Crossing boundaries: Multimedia technology and pedagogical innovations in a high school class

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Crossing boundaries Multimedia technology and
pedagogical innovations in a high school class
By Susan Parks Huot, Josiane Hamers and France H.
Lemonnier
Prepared by Farrah Dina Yusop
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Think about it
How do you describe your teaching philosophy?
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Think about it

• If you were provided with access to various
  technological equipments such as
• laptop connected to central network
• wireless Internet access
• LCD projector
• printer, digital camera and scanner

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Outline

• 3 case studies on how teachers
  conceptualizations of teaching relate to their
  actual use of computer technologies
• Relationship between pedagogical innovation and
  socio cultural theory
• Implications for language learning

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Introduction
Teachers belief and philosophy of teaching and
other contextual factors affected the way
teachers use technologies
Recent research relate the innovative use of
technologies with teachers who espouse the
constructivist/socio-constructivist approaches to
pedagogy
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Introduction
In reality today, computer technologies are still
far from revolutionizing existing teaching
practice as research suggested

• Some evidence
• Mehan 1989 technologies were adapted by
  teachers to fit in with the habitual ways of
  doing things
• Warshauer 1999 online resources part of
  technologie applications were used in ESL
  college-level classroom to reinforce such
  traditional literacy activities

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Think about it
Why is that technology integration into existing
curricular do not really successful?
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From the research

• Some of the reasons are
• Insufficient features of the tool itself
• The actual social setting
• Teachers personal teaching philosophy
• The objective of the instruction
• The organizational vision and view

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Case study background

• Location Quebec
• Main language French (English - 2nd language)
• Participants 3 teachers
• Grade 7 and 8 - ESL Language Art class
• Grade 7 - French and Ecology class
• Methodologies
• Observations
• Interviews
• The Ministry of Education set up a new program
  called the New Technologies (NT)

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NT project background

• Initiated by the Ministry of Education
• Was set up to attract students to enroll in
  public schools
• Selected NT classrooms
• Maximum 30 students
• Working in small groups
• Each student has a laptop connected to central
  network and internet
• Other physical resources include laser printer,
  scanner, LCD projector, digital camera, CD-ROMs
• Prior to NT, students work a lot with word
  processor

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Implications for language learning

• Computer technologies support multi-literacies

Multi-literacies info literacy visual literacy
In this case studies, language learning is
embedded in the concurrent use of multimedia and
technological tools to accomplish various tasks
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Case 1 The Space project French Ecology class

• Task

Students are to create imaginary planets of their
own

• Strategies

3 phases individual gt small groups gt whole class

• Technology integration

Using e-mail, PowerPoint presentation
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Case 1 The Space project contd

• Implementation

Groups drew slips of paper with 3 features of the
planet they had to incorporate into its
descriptions
After working with on these descriptions
individually, the group team members pooled their
ideas to develop a conception of the planet
As the project progressed, the text was revised
and edited
Groups present it using PP to the whole class
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Case 1 The Space project contd

• What we learned?

Students construct meanings through the use of
variety multimedia elements texts, colors,
graphics etc.
Teacher acts as a guide and facilitator students
take control of their own learning
(student-centered)

• Technologies were used to enrich cross-curricular
  subjects and promote collaboration
• art students made the model of the planet
• Music students create tunes and sound effects

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Case 2 Me yesterday and tomorrow ESL class

• Task

Students work with their partners to create a
site of themselves their childhood and
future-to-be dreams

• Strategies

Individual gt pairs

• Technology integration

Web authoring
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Case 1 The Space project contd

• Implementation

In pairs, students brief about themselves their
childhood and their future plans

• The partner will write a description of their
  partner in second voice
• pretend to be a grandmother reflecting on their
  grandsons youth

Working together, they created a website about
themselves, not only to entire class but to
world-wide Internet users
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Case 2 Me yesterday and tomorrow

• What we learned?

Students are able to convey a semiotically
(meanings) richer portrayal of themselves than
the print texts
Students have to reflect on their childhood and
their prospective future career based on
interests etc

• Technologies were used to actively engage
  students in learning and allow creative thinking
  and writing
• students become the designers and producers of
  artifacts, not mere consumers of internet
  resources

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
1. Teachers philosophy of teaching
Education should

• prepare students for real-world situations
• decision-making, problem solving, teamwork etc
• case study real exhibition in museums

• teach students the strategies needed on carrying
  tasks
• eg. Finding relevant sources from Internet
• case study career as a pilot

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
1. Teachers philosophy of teaching
Education should

• encourage students to identify their strengths
  and weaknesses
• eg. Students reflect on themselves
• case study using portfolio to document learning

• support cross-curricular subjects
• eg. Language and ecology
• case study the space projecr

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
1. Teachers philosophy of teaching
Technology as

• as tool to enhance students critical and
  creative thinking students are the designers
  and producers, not users

• support collaboration and teamwork

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
2. Access to computer and internet resources
Sandholz, Ringstaff and Dwyer (1997)
The degree to which computer technology may
ultimately be integrated into classroom practice
depends on whether computers are located in the
classroom or in the computer lab.
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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
2. Access to computer and internet resources
In this case study

• computers are located in the classroom
• connected with internet
• allow students to have immediate access online
  materials eg. Dictionary or thesaurus
• the materials could be adapted to meet students
  specific needs and interests
• eg. Students learning French may be able to see
  the other available materials of the topic in
  English

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
3. Pedagogical innovation socio-constructivism
Integration requires change in pedagogical
approach and curriculum (Wetzel, 2002)
Ryba and Brown (2000)

• Socially interactive and reflective community of
  learners
• learner-centered approach

Ryba and Anderson (1993)

• teachers roles changed to
• planner (2) Manager (3) facilitator (4) guide
• (5) participant

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Think about it
Compare socio-contructivism and
transmission-based approach
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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
4. Curriculum innovation social collaboration
4 types of collaboration (examples are from the
case study)
1. Joint collaboration

• 2 or more writers working on the same text who
  assume equal responsibility for its production in
  terms of official authorship
• eg. Collaborative writing assignments

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
4 types of collaboration contd.
2. Parallel collaboration

• 2 or more writers working on the same text but
  do not assume equal responsibility for its
  production, in terms of official authorship
• eg. Teachers feedback on students writing

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
4 types of collaboration contd.
3. Incidental collaboration

• Generally brief, spur-of-the moment requests for
  help directly related to the writing task at hand
• eg. Student asking peers help with specific
  task by sending messages to peers and the peer
  will respond

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Factors influencing successful technology
integration
4 types of collaboration contd.
4. Covert collaboration

• getting information from documents or other
  linguistic or nonlinguistic sources during the
  process of producing text
• eg. Student use of tools - dictionaries,
  electronic translators, spell checkers etc

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Conclusion

• Findings indicate that
• Actual use of computers for instructional
  purposes is mediated by teachers
  conceptualizations of teaching
• Constructivist / socioconstructivist approaches
  to learning are particularly conducive to more
  progressive uses of computer technologies