Last week, Gregory Russell and I presented our recent research on the use of iPads in high school English language arts classrooms. We attended the American Educational Research Association annual conference, which occurred in San Francisco this year. 

The following linked presentation is a slidecast with the actual presentation by Greg. Enjoy! And please let us know if you have questions or comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Please view and share the presentation "Teaching and learning with iPads for high school students with disabilities" by Minwook Ok and Joan Hughes. Minwook presented this paper at the Council for Exceptional Children conference in 2013. This presentation reflects research we've been conducting in a high school where all the students have iPads. This particular work reflects teaching and learning in a modified biology classroom.

Greg Russell and I have co-authored a book chapter that is due out in Spring 2013. The chapter emerges from a year of data collection in a high school that created a ubiquitous environment for iPad-supported teaching and learning. The article is set within what I think will be a superb collection of  chapters in Charles Miller and Aaron Doering's The new landscape of mobile learning: Re-designing education in an app-based world.

Scholarly Reference to the Book Chapter:

Russell, G. S. & Hughes, J.E. (In Press/Pub Date: Spring 2013.) iTeach and iLearn with iPads in secondary English language arts. In C. Miller & A. Doering (Eds.) The new landscape of mobile learning: Re-designing education in an app-based world. New York: Routledge.

Following is the abstract of the chapter: 

Tablet computers like the iPad seem to be well-suited for educational purposes, but no empirical research yet exists that examines its potential. This chapter shares the stories of Brett and Julie, two veteran high school English teachers who are integrating iPads into their classrooms for the first time as a part of a 1:1 iPad initiative at Hilly High School. We share an analysis of their practices, developed over the past year via weekly classroom observations, formal interviews and numerous informal discussions. From these risk-taking practitioners, we identify and discuss issues related to pedagogy, assessment, new media literacies, efficiencies, student behavior, engagement, distractibility, and academic integrity. Results indicate that the iPad improves the efficiencies of learning activities but also introduces new classroom management issues. Many teaching and learning activities with the iPad can be both engaging or distracting. Our findings may prove useful to districts, schools, and practitioners who venture to establish similar ubiquitous tablet-supported educational innovations.

We welcome questions and feedback regarding our work with this project. We are currently working on a manuscript focused on school leaders' perspectives on the iPads and support mechanisms or iPad technology integration.

We have proposed a panel presentation for the SXSWedu conference, to be held in Austin, Texas in March 2013. Please go to our proposal page and vote to support our presentation to be included in the 2013 conference. Presentations are selected, in part, by crowd-sourced votes and comments, so please join in! 

Mythbusters: Year 1 in iPad classrooms

Description

There are some wild claims about the impact iPads can have on PK-12 education, and more and more schools are moving toward 1:1 iPad initiatives...but what can schools realistically expect during the first year of a large scale iPad implementation (and beyond)?

In this panel, we will examine and debunk some of the myths related to the use of iPads in education. By doing so, we hope to help schools set reasonable expectations for the early stages of iPad integration. All phases of iPad implementation will be discussed from the moment the idea sparks into someone’s head to the implementation of iPads into school curricula and student learning.

Busted myths include:

“Access to iPads is all you need.”
“Everybody wants an iPad.”
“There are over 100,000 quality apps for learning!”
“iPads will revolutionize teaching and learning!”
“If you let students use iPads in class, they’ll always be off-task.”
“iPads will save teachers time.”

Questions Answered

1. How to prepare? From day one of an iPad initiative, the technology must work. Adjustments to technology infrastructure are absolutely necessary, but beyond technical needs, there are a number of other preparatory tasks to achieve, including: completing administrative tasks (e.g. developing acceptable use policies), communicating with concerned parties (e.g. parents, board members), providing professional development (e.g. for teachers and technology specialists), and developing school norms.
2. What happens to teaching and learning? Are iPads a panacea for revolutionizing education? In the first year, teaching pedagogies change little with the influx of the technology. Yet, opportunities for innovation are immense. Communication amongst students and teachers improves. New media literacies are prevalent, and the amount of time spent on administrative classroom practices decrease. With continued development and support, teaching and learning are apt to shift.
3. How will iTeach and iLearn in the future? The key to transformations in teaching and learning is content-specific, teacher professional development. Identifying apps that specifically target content areas, student needs, and problems-of-practice (e.g. Celtx) is necessary to untap the full potential of the iPad technology cluster. iPad technology integrationists, teachers, curriculum specialists, and media specialists must collaboratively learn and innovate together. School leaders must model.

Tags

educational intervention, ipad, mobile, technology and pedagogy

Meta

Event

EDU

Format

Panel Discussion

Category

Best Practices and Pedagogy

Level

Beginner

Speakers

• Gregory Russell The University of Texas at Austin
• Audrey De Zeeuw The University of Texas at Austin
• Minwook Ok The University of Texas at Austin

Organizer

Joan Hughes The University of Texas at Austin

Additional Supporting Materials

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jn459qq5hhir4bk/mythbusters_graphic_SXSWedu.jpg

We are pleased to announce the publication of our chapter, "The Iron Grip of Productivity Software within Teacher Education" (Ch. 12) in the new book Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs. I co-authored this chapter with several Ph.D. students in our Learning Technologies program, including: Gloria Gonzales Dholakia, Yu-Chi Wen, and Hyo-Jin Yoon.

Our chapter's abstract: 

This chapter discusses several challenges and recommendations in obtaining the desired outcome from technology-rich teacher education programs, including a novice teacher prepared to make decisions supporting students’ subject-area learning with technology. The authors shape the discussion using select findings from two studies of preservice teachers enrolled in a technology-rich teacher education program at a U.S. university. The authors discuss the importance of the modeling relationship between instructors’ and preservice teachers’ experiences with digital technologies and describe productivity software’s enduring grip as the most used digital technology among preservice teachers during teacher education – even in technology-rich teacher education programs. The authors argue that teacher education’s overemphasis on productivity tools is not adequately preparing new teachers for the knowledge society in which teachers live, work, and educate. The authors argue that educational change, such as shifts toward technology-rich teaching and learning, will only be successful with a concerted change effort in both teacher education programs and PK-12 institutions.

Please see our full Chapter Description and ordering information. You may read the abstract and first page of the chapter in this PDF sample.

Browse the book's Table of Contents with its 34 chapters.

If you plan to purchase the book, use IGI Global's exclusive discount:  http://www.igi-global.com/Files/Ancillary/84b57bad-f933-4697-b5c4-b77c9a5d2a91_978-1-4666-0014-0.pdf (PDF download).

If you are unable to secure a copy of our chapter, please email Dr. Joan Hughes.

The SITE (Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education) conference is starting tomorrow, hosted right here in Austin, TX March 5-9. I am involved in several presentations at the conference. First, Minwook Ok (Ph.D. student in Special Education) and I will be co-presenting our paper titled "The impact of 1:1 laptop initiatives on pre-service special educators". Second, I'll be participating in a roundtable discussion "Exploring tablet computing in teacher education: The UT COE iPad working group" with other UT-affiliated staff and faculty in the College of Education. Below is more detailed information about each of these presentations.

Exploring Tablet Computing in Teacher Education: The UT COE iPad Working Group
ID: 35606
Type: Roundtable   Topic: Information Technology Diffusion/Integration
Room: 13
Mon, Mar. 5 11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Authors: 
Karen French, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
; Michelle Read, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; 
Detra Price-Dennis, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; 
Hyo-Jin Yoon, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; 
Haydee Rodriguez, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
; Joan Hughes, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; 
Barbara Pazey, The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Abstract:
 The College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin has formed a cross-disciplinary working group to explore the uses and learning implications of incorporating iPad tablet computers into classroom activities in higher education settings. At this roundtable, representatives from the working group and the instructional technology support team with whom they are working will discuss with their peers what they have learned about implementing a project of this kind in a teacher education program. Presenters will engage participants in an active discussion of their own experience, knowledge and ideas. Topics will include implications for teaching methods, student response and outcomes, and the logistics required to ensure the success of an initiative of this kind.

The impact of 1:1 laptop initiatives on pre-service special educators
ID: 35453
Type: Poster/Demo   Topic: Special Education
Room: 14


Wed, Mar. 7 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Authors:
 Minwook Ok, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; 
Joan Hughes, University of Texas at Austin, USA

Abstract:
 This paper provides results of a pilot study investigating the impact and effects of the technology-integration program on pre-service special educators. Results of survey data comprehensively analyzed and interpreted will be reported. Moreover, the study will provide not only the impact of the program but also any need to change or improve in the program for supporting pre-service special educators.


 

I worked with three other really talented individuals to create a Panel Proposal for the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference which takes place here in Austin, TX in March 2012. I wanted to pull together a set of panelists who could talk about technology and education. I attended SXSW in 2010 and felt there was a dearth of presentations that involved education, and those that did I felt ended up cultivating a conversation in which individuals devolved to tell their n=1 stories (in other words, they used the experience of their son, daughter, niece, etc. to make wide claims about technology in educational settings). Instead, I wanted to bring a set of individuals that could represent movements within the educational system based on years of experience in teaching, research, and learning.

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/9644

Therefore, we have four participants: Carl Hooker, a 14-year veteran in the education field who is currently Director of Instructional Technology at the Eanes Public School District. Sara Dominguez, is a University of Texas student who is seeking her Teaching Certification in Early Childhood through 6th Grades Bilingual. Her certification program is technology-rich and intensive and requires all students to own a Macintosh laptop for all their educational activities. Mehul Mehta is a high school student at Westlake High School in Eanes School District. He has been a champion for new technologies in his district and has spoken on behalf of students with the School Board. He is currently experiencing an iPad revolution where all high school students were given an iPad! Finally, I am the moderator of the panel but will also speak about the research perspectives on technology and education. I will especially talk about the digital inequities that are apparent in US education.

SXSW received 3600 proposals and ultimately will only accept 500 for the conference. We surely hope to be one of them! You can help out by voting in favor of our panel. Until September 2nd, the public voting will be available and accounts for 30% of the rating that panels are given. Click on the picture above to go to our idea, create an account, and vote. [To eliminate ballot suffing, each account can only vote once for each panel.]

Here's a WordCloud representation of a recent article we have written about preservice teachers and their use of technology in their program as well as how they are thinking in terms of their future use of technology as classroom teachers. In academia, there are stringent limits of "publishing" one's work before release in a journal, and journals consider publication on the web as "already published." In order to safeguard our ability to publish our work, but also share some of our work in a more timely fashion, we are doing so through the use of wordclouds. This cloud below represents what we wrote in the approximately 6,000 words, including our introduction, literature review, methods, results, and discussion.

if this inspires your interest, feel free to email Dr. Hughes for more information or to discuss this in more detail.