Digital Internship Tlt

Slide 1: Digital Internship 2.0 Dr. Alec Couros Faculty of Education University of Regina

Slide 2: Overview History, Context, Rationale

Slide 3: Overview: History, Context, Rationale A research-based training project designed to provide preservice teacher interns with focused, sustained, and pedagogically appropriate educational technology experiences. Funded since 2002, federal then provincial gov. Research team interested in ICT and pedagogy. Perceived need from the field. Insufficient exposure to appropriate ICT in program. 34 interns: 14 elementary, 6 middle years, 6 secondary, 8 arts education.

Slide 4: Activities Content & Processes

Slide 5: Activities: Content & Processes Workshops on various topics: social learning, SmartBoards, managing ICT in the classroom, critical media literacy, internet safety & cyberbullying, digital video, podcasting, technology-rich differentiated learning, GPS, other sessions. Worked with cooperating teachers as well. Developed a Ning support group. At-school drop-in support. LOTS of one-to-one just-in-time learning. Provided hardware to schools via MPIL. Research.

Slide 6: Findings Results of the Project

Slide 7: Findings: Effects on the Intern & School Staying current Developing self-efficacy Forming support networks and an arena for sharing and springboarding. Interns perceived as technology resources. Catalysts of change. Recipients of supplementary mentorship.

Slide 8: Findings: Effects on Teaching Allocation of hardware and support. Greater access to a wider range of teaching tools and authentic resources. Enhanced assessment possibilities and options.

Slide 9: Findings: Effects on Students Quality of resources accessible to students. Motivation and comportment in the classroom. Perceiving lessons as accommodating and personally relevant. Fostering digital literacy. Confidence and sense of responsibility.

Slide 10: Findings: Barriers Time. Resources in the school. Disparate school policies. Initial parental resistance.

Slide 11: Other Major Findings Laptops are beneficial to interns. Intentional communities are difficult to maintain. Parental education and involvement vital. Liberal policies and support are beneficial to technology-infused practice.

Slide 12: Future Directions Plans & Possibilities

Slide 13: Future Directions: Plans & Possibilities Changes in programming. Development of 6-course ICT stream. Integration into education core studies courses. Focus on faculty ICT development.

Slide 14: We've reached the point in our (disparate) cultural adaptation to computing and communication technology that the younger technical generations are so empowered they are impatient and ready to jettison institutions most of the rest of us tend to think of as essential, central, even immortal. They are ready to dump our schools. (Cringely, 2008)

Slide 15: Contact alec.couros@uregina.ca http://couros.ca