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ERIC Number: EJ745200
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Jan
Pages: 27
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-7069
EISSN: N/A
Laptop Technology and Pedagogy in the English Language Arts Classroom
McGrail, Ewa
Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, v15 n1 p59-85 Jan 2007
The English Language Arts teachers in this qualitative study reported somewhat negative outcomes in social and material spaces in the context of laptop technology in their classrooms. These outcomes included: (a) social isolation, (b) limited communication with a teacher or peers, and (c) off-task behavior. In an attempt to uncover the reasons for these rather negative results, the researcher analyzed these teachers' classroom environments and instructional engagements with laptop technology, since these practices are believed to be reflective of these teachers' current beliefs about instruction and technology's role in it. Some of the reasons the researcher uncovered were: (a) limited physical space, (b) cumbersome furniture, (c) poor technology infrastructure, and (d) the largely instrumental use of technology in numerous learning engagements. The study suggests that school administrators and policy makers develop a strategic plan to address physical constraints in each laptop classroom and adopt "a different mindset" about teacher professional development, which would compel them to put more emphasis than they currently do on pedagogy before technology, rather than technology before pedagogy, to help these teachers constructively re-envision both material and social spaces around laptop technology in their classrooms. (Contains 3 tables.)
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327-1545. Tel: 757-366-5606; Fax: 703-997-8760; e-mail: info@aace.org; Web site: http://www.aace.org.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A