Article Critique of Li, 2015
Joe Swords
The George Washington University
Abstract
A journal article authored by Yi Li titled “Is Teacher Professional Development an Effective way to Mitigate Teachers’ Gender Differences in Technology?” describes the results of a study designed to answer whether or not professional development can mitigate gender differences in how teachers perceive technology. The study compares external data collected by the pre-course and post-course surveys of a statewide professional development program. The study finds that female teachers can benefit from professional development and close the gap with their male counterparts. The study was found to have a clearly described research question and hypothesis, clear measures and data analysis, and a clear path for the reader from the research problem to the conclusion. The study was also found to be deficient in transparently reporting population and sample data and one conclusion was poorly supported by the external data.
Li, Y. (2015). Is Teacher Professional Development an Effective Way to Mitigate Teachers’ Gender Differences in Technology? Result from a Statewide Teacher Professional Development Program. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(2). doi:10.11114/jets.v4i2.1124
Overview
The journal article “Is Teacher Professional Development an Effective way to Mitigate Teacher’s Gender Differences in Technology? Result from a Statewide Professional Development Program” was
Education. A successful example of the adoption of an online curriculum planning tool should provide key features of the adoption phase including the district-wide support for attendance at professional development meetings. It should include teacher involvement in the design of the online tool and buy-in at multiple levels. These tools need to align with the teachers’ existing practices. Even experienced teachers will need support and additional time to develop student-centered uses of technology in the
Technology of the past 20 years has become a focal point of teaching and learning. As a teacher, it is my job to facilitate the learning for an individual by creating an environment that not only conducive for learning, but also places the child in a position to discover and learn them for themselves. Technology has given teachers to opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom, and has begun to reshape their role in the learning process.
Technology in the classroom is important for teachers, parents, and students alike, because technology use has become a necessary skill for survival in today’s vastly expanding technology driven global economy. Research has shown an increase in student’s success rates when exposed to technology in the classroom. Also technology has opened lines of communication between educators and parents to keep students on track, and help teachers educate better.
In the ITEC 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovation course, I completed an Individual Teacher Technology Assessment using Knight’s (2007), Partnership Approach. The purpose of this artifact was to assess the technological need of a teacher and coach that teacher in effectively implementing digital tools. Using a Loti Questionnaire, six-point Likert Scale, and interviews, I assessed Mrs. Smith, an AP Calculus Teacher, to determine her level of technology use, her attitudes towards change, and identified her needs as well as those of her students.
These educators are constantly fighting to stay ahead of the students and are often less secure in their understanding of the technology which can translate into ineffective teaching. (Ringstaff & Kelley, 2002).
The first set of questions were used to see what technology teachers use and how often they use them. The seven different devices that were surveyed are computers, smart boards, mobile devices, tablets/iPads, digital cameras, clickers, and televisions/projectors. Each device was rated based on use either daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or never. Using this data we can see which devices are used most and least by teachers. These charts also show us which devises teachers and students are most familiar with in the classroom. The most significant statistic from this first set of questions is that 91% of teachers use computers daily and weekly in the classroom (Fig.
Part of the challenge is getting buy in from old-time teachers that struggle with technology. It?s a matter of providing the necessary professional development so that teachers are confident. Our professional learning communities? school wide is helping. Last year the district technology director instituted district wide professional learning communities in all 1:1 classrooms. This gave teachers from other schools in the district opportunities to share what has worked in their classroom. We now have a new Technology Director and those same district wide professional learning communities are not in place for 1:1 teachers yet. Bringing back district wide PLC?s specifically for 1:1 classrooms would help improve processes in those educational
The biggest problem with today’s education is how rapid technology is advancing. So rapid, in fact, that schools are attempting to keep up, but are sadly falling short. Teachers are being required to incorporate new technology into their everyday methods of teaching. The use of IPads or laptops in classrooms can be helpful to both teachers and students(edreform online classes)”. If a teacher is not overly familiar with the new devices, then the students will lose what little time they have to learn. As a teacher is attempting to fix technical problems in one class, the class that has a tech savvy teacher will be advancing far ahead. On the other hand, if a classroom is full of students who are very unfamiliar with the technology will have to be taught how to operate it, which wastes valuable time. In today’s society technology usage is so much more widespread than it was just five years ago. The new toys can allow schools to broaden their curriculum. Since most work can be done on a single device, kids can work at their own pace and potentially reach heights they could never reach with book, pen, and paper. The benefits of this new tech greatly outweigh the downsides. The biggest problem with technology in classrooms is their lack of use. So few schools have jumped on board with these programs, and therefore are holding their kids back. These products are readily available, but “the use of new technology
I chose the article “Social Networking and the Death of the Internet” by Alfredo Lopez to write a critique on. After reading all of my options to critique, I felt like I could learn the most from Lopez’s essay. There were parts I automatically agreed or disagreed with and questioned. While reading the essay I could already think of specific ideas I could research to add to my critique on his essay
Professional development opportunities during early release days and summer curriculum work will support teacher training in how to utilize technology to enhance district and teacher learning objectives.
Technology is everywhere, it is involved in almost every part of our culture. It affects how we live, work, play, and most importantly learn. With technology being such a fundamental part of our lives and growing each day, it only makes sense that schools incorporate technology in the classrooms. Even though many people support the use of technology in schools, there are those that have concerns about the effectiveness of technology and whether or not it undermines education to solely prepare students for the workforce. Despite the concerns, technology is being integrated with classroom lessons daily, and proving how beneficial it is for student success.
Evaluation is an important process required to determine the reliability and validity of information from various sources, such as journals, text books, and web pages (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu). The article in question looks at “the impact of early dementia an outdoor life”. Bennet (2001) is the framework that will be used to help structure the evaluation of this article, as it should then give an indication if the information is clearly justified or not. The study was carried out by four researchers: who have clearly stated their educational and professional back round in biographical notes Duggan et al (2008). The aim of the study was to determine if it is beneficial to sufferers of dementia to venture outdoors on a regular
As we navigate through the 21st century, technology in the classroom is becoming further predominant. iPads are replacing our textbooks, and we can research any desired topic on our smartphones. The impact that technology has had on today’s schools has been utterly momentous. Educators have now seen firsthand the numerous benefits of technology in the classroom. According to a study by IT Trade Association CompTIA, around 75 percent of educators have come to the conclusion that technology has a positive impact on the education process. Educators have also recognized the significance of developing these technological skills in students so they will be prepared to enter the workforce after they graduate (Cox). By incorporating technology in the classroom, teachers are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school. The increase of technology has even changed how teachers teach along with how
Education is one of the most important professions in the working world. Technology has done many things for us in today’s society especially for education and schools. Technology in the school system has impacted the students and teachers in many positive ways, including virtual field trips, testing tips, teacher resources, class web sites, and lesson plans. With computer use in our schools, we have access to many different sources and various types of learning.
Li’s research draws similar conclusions about the CLB. He argues that as a result of their research using satellite data to measure the amount of actual farmland lost shows that that policy was quite effective initially with the total area of land being protected from 1995-2000, but was not effective from 2000-2005. They posit that this period of the extensive loss of some of the most productive and quality land coincides with the implementation of many local economic development initiatives by local governments. They go on to argue that the changing role of local governments in regards to the land at the time put officials in conflict of interest as they were charged with the title of local developer and defender of local farmland. Thus even if farmers wanted to keep their land under agricultural production the system of land use rights in China paired with the breakneck speed of development across previously underdeveloped regions makes state acquisition of their land a high priority.