Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Susanne Flannelly
Committee Member
Soledad Arguelles
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
adequate yearly progress (AYP), administrative purposes, anxiety, chats, classrooom technology, classroom learning, collaboration, discussion groups, educational technology, e-mail, elementary schools, equipment failures, InTech teachers, instant messaging, instructional support, online chat, online collaborations, peer mentoring, professional development, school vision, teacher anxiety, teacher collaboration, technical support, technology equipment, technology integration, technology resources, technology training, training modules, work day
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to encourage technology-trained (InTech) teachers to use technology resources that were available to them in an elementary school. Though technology resources were located in all classrooms and in common areas, InTech teachers were not utilizing the resources to enhance learning in the classroom or for administrative purposes.
The writer used hands-on, technology training modules, in a face-to-face setting, to train InTech teachers how to use the available technology equipment and software. Ongoing support was provided via electronic collaborations, including instant messaging, discussion groups, online chat, and e-mail. The flow of information occurred student-tostudent, student-to-teacher, student-to-class, teacher-to-student, and teacher-to-class. Peer teacher technology mentors were also utilized to provide support to InTech teachers during and after training.
An analysis of the data revealed that there was an increase in the number of participants who could operate technology equipment. It was determined that teachers were still not using the technology resources available to them because they were experiencing anxiety towards expectations for meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and because of external variables beyond the writer's control - time and equipment failures. Consequently, online collaborations - instant messaging, e-mail, discussion groups, and chats - served to help decrease teacher anxiety by providing the teacher with ongoing technical and instructional help throughout the work day. Accordingly, as long as technology is not a part of the school vision, teachers will not have a compelling reason to use the technology that is available.