THE TECHNOLOGICAL TEACHER: HOW EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE

212 Pages·2008·6.32 MB·English

THE TECHNOLOGICAL TEACHER: HOW EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE
ROLE OF TEACHERS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM

A Thesis
submitted to the Faculty of the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
of Georgetown University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of
Master of Arts
in Communication, Culture and Technology

By

Shane Anthony Hoon, B.A.

Washington, DC
April 29, 2008
THE TECHNOLOGICAL TEACHER: HOW EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE
ROLE OF TEACHERS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM

Shane Anthony Hoon, B.A.

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Diana Owen PhD

ABSTRACT

We live in a world that is rapidly evolving through technology. This
evolution has led to a changing cultural ideology and how we function day to day.
The influences of technology have become ubiquitous in almost every aspect of our
current society, including in our educational systems. As expectations have risen
within our classrooms, for both students as well as teachers, we are seeing more and
more educational technology being implemented into academia and at all levels.
The objective of this thesis is to critically investigate this technological shift
in education and to understand what effects it is having on student learning, but more
importantly, teaching practices. The overarching questions that this thesis examines
are: How has the role of the teacher/educator changed as a result of new educational
technology? What are some factors influencing teachers’ use of technology in the
classroom? Finally, how do teachers generally feel about educational technology?
While initial research has offered a mixed bag of perspectives and attitudes,
the initial hypothesis for this project was that the teacher has become more of a
facilitator of technology and that some of the art of teaching had been lost. The
purpose of this study was to investigate this change from the perspective of the
teacher in order to better understand the benefits and potential consequences of
educational technology.
The implementation of educational technology has been seen to have
presented numerous benefits for many within the education system. However, what
these technologies have also presented various challenges and unintended
consequences. Some of those challenges being accessibility, cost effectiveness, lack
of support and technological know-how, credibility of resources, and reliability of
software and hardware to name a few. It has also been recognized that the pressure
on teachers to implement technology in the classroom has been heavily influenced
by society, the administration and institution itself, and even through professional
pressures from colleagues in the field as well as simply trying to stay up-to-date in
order to remain effective. What this has meant for teachers and students within the
classroom is a shift in the approach to learning.
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In order to better define the boundaries and limitations of this project, only
the state of Minnesota was studied. Additionally, research data was collected from
current high school social studies and history teachers and educators as well as other
professionals within the field from the state of Minnesota. Primary fieldwork for this
study was collected through a teacher survey, personal interviews, and classroom
observations.
The results of the fieldwork demonstrated a greater overall enthusiasm for
educational technology than anticipated. Nevertheless, teachers still expressed
concern over what technologies are being introduced, the degree to which they are
incorporated, and the practicality of these resources. Technology may be enhancing
the learning experience of discovering information in new and creative ways, but it
may also be unintentionally marginalizing our education system standards and the
quality of our teachers. Educational technology is a double-edged sword. We must
be careful with how we use it.

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Acknowledgements and thanks:

There have been a lot of people that have helped me along the way and to get to this
point and I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank them. Although I
know I’m going to forget someone in the process I still want to give credit to those I
can.

First and foremost I want to thank my advisor Dr. Diana Owen. I really can’t put
into words what an amazing mentor and advisor she has been throughout this
experience. Going above and beyond what I could ever imagine any one else doing
and all because of her dedication to her students. She’s been an incredible professor
and friend throughout my time here at CCT, whether talking about my thesis,
basketball, my numerous injuries, her adventures with Jeffrey or whatever the day
has brought about. I can’t put into words how incredibly grateful I am for everything
she has done for me. For everything you have taught me and for all of the guidance
and wisdom you’ve shared, I sincerely thank you.

I’d also like to give special thanks to Dr. Michael Coventry, who has guided me
throughout my time in CCT. Dr. Coventry has shown me new ways to look at things
and has made my overall graduate experience intellectually stimulating as well as
fun.

Of course I want to thank my parents for all they’ve done for me over the years and
for always being there for me to challenge and motivating me. You’ve both been
tremendously supportive with any decision that I have made and have always
encouraged me to pursue my dreams. Thank you also to the rest of my family and
friends, especially Jaid for your support and friendship throughout the years. You’ve
always believed in me and stood by me and I have always appreciated it. You truly
are my brother.

Thank you to all the teachers and administrators back in Minnesota that participated
in the project. Your contributions truly did make this project the success it is. A
special thanks to my teacher friends Jen, Chris and Ryan. All are wonderful teachers
and even more importantly, great people and friends. I truly admire each of you for
what you do.

To Cary – with whom I shared not only many experiences with both in the classroom
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as well as outside of it, but also for being the most amazing friend to me over the last
two years. You really are my other Pip.

To Jess and Ruchi, for the food, the jokes, the late nights, the insights and help, and
also keeping me sane at times when I wasn’t. You helped me to enjoy this process
and even more importantly, laugh when I needed it. Thanks for everything!

And to that special someone in my life, you know who you are. You make me look
forward to the future with inspiration, hope and excitement. I’m very lucky to have
you in my life. Kia Kaha!

Finally, to all of the friends that I’ve made and shared so many great memories here
in CCT and the larger Georgetown community. I can’t possibly list everyone, but
you know who you are and I’m sincerely grateful for what you’ve meant to me. It’s
been an amazing experience!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: “Welcome to Class”.......................................................................1
Chapter 1. Literature Review and Research: “Study Hall”..............................12
“Before the Bell” - The Facts about Technology/Media Use Away
From the Classroom.....................................................................15
“Attention Class, The Lesson is About to Begin” - The Classroom
Environment and Culture..............................................................17
“I Have a Question?” - The Role of the Teacher............................31
Teaching Philosophies:...........................................................31
Learning How to Teach:..........................................................33
The Teacher’s Changing Role:................................................34
Teacher Uses of Technology -.................................................36
Obstacles and Challenges -......................................................38
The Conclusion -.....................................................................41
“Homework” - Review and Future Directions...............................42
Chapter 2. Pressures and Challenges: “In Class Work and Discussion”..........45
Institutional Pressures –................................................................49
Minnesota’s Institutional Guidelines and Plan for Technology~55
The Administration~...............................................................60
Parental Pressure~...................................................................70
Corporate Pressure~................................................................72
Professional Pressures -................................................................75
Other Challenges and Concerns -..................................................77
Chapter 3. Critique, Theory and Analysis: “Making the Grade”.....................82

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Chapter 4. Methodology: “How to Get from A to Z”.......................................95
Why Minnesota -..........................................................................96
Why social studies/history -........................................................101
The Lesson Plan -.......................................................................102
The Survey -...............................................................................103
Design: .................................................................................103
Sample:.................................................................................105
Distribution and Response~...................................................108
Operations:............................................................................109
The Classroom -..........................................................................109
In-Depth Interviews -..................................................................111
The Teachers/Educators:.......................................................111
The Administration:..............................................................112
“My dog ate it!” – The Missing Links:........................................114
Chapter 5. Data Analysis: “Statistics”...........................................................116
Class Observations -...................................................................117
Data Analysis and Interview Findings -.......................................126
Standardized Requirements:..................................................127
Classroom Implementation:...................................................131
Challenges and Concerns:.....................................................136
Displacement:.......................................................................144
Teacher Attitudes/Impressions (Benefits and Drawbacks):....149
Data Analysis Conclusions -.......................................................156
Chapter 6. Conclusion...................................................................................161
“Lesson Review”: Summary of Findings -..................................161
“Homework”: What’s Next.........................................................165
“After the Bell”: Concluding Remarks........................................170
Appendix A: Educational Technology Survey (ETS).......................................174
Appendix B: Interview Questions for Teachers................................................187
Appendix C: Interview Questions for Administration.......................................189
Appendix D: Interview Questions for the Minnesota Department of Education191
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Works Cited:...................................................................................................193
Interviews Cited:.............................................................................................198
Works Referenced:..........................................................................................199

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Introduction: “Welcome to Class”

Few would argue the importance of our educational system and its role in
developing the youth of this country. Education is a critical part of our social structure
and while this field, like most others, is constantly changing, the fundamentals of
education have persevered.
Nonetheless, throughout the past century we have witnessed a cultural evolution
as technology has revolutionized most industries as well as our everyday lives. What has
been often left behind are the critical understandings of such progressions as we as a
society have enveloped an attitude of technological reliance. While the field of education
has begun to incorporate this new mentality of technological implementation, there are
strong connections to the traditional basics and methods that have proved successful.
What is shifting, however, are our attitudes towards educations as being systematic and
correlational to human development and success outside of the established framework.
This social attitude often regards technology as an idealistic glimpse of future
possibilities, yet still maintains a somewhat reluctant willingness to completely adopt
technological dependence. Although some forms of media and technology are regarded
as negative due to their tendency to dehumanize individuals from the social world, the
simple placement of ‘educational’ as a prefix of this term creates a sense of comfort and
acceptance for many. This attitude could be argued as being generational, or perhaps we
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are seeing the evolution of education and teaching. In either case, our endless reliance of
these tools has supplanted their secondary role and has anointed them as primary sources
of educational material.
For sometime I have been interested in the role of education in our society, as its
role in the greater promotion and production of social values is often underappreciated
and under-investigated. Many have championed the implementation of new educational
technology in the classroom, while there have been others who have criticized this
transition. My personal motivations for this topic originate from my experiences as both
a teacher and student, as well as from my appreciation for great teaching and creative
methods. Having grown up in a family where both parents were educators, I quickly
found myself engaged with not only the classroom culture but also the school system’s
political drama. I continued, however, to feel drawn towards education, having been
actively assisting my parents through the years before pursuing teaching and coaching
positions of my own. Nevertheless, as someone who received a traditional form of
education that emphasized personal, face-to-face contact with my educators, I found
myself questioning the reliance we have placed on these new educational technologies. I
also questioned their longitudinal effects and the unintended consequences that may
surface from extensive technological implementation and related new forms of evaluating
aptitude and success.
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