TitleTitle

NameS475

Harvard Graduate School of Education

NameS475

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Purpose

• To document how Nationally Board Certified teachers use technology when teaching in a 1-to-1 wireless laptop environment

Themes of Literature Review

• 1-to-1 provides unprecedented access to vast resources (Hill & Reeves, 2004; Lowther, Wilson-Relyea, & Wang, 2003)

• Patterns of potentially transformative classroom uses of 1-to-1 (Baker, Gearhart, & Herman, 1993; Sandholtz, Ringstaff, & Dwyer, 1997)

• 1-to-1 presents unique teaching challenges (Kerr, Pane, & Barney, 2003; Zucker & McGhee, 2005)

• Currently our knowledge of effective 1-to-1 teaching is limited (Lemke & Martin, 2003; Penuel, 2005; Zucker, 2004)

Significance

• “A simple but important contribution to the research literature would be to document, at different grade levels and in different subjects, what expert teachers who use technology effectively have their students do with the technology across a semester or year” (Zucker, 2004, p. 9).

• My dissertation begins to fill this need.

Research Questions

1.How are NBC teachers using laptops for instruction in a 1-to-1 wireless environment?

2.From the teachers’ perspective, what is the added value of 1-to-1 laptops for enhancing effective learning environment attributes?

3.What facilitates or hinders teaching in a 1-to-1 wireless environment according to the teachers?

4.From the teachers’ perspective, what conditions are necessary for effective implementation?

Methodology

• Qualitative descriptive case study

• Formal & informal interviews, structured observations, & site documents

• Four 7th & 8th grade LA, math, & science teachers

• Within case and cross case analyses noting developing patterns & making assertions

Teachers

•Veteran teachers with 14, 14, 18, 20 years

•Track record of SOL & technology success

•Handpicked by the school principal

•3 out of 4 NBCT

Teachers in a 1-to-1 wireless laptop environment primarily use the laptops for online research used in conjunction with

productivity tools and guided drill & practice exercises.

Assertion #1(Findings):

NOTE: Findings are sometimes called assertions within qualitative research.

The only time that I deviate from that (online research & productivity tools) are the online SOL practice tests that I use for

my 8th graders (Summer Interview 12/12/05).

NOTE: Use data such as representative quotations and observation field notes to support your findings/assertions.

Online Research

The accountability press that accompanies the Standards of Learning (SOL) system is

limiting the range of laptop use and the time with which teachers have to explore

innovative uses.

Assertion #2:

Accountability Press This hallway shares, but we find ourselves sharing the same kinds of things (online research, productivity tools) and in all honesty it doesn’t have to do with the

technology, it has to do with the pressures of the state, and the pressures of SOLS, and

AYP and benchmarks. It really has to do with that…They (SOLs) are pushing out innovative

teaching period (Summer Interview 12/12/05).

Accountability Press

Idealistically, I always want to pass on a love of literature, SOLs have basically mugged me

of that ideal, because we just can’t pass on the love of literature. We have to pass on all

of these very specific skills (Summer Interview 12/12/05).

Assertion #3:

etc....

NOTE: The number of assertions will depend upon your research.

Assertions/findings are in essence the answers to your research questions. I included two from my dissertation to give you an idea of how to word them and support them with data points.

Significance

• Provides a rich description of 1-to-1 classroom use to inform policy & practice

• Adds to and extends the effective learning environment attributes framework

• Contributes to the growing field of 1-to-1 research

Implications• Potential to change assessment to a more

transparent and ongoing process

• Potential to create virtual global communities of students & teachers

• Potential to shift the main content delivery to multi-sensory games

• Researchers need to document the range 1-to-1 uses under varying conditions to learn what work best in a 1-to-1 student to networked laptop classroom setting

Question & AnswerQuestion & Answer