Integrated Occupational Junior High Project
IOP Junior High Laptop Project Video
Watch the video (The Voices of IOP)
Purpose
This initiative seeks to determine ways in which Integrated Occupational (IO) learners increase literacy and numeracy skills through the appropriate use of technology devices and to determine the impact on the role of teacher when using teacher and student laptops and technology resources. This research will inform the wireless initiative, purchasing decisions, resource development, teacher professional development, and instructional design and delivery.
Participants
- ILS
- ITS
- Apple Canada
- Learn Alberta
- Sir John Franklin Jr High School
- Vincent Massey
- Ernest Morrow
- TB Riley
- Ian Bazalgette
- Sir John A MacDonald
- Langevin
- Dr. Gordon Higgins
- Clarence Sansom
The IO Community of Practice is a joint venture involving both junior and senior high teachers from the 9 junior high schools and 3 high schools as well as representatives from interested programs in the Calgary Board of Education.
Research Questions and Goals
- To determine the impact of technology on student numeracy and literacy learning within IO courses
- To determine the impact of technology on teacher practice
- To identify the technical and functional specifications needed for successful implementation of student laptops in an educational context.
- To determine the demands on technical support in terms of time and type of support.
- To determine the limits and abilities of wireless technologies in a laptop environment.
- To determine changes in teacher practice brought about by the use of technology
- To determine what digital resources teachers are accessing and for what purposes,
- To determine the impact on teacher practice through working within an online community of practice in support of IO learners.
- To determine the impact of technology on learner experience
- To determine instructional designers' perceptions regarding models for development of studio resources (learning objects)
- To determine teachers' perceptions of professional development regarding laptop resources.
Procedures
A. Teaching and Learning
Part I: Organized through ILS
Pre and Post Focus Group interviews with Teachers (conducted by ILS)
- Pre/post student surveys – student perceptions regarding their success in numeracy when using digital resources and working with laptops or technology enhanced learning resources
- Pre/post teacher surveys – gathering perceptions of teachers regarding their comfort, ability and use of digital resources and working with laptops or technology enhanced learning resources to enhance learning and teaching.
- Teacher developers' focus group to determine perspectives on professional impact and on the use and development of studio and/or laptop learning objects.
- Community of Practice participants – Post survey with community of practice participants to determine impact of technology enhanced communities of practice
- Analysis of pre and post parent survey to determine perceived impacts on participating students
Part II. Organized through Schools and Supported by ILS School based participatory Action Research – Teachers documenting reflections and observations and impacts on professional practice regarding:
- the use and integration of laptops into student and teacher classroom practice
- the development and implementation of studio and laptop learning objects, including resources used.
- assessment of increased student literacy and numeracy through measures currently existing or through new understandings emerging from this project. This will include both hard and soft data (i.e. teacher observation, student assessments, which will be determined in initial meetings with participating teachers)
Workshops will be conducted through ILS research support to assist teachers with documentation strategies in support of their action research initiatives.
B. Technical Environment:
IT Technicians and school-teacher technologists will gather the following documentation regarding the technical specifications for successful implementation of laptops in an educational context.
Timeline
January, 2004 - June, 2006
Outcomes
Final Report - TBA