Joan E. Hughes

AERA 2014 Presentations

Join us for our paper presentations at this year’s American Educational Research Conference in Philadelphia, PA.

Paper 1
Presenters: Joan E. Hughes, Michelle F. Read @MiShe11e, Sara J. Jones @sara_jones
Title of Paper: A Predictive Profile of Youths’ Web 2.0 Outside-School Activities
Day, Time, Location of Presentation: Saturday, April 5, 2:45-4:15 PM, Convention Center, Terrace Level, Terrace IV

Abstract: This quantitative study used multiple regression to identify predictors of middle school students’ Web 2.0 activities out of school, a composite variable constructed from 15 technology activities. Three middle schools participated in the study and 6th and 7th grade students completed an online survey. Independent predictor variables included school, gender, ethnicity, grade level, computer limits at home, assigned computer-based homework at school, total gadgets at home, Web 2.0 activities in school, traditional technology activities in school and three interaction variables. Results reveal a model explaining 25% of the variance, with statistically significant predictors including: school, ethnicity, grade, total gadgets, and the interaction of school and in-school Web 2.0 activities. Knowing what students do outside of school, and how in-school and out-of-school variables may impact such activity may assist educators in planning for technology in instruction and learning that both leverage what students are already doing or may wish they were doing, making learning motivating and connected to real life.

Paper 2
Presenters: Joan E. Hughes, Audrey De Zeeuw, Min Wook Ok
Title of Paper: Leadership and Vision in a High School 1:1 iPad Innovation in Practice
Day Time, Location of Presentation: Monday, April 7; 8:15-9:45 AM; Convention Center, Terrace Level, Terrace IV

Abstract: This research examines the school and district leadership practices, including setting direction, developing people, and making the organization work, in the first year of a 1:1 iPad innovation in practice at Hilly High School (HHS) in the southwestern United States. Participants included 6 district and 4 high school leaders. The study employed descriptive case study methodology with ethnographic elements including interviews and observations. Results depict a distributed leadership model across all leadership practices. Direction for the iPad innovation began with the superintendent’s noticing of a strategic planning technology gap, was solidified when leaders attended an Apple event, supported by a community valuing high achievement, and funded by the Board. Professional learning included short formal and a series of informal opportunities but overall was challenged due to budget cuts that reduced teachers’ time and technology integration support. Organizationally, infrastructural improvements to wireless networking were foremost. The district hired a mobile technology specialist mid-year to support integration efforts. Advisory input expanded to include pilot teachers, students, and a vision committee. Collaborations with the community were emphasized. This research reveals the importance of a distributed leadership network, a coherent yet flexible vision for the educational innovation, and openness and support for including new perspectives, such as from students and community members. Readers will need to generalize from the rich case description to their own contexts of practice or research.

New Book Chapter: iTeach and iLearn with iPads in Secondary English language arts

A book chapter I wrote with Gregory Russell (@mrgsrussell), “iTeach and iLearn with iPads in secondary English language arts,” is now out in print in the amazing book, The New Landscape of Mobile Learning: Redesigning Education, edited by Charles Miller and Aeron Doering. This research stems from my larger research study of a suburban high school in their first year of implementing iPads across their high school population. Following is a description of our chapter (note: since we wrote this chapter almost two years ago, there has been empirical research published on the topic.)

Photo of the book cover

Book Cover

“iTeach and iLearn with iPads in secondary English language arts” Chapter Abstract

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.

The book is available here:

http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415539241/

http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Landscape-Mobile-Learning/dp/0415539242

As always, if you would like to read my chapter and are unable to get a copy, please email me at joanh @ austin . utexas . edu

Presentation at SITE Conference: On preservice teachers’ social networking

UPDATE 3/23/14: The audio of the presentation is enclosed below, above the slideshow.

There were two questions at the end of the presentation that may be difficult to hear:

  1. Could the data regarding preservice teachers’ restrictions on social networking be on themselves or on their students that they are interning with?
  2. Could the potential use of social networking in the program by faculty have impacted these preservice teachers’ use in their courses and for educational purposes?

In regards to the first question, the preservice teachers were definitely answering in regards to restrictions on their own use of social networking. The survey did not ask them about use of technologies with the students they worked with in the PK-12 fields. We definitely think that what happens with technology by faculty impacts what preservice teachers do with technologies. As Sa Liu noted, we did ask the preservice teachers about their perceptions of faculty use but we have not yet analyzed that data formally though it is low for social networking from our informal observations of the data.

Sa Liu (@liusashmily) is representing our team at the annual SITE conference where she’s presenting our new research paper that examines preservice teachers’ social networking use, concerns, and educational possibilities. This paper reflects four years of data from one preservice teacher education program.
She presents for us on March 18, 2014. I will be updating this post with the audio recording after she presents, which may assist in the interpretation of the slides.

AUDIO PRESENTATION:

SXSWedu 2014 Presentation and Audiorecording

I’ve included my slidedeck and audiorecording for my presentation How mentorship puts the “ed” into “edtech,” a presentation chosen as part of the EdTech Women‘s Lightning Series: At the Helm: Women’s Impact on EdTech. Margaret Roth (@teachingdaisy) from EdTech Women introduces me, and my talk begins at 27 seconds. The presentation at Slideshare has slide notes that reflect what is in the audio narration.

Narration:

How mentoring puts the “ed” into “edtech” – my SXSWedu presentation

I’m very fortunate to be joining 12 other amazing women in a panel session at SXSWedu. The EdTech Women’s organization sponsored this session, in which members applied to present. The session, “Lightning Talk Series – At The Helm: Women’s Impact in EdTech” is described at the EdTech Women blog.

My talk is entitled How mentoring puts the “Ed” in “EdTech.”

I will share the stories of four amazing graduates (Ph.D. and M.Ed.) from the Learning Technologies program. These edtech professionals put the “ed” into “edtech,” and I was fortunate enough to mentor them. The moral of my talk is:

  1. Mentor.
  2. Put the “ed” into “edtech.”
  3. …to Change education.

Mentor as many people as you can, especially individuals who are underrepresented in the educational technology fields. Prioritize education in edtech – and if you don’t know how, seek out experts and help from those with educational backgrounds.

Future teachers’ disposition toward technology integration

A new research article has been published! The full reference is:

Hughes, J. E. (2013.) Indicators of future teachers’ technology integration in the PK-12 classroom: Trends from a laptop-infused teacher education program. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 48(4), 493-518. Download the pre-press version here (which has color figures – there was a mistake in the printing of the print version and they used the wrong figures, making them uninterpretable).

The brief abstract below describes the study which examines preservice teachers’ positioning for integrating technology into their future teaching endeavors.

This research examined preservice teacher graduates’ positioning toward integrating technology in future teaching. Participants included 115 preservice teachers across three cohorts in 2008-2009 who graduated from a laptop-infused teacher education program. The study implemented a case study methodology that included a survey administered upon graduation.Indicators of positioning toward technology integration included: digital technology self-efficacy, attitude toward learning technologies, pedagogical perspective, personal/educational digital technology behaviors during the program, and TPACK knowledge used to rationalize their most valued technologies for future teaching. Results indicated graduates held moderate digital technology self-efficacy, positive attitude toward learning technologies,and moderate constructivist philosophy. During their preparation,productivity software activities were used most widely for educational purposes.Their most valued technologies for teaching subject matter were predominantly productivity software as well as general hardware, such as computers, projectors, and document cameras. They described teacher-centric uses three times more often than student-centered. Graduates showed low depth of TPACK. Teacher education programs need to consider the degree to which their candidates are exposed to a range of contemporary ICTs, especially content-specific ICTs, and the candidates’ development of TPACK, which supports future technology-related instructional decision making. Such knowledge is developed across the teaching career, and technological induction programs may support continued TPACK development.Future research should employ longitudinal studies to understand TPACK development and use across novice and veteran teachers.

Note that TPACK stands for “technological pedagogical content knowledge,” a conceptual idea that assesses an individual’s grasp on different types of knowledge – specifically technology knowledge, pedagogical (or instructional) knowledge, and content (or subject matter) knowledge and intersections of these three. ICT is the international terms for information communication technologies, what is referred to as educational technologies, learning technologies, or just technology in the United States.

AERA 2013 Presentation: iTeach and iLearn with iPads in Secondary Langauge Arts

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.

Update: Please note the audio slidecast feature has been discontinued in Slideshare effective April 30, 2014. After that date, please consult the notes added in the PowerPoint for the content that we shared. Or you may listen to the audiocast of the presentation using the following audioplayer:

 

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