PI: Jennifer J. Wimmer

Evaluation of Academic Objectives

At no time has it been more vital to understand teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices than in the emerging and expanding field of new literacies. New literacies is defined as those social practices that continuously evolve in response to technological advances, which enable persons to question, construct, and participate in both consuming and producing knowledge through interaction with multiple modes of text including image, sound, and gesture. The continual and rapid pace at which information and communications technologies are developed, implemented, and then outdated sets the challenge. If new literacies are to reach their potential for educating the young, then new literacies research must expand to include the voice and experience of the teacher.

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to describe the experience and understanding of elementary classroom teachers (kindergarten through sixth grade) as they engaged in a four-month professional development project that focused on the integration of new literacies in their content-area instruction. Through criterion sampling, ten participants were selected from an elementary school that participates in the Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership (BYU-PSP). As stated on the McKay School of Education website, “Improving public education requires teacher training institutions and public schools to collaborate to simultaneously improve teacher education and K-12 student learning.” Because this research involved public school teachers, preservice teachers, and a faculty member, this research project supported the goals of the BYU-PSP.

In order to meet the goals of this study, weekly meetings were held at the elementary school. During these meetings we discussed various readings, shared successes and failures, and collaborated on lesson ideas. While the research team planned ideas to share, the classroom teachers also guided the direction of the weekly meetings. For example, the classroom teachers created a survey to be distributed to their students. The purpose of the survey was to gain a better understanding of their students’ traditional literacy and new literacies activities. As a team, we worked to analyze the data and discuss the findings. These ideas then informed the teachers’ perceptions of their students and the lessons they designed. While the original purpose of the study was to focus on new literacies in science and math, the needs of the teachers required a more general focus on new literacies. As a result, we spent a great deal of time defining new literacies and looking for spaces to integrate them in the daily curriculum. At the conclusion of the professional development I interviewed each of the teachers about their perceptions of new literacies, the professional development, and their instruction. Given the teachers’ responses, as well as other forms of data collected, indicated that the goals of the project were met.

Evaluation of Mentoring Enviroment

This project provided multiple opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in many different aspects of a research study including conducting a literature search, collecting and analyzing data, and engaging in academic writing. This type of experience aided them in their continued learning as they move toward becoming professional educators. Additionally, because this project was based in the public schools, it provided the undergraduate students (preservice teachers) with a perspective that is rarely available to them—while learning about teaching, they had opportunities to observe classrooms, interview classroom teachers, and gain an understanding of the importance of continued education once they leave the university.

As a research team, we met on a weekly basis throughout the project. These weekly meetings allowed the students to report on assignments and ask clarifying questions. Additionally, these meetings afforded us the opportunity to discuss new literacies integration in more depth than is permitted in methods courses and therefore, increased their content and pedagogical understanding of new literacies. This project also provided the undergraduate students with various opportunities to build meaningful relationships with faculty, inservice educators, as well as other students. The development of these relationships will assist them as they enter the work environment where collaboration is highly valued.

The undergraduate students had access to a variety of technologies. Specifically, we focused on interactive whiteboards and iPads. The undergraduate students had access to these technologies in my office. As a result, they had the opportunity to learn how to use these tools to support their own knowledge of new literacies while researching how to integrate them effectively in the classroom. Four of the undergraduate students demonstrated interest and initiative in research. As a result, I have invited them to participate in conference presentations and/or publications of the study. Additionally, three of the students wrote ORCA proposals and are continuing their studies of new literacies in various contexts.

Student Participants

• McKenzie Scoffield, undergraduate: This student participated in the project from January 2015 through April 2015. McKenzie participated in weekly research meetings that included reading research articles and scholarly texts, planning weekly inservice activities with the teachers, and debriefing/discussing weekly inservice sessions. McKenzie left BYU to serve a mission before the project was completed.
• McKell Sundrud, undergraduate: This student participated in the project from start to finish. McKell participated in weekly research meetings that included reading research articles and scholarly texts, planning weekly inservice activities with the teachers, and debriefing/discussing weekly inservice sessions. Given her interest in new literacies, McKell applied for an ORCA grant to continue the study at the BYU lab school. We are working together to write an article to be submitted to the Reading Teacher and to present our work at the International Literacy Association’s annual conference.
• Morgan Warr, undergraduate: This student participated in the project from January 2015 through April 2016. Morgan participated in weekly research meetings that included reading research articles and scholarly texts, planning weekly inservice activities with the teachers, and debriefing/discussing weekly inservice sessions. While working on this project, Morgan became interested in learning more about interactive whiteboards. She worked with a team of students to investigate the usefulness of these technologies. This information was shared with the inservice teachers as well as with other undergraduate students.
• Sydney Boyer, undergraduate: This student participated in the project from start to finish. Sydney participated in weekly research meetings that included reading research articles and scholarly texts, planning weekly inservice activities with the teachers, and debriefing/discussing weekly inservice sessions. Given her interest in new literacies, Sydney applied for an ORCA grant to continue the study at the BYU lab school. While the purpose of our project was to better understand teachers’ uses of new literacies, Sydney focused her study on children’s use of technologies in the classroom. We are working together to write an article to be submitted to the Reading Teacher and to present our work at the International Literacy Association’s annual conference.
• Becky Struthers, undergraduate: This student participated in the project from January 2015 through April 2015. Becky participated in weekly research meetings that included reading research articles and scholarly texts. Becky graduated from BYU before the project was completed.
• Becky Cox, undergraduate: This student participated in the project from January 2015 through April 2015. Becky participated in weekly research meetings that included reading research articles and scholarly texts. Becky moved out of state for student teaching before the project was completed.
• Chelsi Tolbert, undergraduate: This student participated in the project from start to finish. Chelsi participated in weekly research meetings that included reading research articles and scholarly texts, planning weekly inservice activities with the teachers, and debriefing/discussing weekly inservice sessions. Some of the new literacies readings inspired Chelsi to further investigate community literacies. As a result, she applied for an ORCA grant to study new literacies in three rural communities. Chelsi and I are working together to write an article to be submitted to the Reading Teacher and to present our work at the International Literacy Association’s annual conference.
• Emily Ahlstrom, undergraduate: This student joined the research team last year when we were collaborating with the K-6 teachers on incorporating interactive whiteboards in the classroom. Emily was the project lead on creating an interactive whiteboard guidebook that will be used by classroom teachers and BYU preservice teachers.
• Whitney Bowman, undergraduate: This student joined the research team last year and spent time working with Sydney at the BYU lab school. She gathered data on students’ use of technology. Additionally she helped with data analysis. She will collaborate on articles for the Reading Teacher.

Results & Findings of the Project

From this study we found that while the teachers desired to incorporate more new literacies and technology in their classrooms, there were many roadblocks, some of which included: time, high-stakes testing, access to technologies, and their perceived knowledge limitations. Ultimately, we found that teachers struggled finding balance between their need to teach the “basics” of education with their desire to help prepare students for a larger and more technologically advanced world. The findings from this study will result in several publications and presentations.

As a result of this project, we were invited by the elementary school principal to provide continued professional development on the incorporation of interactive whiteboards. Members of the research team collaborated to develop lessons and supports that have been and continue to be shared with the teachers at this school.

Budget

The total awarded for this MEG grant was $15,500.00. This money was spent as follows:

• Student wages: $8,750.00
• Supplies for project: $750.00
• iPads for inservice teachers: $6,000.00