NET GENERATION TEACHERS

1. NET GENERATION TEACHERS How does their technology use inform their teaching practices?

2. PURPOSE To discover if new young teachers who were teenagers in the late 80’s and 90’s, meet the definition of the Net Generation and to describe how their personal use of technology informs their teaching practice.

3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM • Technology, especially the Internet, is becoming more and more accessible to both students and teachers. • School districts need technology literate teachers to use technology to benefit student learning. • Teachers report that they are not prepared to effectively use technology in the classroom.

4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • Technology can be a powerful tool for learning. • Research is demonstrating the benefits of technology for teaching and learning. • Technology use can positively influence the roles of teachers and students. • Teachers need to be technology literate for students to benefit from technology use.

5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK • A teacher’s technology expertise affects their classroom technology use. • New young teachers as part of the Net Generation generally have experiences with technology. • New young teachers have the potential to more quickly integrate technology into the classroom. • New young teachers need to be graduates of teacher education programs that integrate technology. • New young teachers need to attend quality technology professional development.

6. LITERATURE REVIEW

7. Literature Topics • Net Generation Technology Access • Innovators or Early Adopters • Preparing Teachers for the Digital Age • Professional Development • Benefits of Technology for Teaching and Learning • School Culture.

8. Literature Review

9. Net Generation Technology Access • Home Access • School Access • Frequent Technology Users • Entertainment • Communication • Learning

10. Net Generation Technology AccessState of the Research • Tapscott, Growing Up Digital. • Levin and Arafeh, Digital Disconnect • Coffman and Odlyzko, Growth of the Internet • Newburger, Home Computer Use • Lenhart, Simon, & Graziano, The Internet and Education • Cattagni and Westat, Internet Use in U.S Public Schools and Classrooms • Anderson and Becker, School Investments in Instructional Technology • Horn, Technology: Internet Savvy Students • Falling through the Net – Digital Divide • A Nation Online – Net Generation

11. New innovations are adopted in stages. Awareness Interest Evaluation Trial Adoption People adopt new innovations at different rates. Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Late Majority Laggards Innovators and Early Adopters Everett Rogers, 1995

12. Preparing Teachers for the Digital Age • Teacher Education Programs • Field –Based Experiences

13. State of the Research

14. State of the Research

15. Professional Development • Technology Readiness/Standards • Models of Staff Development • Technology for Professional Growth

16. National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS), 2000 • Basic operations and concepts. • Technology productivity tools. • Technology communication tools. • Technology research tools.

17. Entry Stage – Educators move from the initial struggles to learn the basics of using technology to successful use of technology on a basic level. Adaptation Stage – Educators move from basic use of technology to discovery of its potential for increased productivity. Adoption Stage – Educators begin to integrate technology into their content area. Appropriation Stage – Having achieved complete mastery over the technology, educators use it effortlessly as a tool to accomplish a variety of instructional and management goals. Invention (Innovation) Stage – Educators are prepared to develop entirely new learning environments that utilize technology as a flexible tool. Learning becomes more collaborative, interactive and customized. (CEO Forum, 2000). Stages of Technology Integration

18. State of the Research • Teachers are not blank slates; they bring a wealth of experiences and knowledge. (Loucks-Horsley) • Teachers need to play an active role in their development. Teachers have content, pedagogical, and social knowledge. (Guskey, Huberman, 1995) • Learning is a social process. Teachers need to share, network, and collaborate on a regular basis with colleagues and other educators. Collaboration between and among faculty is at the core of learning environments. (Darling-Hammond, 1997) • Staff development needs to be results driven, standards-based, and sustained. (Sparks, 2003)

19. Models of Professional Development • Individually Guided • Journals, Book Study • Training • Workshops, Online Courses • Collaboration • Peer Coaching, Mentoring, Lesson Study • Inquiry • Action Research, Literature Review

20. Technology for Professional Growth • Hands-On Professional Development • Curriculum Development – Technology Integration • Online Courses • Teacher Electronic Networks • Educational List Servs • Internet Searches for Instructional Materials

21. School Culture • Schools that are learning communities support technology integration.

22. State of the Research

23. RESEARCH METHODS Qualitative Design

24. State of the Research

25. State of the Research

26. Research Questions • Are new young teachers part of the Net Generation? • How does the technology use of Net Generation teacher inform their teaching practice?

27. Research Design • Focus Group Questionnaire • Five Focus groups • Ten Interviews • Online survey – SEIR*TEC

28. Data Sample

29. 5 focus groups 60 minutes in length Tape recorded Transcribed by reseacher. 10 interviews 60 minutes in length Tape recorded Transcribed by researcher. Focus Groups and Interviews

30. Sample Population New Young Teachers who: • Were 21-28 years old • Had 0-5 years of teaching experiences.

31. 79% female 21% male 21% White 74% Hispanic 5% Other 21% had 0-1 years of exp 38% had 2-3 years of exp 40% had 4-5 years of exp 50% were elementary teachers 31% were middle school teachers 19% were high school teachers Focus Group and Interview Participants

32. Focus Group Questionnaire • Developed by researcher. • Completed by 42 participants from the focus groups.

33. SEIR*TEC Technology Survey • Focus – Technology Integration • Questions – 58 • Technology Integration – 47% • Computer Skills – 21% • Other – 32%

34. SEIR*TEC Participants – 239 Teachers • 30% had 0-3 years of exp • 37% had 4-10 years of exp • 33% had 10 or more years of exp • 121 were over 35 years of age • 59 teachers were between 29 and 25 years of age • 59 teachers were between 20 and 28 years of age.

35. DATA ANALYSIS

36. Focus Group Questionnaire • 98% own a home computer. • 58% have broadband access. • 69% use home computers for school related work. • 98% rate themselves as average or above average when using application software. • 100% rate themselves as average or above average when using Internet browsers.

37. SEIR*TEC Survey- New Young Teachers • 100% use the Internet. • 100% use Email. • 100% use computers on a daily basis. • 87% believe instructional technology is important. • 84% believe student technology use is important.

38. Focus Group and Interview Findings

39. CONCLUSION • New young teachers are part of the Net Generation. • They have grown up with technology. • They are frequent users of technology today. • They have a positive attitude about technology. • They try the newest technologies and learn by self-exploration.

40. CONCLUSION • New young teachers use technology to manage their teaching practice. • Communication and Collaboration • Productivity • Professional Information Gathering

41. Communication and Collaboration • Email colleagues. • Email parents. • Create web pages. • Use Instant Messaging and Chats

42. Productivity • Calculating grades. • Writing lesson plans. • Creating student handouts and tests.

43. Professional Information Gathering • Search for lesson plans. • Search for classroom ideas. • Purchase classroom materials. • Preview software.

44. CONCLUSION • New young teachers are using technology in their classroom? They are: • Adapting technology • Adopting technology

45. Adoption • Use a word processor to: • Create tests for students. • Create a newsletter for parents. • Use a spreadsheet to: • Calculate grades. • Create a graph to present to students. • Use PowerPoint to: • Present a lesson. • Explain a concept.

46. Adaptation • Use the Internet to: • Have students find information. • Use educational software to: • Have students reinforce skills. • Assess student knowledge. • Use multimedia software to: • Have students make presentations.

47. CONCLUSION • New young teachers do not expect to have student access to technology in their classrooms. • New young teachers are not using technology constructively with students.

48. CONCLUSION • There are several barriers to integrating technology at the appropriation or innovation level. • Lack of technology access. • Little of no technology integration in Teacher Education Programs. • School Cultures.

49. Research That Supports Conclusions

50. Net Generation • Young Adults use technology more than other groups: • A Nation Online • The Internet Goes to College • Falling Through the Net • Young Adults used technology in schools. • Internet Access in Public Schools