DOCUMENT RESUME RC 021 948 ED 429 793 Gibson, Ian W.; King, Sheila AUTHOR Partnerships, Technology and Teaching: Celebrating the Link TITLE between Universities and Rural Communities. 1997-00-00 PUB DATE 16p.; In: Celebrating Rural Education: Proceedings of the NOTE National Conference of the Society for Provision of (13th, Adelaide, South Education in Rural Australia (SPERA) Australia, July 6-8, 1997); see RC 021 953. Descriptive (141) Reports Information Analyses (070) PUB TYPE Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *College School Cooperation; *Distance Education; DESCRIPTORS *Educational Innovation; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Information Technology; *Partnerships in Education; Professional Development; *Rural Education; School Community Relationship; *Teacher Education; Technological Literacy Australia; *Technology Utilization IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT Australian schooling is undergoing a revolution in structure, management, and organization brought about by the advent of information and communication technologies in educational settings. This schools paper emphasizes the value of relationships between universities and in enhancing the quality of educational services provided to learning communities, specifically rural communities. Examples of innovative partnerships in technology use related to the enhancement of education and (1) an Australian program that teacher training in rural areas include: integrated interactive CD-ROM technology with examples of good teaching practice to increase confidence in technology use for preservice and (2) a joint project between three rural high schools and inservice teachers; the University of Southern Queensland that helped teachers adapt to computer (3) an interactive television system that enabled and Internet technology; preservice teacher education students to observe and interact with teachers (4) a Canadian university that placed interns in in small rural schools; a local schools to help them integrate technology into their curricula; (5) Montana university that developed practicum partnerships with schools in New a distance education university in Scotland that Zealand and Europe; (6) allowed rural students to complete their education without leaving their communities; and (7) partnerships that enabled preservice teachers at the University of Southern Queensland to experience teaching in rural and remote locations. A recent Queensland (Australia) report outlines the need for educational partnerships, and key features of and barriers to successful partnerships. Contains 14 references. (TD) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** 79 Partnerships, Technology and Teaching: Celebrating the Link Between U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Universities and Rural Communities. Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) /This PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND document has been reproduced as by DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS received from the person Or organization originating it. BEEN GRANTED BY Dr. Ian W. Gibson 0 Minor changes have been made to Sheila King improve reproduction quality. Mrs Sheila King Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Abstract In recognising the increasing pressure to contribute to the construction of a new paradigm of schooling appropriate for the new century, this paper discusses the impact of partnerships and technology on teaching and emphasises the value of relationships between universities and schools in enhancing the quality of educational services provided to learning communities and specifically, learners in rural communities. By referencing both current research:and policy developments and presenting case studies related to innovations in organisational collaboration, technology use and the administration of programs, it is the intention of the authors to both raise awareness of existing examples of successful innovations which have led to excellence in education, and to provide a ready resource for those wishing to fiirther their understanding of programs that have added value to the educational benefits derived by those learners involved. Celebrations of existing collections of successful innovations is referenced infrequently in the literature and it is the intention of this paper to overcome that deficit. Introduction Australian schooling is undergoing a revolution in structure, in management, and in organisation. In recognising these revolutions and the concomitant need to redefine the culture of schooling, many state level systems have undergone a massive series of restructuring exercises which have attempted to purge the old guard, traditionalist culture from the new reality of compulsory schooling appropriate for school education in the new millennium. The building blocks of this new culture of schooling are a combination of old and this new culture, but in new influences. Clearly, the process of teaching remains central to itself, the definition of what teaching is, has undergone tremendous change. No longer is it appropriate to consider teaching as an isolated activity largely conducted by one adult upon a Rather, it is the learning that occurs, group of students in the confines of a single classroom. which is the central element of this.new culture. BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 Additionally, it is increasingly recognised that the responsibility for schooling goes far beyond the school fence. A symptom of this change appears as increased community involvement in go school decision making. This sharing of responsibility has been in part, made possible by the advent of new communications technologies which have created opportunities for greater collaboration and networking and in part by the proliferation of successful partnerships betWeen communities and agencies interested in enhancing education provision. Further, in scanning the current literature related to partnerships, a variety of useful definitions is found creating a flexibility in partnership conception that provides few barriers to creative collaboration: an activity to achieve a professional outcome; formal legal agreements; loose associations; joint ventures. It would appear that there are as many attempts to explain partnerships as there are functioning partnership activities. What appears to be the common thread throughout these diverse orientations is that functioning and successful partnerships create a climate for innovation. The majority of these characteristics of the new school culture is of course well known to rural community dwellers, for it is the focus on individuals and on community that define the likely that core of many rural communities. Notwithstanding this rural reality however, it is those in rural communities will stand to be the prime beneficiaries of the change resulting from this new orientation to schooling. While benefits will be felt by learners in all schools as in schooling by a result of the infusion of appropriate technologies and increased involvement community enterprises and supportive external partnerships, it is the learner in rural schools, gaining access to new resources, new partnerships and new communities, who will experience a proportionally larger impact than most. It is the view of the authors of this paper, that it is the integration of these concepts of teaching, technology and partnerships, that is redefining the reality of schooling for the learner in the site based management, school community oriented world of Australian education in the late 1990s. Literature In April, 1995, the Office of Technology Assessment of the United States Congress published a report which focused upon the connection between teachers and technology. A major conclusion of this study was that inadequate attention had been paid to the analysis and development of teaching pedagogies associated with the use of teachin2 technolo2ies and that inadequate developmental support provided to teachers barred the best use oC new technoloLjes in education. Further, the report went on, 3 gl technology, combined with suitably developed teaching and learning paradigms and properly trained teachers, offered a dramatic solution to problems of motivation, drop learners. out, and flexible access to educational services and support for remote In Australia, recent developments in Federal government policy proposals regarding the nation-wide provision of access to communications and information networks and associated broadband services, imposed upon universities, and particularly Faculties of Education, the responsibility to ensure that appropriate teaching paradigms and pedagogies had been analysed, evaluated, developed and supported in institutions of higher learning, in association with the advent of the technologies themselves. This responsibility was clearly articulated in May, 1995 when a report commissioned by the Department of Employment, Education and Training, entitled National Policy Frameworks to Support the Integration of Information Technologies into University Teaching/ Learning, stated that "the new information technologies have significant implications for the nature and conduct of teaching and learning," (Moran, 1995, P2) and that universities should lead the way in discovering "how best to use the new technologies as practical, educational and cost effective tools." Further the report suggested that universities were also responsible for developing positive approaches to those "common and major transformations in their teaching, structures and cultures as the technologies increasingly affect most aspects of their operations" (Moran, 1995, P4). With such explicit expectations being placed upon university teaching generally, the responsibility for teacher education faculties to propagate a more far reaching cultural change in the teaching profession with each new generation of school teachers, is both immediate and paramount. In recognising the importance of creating a defensible paradigm for the new culture of teaching brought about by the advent of appropriate information and communications technologies in educational settings, and the reliance upon partnerships sharing the responsibility for such a change, universities and school partnerships have begun to carve out pathways capable of becoming models for others to emulate. In line with this theoretical and policy framework then, the remaining sections of this paper contain a selection of brief case studies illustrating the combined value of adopting appropriate technologies, incorporating functioning partnerships and developing innovative orizanisational arrangements in pursuing this new culture of schooling. These case studies describe innovations in technology use and organisational approaches relating to the enhancement of education and training in rural areas. It is the combined results of partnerships 4 of this type that are creating a foundation appropriate for schooling in the twenty -first century. Integrating Technology and Teaching: CDROM and Problem based Learning for the professional development of teachers. (Gibson and Albion, 1996) Funded by an Australia wide competitive grant from the National Priority Reserve Fund related to teacher education, this project was conceived to integrate the best of interactive CDROM technology with a variety of examples of good teaching practice from the field of primary education. This project represented a successful attempt to provide professional development support to teachers who were interested in learning how to integrate technology into their classroom activities. Initially aimed at pre-service teacher education students who were completing their final year of university, this project was based upon the problem based learning paradigm that was an integral component of their course. With a strong emphasis upon a diagnostic, information gathering and solution generating approach to solving problems presented, this highly interactive CD-ROM used problems related to everyday teaching considerations such as physical setting, planning for teaching with technology, effects on pedagogical style, classroom management, technology sharing and school organisational issues to introduce the impact of technology in a contextualised fashion to non-technology using teachers. With a strong emphasis upon the use of video extracts, teacher made materials, school and systemic documentation, and scenario development constructed from existing teaching settings, this CD-ROM replicates the reality of classroom decision making situations in simulated scenarios that are reminiscent of real life teaching, with the added bonus of an adventure game format. Decision points throughout the users progress in each of the problems presented will provide access to a large variety of resources, appropriate to the problem, in the form of conversations with teaching colleagues, visits to other classrooms, interviews with teachers and principals, planning documents, articles describing best teaching practice and research, and video and audio data bases related to a variety of appropriate topics. Use of this CD-ROM is expected to result in desirable changes in the level of comfort and expertise in technoloi2y usage by non-technology using teachers in the form of: increased confidence in their capacity to use technologies tbr teaching 5 83 increased ability to plan effectively for the use of technologies in teaching 2. increased ability to relate theory to practice when analysing and commenting upon 3. classroom applications of technologies. numbers of practicing This interactive resource is a product of collaboration between large technicians and the teachers, administrators, school communities, university based production of the positive researchers who are the project directors. This project is a prime example partnerships and technology results of active collaboration between a variety of agencies using to enhance learner opportunities in classrooms. rural high New Directions in Open Learning: Introducing information technology to schools (Postle, Gibson, & Sturman, 1995) In a joint project between three rural high schools and The University of Southern Queensland, a group of researchers are studying the process whereby previously non internet, technology using teachers adapt to the presence of computers, access to the changes electronic mail and voice communications in their classrooms. Focusing upon required in planning, pedagogical approaches, classroom management and professional of issues related development, this project is designed to produce a grounded understanding the development of appropriate pre- to technology integration that can then be fed back into development programs service teacher education programs and the provision of professional for practicing teachers. technologies offer to Despite the promise that various communication and information has yet to be schools, their potential is not being widely realised. Technology use in schools is to study tied to agendas for teaching and learning on a large scale. An aim of this project and to the impact of integrating technology use with school based learning and teaching predominant teaching paradigm. The attempt to determine the degree of change likely to the technology key objective of the project is to measure the costs and benefits of the impact of learning in schools, the administration of schools, the on student learning, the management of roles and responsibilities of teachers, and the training of teachers. of running the Based upon a low-end hardware configuration featurinu a computer capable Electronic Classroom uraphical transfer software program, uraphical and textual scanners, lines to carry digital cameras, a conference phone and the provision of two normal telephone of data and voice signals between participatinu oruanisations, this project is desiuned for ease 6 84 of existing communications infrastructure in order to encourage use and ease of acquisition project. the involvement of other schools in the monies, the project provided Designed as a longitudinal study based upon university grant of connection time for the first year or basic equipment for school use and covered the cost the school system provided the necessary technological support so. Both the university and time to time. Each school was then to design both structures that would be required from from curriculum and policy directions for school usage. Apart program usage and develop little direction was provided on programmatic skill instruction on the equipment and software, issues or issues related to teacher decision making. framework to guide this project, the first year Using a predominantly constructivist theoretical learning outcomes, a clear increase in access of activity has seen evidence of enhanced student learning resources and human expertise, critical to previously unavailable teaching and of alternative models for reflection and evaluation of the development and implementation experience for preservice teacher instruction, opportunities for access to alternative field in the learning process between education students and a greater regard for partnerships schools, the university and community agencies. benefits of having staff and Further results evident at this early stage apart from the obvious technology has been the students trained in the use of communications and information planning, a clear development of natural incorporation of the internet into classroom resource communication technologies into both teacher and learner skill in integrating information and their own learning and teachers the learning process, allowing students to exert control over and an awareness of the potential and value to confidently manage technology-based learning, projects and shared of bringing together students from all over the world for collaborative information. variation occurred between After the first year of the project it was discovered that great original conception schools in the style, direction and frequency of usage of this resource. The while the role of the of the project directors at the university has changed dramatically, and activity, each school has Electronic Classroom software was designed to be central to the mail. Computer tended to focus their activities on intensive use of the internet and electronic crucial component of their view of schooling and usage has been accepted in each school as a the each location has developed both policy and buduet processes desii.med to support 7 85 continued use of technology in their educational programs. The technology is now being seen being the object of instruction. as a tool designed to assist learning as opposed to in a variety of One of the target schools has developed relationships with schools international contexts and has also begun to incorporate interactions with cohorts of educational pre-service teacher education students at the university as part of their program. based learning Windows into Classrooms - Two way interactive television and problem (Gibson & Gibson, 1996, 1995a, 1995b, 1995c) television linkages The "Windows into Classrooms" project used two way interactive with small rural schools and a problem based learning instructional approach to consolidate the concept and skill development of final year preservice teacher education Focusing on students in their understanding of the teaching role in small rural schools. curriculum planning and preparation for teaching in multigrade rural classrooms, making students observed and reflected upon the problem solving activity and decision real time, televised, teaching sessions in processes displayed by practicing teachers in the technology, the remote locations, and then discussed with those teachers, via thinking, planning and decision making processes which supported the activities observed. have In past offerings of this class, attempts to bring this real-life element into the program faced by the been made through the use of problem based scenarios of day-to-day dilemmas beginning teacher. This project is a natural extension of the problem based activities that have evolved from work done by staff and students in the final year practicum unit in previous years. of The incorporation of interactive technology increased both the real time involvement student teachers in their chosen profession, and also allowed student teachers to gain increased access to best practice, teacher decision making and the observation of real time, everyday situations being handled, analysed and reflected upon by teachers responsible for the decisions being made. The focus upon a problem solving approach to teaching immersed the student teacher in situations derived from real teaching environments, and encouraged the colletjal analysis of problem situations and the sharing of solutions and various perspectives on a single situation. 8 The immediacy and spontaneity of these interactive sessions created a highly motivating learning environment for student teachers, and coincidentally, a situation in which participating teachers and school pupils and their rural communities benefited in terms of professional development activities, opportunities for reflection and self-improvement, greater awareness of and comfort with technology use in classrooms and a cohesiveness in community relations that went far beyond expectations. An additional and unique aspect of this project was the concept of using distance education technology for the instruction of internal, on-campus students. That is, by simulating a window of a classroom, on-campus students experienced the realities of day-to-day teaching in a variety of remote rural locations. At the conclusion of this project, it became very clear that great benefits had occurred for every participant in the process. All agencies and individuals involved, the remote school communities, pupils and teachers, the university based project directors, technicians and support personnel, the state department of education personnel who provided their assistance and expertise and the many observers from agencies spanning a variety of educational orientations and levels both contributed and benefited. This project was dependent upon collaboration and the establishment of clearly articulated partnership objectives from conception to conclusion. Negotiated Pre-service Internships and the Technology Resource Centre: The University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada The University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada has a formal partnership with local schools for The students are able to negotiate directly with the school to set up their internship students. an experience that will benefit all parties. Local partnerships ensure that local needs are met; that arrangements can be negotiated appropriately and that theory and practice are fully integrated. One student at Jennie Emory Elementary School negotiated an experience in the area of Information Technology which allowed the student to utilise his expertise, expand his teaching skills and the school to establish a technology focus. One third of the student's negotiated pro(4ram was spent teaching a Year 3/4 class. The student used a second third of the prouam to set up the school's Technolotzy resource centre, write a school policy and protzram for information technology and provide staff inservice through staff meetings and individual training. This component was jarticularly effective as all staff were allocated a 87 laptop to assist with the integration of technology into the school curriculum. The final third of the program allowed the student to work alongside all staff in their own class time when they were implementing the technology curriculum. Each school setting involved in the program negotiates the parameters of the partnership with the Faculty of Education. An interview process is used to identify the student best suited to the proposed program. School and university benefits are negotiated to allow appropriate levels of involvement, staff release and effective use of all resources available. International Partnerships and International Practicum Experiences: Faculty of Education, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA The Faculty of Education at Montana State University, Bozeman-has developed:a partnership with various schools in New Zealand and Europe. Collaboration on this project has provided partnership opportunities which provide global experiences for the students and the local communities they visit. Throughout the final Semester the preservice students are able to opt for an elective in International Education which allows them to complete their final practicum in one of the participating schools. Schools are identified by university staff and support mechanisms are negotiated to ensure the students have an appropriate opportunity to complete the experience. The students are given information on the travel, education system and setting appropriate to their school placement. The schools provide the students with an opportunity to complete the practicum in this way and assist the students to find accommodation in the local community. This is a collaborative approach to providing practical opportunities for preservice teachers. The benefits received by each participant in the partnership ensure its continuation for many years. Local off campus programs for rural pre-service students: Lews Castle College, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. Lews Castle College on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland offers some of their courses through the developing University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). This is a partnership which allows students in rural and remote settings to complete their education without leaving their communities. This unique structure allows modes of delivery ranging 1 0 from attendance at the nearest college site to remote learning facilities. Some courses allow