Reading Matters Winter 2018

had successfully implemented technology tools in their classroom. The professional development was hands-on, including time to write a technology implementation plan, and make decisions about technologies appropriate for their student populations. Gordon (2011, p. 19) cited a 2008 US Department of Education survey which“concluded that rural districts are dramatically less likely than their urban peers to have access to technology leadership.” A rural school district inWest Virginia integrated technology leadership through the use of a Technology Integration Specialist (TIS) to increase teacher knowledge of technology, and how to use technology effectively in the classroom, beyond e-mail, grade reporting, and word processing (Howley & Howley, 2008). The district employed a current teacher to assist in the purchasing of equipment, planning, and delivering professional development. This employee also supported technology use by modeling, co- teaching, and conferencing with the school’s sixth through eighth grade teachers. One of the biggest understandings from the project is howmuch the teachers utilized the TIS for a variety of reasons from technical support to curriculum planning. In the following school year, the TIS was asked to continue her role as TIS, as well as go back to the classroom as a reading teacher. Therefore, her availability to teachers, the classroom, and technology integration as a whole, was divided. This dual responsibility could potentially lead the district toward less productive use of technology, and restrict teachers from seeking out the support they need to utilize and integrate technology in their classroom and with their students. While rural school districts are gaining access to more technology, teachers need support in effectively using these tools with their students. This includes onsite personnel to keep the technology up to date, and assist teachers in managing technology in the classroom. Understanding how to create space for teachers to collaborate with one another, as well as professional support through Technology Specialists or ongoing professional development, is key to successful technology integration in rural school districts. Teacher Attitude and Technology Integration in Rural Schools Teacher attitude toward technology integration also plays a vital role in technology integration initiatives (Howley & Howley, 2008; VanSciver,1994; Windschitl & Sahl, 2002). Teacher apprehension in trying a new technology beyond the methods they already use, such as projecting notes on a screen, is evident throughout the literature. Lack of accessibility—such as broadband, outdated technology, and understaffed technology support—all contribute to this apprehension (Gordon, 2011). If teacher attitude can obstruct technology integration, so too can it influence and increase technology integration. In a case study looking at student achievement, Cullen et al. (2006) explored what happens to teacher motivation, interactions, and attitudes when teachers have access to new technologies, and have time to explore those tools outside of professional development. In this study, the school district used funding provided from No Child Left Behind and purchased 45 laptop computers: 30 for a mobile student lab and 15 for teacher use. Along with the technology, the district arranged for professional development over

the summer. This professional development covered information about software and hardware tools available on the laptops, and how teachers could use them for classroommanagement and teaching. The goal of the professional development and the laptop distribution was to increase teachers’self-efficacy with the technology. When teachers had time to learn new technologies, and had the opportunity to grow familiar with the technology, they were more likely to use tools such as the teacher and student laptops in the classroom (Cullen et al., 2006). Instead of viewing computer use in the classroom as an additional task, they started to view computer use as a support and curriculum enrichment tool. Teacher autonomy with technology decreased fears of technology and improved both attitude and willingness to use a new tool. In a three-year study of 20 middle school teachers from two rural and high-poverty districts in southeastern United States, researchers supported teachers in technology- enhanced professional development (Blanchard et al., 2016). The researchers referenced Hughes (2005) who described three ways in which teachers use technology: 3. Transformation: Technology alters teachers’ roles and instructional practices and may change the ways in which students are learning in that classroom. The teachers recorded a lesson prior to the professional development, and of the 20 participants, 17 teachers reflected on these lessons. During these initial lessons, researchers found that 35% of the teachers did not use technology, and 60% of the teachers projected information on a computer or overhead. After the technology-enhanced professional development, teachers recorded new lessons. Blanchard et al. (2016) found that 59% of the teachers used amplification as the most common type of technology. Amplification means that technology in the classroom allowed for more efficient or effective use of classroom tools and resources (i.e., replacing copied notes with projected screenshots or a PowerPoint presentation). Teachers appreciated the time, resources and displays of technology when using it as an amplification tool. Only 35% of the teachers in this study used transformation technology. Of the teachers that used transformation technology, one teacher described the shift in her role as teacher to facilitator . All participating teachers had positive reviews of implementing new tools in their classroom, whether they were using them as replacement, amplification, or transformation technologies. They truly saw the impact technology had on collaborative learning in their classrooms. When teachers feel comfortable with the technologies available to them, they are more likely to seek support and explore classroom integration options. Rural school districts will benefit from creating space and time for teacher 1. Replacement: Technology is implemented with no changes in current classroom practices, how students learn, or conceptual goals. 2. Amplification: Technology enables a task to be done more efficiently and effectively, with no change in the actual tasks.

Reading Matters Research Matters

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