Teaching With Mobile Devices in an Urban K–8 School District

• In Event: 26.080 - Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: 26.080-4 - The Current Landscape of Mobile Technology Integration in a Diverse County

Abstract

The integration of mobile devices in classrooms initiated through a district-wide request for proposals for ten teachers to receive an iPod cart for their classroom. The pool of teachers expanded to 38 with the addition of teachers who received school site sponsorship from their principal. The teachers who participated in this study were beginning their third year of utilizing devices. The purpose of this study was to identify teacher best practices and potential areas of focus for enhanced teacher professional development to support effective uses of mobile technology for student learning. The study was guided by the following research questions:

• What is the range of teacher practices in utilizing mobile devices?
• What types of professional development are needed in the district to support teachers in integrating mobile technology to prepare students for 21st century skills?

The Framework for 21st Century Learning provides a model for the learning outcomes and support systems needed to succeed in the information age. This framework alongside Puentedura (2006) Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model was utilized throughout the data analysis process to generate findings. During the 2012-2013 school year, researchers from the Mobile Technology Learning Center conducted multiple case studies of the teachers who utilized an iPod Touch as part of their classroom instruction. The multiple case studies were longitudinal with three observation phases, one in each of the fall, winter, and spring of the 2012-2013 academic year. In total, each teacher participant was interviewed four times during the study. Prior to beginning the case studies of the five teacher participants, two district administrators who served as instructional leaders of educational technology were interviewed. The purpose of these administrator interviews was to understand the district context for the iPod Touch integration and to learn the initial goals the district had for these devices. Through these interviews the district’s goals to increase student engagement, fluency, and comprehension became apparent. Three prominent findings emerged from the year-long qualitative study:

• Teacher practice was enhanced in concurrence with their integration of iPod Touches, but their pedagogy and the learning environment were not transformed.
• Teachers who were incorporating technology into their curriculum felt isolated and shared the need for professional development that provided protected and structured time for collaboration, differentiated instruction, and practical support surrounding their transition to Common Core.
• The learning experiences of both students and teachers were fragmented, deterring their use of devices and the ability of the devices to transform learning and teaching

Findings from this study aid districts to effectively integrate technology into the classroom environment. Year long case studies from classrooms and grade levels provide evidence of technology use, student engagement, teacher readiness and preparation, in addition to instances where professional support is valuable.

Author

• John J. Franey, University of San Diego