Instructional Technologist as a Coach: Impact of a Situated Professional Development Program on Teachers’ Technology Use

Abstract

This article details a study that sought an alternative method to instruct public school teachers on how to integrate in their classrooms. Paired with a coach, nine teachers participated in this situated professional development program. Results from this program detail successful coaching approaches, activities, and skills, as well as ability of this program to enable teachers to gain confidence in using in their classrooms. Details on how to best implement a or mentor program are recommended and a reexamination of instructional designer competencies is proposed. ********** Two groups of obstacles affect teachers' ability to adopt and integrate within schools, namely external (e.g., lack of equipment) and internal (e.g., lack of confidence) factors (Ertmer, 1999; Ertmer, Addison, Lane, Ross, & Woods 1999). Originally proposed by Ann Thompson (e.g., Thompson, Schmidt, & Hadjiyianni, 1995), a program can be a possible solution in overcoming these barriers, particularly internal or affective domain factors. Recently, several studies (Cole, Simkins, & Penul, 2002; Kariuki, Franklin, & Duran, 2001; Polselli, 2002; Smith, 2000; Smith & O'Bannon, 1999; Sprague, Kopfman, & de Levante Dorsey, 1998; Swan, Holmes, Vargas, Jennings, Meier, & Rubenfeld, 2002) have focused on benefits of having a mentor or coach. Chuang, Thompson, and Schmidt (2003) also summarized and provided an overview of various faculty mentoring programs within higher education and public school settings. A (1), mentor, counselor, or a learning coordinator (Cole et al.) is assigned to a group of teachers to provide support and guidance. Similar to concept of linking experienced teachers with novice teachers for professional development purposes (e.g., Anzul, 2000), a guides teachers in use and integration of in their respective classrooms. These coaches take on an assortment of roles in this coach-teacher relationship, including reviewer, director, monitor, facilitator, and evaluator (Smith, 2000). Overall results from these studies indicated that an overwhelming number of teachers benefit from a program (e.g., Polselli, 2002). Currently, public schools employ individuals, who provide assistance for teachers and school administrators. These individuals have an assortment of job titles, including facilitators, coordinators, specialists, and other similar titles. These individuals perform two main roles. One role is to troubleshoot problems with technological hardware and to resolve technical problems that school may have. The other role focuses on supporting teachers and administrators in effectively instructing their students using an assortment of technologies. This latter role directly relates to a coach's activities and is focus of this study. A technology coach role is found in various school districts across nation. For example, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's IMPACT Guidelines for Media and Technology programs recommend that: The school library media coordinator and instructional facilitator work closely with teachers, administrators, students, and support personnel. All of these people must be involved in planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional program infused with media and (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 2000). A does not necessarily need to involve use. The key ingredient of a teacher-coach relationship is collaboration. In Boston Public Schools' coaching model, the teacher(s), school leader, and engage, as colleagues, in a process of inquiry about how students learn and what are effective instructional practices that support student learning (Boston Public Schools, 2001). …