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St. Cloud State University Office of Sponsored Programs
NEW RESEARCHER AWARD FINAL REPORT
Prepare and submit within one month of completion of grant
DATE: 8/25/2012
TO: Office of Sponsored Programs AS 210 FROM: Susan R. Sutton
PROJECT: Infusing the National Educational Technology Standards into a Teacher Education Program
Date(s) of activity: March 1, 2012 to August 20, 2012 Amount Awarded: $3905.00
Other funds used: $.00 Source:
Describe the project goals and objectives and the extent to which you been successful in achieving these.
The purpose of this study was to examine the current state of the School of Education technologies; in what way these technologies are being utilized within the teacher education courses, then examine how these uses align with the National Educational Technology
Standards for Teachers (NETS•T). By determining what technologies are currently being used by the teacher education faculty of the School of Education and in local P-12 schools, then examining teacher candidates' familiarity with technology integration and ISTE's NETS•T, it was/is the hope of this research team to develop a Change Management Plan that can be set in place to advance teacher education faculty and teacher candidates in the development of 21st century skills for teaching and learning.
This descriptive case study was based on achieving several main research objectives. These objectives aimed at determining how the SOE can assure the International Society for
Technology in Education's (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS•T) are infused throughout the teacher education program? The specific aims of this study included the following research objectives:
Objective 1. Determine the current state of the School of Education technologies:
The goal for objective number one was to determine what technologies are available to the faculty in the School of Education and then identify which of these technologies are being utilized by the SOE teacher education faculty. By interviewing the SOE Technology Coordinator information was gathered that allowed us to create a survey that was then submitted to all faculty that teach courses within the teacher education program. By gathering information about how faculty are using SOE technologies the researchers were provided with the knowledge necessary to design and develop a Change Management Plan that will be set in place in the near future to advance teacher education faculty and teacher candidates in the development of 21st century skills for teaching and learning.
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Objective 2. Determine if the NETS•T are being modeled/infused throughout the teacher education program
The goal for objective number two was not only to see what technologies were being utilized but to see how the teacher education faculty members utilize said technologies. Research shows that even though technology use has increased, most teachers limit their application of technology to basic tasks such as communication, record keeping, Internet research, and designing instructional materials. Data from surveying the SOE teacher education faculty allowed us to see not only how the faculty were utilizing said technologies but to determine if these technologies were being utilized in a teacher-centered way or a student-centered way. To ensure the quality and rigor of this study a second survey was sent out to the teacher
candidates in the teacher education program so data collected from the faculty members could be triangulated with the data collected from the teacher candidates which in turn would provide the researchers a more accurate measure of how SOE technologies were being utilized and if these uses aligned with International Society for Technology in Education's (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS•T). Furthermore, it provided us with information on how familiar the SOE teacher candidates were with technology integration and ISTE's NETS•T.
Objective 3. Determine what technology is being used in the current P-12 schools The goal for objective number three was to identify how the P-12 schools utilized said
technologies and see what technology skills P-12 schools are looking for in new teacher hires. To accomplish this objective focus groups were conducted so this information could be collected from technology coordinators, library media specialists, and cooperating teachers in P-12
schools.
The qualitative data collected from the focus groups served as a secondary form of data to provide additional information to the QUANTITATIVE survey data and will add strength to the study by adding detailed descriptions of the participants' perspectives. Furthermore,
researchers will use reflective field notes, preexisting documents, and data from the School of Education collected each year from teacher candidates and cooperating teachers to triangulate with our QUANTITATIVE/qualitative data.
With the use of this grant, a clear understanding has been established of the current state of the School of Education technologies, how these technologies are being utilized within the teacher education program, and how these uses align with ISTE's NETS•T. Secondly, it provided us with the information we needed to determine how familiar the SOE teacher candidates were with technology integration and ISTE's NETS•T. Lastly, data gathered provided us with
information on how P-12 schools are utilizing said technologies and what technology skills P-12 schools are looking for in new teacher hires. With all of this information the researchers will now be able to develop a Change Management Plan that can be set in place to advance teacher education faculty and teacher candidates in the development of 21st century skills for teaching and learning. Furthermore, it will assist us in developing relevant professional development opportunities for SOE faculty, staff, and students through the Instructional Technology Discovery Lab.
Discuss the outcomes and benefits of the project. Specifically comment on how the project has moved you towards the peer-reviewed dissemination of your work or the submission of a proposal for external funding. Include a copy of any published material, if applicable.
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Outcomes and benefits of this project were discussed in the paragraphs above. As for moving us towards the peer-reviewed dissemination we will be submitting an article for publication and writing proposals to present at a few conferences this spring.
