Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration?

Although the conditions for successful technology integration finally appear to be in place, including ready access to technology, increased training for teachers, and a favorable policy environment, high-level technology use is still surprisingly low. This suggests that additional barriers, specifically related to teachers' pedagogical beliefs, may be at work. Previous researchers have noted the influence of teachers' beliefs on classroom instruction specifically in math, reading, and science, yet little research has been done to establish a similar link to teachers' classroom uses of technology. In this article, I argue for the importance of such research and present a conceptual overview of teacher pedagogial beliefs as a vital first step. After defining and describing the nature of teacher beliefs, including how they are likely to impact teachers' classroom practice I describe important implications for teacher professional development and offer suggestions for future research.     

Teacher educators as gatekeepers: Preparing the next generation of teachers for technology integration in education

This study aims at investigating the profiles of teacher educators in order to explore their ability to prepare preservice teachers for technology integration in education. Specifically, the current study examines whether teacher educators can be grouped on the basis of their attitudes toward ICT (in education), their ICT self-efficacy to design ICT-rich learning environments, their competencies to use ICT in their teaching practice and the strategies they use to prepare preservice teachers for technology integration. These strategies are included in the SQD (Synthesis of Qualitative Data) model and comprise: (1) teacher educators as role models, (2) reflecting on the role of technology in education, (3) learning how to use technology by design, (4) collaboration with peers, (5) scaffolding authentic technology experiences and (6) providing continuous feedback. Data were collected from a sample of 284 teacher educators in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, and submitted to latent profile analysis. The added value of the current study lies in the account of how SQD strategies and a typical set of determinants of ICT integration can be associated within teacher educators’ profile. Based on the profiles emerging from this study, teacher training institutions should consider their teacher educators to be gatekeepers when preparing future generations of teachers for the learning environments of the twenty-first century. In the discussion section, the implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Handwriting evaluation for developmental dysgraphia: Process versus product

The act of writing presents difficulties for10–30% of elementary school children. Thisstudy's objectives were to compare theabilities of digitizer-based evaluation of thehandwriting process and conventional evaluationof the handwriting product to discriminatebetween children with proficient and dysgraphichandwriting. Copied and dictated writingsamples were collected from 3rd grade students,50 with proficient and 50 with dysgraphichandwriting. Results indicated that bothdigitizer-based and conventional evaluationsdifferentiated between children with proficientand dysgraphic handwriting, and that togetherthey provided an improved understanding ofwriting difficulties. Moreover, copying anddictated writing task results differed significantly.The results demonstrate theadvantages of combining both handwritingprocess and product testing, and utilizing bothcopying and dictation tasks, in order toachieve a more comprehensive understanding andsuperior evaluation of developmentaldysgraphia.     

Process and structure: Reorganizing the university for instructional technology

The university must be reorganized in order that the new instructional technologies be effectively utilized. The present organizational structure is based on the assumption that the critical dimension in teaching is subject matter expertise. However, teaching is the process of changing people. Not only is knowledge in this process required, but new organizational roles as well. The control of instruction by instructional experts will meet social and individual needs more adequately than they are met at present. One possible organizational arrangement for the coordination of instructional experts is suggested. The proposed reorganization would facilitate both the teaching and the research mission of the university.     

Reimagining the retention problem: Moving our thinking from end‐product to by‐product

Michael J. Siegel suggests an institutional focus on retention as a natural by‐product of student learning and success rather than an end in and of itself.     

Information and communication technology integration: Beyond the early adopters

Several ICT initiatives have failed to create systemic change in education. As outlined, a number of factors may account for this. For the potential of ICT to be widely realized beyond early adopting teachers, educators must be convinced that the resources enable them to do their jobs better and more efficiently. The major contributions of CITI and the Curriculum Navigator lie in their ability to provide strategies, resources, and planning functionality to achieve this goal.     

黄哲伦:文化身份的探求

种族和文化的冲突在当今世界仍然存在,并且有可能会愈演愈烈。与其他作家不同的是,黄哲伦在作品当中并未采用反对性的话语表现身份认同,而是采取探求的方式,结合中西文化,为华裔所面临的文化困惑提供了一个全新的认识角度,即文化身份是自由,流动的。     

Six elements for technology integration in multicultural classrooms

Abstract

Although the number of computers in American schools multiplies, educational inequity remains evident in the area of technology. The socio-economically disadvantaged, the physically disabled, and the culturally and linguistically different have limited knowledge of and experiences with technology. Equitable access to technology requires the infusion of effective multicultural teaching strategies into educational technology use. These strategies must be broad enough to be inclusive of diverse learners, yet specific enough to be valuable as a guide to multicultural teaching. Similarly, they should allow for individual creativity and personal differences in teaching and learning. In this paper, the author proposes and defines six elements for integrating technology in culturally diverse classrooms: cultural awareness, cultural relevance, culturally supportive environment, equitable access, instructional flexibility, and instructional integration. These six elements are based on research on effective teaching of diverse students. They are not exhaustive of good instructional practices for technology use with diverse learners. Nevertheless, the author found their application in the evaluation of 32 technology-integrated units both informative and effective in identifying how teachers integrated computers for diverse learners. The author recognizes the need for further validation of these criteria and for research on effective teacher use of technology in multicultural settings.     

Dilemmas in the quest for inclusion

In 1995, on the occasion of his 'retirement', Professor Klaus Wedell wrote a leading article for BJSE entitled 'Making inclusive education ordinary'. Last October, Professor Wedell, also known to BJSE's readers as the author of the regular 'Points from the SENCo-Forum' column, delivered the Gulliford Lecture at Birmingham University. Here he makes the text of his lecture accessible to a wider audience.
In this article, Professor Wedell places some of the ideas he discussed in 1995 in a contemporary context. He explores the systemic rigidities that create barriers to inclusion; he offers creative ideas for new ways to approach the challenges of inclusion; and he argues persuasively for much greater flexibility, at a range of levels, in order to facilitate change, development and innovation. Building on these themes, Professor Wedell summarises a series of implications for policy and practice. These concern teaching and learning; staffing and professional expertise; and grouping and locations for learning. In concluding his article, Professor Wedell calls on the Government to consider in more depth the issues that are raised by moves towards inclusion – particularly those issues that concern the individual learner in relation to the shared curriculum. This article will be of interest to anyone who recognises these and other tensions in the movement towards inclusion.     

Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change: Strategies for technology integration

Although teachers today recognize the importance of integrating technology into their curricula, efforts are often limited by both external (first-order) and internal (second-order) barriers. Traditionally, technology training, for both preservice and inservice teachers, has focused on helping teachers overcome first-order barriers (e.g., acquiring technical skills needed to operate a computer). More recently, training programs have incorporated pedagogical models of technology use as one means of addressing second-order barriers. However, little discussion has occurred that clarifies the relationship between these different types of barriers or that delineates effective strategies for addressing different barriers. If pre- and inservice teachers are to become effective users of technology, they will need practical strategies for dealing with the different types of barriers they will face. In this paper, I discuss the relationship between first- and second-order barriers and then describe specific strategies for circumventing, overcoming, and eliminating the changing barriers teachers face as they work to achieve technology integration.     

文化整合视野中的诗史进程——论隋代诗歌的文化史意义

隋代诗人群体主要来自西魏北周、东魏北齐和梁陈。随着隋朝版图的统一,隋代诗人组织或参与了周隋之际文化整合运动。隋诗也因之发生一系列新变。这些新变昭示出三地诗人入隋后文化观念的变迁,周隋之际文化整合的方向,展现出大一统文化格局形成的历史进程,预示着大一统文化与文学时代的即将到来。     

信息技术与生物教学的整合

多媒体和网络技术为教师提供了更为丰富和广阔的教学手段,利用好信息技术可以为学生创建一个更加生动和有趣的学习环境,提高他们主动学习的能力。作为教学前线的教师,在课堂上认识掌握并创新地运用信息技术已成为必然。     

In the quest for knowledge: Traveling the back roads of Iowa

Summary Three factors have contributed to the level of technology integration achieved at this school. First, administrative support for technology is very evident. Though neither the principal nor the superintendent perceived themselves as possessing a high level of technological literacy, they both had a vision of technology use by both teachers and students. This translated into a strong technology plan as well as support for innovative uses of technology     

Towards technology integration: the impact of motivational and volitional email messages

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of motivational and volitional email messages (MVEM) on preservice teachers’ motivation, volition, performance, and their attitudes toward technology integration. Each of four sections in an educational technology course for preservice teachers was randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group which received MVEM constructed based on audience analysis; and the other which received placebo email messages consisting of class activities reminders without audience analysis. Results indicated that the group provided with MVEM showed higher volition and more positive attitudes toward technology integration than the group provided with placebo messages even though there was no difference in motivation or performance. These results suggest that MVEM can serve as an effective tool for facilitating preservice teachers’ positive attitudes toward technology integration. Implications for the design and development of interventions or systems for technology integration are discussed and further research is recommended.