas off of.

I met Lisa & David first on-line through Twitter, reading their blogs …

just-in-time,differentiated support;

for her needs

I needed that on-line community.” – Lisa

“There needs to be the face-to-face support, the on-line support, and you need to have communities.” - Lisa

Now, when we arrive, the conversations continue because we are all on[line] sharing… follow[ing each other’s] thinking… when we meet now, it’s just to pick up on our last tweet [Twitter] and go forward with our planning.”

Lisa’s context

“Two years ago, none of us [face-to-face colleagues] were on[line]. We were craving our face-to-face meetings. We’d get together & it’d just be talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. We wouldn’t actually accomplish as much in our meetings because we would have all these other questions to share and ask…

Shared beliefs and practices

• Build and maintain professional relationships with both face-to-face and on-line peers

• Different environments/networks

Self-directed inquiry & professional growth using

blended environments

What can we learn from their stories?

How can we support teachers’ learning (new and experienced alike) in

technology integration?

… comes back to my own inquiry

As researcher As practitioner

Various titles

• On-line and Offline Relationships:Exploring the dynamics of teacher learning for technology integration (OTF/OADE)

• Self-directed teacher inquiry in technology integration: Exploring the dynamics of synchronous and asynchronous collaborative teacher learning (Dean’s Conference & Research Celebration)

Upcoming May presentations

• Toward a Sustainable Professional Development Model: Action Research and Teacher Inquiry (ConnectED Canada)

• Transforming Professional Development with Reflective Practice: Personalization Before Prescription – Panel Discussion (MaDLAT; l'Université de Saint-Boniface)

• Personalization Before Prescription: Exploring and examining on-line professional learning for K-12 teachers (4T Virtual Conference at the University of Michigan )

Collaboration; Applications at school, board & institutional levels

self & shared inquiry

connectingmentoring sharing knowledge

@monicabatacmonica@monicabatac.com

technology integration

professional learning & growth