Changing Course/s: Teaching

Teachers About Technology

Kimberly De Vries
California State University,
Stanislaus
kdevries@csustan.edu
http://kdevries.net/blog/
 A Short But Venerable
History

Since the earliest MOOs

and networked classrooms
of the 1990s, teachers
and scholars have been
considering the impact of
computers and Internet
and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) on
composition.
 Which Wave, Again?
In Kairos 10.2 (2006)
CoverWeb editors claimed
we were entering the
“second wave” of tech
use; we “learn
technologies as they
begin entering the
mainstream, but before
they are at the peak of
popularity”

(Casorla, Hewitt, Ball,

2006)
 In the Doldrums
In that same issue, A quick look at doctoral
Anthony Atkins reports programs reveals that
on his survey of today not many offer
technology training in courses addressing
graduate programs. teaching with or about
Most programs focused on technology.
teaching tools rather Of those few programs
than theory or pedagogy. with these courses, only
a very very few require
them in the degree
(Atkins 2006) program.
 Encountering ICTs

We encounter computers
and ICTs throughout our
educations and
professional lives. Some
embrace them; some may
feel they are at best a
necessary evil.
Class, gender, age
locale or other factors
may have an impact on
having more or less
experience a positive or California Emerging Technology Fund
(CETF) 2008 Annual Report
negative view.
 Institutional Resistance
As Todd Taylor noted in
2007, Most institutions
Even more
still don't train challenging:
faculty to teach with
Technology projects
tech, beyond a few
workshops in Blackboard and searches are
or other course often the first to be
management tools. cut in hard economic
Few attend to social times.
impacts and ethical (MLA workshop on tenure
questions, and many are and retention for
uninformed about the scholars in the digital
work required to
humanities)
integrate technology
well.
 Faculty Resistance
Though most departments
recognize the need to
Even more
incorporate computers challenging:
into the classroom, many
don't go beyond an faculty lack the
instrumental approach. training,
Some regard ICTs as incentives, or time
detracting from teaching to gain the skills
the traditional medium needed to teach
of print and traditional about technology.
writing skills.
(Anson, interview
with Coley and
Erickson 2009)
 Student Attitudes
Most students now
recognize the need to
Local Issues:
learn about teaching Lack of high speed
with technology, but access – Some areas
some regard it as a still only have dial-up
requirement imposed by
access.
the system, with little
value in itself. Low incomes – Some
Others may be skilled at students can't afford
using tech. without the tech or the
having considered connection.
social, scholarly, or
Time constraints – most
pedagogical
implications.
are working full-time,
some have families.
 Strategies
Integrate into existing
courses rather than
just proposing new
ones.
Reduce technical
barriers like excessive
layers of login screens
Hold graduate seminars
in a computer lab.
Only use tools with
which you are familiar
and comfortable. http://kepler.csustan.edu/rhetorix/

Consider not using

tech.
 Seminar Becomes Lab
Holding my graduate
seminars in computer
labs allows students to
collaborate and help
each other.

I can trouble shoot over

their shoulders and join
the work myself on a
more equal basis. http://kdevries.net/teaching/
 Use Available Means of
Pursuasion
When in Fall 2008 gas
became so expensive that
students could not
afford to attend class,
I suggested holding
class via IRC once a
month to save commuting
costs.
Similar practical
reasons made students
more receptive to an
online reader and online
submission of
assignments. irc://freenode/rhetorix
 Outcomes
“The wiki allows for a great deal of cooperation
among classmates. I appreciate the links for
'recent additions' so I can check up on the
latest comments and material. I also like having
a home page on the wiki for posting drafts and
getting feedback on ideas.”
(student survey, April 2007)

“I'm glad I did the project. It took me outside

my comfort zone and now I feel like I understand
what students might experience.”
(essay reflecting on technology project, December
2008)
 in/Conclusion
➢ Investigate institutional and faculty
attitudes.
➢Work with existing classes.
➢Use familiar technologies that you can
troubleshoot.
➢Remove barriers from the interface.
➢recognize that you can teach about tech without
using tech.