Trajectories of Learning: Adult Professional Development Living and Learning With Digital Media

• In Event: Research on Digital Media, Games, and Simulations in Teacher Education

Abstract

Purpose
While many recognize the potential of digital media for learning (Collins & Halverson, 2009; McGonigal, 2011; Dikkers, Martin, & Coulter, 2012) any large scale adoption will require a teacher workforce that is disposed to, understands, and practically is equipped to integrate digital media into learning environments - be they traditional or innovative. What does professional learning around digital media look like and what resources are perceived as the most relevant for adult growth by teachers recognized for expert practices? This study seeks out emergent professional practices, among award winning teachers, that have potential for next-generation professional development programming that complements effective practice.

Theoretical framework & Methods
Current conversation assumes a ‘top-down’ approach to preparing teachers for new practices (Desimone, 2011; Borko, 2004), yet research on the use of digital media, among youth, implies informal, social, and online resources fueling progressively involved, bottom-up, use patterns (Ito, 2009). As many digital media resources and tools are relatively new resources, this research uses a modified life-narrative approach (McAdams, 2011) toward an understanding of how purposefully sampled expert teachers perceive they integrate digital media for their own learning and for use in the classroom.

Data
Participants were selected based on public and national recognition as an innovative teachers in 2011. All recipients of the Teacher of the Year, ING Innovator, National Writing Project, and Presidential awards were invited and thirty-nine volunteered to interview for up to an hour. Interviewees expressed professional strategies for learning, events, and technologies that facilitated learning as part of their life-narrative toward their award winning practices. Interview data was transcribed, shared with participants for validation of their narratives, and reviewed in two phases of data analysis to ‘discover’ and then ‘justify’ themes across case-narratives (McAdams, 2011; Creswell, 2007) toward a rich description of practices. In the larger paper, specific narratives were selected to represent larger findings.

Findings
Findings include interesting patterns found in the narrative accounts. An unexpected number of expert teachers reported that their training was often informal or they found alternative paths to licensure; that any innovative practice included administrative support and observation of student engagement; and they reported key assets in their own professional growth including collaboration with students, online affinity communities (both interest based and professional), digital gaming, online networks, and their own trial and error experiences in and out of the classroom. Participants believed that anyone can do what they did if they take advantage of the tools that they found, and were patient.

Significance
This research shows that adult learning around digital media aligns well with research showing youth patterns of ‘hanging out, messing around, and geeking out’ found in Ito’s research (2009). Adult learners found themselves getting ideas from hobbies, games, and online communities that they spent informal times. Professional development programs need to explore further how these assets are being used by the general population of teachers, and in teacher training programs, and if they should be part of formal programming for adult learning.

Author

• Seann Mason Dikkers, Ohio University - Athens