SKILLS TEACHERS’ NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY

INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS

by

Jill Rae Brown

B. S., Education, New Mexico State University, 1988

M. S., Curriculum and Instruction, New Mexico State University, 1989

Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, Multicultural Teacher Education,

University of New Mexico, 1999

ABSTRACT

What abilities, technological and pedagogical, do practicing teachers possess who effectively integrate technology into their curriculum; and what staff development should be provided for teachers to prepare teachers to integrate technology into their curricula was investigated. Data for this qualitative study was collected from twelve purposefully selected successful technology-integrating teachers, in four unique school districts, in diverse teaching situations, throughout an eight-month period using a variety of methodologies. These methodologies included transcribed interviews, observation notes, individual surveys, student artifacts, written and verbal feedback on a researcher-developed assessment tool, written and verbal feedback on a web-based researcher-developed assessment tool, field notes, researcher log entries and final member checking surveys. Data analysis was performed using Patton’s (1990), Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods as a guide.

A final theme that emerged was that, although these participants have acquired a large number of technical skills, there is not a strong connection between any specific set of technical skills a teacher possesses and his/her ability to integrate technology in the classroom. The results of this study have implications for staff development, preservice teacher education programs and policy. The participants in this study indicated that, at a minimum, professional development should provide:

• adequate personal access to a computer to acquire a large number of needed self-identified skills,
• the use of the Final Technology Skills Model as a guide of possible skills needed,

• time to progress through professional stages of development,

• the development of a positive attitude toward technology use in the classroom, and
• preparation to implement a shared vision of student-centered, constructivist effective uses of technology in the classroom.

Preservice teachers must use technology throughout their education programs as a personal tool for completion of assignments, as a tool included effectively in their development of curriculum and through their personal experiences of best practice integration models. Technology itself will not cause or drive educational reform, but ensuring that state endorsed teachers implement the use of technology in their classrooms utilizing effective, constructivist, student-centered methodologies will insure that technology integration is not another discarded educational reform movement due to ineffective implementation.