Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as ‘Communicating Experience’
Springer eBooks, 2017
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of ICT as a methodology for communicating experi... more This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of ICT as a methodology for communicating experience. Methodologies of information and communications technology (ICT) stress the central role of unified communications and computers to mediate professional learning in an era of globalization and technology. The concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis, hence, its dynamic and ever-changing nature as a methodology of mediation in professional learning. Theoretical groundings of ICT are discussed, with a focus on studies conducted in teacher education on the uses, processes and outcomes of ICT as a pedagogy for mediating teacher learning. The second part presents concrete examples of mediation tasks through ICT in teacher education practices from published studies. The last part presents a synthesis of the major themes identified in the literature on the use of ICT in teacher education. The synthesis is organized around purposes, processes, outcomes and target audience studied. This is followed by a comprehensive checklist of selected articles, books and handbooks on ICT by decades (from 1990 onwards).
Action Research as ‘Systematic Investigation of Experience’
Methodologies of Mediation in Professional Learning, 2017
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of action research as investigating experience. ... more This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of action research as investigating experience. Action research can be traced back to its use by the activists, Collier, working with indigenous Indian populations on reservations in 1930. In 1944 Kurt Lewin defined the term as “a comparative research on the conditions and effects of various forms of social action and research leading to social action” that uses “a spiral of steps, each of which is composed of a circle of planning, action and fact-finding about the result of the action”. Since then, action research has become a well-known methodological approach mainly in the fields of education and health care, geared to the systematic investigation of practitioners’ actions with the aim of producing guidelines for best practice and improving practitioners’ strategies, practices and knowledge of the environments within which they practice. Action research can be initiated to solve an immediate problem or as a reflective process of progressive inquiry into pedagogical, social and political aspects of teachers’ work, in order to transform their practice. The strength of teacher action research lies in its potential for empowering practitioners to become researchers into their own practices, while implementing their research in practice and becoming agents of change. The chapter discusses the theoretical groundings of action research, with a focus on studies conducted in teacher education on the uses, processes and outcomes of action research as a pedagogy as a pedagogy for mediating teacher learning. The second part presents concrete examples of action research cycles in teacher education practices from published studies. The third part presents a synthesis of the major themes identified in the literature on the use of action research in teacher education. The synthesis is organized around purposes, processes, outcomes and target audience studied. This is followed by a comprehensive checklist of selected articles, books and handbooks on action research by decades (from 1990 onwards).
Methodologies of Mediation in Professional Learning, 2017
Story as 'The Telling of Experience' Perspectives: The Genre of Story Humans are not one story, b... more Story as 'The Telling of Experience' Perspectives: The Genre of Story Humans are not one story, but many stories…to be a person is to have a story. More than that, it is to be a story. (Kenyon & Randall, 1997, p. 1) Theoretical Groundings Humans are narrative beings, living in a world of stories which instruct and move us. The crafting of plots and characters through story, instruct us in unique ways that order, make sense, and connect human action, experiences, thoughts, and emotions (Bruner, 1990). Conceived as a landscape of action and consciousness (Bruner, 1986), stories are channels for accessing, reflecting and responding to real problems in creative ways (Wood, 2000), generating new possibilities that can enrich readers' daily lives and activities (Wood, 1992; Connelly & Clandinin, 1985). Conceptualizations of 'story' and 'narrative' are multiple and often elusive. They
Methodologies of Mediation in Professional Learning, 2017
Teacher learning is facilitated when mediated appropriately. This is a common assertion in the pe... more Teacher learning is facilitated when mediated appropriately. This is a common assertion in the pedagogy of teacher education which, in principle, most of us would concur with. But what is meant by teacher professional learning and by mediation in professional learning? Let us begin by considering these questions.
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of visuals as illustrating experience in the med... more This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of visuals as illustrating experience in the mediation of professional learning. Visual texts as methodologies are rooted in the scholarship of visual literacy, defined as the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. As such, visual literacy extends the meaning of literacy, which commonly signifies interpretation of a written or printed text. Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be through a process of reading. Visual texts- as- methodologies illustrate professionals’ implicit understandings and stances towards their practice and have become proliferate in teacher education curricula. The chapter presents theoretical groundings of visuals, with a focus on studies conducted in teacher education on the uses, processes and outcomes of visuals as a pedagogy for mediating teacher learning. The second part presents concrete examples...
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of cases as recording experience. Case studies a... more This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of cases as recording experience. Case studies are records of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or other systems that are studied holistically by one or more method. The case, which is the focus of the inquiry, constitutes an instance of a larger phenomenon which provides an analytical frame which the case illuminates and explicates. As a methodology, thus, the case study involves an up-close, in-depth, and detailed examination of a subject (the case), as well as its related contextual conditions. Case study research holds a central place in many disciplines and professions such as psychology, anthropology, sociology, education, clinical science and social work. In doing case study research, the “case” being studied may be an individual, organization, event, or action, existing in a specific time and place. The chapter presents the theoretical groundings of cases, with a focus on studies conducted ...
Lesson Study as ‘Systematic Analysis of Experience’
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of lesson study as analyzing experience. Lesson ... more This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of lesson study as analyzing experience. Lesson Study is a methodology which was developed in Japanese elementary education. Jugyō Kenkyū (lesson study in Japanese) is used to analyze teaching. During lesson study teachers work in small groups, collaborate with one another to discuss learning goals, plan actual classroom “research lessons”, observe their planning in live lessons with students, and report on the results so that other teachers can benefit from it. Lesson study can also be used at district or national level, with the purpose of addressing changes in curricula or courses of study proposed at district or national level as a methodology for the mediation of professional learning. The chapter discusses the theoretical groundings of lesson study, with a focus on studies conducted in teacher education on the uses, processes and outcomes of story as a pedagogy for mediating teacher learning. Concrete examples of mediation tasks...
Teachers' professional development and its correlates is a subject yet to be properly explored an... more Teachers' professional development and its correlates is a subject yet to be properly explored and conceptualized. We tested the potential associations between teachers' professional development stage, emotional experiences at work and burnout. We adopted a view of professional development as 'frame of mind', shaping perception, emotional reactions, thoughts and function, rather than mere level of skills and knowledge. We hypothesized that teachers' developmental stages will differentiate their emotional reactions at work and their burnout level. Sample of 133 school teachers representing a broad range of tenure at work reported their self-perceived professional development stage, emotional experiences at work and experience of burnout. Results showed significant differences in positive and negative emotions between the developmental stages, as well as differences in burnout levels. Results are linking emotional experiences and performance among teachers throughout the career span. An integrative framework emerging from our data is presented and further research is called for.
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of simulation as replicating an actual or probab... more This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of simulation as replicating an actual or probable real life condition, event, or situation. In teacher education, simulations allow for safe experimentation and practical experience, while adapting reality as close as possible to real life situations. The chapter presents the theoretical groundings of simulation, with a focus on studies conducted in teacher education on the uses, processes and outcomes of simulations as a pedagogy for mediating teacher learning. The second part presents concrete examples of mediation tasks through simulations in teacher education publications. The last part presents a synthesis of themes identified in the literature on the use of simulations in teacher education, organized around purposes, processes, outcomes and target audience studied. The synthesis is followed by a comprehensive checklist of selected articles, books and handbooks on simulations organized by decades (from 1990 onwards).
This article presents and discusses the findings of a study which focused on student teachers' ev... more This article presents and discusses the findings of a study which focused on student teachers' evaluation of their practice teaching in the context of a university-school partnership model integrated for the first time into the academic programme of a university teacher education department in Israel. A questionnaire was developed to examine the contribution of the major curricular components of the partnership for student teachers' experience of learning to teach, as evaluated by the student teachers themselves. The questionnaire was delivered to 119 student teachers placed in 9 selected school-university partnerships. The findings of the study underscore the added value of supporting different kinds of mentoring frameworks within university-school partnerships. The international significance of the study is discussed with a focus on implications for emergent tensions, dilemmas and connections between local and global forms of university-school partnerships.
This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of portfolio as documenting experience. A portfo... more This chapter presents the theoretical groundings of portfolio as documenting experience. A portfolio is a compilation of student/teacher work assembled for the purpose of documenting experience. It is an archive of academic work products which is often used to evaluate professional learning and academic achievements. Portfolios can also be digital collections or presentations that include the same documents and achievements as physical portfolios, but that may also include additional content such as student-created videos, multimedia presentations, spreadsheets, websites, photographs, or other digital artifacts of learning. Portfolios are also used to help students reflect on their own work and academic progress. By closely monitoring learning progress over time using portfolios, both teachers and students can highlight academic strengths, identify learning weaknesses, and recognize accomplishments and growth. The chapter discusses the theoretical groundings of portfolio, with a foc...
Integrating ICT in Teacher Colleges - A Change Process
Journal of Information Technology Education: Research
The National Israeli Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Program that called for the “... more The National Israeli Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Program that called for the “adaption of the educational system to the 21st century”, has been implemented in Israel since 2010. The program’s purpose intended to introduce an ‘ICT culture’ in the educational system – pre-schools and lower-level schools, as well as in higher education institutions, including teachers colleges. Following this call, the current study is aimed at examining the integration of ICT in a teaching training college in the north of Israel, in the context of a technological-pedagogic setting, the ICT culture in the college, and how educators’ metaphorical sensations contribute to their use of ICT tools and to student training in an ICT environment. The second aim of the research was to identify the operating factors in the course of educators’ professional development that impact on the integration of advanced technologies in teaching. This mixed-methods study involved 120 educators. Through s...
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