Changing Course/s: Teaching Teachers About Technology

Changing Course/s: Teaching Teachers About Technology Kimberly De Vries California State University, Stanislaus [email protected] http://kdevries.net/blog/

A Short But Venerable History Since the earliest MOOs and networked classrooms of the 1990s, teachers and scholars have been considering the impact of computers and Internet and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on composition.

Which Wave, Again? In Kairos 10.2 (2006) CoverWeb editors claimed we were entering the “second wave” of tech use; we “learn technologies as they begin entering the mainstream, but before they are at the peak of popularity” (Casorla, Hewitt, Ball, 2006)

In the Doldrums In that same issue, Anthony Atkins reports on his survey of technology training in graduate programs. Most programs focused on teaching tools rather than theory or pedagogy. (Atkins 2006)

A quick look at doctoral programs reveals that today not many offer courses addressing teaching with or about technology. Of those few programs with these courses, only a very very few require them in the degree program.

Encountering ICTs We encounter computers and ICTs throughout our educations and professional lives. Some embrace them; some may feel they are at best a necessary evil. Class, gender, age locale or other factors may have an impact on having more or less experience a positive or negative view.

California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) 2008 Annual Report

Institutional Resistance As Todd Taylor noted in 2007, Most institutions still don't train faculty to teach with tech, beyond a few workshops in Blackboard or other course management tools. Few attend to social impacts and ethical questions, and many are uninformed about the work required to integrate technology well.

Even more challenging:

Technology projects and searches are often the first to be cut in hard economic times. (MLA workshop on tenure and retention for scholars in the digital humanities)

Faculty Resistance Even more challenging:

Though most departments recognize the need to incorporate computers into the classroom, many faculty lack the don't go beyond an instrumental approach. training, Some regard ICTs as detracting from teaching the traditional medium of print and traditional writing skills.

incentives, or time to gain the skills needed to teach about technology. (Anson, interview with Coley and Erickson 2009)

Student Attitudes Most students now recognize the need to learn about teaching with technology, but some regard it as a requirement imposed by the system, with little value in itself.

Local Issues:

social, scholarly, or pedagogical implications.

Time constraints – most are working full-time, some have families.

Lack of high speed access – Some areas still only have dial-up access.

Low incomes – Some Others may be skilled at students can't afford the tech or the using tech. without connection. having considered

Strategies Integrate into existing courses rather than just proposing new ones. Reduce technical barriers like excessive layers of login screens Hold graduate seminars in a computer lab. Only use tools with which you are familiar and comfortable. Consider not using tech.

http://kepler.csustan.edu/rhetorix/

Seminar Becomes Lab Holding my graduate seminars in computer labs allows students to collaborate and help each other. I can trouble shoot over their shoulders and join the work myself on a more equal basis.

http://kdevries.net/teaching/

Use Available Means of Pursuasion When in Fall 2008 gas became so expensive that students could not afford to attend class, I suggested holding class via IRC once a month to save commuting costs. Similar practical reasons made students more receptive to an online reader and online submission of assignments.

irc://freenode/rhetorix

Outcomes “The wiki allows for a great deal of cooperation among classmates. I appreciate the links for 'recent additions' so I can check up on the latest comments and material. I also like having a home page on the wiki for posting drafts and getting feedback on ideas.” (student survey, April 2007) “I'm glad I did the project. It took me outside my comfort zone and now I feel like I understand what students might experience.” (essay reflecting on technology project, December 2008)

in/Conclusion ➢ Investigate institutional and faculty attitudes. ➢Work with existing classes. ➢Use familiar technologies that you can troubleshoot. ➢Remove barriers from the interface. ➢recognize that you can teach about tech without using tech.