Sunday, June 14, 2009

An emerging question:

There are many well-researched and recognized barriers for technology integration in any given classroom today. Recently there has been an effort to diminish some of these barriers. Given my comfort and experience with technology as a teacher and learning leader I have a particular perspective and interest in this. So my foundational and ongoing emergent research question that guides this interest is,
What may be learned and then understood when teachers in technology rich classrooms are brought together within a hermeneutic dialogue to converse about how and why they use inquiry and integrate technology to support curriculum, learning and teaching in their classrooms?


A collection of other questions:
• What can we learn from classroom teachers as they integrate technology in the emergent 21st century classroom today?
• What stories can be shared and is there a potential for transformation learning?
• What is happening in a technology rich classroom environment that focuses on a playful notion of Inquiry and need based learning?
• What happens when we think of technology less like a tool and more of a place for exploration?
• What is it that these teachers feel they need in order to meet the diverse needs of their students today?
• How and where do they find the support they need to bring to their students this new technology?
• What frustrations do they have?

7 comments:

  1. These look like great questions. Given that the teachers with whom you will converse must have overcome some barriers, would some other question be something like."What has encouraged you to follow this path and persevere through barriers you have encountered? Why is it worth pursuing? What can the technolgy you currently use offer that other media cannot? What are some assumptions about students that you are making concerning your image of 21st century learners? What new biases are being introduced into this paragigm of schooling?To what extent have you encountered students that call into question those assumptions?

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  2. ... hmmm ... using inquiry might be an instructional strategy and integrating technology might be an approach / tool to support inquiry ... but what is the overarching question? Might we assume that if the classroom is technology rich that it is probably really 21st century resource rich ... media of all types, books, images, manipulatives, etc, etc.

    So might the question be expanded to thik about how teachers, with a smorgesboard of richness to chose from, integrate any or all of it into their teaching and learning - and how do these riches enhance the learning environment. Maybe I have been so many classrooms recently with teachers who have so little that I wonder how all this fits!

    Teachers in developing context are wrestling to embrace inquiry ... so what does a richness add?

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  3. ... a bit more ... if we want to move beyond technology as a focus ... might a general sense of the impact of a media rich classroom on teaching and learning be of interest, especially as the CBE moved to personalized learning ...

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  4. Nancy. So many questions....

    I say find a question that you are really intrigued by and start probing there. For example you ask "What happens when we think of technology less like a tool and more of a place for exploration?" - what an exciting question. It requires a whole new reevaluation of schooling doesn't it? If you pick this kind of a question, you look ahead, your role becomes one of a pioneer, you would pave the road to understanding the potential of technologies to change education. Would you like to assume his role? Another option is to look at what is happening now, more of a journalist role, telling the world what is happening, identify difficulties and hope.

    I say - start by defining what would you like to pick as a role, what would your contribution bring to the world.

    Another thing - I think this blog is a great idea.

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  5. A significant support to teachers for inquiry based learning is the 21st century school library learning commons perspective - supporting traditional and emerging interactions with technology to promote student interaction and collaboration with knowledge - inquiry, creation, expression of and communication of new knowledge. Judy

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  6. Judy's comment is interesting ... further along the lines of the selection of school richness ... might also be intersting to understand how teacher make their choices ... smetimes the mst obvious issue makes the most interesting question ...

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  7. I am really enjoying this. I feel very surrounded with support. This is what I mean by interactive thinking. I am going to wait a few more days to start commenting because I know that a few people have reports due very soon and will be commenting later.

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