Challenges of communication and participation in supporting new teachers using technology across six rural counties

Hebert, Lara

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/30979 Copy

Description

Title

Challenges of communication and participation in supporting new teachers using technology across six rural counties

Author(s)

Hebert, Lara

Issue Date

2012-05-22T00:19:37Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Clift, Renée T.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Johnston-Parsons, Marilyn A.

Committee Member(s)

• Clift, Renée T.
• Bruce, Bertram C.
• Stake, Robert E.
• Pianfetti, Evangeline

Department of Study

Curriculum and Instruction

Discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Educational Service Agency
• Beginning Teacher
• Induction
• Technology Integration
• Systems Change
• Social Capital
• Professional Development
• Rural
• Synchronous Technology

Abstract

Beginning teacher induction improves a novice teacher’s practice at an accelerated rate, resulting in a positive impact on student achievement (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). While mentoring is still the most common component of induction, an increasing pool of evidence indicates a need for a network of others to learn with and to learn from (e.g. Smith & Ingersoll, 2004; Wechsler, Caspary, Humphrey, & Matsko, 2010). Internet-based communications provide a promise of an extended network of professionals, novice and expert, without the worries of distance and time. However, initiatives to develop and implement internet-based initiatives for beginning teachers often find that the reality of implementation does not match the envisioned potential (Clift, Hebert, Cheng, Moore, & Clouse, 2010). This case study contributed to an understanding of the complex organizational and facilitation issues associated with efforts to integrate technology into a rural induction program that served a six county region. The study sought results that would help reduce a number of gaps in the current research-base. It contributed to a need for increased understanding of induction programs coordinated by educational service agencies that serve new teachers in small, rural schools. In addition, this program’s integration of technology moved beyond the asynchronous, text-based initiatives present in the teacher induction literature to include synchronous audio and video tools. As the year of study progressed, this induction program experienced a rapid decline in participation, and plans to implement distance mentoring proved to be more challenging than expected. Even so, important lessons were learned about efforts to facilitate technology integration and the coordination of projects that cross multiple district boundaries

Graduation Semester

2012-05

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/30979

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2012 Lara Hebert

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