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Fall 12-13-2016 From #edcamp to #edchat: A Case Study Exploring Innovative, Self-Directed Educator Professional Learning Amy E. Vitala Kennesaw State University
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Running Head: #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT
From #edcamp to #edchat: A Case Study Exploring Innovative,
Self-Directed Educator Professional Learning
Amy E. Vitala
Kennesaw State University
October 2016
A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the
Bagwell College of Education
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 2
Dedication
I am incredibly grateful to my mother, Ann, and my late father, Mike, who always encouraged me to pursue any path I wanted, as long as I gave it my best. They placed great value on education and instilled in me a love of learning from a young age.
I am sincerely thankful for the members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Jo
Williamson, Dr. Iván M. Jorrín Abellán, and Dr. Julie Moore, whose expertise, advice, and kindness were critical to the successful completion of my dissertation. I am truly indebted to Dr.
Jo Williamson, my dissertation chair, whose mentorship and guidance were invaluable throughout this process. Dr. Williamson’s dedication to her students and academia astounds me;
I can honestly say that I would not be typing this page without her commitment to my journey.
My school district colleagues and members of my local and global PLN have also been an amazing source of support and inspiration. The educators with whom I connect face-to-face and virtually constantly inspire me to grow professionally and have kept me going throughout this degree program.
Finally, I’d like to dedicate this project to Scott, Katie, Sally, Ashley, and so many others in my life for their unwavering support, guidance, and encouragement (plus a great deal of understanding when I was feeling overwhelmed and acting a little nuts).
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 3
Abstract
Although there is a plethora of in-depth research regarding effective professional development and best practices for adult learning, there is evidence that suggests traditional professional development for educators neglects to adequately address the needs of these adult learners.
Research on adult learning, motivation, and self-directed learning supports the claim that there is a disconnect between research-based best practice and the traditional delivery models that are pervasive throughout much of the district- and school-mandated professional learning.
Professional development is evolving, however, and educators are engaging in learning opportunities that challenge the traditional models. The emergence of self-directed professional development among educators is transforming the way in which educators connect with one another and engage in professional growth activities. This case was a large, suburban, K-12 public school district, which has recently offered and endorsed more innovative models of professional learning, such as Twitter chats and edcamps. This case study explores educators’ engagement in these and practices beyond their district, as well as the motivating, enabling, and impeding factors, for participation in such professional development activities. In addition, this study addresses the issue of traditional professional development deficits and the ways in which we can infuse preferred professional learning activities more consistently in schools.
Keywords: professional development, adult learning, self-directed learning, innovative professional learning, Twitter, edcamp
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 4
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………….…………..………6
Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework………………………….…….……..………8
Adult Learning Theories……………………………….………….…...……8
Personalized Learning…………………………………………….….…….11
Educator Professional Development…………………………….…………13
Technology Affordance………………………………………….………...19
Ubiquitous Learning…………………………………………….…………20
Emerging Practices…………………………………………….…………..21
Need for Research…………………………………………….…………...27
Chapter 3: Research Methodology……………………………….……………..29
Worldview………………………………………………….………..…….29
Goals……………………………………………………….…………...….31
Research Questions……………………………………….…….………….33
Research Tradition……………………………………….…….……….….34
Setting and Participants…………………………………………..…….….37
Data Collection………………………………………………….….….…..44
Data Analysis…………………………………………………….……...... 48
Trustworthiness…………………………………………………..…….….55
Methodological Limitations………………………………….…..…….….57
Ethical Considerations……………………………………………..……...59
Chapter 4: Findings………………………………………..…………………….59
Optional, Self-Directed Professional Learning Practices……..…………..60
Motivations for Participation in Self-Selected Professional Learning…....91
Enabling and Impeding Factors for Participation …………………….....114
Participants’ Visions for Future School Professional Development….....119 #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 5
Conclusion……………………………………………………………....125
Chapter 5: Discussion…………………………….…………………………....127
Overview of the study………………….…………………………..……127
Discussion of Findings……………………….……………….…………129
Limitations.…………………………………….………………………..146
Implications for Future Research………………………………….…….147 Conclusions……………………………………………………….….….147 References…………………………………………………………………....…149 Appendices.………………………………………………………………….….156
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 6
Chapter 1: Introduction
Despite the plethora of research regarding adult learning theories and learner motivation, traditional professional learning opportunities for educators continue to disappoint. (Darling-
Hammond, 2013, WIlliams, 2005; Knight, 2000; Carpenter, 2015; TNTP, 2015). Studies on self-directed learning (Houle, 1961; Tough, 1967; Bullock, 2013), self-generated learning
(Swanson, 2013), and adult learner preferences (Knowles, 1963; Merriam, 2013) repeatedly suggest that a disconnect exists between research-based best practices and the traditional one- way presenter delivery model that remains pervasive in much of our mandated educator professional development.
Educator professional learning is quickly evolving. Many educators are now engaging in opportunities that completely challenge what has, unfortunately, become the sit-and-get norm.
Tools like social media and events such as unconferences are rapidly transforming the face of learning for educators, allowing an educators to build their own Personal Learning Network
(PLN). This self-directed means of learning has been embraced by a growing global community of digital-age educators who are engaging in optional connected and collaborative learning on their own accord - and with their own agenda (Gustafson, 2015; Swanson, 2013).
The researcher aimed to gain a deep understanding of this special group of K-12 educators in a large suburban district who are engaging in optional self-directed professional learning opportunities. In order to do this, the researcher sought out those educators to capture a glimpse into this professional learning paradigm shift in hopes that emerging themes may offer insight into potential actionable solutions. The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-depth, pragmatic investigation of the behaviors and motivation of members of this community in hopes of gaining insight that can inform change in the field of educator professional development. The #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 7 aim was to explore the experiences, motivations, and perceptions of those who regularly opt into emerging models of optional self-directed professional learning when available. In addition, the actionable implications of research outcomes drive the researcher’s considerations for solutions to the perceived issues with traditional professional development for educators.
The researcher utilized a qualitative single case study research design to conduct this study, which was driven by pragmatic inquiry. Through observations, interviews, social media archival review, and a focus group, this study investigated the various factors that motivate K-12 educators in a large suburban school district to engage in optional self-directed learning opportunities. The proposed issue related to whether or not deficiencies with traditional professional development drives participation in unconventional professional development practices. The research questions examined participants’ current self-directed practices, perceptions of traditional professional development opportunities, strengths of self-directed professional learning, and factors that enable or impede participation in this type of professional learning. Additionally, considerations were made to determine if and how motivating characteristics of optional self-directed professional learning can be applied to potentially enhance traditional and/or mandated professional development for educators. The following are the topics and sub-questions that guided this qualitative inquiry:
(1) Current self-directed practices (How are these educators engaging in self-directed
personalized professional learning?)
(2) Motivations (What inspires educators to participate in these learning experiences? What
do they like/dislike about the experiences?)
(3) What enables and impedes the participation in PL (What enables and/or impedes
educators from participating in these types of PL?) #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 8
(4) Characteristics of the learning experiences (Which favorable characteristics of
nontraditional learning experiences do participants believe might be incorporated into
typical school and district PL? How and why?)
This document is organized into five chapters. Immediately following this chapter is chapter two, which provides an overview of the conceptual framework used to support and drive the study. Following this review of the literature is chapter three, which details the methodology utilized to conduct the investigation. Chapter four, the findings, will provide the reader with insight into the habits, beliefs, motivations, and ideas through the voice of the four main informants within the case. Finally, chapter five will include the researcher’s interpretation and discussion of these findings, while highlighting interesting themes that emerged, as well as ways in which the data connects to previous research in the fields of adult learning and professional development.
Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework
Adult learning theories such as andragogy (Knowles, 1968) and self-directed learning
(Brookfield, 2009) will serve as the foundation for this study. This framework will also take into account available research and theories in the areas of educator professional learning, both traditional and emergent. These concepts will set the tone for exploration of digital-age professional learning among educators and, more specifically, the why behind their elective participation in self-directed, or personalized, professional learning opportunities. The following will further detail this research, which will frame this case study, which seeks to answer the overarching research question: What inspires educators to engage in self-directed, personalized professional learning?
Adult Learning Theories #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 9
There are several theories of adult learning. While there is not a singular theory that can be generalized to all adult learners, these theories assist with the planning and development of learning opportunities for adults (TEAL, 2011; Merriam, 2001). The theories of andragogy and self-directed learning have been considered by Merriam (2001) to be the pillars of adult learning.
These will serve as the main adult learning theories explored in this review of literature.
The Theory of Andragogy. Knowles’ (1968) well-known theory of adult learning,
Andragogy, derived from his earlier assumptions that adult learners learn best in an environment that is comfortable, flexible, and informal (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2015). Considering later that adults prefer learning experiences in which they are also self-directed and social, he added to the list.
Knowles proposes several assumptions about adult learners, some of which contend that adults are:
(1) self-directed and want control of their learning experiences
(2) social creatures and prefer a collaborative environment
(3) interested in immediate utility of their learning
(4) problem-centered and focused on the need to know
(5) intrinsically motivated
In the mid-1960s, Knowles introduced the concept of andragogy at a summer workshop, explaining it as the science and art of helping adults learn based on his assumptions of adult learners. Feur and Gerber (1988) believed that andragogy was a legitimate attempt to emphasize the unique needs of the adult learner and provide a more appropriate model (Knowles, Holton, &
Swanson, 2015, p. 3). There are areas of criticism, however, such as the fact that these assumptions may also apply to children, do not apply to all adults, or whether andragogy could #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 10 even be considered a theory (Merriam, 2001). Regardless of whether one criticizes or appreciates Knowles’ work on adult learning, Feur and Gerber were correct; these ideas most certainly initiated a revolution in the world of adult education.
Self-Directed Learning Theory. Merriam (2014) refers to the work of Knowles and concludes that, as people mature, they become more self-directing. Self-directed learning, a distinguishing component of the abovementioned theory of andragogy, also stands alone as an individual theory of adult learning. Brookfield (2009) defines self-directed learning (SDL) as
“learning in which the conceptualization, design, conduct and evaluation of the learning project are directed by the learner (as cited in Bullock, 2013, p. 106). Merriam (2014) describes SDL as a process through which a learner “intentionally sought out the learning, planned [one’s] learning, took responsibility, controlled [one’s] learning, and evaluated the outcome” (p. 61). A similar theory includes user-generated learning (UGL) Swanson (2013), which is explained as learning that is “highly personalized” (p. 11), or customized to fit the needs of the learner, and involves active participation and reflection in a “self-selected collaborative space” (p. 5).
Swanson adds that UGL involves a contribution, whether in a physical or virtual environment, and that UGL is “something you do, not something you get” (p.5). Merriam clarifies that SDL does not mean that a learner is on his or her own, but simply that he or she is in control of the learning process. Swanson states that UGL, which she says “honors the tenets of adult learning,” is actually “most successful when experienced in the context of a community” (p.11).
Self-directedness is mentioned as a distinguishing characteristic of effective adult learning in Knowles’ earlier work, but it is the work of Houle (1961) and Tough (1967) who propelled it as a model itself (Merriam, 2001). Knowles (1975) even contributed later to this model by publishing a book on the topic that included its implementation through learning #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 11 contracts (Merriam, 2001). Interestingly, in the 1970s, even Knowles, who had originally intended on introducing the concept of andragogy in order to distinguish it from pedagogy, shifted his focus. Rather than looking at a binary pedagogy/andragogy relationship, he began representing his assumptions on a continuum, which ranged from teacher-centered learning to student-directed learning.
According to theories of SDL and UGL, learners should have a voice in both what and how they learn, and they need to actively engage in the learning for it to be meaningful. SDL is becoming an important feature of professional growth opportunities in the corporate realm and many service fields as an attempt to equip employees with the skills to compete in an increasingly global and dynamic world and encourage ongoing, lifelong learning (Merriam,
2014). Bullock (2013) contends that, although self-directed learning has been a topic of discussion with regard to adult learning for decades, there is still a gap in the educator professional learning literature (pp. 105-106). To be entirely self-directed - to personalize one’s professional learning experience - is certainly something to which the typical educator is unaccustomed. Merriam discusses the work of Guglielmino (1977), noting that SDL can be thought of as a learner’s attribute in addition to a process. Merriam (2014) explains that, while it is commonly believed that all adults possess the capacity to be self-directed in their learning, context and personal motivation impacts this capacity in each individual. Therefore, it may not be as simple as challenging educators to think differently about professional development.
Although the research shows that self-direction and active participation are elements of strong
SDL, there is more work to be done to examine the depths of SDL in educator professional learning.
Personalized Learning #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 12
Personalization has received much attention with regard to student learning in the K-12 setting. Horn and Staker (2015) advocate for a student-centered learning environment, of which personalized (or individualized) learning is a major component. While these researchers acknowledge the existing debate about an exact definition of personalized learning, they explain it as learning that is tailored to meet the needs of each unique learner. While the focus of personalized learning has been focused on younger learners as of late, there is no doubt that the same principals of customized learning can be transferred to the world of adult learning and professional development.
The national organization in educator professional learning, Learning Forward suggests that training for educators must be designed with educator differences in mind. “Like all learners, educators learn in different ways and at different rates” (Learning Forward, 2011, p. 3).
As Merriam (2001) argues with regard to adult learning, there is no single model or theory that can explain every adult learner. The one-size-fits-all model that has prevailed simply does not work. Preferences, beliefs, attitudes, and experiences of adult learners are diverse. Educators now have the means to personalize professional learning to meet individual interests, needs, and preferences.
Often used in the same context as self-directed learning, the concept of personalized instruction has been around for decades (Gustafson, 2015). Gustafson summarizes Eyre’s (2007) work as he describes a Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) that was successful in increasing achievement and course satisfaction at a school in Brazil. It is personalized learning that 21st
Century technologies make possible - learning that is crafted by and for the learner. Gustafson highlights part of Richardson’s (2012) work and explains that, in a world full of options and choice, it is only natural that there be a growing expectation of personalization. Soon, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 13 personalizing learning may be the new norm. It is essential that we explore what this will mean for the professional learning of educators and, ultimately, the achievement of their students.
Personalizing professional learning, or creating opportunities for SDL for educators, is great in theory, but changing the way we think is not an easy task. As Swanson (2013) explains,
“Unlearning is hard. Breaking down strongly held beliefs is very difficult…” (p. 29). When applied to the topic of educator professional learning, it appears that traditional professional development provides little opportunity for educators to be self-directed in their learning.
Educator Professional Development
In order to impact teacher and student learning, it is imperative that we address what the research says regarding professional development concerns, as well as best practices.
Professional learning decision-makers should consider the implications of such research and translate what we can learn from relevant literature to the design and development of educator training policies and programs.
Student Achievement: The Ultimate Goal. As demands on educators and the pool of knowledge about education increase, professional development is more important than ever
(Guskey, 2000). Zepeda (2008) notes that professional learning should primarily emphasize the learning of students. Learning Forward (2011) agrees that the ultimate goal of professional development is to impact student success, and includes such verbiage when outlining their seven professional learning standards. Each standard shares a common root, so to speak: “Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students…” (p. 2).
Professional development is defined by Guskey as the “processes and activities designed to enhance the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes of educators so that they might, in turn, improve the learning of students” (p. 16). When educators’ knowledge and skills increase, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 14 they are more equipped to employ effective practices that better meet performance expectations student learning needs (Learning Forward, 2011). Since much of the research indicates that educator development has a significant impact on student performance, opportunities for high- quality professional learning for educators are crucial (Darling-Hammond, 2013).
Professional Development Concerns. Educational organizations spend less than a half a percent of the budget, on average, for professional learning opportunities, as compared with roughly 10% in the corporate realm (Darling-Hammond, 2013). Darling-Hammond goes so far to argue that the state of bureaucracy in our system of education suggests a preference for teachers who are not empowered, contributing to the neglect to invest in meaningful professional learning. While there are certainly strong models of traditional professional development, there is a need for professional learning transformation (Darling-Hammond, 2013).
Although the fact that adult learning principles have been established and accepted for several decades, traditional professional learning opportunities for educators frequently neglect to leverage what the research suggests in order to maximize these opportunities (Williams,
2005). Research indicates that the traditional, top-down, mandated professional development events fail to allow teachers to direct their own learning and sufficiently satisfy the needs of educators as learners. However, the “drive-by, spray-and-pray, flavor-of-the-month after school” professional development models prevail across the country (Darling-Hammond, 2013, p. 100), contributing to a “common cynicism among educators in the United States regarding traditional
PD approaches” (Carpenter, 2015). Boule (2011) agrees that traditional learning opportunities for educators fail to meet learners’ needs. We need to move away from these outdated inservice or teacher training models “in which an expert imparts new techniques in drive-by workshops” #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 15
(Darling-Hammond, Pearson, Schoenfeld, Stage, Zimmerman, Cervetti, and Tilson, 2008, p.
206).
Knight (2000) discusses the “historical belief that professional development is impractical” and a “resentment about the top-down decision-making” (p. 10). In a study of over
1,300 educators and professional development decision makers, the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation (2014) captures views on the disconnect between what teachers and decision makers want when it comes to teacher professional learning. Teachers reportedly view professional development as a top-down compliance activity, over which they have little input. In addition to the above concerns about the manner in which professional development is handled in their districts, teachers also reported that time and leadership are the two main barriers to effective professional learning. In a similar study, TNTP (2015), an organization dedicated to educational improvement, surveyed and/or interviewed over 10,000 teachers and 500 school leaders, finding similar results. “Beyond failing to help most teachers actually improve meaningfully, districts are not even meeting the arguably lower bar of giving teachers what they say they need.” (p. 26)
Teachers complained that professional development was not sustained or relevant. They did not feel as though it was customized to meet their needs, and reported that they were often required to spend time in training on concepts they already knew well. One teacher’s words capture this sentiment by stating, “If our students need choices, we need choices, too. We are differentiating for our kids, but no one is differentiating for me.” (p. 27) TNTP shares that piling on more development for teachers is not the answer; we need to create a culture of high expectations and continuous growth that allows for teacher choice and quality professional development opportunities. “It doesn’t matter how many thousands of development activities a district offers if it fails to consistently connect teachers with the activities that are right for them and at the right #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 16 time.” (p. 26) Professional development is so often something that is done to educators, as opposed to learning over which they have control, or about which they have an interest.
Educators deserve relevant, engaging, and meaningful professional learning opportunities.
From Theory to Practice: Meaningful Professional Learning. Literature has noted the importance of infusing theories of adult learning into professional development practice.
Williams (2005) advises, “professional development programs should seek opportunities to incorporate the principles of adult learning theory into professional development activities” if they wish to “maximize adult learning capacity” (p. ix). Moore (2009) claims that, in order for professional development to be meaningful and engaging, learning should be designed with principles of adult learning in mind.
Educators bring to a professional development opportunity a wealth of experience and knowledge. There are various perspectives regarding what constitutes effective professional learning. An overview of these characteristics include: consistently engaging educators in reflection (Darling-Hammond et al., 2008), focusing on common goals or shared vision for change (Guskey, 2000; Learning Forward, 2011), emphasizing student curriculum (Darling-
Hammond, 2013; Learning Forward, 2011), providing opportunities that are ongoing (Guskey,
2000; Williams, 2005; Darling-Hammond, 2013), and those which promote teacher voice and collaboration (Guskey, 2000; Zapeda, 2008).
Professional development should also be relevant to the educator. As Moore explains,
“Teachers understandably want professional development experiences to be relevant to classroom practice, but that shouldn't diminish the importance of their own learning” (Moore,
2009, p. 19). In the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation study (2014), teachers also report that they want professional development that is relevant, sustained, interactive, and teacher-driven. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 17
They want to be respected as professionals and prefer professional development that is delivered by someone who understands their role, such as other current teachers. Research on professional development and current theories of adult learning suggest that high-quality professional learning allows learners to be self-directed, assisting with the relevance factor. Teachers crave choice (TNTP, 2015; Gates Foundation, 2015) and self-directedness as adult learners (Knowles,
1968; Brookfiled, 2009; Swanson, 2013). In the TNTP study (2015), educators felt as though the second most beneficial professional learning activities were those in which they engaged in self- guided learning that they had initiated.
The first of Learning Forward’s seven professional learning standards emphasizes the importance of learning communities - groups of educators who share common goals and support one another in continuous learning efforts. Williams (2005) advises that research-based professional development be “continuous and ongoing” and“centered around teacher collaboration” (p. ix). Interestingly, Williams (2005) believes the unifying theme of Knowles’ adult learning assumptions is collaboration, and it appears there is a significant focus in the literature on the collaborative aspect of recommended professional development practices.
Zapeda (2008) explains the importance of teacher support of one another and their desire to learn with one another in order to continuously improve. Similarly, the TNTP (2015) study also reports that the single most beneficial professional learning for teachers is informal collaboration with colleagues. Learning Forward (2011), the national organization for professional learning for educators, outlines seven professional learning standards. The very first of these emphasizes the importance of learning communities - groups of educators who share common goals and support one another in continuous learning efforts. Over the past several years, for example, some of the structured best practices recommended for educator professional learning have #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 18 included: critical friends, learning circles, book study, study groups, professional learning communities, and peer observations (Darling-Hammond, 2013; Zepeda 2008). In addition to the collaborative quality of such practices, most would be considered to be ongoing growth opportunities, rather than episodic events. Other researchers stress the significance of allowing for collaboration with fellow educators (Guskey, 2000; Darling-Hammond, et al.; 2008; Zepeda,
2008, TNTP, 2015). As Guskey (2000) contends, “learning in the company of others is a more powerful design for professional development that supports the adult learner” (p. 123).
Knowles’ (1973) assumptions of adult learning contend that adult learners are self- directed, social, and prefer an informal learning environment. The term social often appears when discussion adult learning and high quality professional learning. While Williams (2005) believes the unifying theme of Knowles’ assumptions is collaboration, there are certainly conflicting views on the elements of high-quality professional development. For example, Little
(1989) argues that collaboration is not necessarily always a positive feature of professional development, noting potential barriers to progress when professional development occurs as a team (as cited in Guskey, 2000). One of the issues in characterizing effective professional learning is confusion over the definition of effective when it comes to its evaluation (Guskey,
2000). Just as no single adult learning theory is all-encompassing, there is no one solution for professional development that will reach all educators. With the adoption of current digital technologies, however, learning is shifting to become more mobile, connected, and personalized to fit each learner’s needs (Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011).
Professional learning should not be an episodic event that is disconnected from an educator’s daily practice, but rather integrated and sustained (Guskey, 2000; Darling-Hammond,
2013). It should be a part of an educator’s everyday routine, as well as embedded in school and #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 19 district culture. As Zapeda (2008) states “schools that succeed are schools in which every participant is a learner.” (p.1)
Technology Affordance
Affordances refer to the relationship between the environment and beings or, in more specifically, what the environment offers to those within it (Gibson, 1986). As Gibson (1986) explains, one can alter affordances within the situation, however, he or she is still a creature of the environment in which he or she exists. Furthermore, the value of objects within one’s environment are simply what is perceived by the observer, and their affordances are no more or less that what is perceived by an individual. As Gaver (1991) states, “Affordances are properties of the world that are compatible with and relevant for people’s interactions” (p. 79). This ecological theory offered by James has also been translated to the world of technologies in learning.
Day and Lloyd (2007) suggest that ideas derived from theories of affordance are valuable in learning about the impact of digital technologies on learning. They state, “it is too simplistic to view learning outcomes as depending solely on the properties of the technologies. Rather, they result from a complex interaction of factors that contribute to the learning context” (p. 1).
Gaver agrees with this sentiment, stating that possibly the most important takeaway from his research was the fact that affordances allow us to “focus not on technologies or users alone, but on the fundamental interactions between the two” (p. 82). Technology is neutral and depends upon the way in which a user contextualizes it. Interaction between user and object is key, and this interaction is what creates the potential of tools in one’s environment. Day and Lloyd
(2007) contend that technology affordance refers to the potential educational value of digital tools, or the opportunities that online technologies afford learners. The work of Gaver (1991) #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 20 encourages readers to co”consider devices, technologies and media in terms of the actions they make possible” (p. 83). There is a symbiotic relationship between technology affordance and the technology itself and, when leveraged appropriately, technology can transform the way we think about connecting and learning. Teachers are now using tools like Twitter, Pinterest, and blogs and to connect and learn virtually, as well as organize grassroots, face-to-face learning events.
Technology can be an incredibly powerful tool when in the hands of a user who is willing to see beyond the object (or online space) and consider how to maximize its potential for learning.
Ubiquitous Learning
Ubiquitous learning (u-Learning) is facilitated by the availability of digital technologies, such as smartphones and other mobile devices, allowing users to interact and communicate like never before - and to learn whenever and wherever they like. (Yahya, Ahmad,
& Jalil, 2010). A ubiquitous learning environment affords a user with “an interoperable, pervasive, and seamless learning architecture to connect, integrate, and share…” (Yahng, S.,
2006, p. 188).
Virtual learning communities (VLCs) are networks of learners that rely on the knowledge and talents of the learners involved (Yang, 2006). These communities of learners are not restricted by geography or time; they may interact and collaborate via the internet in ubiquitous learning environments. While Yahya, et. al. discuss the fact that there is no single consensus on the definition of ubiquitous learning, their synthesis of previous literature led them to the development of five U-Learning characteristics:
(1) Permanency: The information remains unless the learners purposely
remove it. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 21
(2) Accessibility: The information is always available whenever the learners need
to use it.
(3) Immediacy: The information can be retrieved immediately by the learners.
(4) Interactivity: The learners can interact with peers, teachers, and experts
efficiently and effectively through different media.
(5) Context-Awareness: The environment can adapt to the learners’ real situation
to provide adequate information for the learners (Yahya, et.al., 2010, p. 121).
Such virtual learning environments and communities are providing educators with opportunities to share, learn, and grow with zero boundaries of time and space. AS Swanson
(2013) states, “Free, grassroots ways to distribute learning abound” (p. 64). The adoption of u- learning and VLCs among educators is providing opportunities to leverage technology in order engage in learning with their peers in new and exciting ways.
Emerging Practices
A shift in mindset regarding what constitutes professional learning, motivated by the rapid adoption of digital technologies among educators, has facilitated the ability for educators to guide their own learning. Grassroots learning events are changing the landscape of learning for educators. Many are engaging in organic, self-directed exchanges on their own accord, both in the online and face to face environment. From the convenience of information dissemination to opportunities to connect locally and globally, the rapidly changing technology landscape is enabling teachers to take charge of their learning. Swanson (2013) discusses the value of learning from these networks, and also stresses the importance of contributing to these environments. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 22
Despite the scarcity of high quality, traditional professional learning opportunities as described, social media tools such as Twitter and unconference events such as edcamps are transforming the way in which educators connect, share, and learn, allowing them dynamic opportunities to self-direct and personalize the ways in which they engage in their learning.
Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) and educational unconferences are a couple of notable emerging movements with great potential to shift our thinking about educator professional development.
Personal Learning Networks. An increasing number of educators are taking the driver’s seat of their own learning by creating what will be referred to in this study as personal learning networks (PLNs). A PLN allows us to “learn anytime, anywhere, with potentially anyone around the world who shares our passion and interest” (Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011, p. 2). A PLN is essentially a personalized network of people and resources that contribute to one’s growth as an educator, accessible whenever and wherever they choose. Swanson (2013) explains the reciprocal nature of a personal learning network (PLN), highlighting the advantages to collective teacher voice, multiple perspectives, and building meaningful learning relationships.
A PLN differs from the more formal professional learning community (PLC) structure present in many schools (Gustafson, 2015), as a PLC usually entails a common goal, specific procedures, and face-to-face collaboration.
Technology is essential when one considers the optimal PLN, in which information and collaboration are highly accessible at any given point. A Twitter chat is just one way in which educators can connect in a virtual space and contribute to Some of the common tools used by educators to build and engage with a PLN are Twitter, Voxer, Google Hangouts, blogs, and other social networking sites and communication avenues. When these technologies are used to their #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 23 full potential, this customized learning network is provides personalized professional learning opportunities that are convenient, dynamic, and entirely self-directed.
Educational Unconferences. Unconferences, while not an entirely new concept, have more recently been translated to the world of educator professional learning. These informal, typically optional events are “unconventional conferences” that differ from the typical conference model and allow educators to drive their own learning. First, there is an emphasis on participant-driven scheduling of sessions. Anyone who attends an unconference may contribute to the sharing and learning in sessions, which are scheduled on a dynamic, crowd-sourced session board at the beginning of the event and often modified throughout the day.
Unconference participants are able to drive their own learning with the “law of two feet”, which encourages participants to leave sessions that fail to meet their needs and go find a session that is more beneficial to their learning. Unconference events should be completely optional learning events designed entirely by those in attendance the day of the event. There is also a focus on networking with other educators, collaboration in an informal environment, and sharing out of ideas relevant to the conversation (Budd, Dinkel, Corpas, Fuller, Rubinat, Devos, Khoueiry,
Forstner, Georgatos, Rowland, Sharan, Binder, Grace, Traphagen, Gristwood, Wood, 2015).
Due to the fact that traditional professional learning fails to meet the needs of educators, Boule
(2011) encourages unconferences and camps, as he is in favor of their participant-driven character. Budd, et. al. (2015) captures the essence of the participant-driven unconference concept:
Unlike traditional conferences, an unconference is a participant-oriented meeting
where the attendees decide on the agenda, discussion topics, workshops, and, often,
even the time and venues. The informal and flexible program allows participants to #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 24
suggest topics of their own interest and choose sessions accordingly...The
overarching goal for most unconferences is to prioritize conversation over
presentation. In other words, the content for a session does not come from a select
number of individuals at the front of the room, but is generated by all the attendees
within the room, and, as such, every participant has an important role. Advantages
of the unconference format include: a focus on topics that are relevant to the
attendees... an opportunity for teamwork development, flexibility of schedule, and
an emphasis on contributions from every participant. The relationships built during
an unconference often continue well past the event. The interactions can lead to
productive collaborations, professional development opportunities, and a network
of resources and are very effective at building a community amongst participants.
The unconference format, therefore, gives participants experience in working
together, and this can change how they think about their day-to-day work (pp. 1-2)
Unconferences in the education world have taken the form of Teach-Meets (informal gatherings originating in the United Kingdom, PLAYDATEs (focused on experimenting with educational technology tools, THATcamp (addressing technology in the humanities), and the technology-centered Barcamp. Any unconference organizer or attendee will explain the value of leveraging collaborative and far-reaching technology tools, such as Twitter, to the connecting with members of a personal learning network (PLN) before, during, and after the unconference. As discussed in the above sections, technology is certainly providing affordances which empower educators to connect and learn like never before. Gustafson
(2015) highlights the impact of innovative technology use in education and attributes the success of educational unconferences to the technology affordances now available to us. The #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 25 following section focuses on a technology-enhanced, grassroots movement very popular in the world of unstructured educator professional development, the edcamp.
The Edcamp Model. The edcamp model is one emerging variation, and perhaps the most popular example, of an unconference for educators, and is based on Boule’s concept of Open
Space Technology (OST), meaning that anything that happens at edcamp is supposed to happen, and those who participate are the people who are supposed to be there (Boule, 2011). Although there is flexibility with regard to what this type of unconference involves, some basic characteristics or guidelines drive the edcamp event, such as a crowd-sources session schedule the morning of the conference (Gustafson, 2015). In addition, instead of a “single expert talking at a largely passive audience, sessions are meant to build upon the collective intelligence” of participants in each session (Carpenter, 2015). Edcamps, by definition, must be:
● free
● non-commercial and conducted with a vendor-free presence
● hosted by any organization interested in furthering the Edcamp mission
● made up of sessions that are determined on the day of the event
● events where anyone who attends can share and learn
● reliant on the “law of two feet” that encourages participants to find a session that
meets their needs (http://edcamp.org).
The edcamp movement started in Philadelphia with the first Edcamp Philly in 2010. This event occurred approximately a year after the organizers had the stumbled upon BarCamp, an unconference for those interested in technology professional learning (Swanson, 2014), which inspired them to transfer this innovative professional learning practice to the world of professional educator learning. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 26
The edcamp movement, while still relatively new, is rapidly spreading. Since the initial edcamp event, hundreds of other edcamp events have been held (Figure 1, Carpenter, 2015).
Educators are going above and beyond to organize these events, typically held on Saturdays, and participants are flocking to attend. This type of unconference is typically advertised on Twitter, blogs and other social media (Demski, 2012; Gustafson, 2015; Carpenter, 2015). As Gustafson
(2015) states, “To begin to understand the far-reaching impact of technology innovation in education, one must examine a grassroots movement of professional development called
EdCamp” (p. 39).
While the majority of edcamps have been held in the United States, several other countries have jumped on board and joined this movement (http://edcamp.wikispaces.com/). There have even been virtual edcamps, such as Edcamp Home, Edcamp Online, and Edcamp Global, which have relied solely on social media and collaborative online tools, such as Twitter and Google Docs
(Carpenter, 2015). Edcamp Global, as an example, had 1,769 participants register, representing #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 27
39 countries across the globe (personal communication via Twitter, @edcampglobal, 8
November 2015).
Due to the infancy of research in this area, there has only been one peer-reviewed journal article about edcamps to date. Carpenter (2015), in investigating the motivation behind participating in edcamps, found that motivations varied. Some of these included recommendations (from colleagues, friends or Twitter), learning (desire to grow, build his/her personal learning network, collect resources), general interest in edcamp (intrigue about the format), interest in a specific aspect of edcamp (personalized PD, relevant PD, collaboration), and the opportunity to network. In this same study, over 90% indicated that they planned to participate in a future edcamp event. At the top of this list for strengths of the edcamp experience were autonomy, positive experience, technology integration, discussion, and learning.
As far as the most frequently mentioned weaknesses of edcamp go, one type of response stood out: participants were frustrated when there were barriers to participation, such as when one person in a room dominated the conversation (Carpenter, 2015). While responses about the edcamp experience mentioned were generally positive, Carpenter notes that there is little information available regarding the impact of these experiences, which only last for one day and may not have the power to transform culture. Another issue that remains is the fact that there is a gap in the research on the effectiveness of edcamp as an effective, sustainable, professional development and impact of this learning on practice (Miles, 2014; Carpenter, 2015). Should this grassroots professional growth movement continue to influence the learning of educators around the globe, it is crucial that further research address the effectiveness of this model as is relates to prior research in the fields of professional development and adult learning.
Need for Research #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 28
It is evident that grassroots learning events and technology tools available to educators are transforming the world of educator professional learning. The self-directed, participant- driven nature of these opportunities is a distinguishing characteristic from the more traditional, mandated professional development that is often one-size-fits all. Books upon books have been published, conferences have been attended, and consultants have earned millions helping schools and districts develop professional development opportunities for the educators. Why not empower educators to design their own learning? The old “Teach a man to fish…” saying is certainly applicable to adult learners. Sure, many adult learners like to collaborate, but many prefer to learn alone at times. There are also educators who love informal events like unconferences, but there are others who despise the lack of structure.
There is a lot to be learned about those who are already self-directing their own professional learning, such as the motivations behind doing so. What are their beliefs about learning? Why are they opting in when it comes to optional professional development? What are the desirable qualities of the practices in which they engage, and how might these characteristics be integrated into professional learning in schools and districts? How could others be encouraged to build their own learning networks where they personalize the process from top to bottom? What does all of this mean for the possibilities of self-directed professional learning for all educators?
A great deal needs to be investigated in order to dive more deeply into self-directed professional learning for educators. Many educators may not even know where to begin if given the autonomy to personalize their professional growth opportunities. With that said, there is a great deal learning and unlearning to be done if we want educators and leaders to begin thinking differently about the way they approach professional development. This study will attempt to #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 29 get at the heart of the above questions and consider implications for action with regard to educator professional development opportunities.
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
This portion of the dissertation proposal details the researcher’s worldview, goals, and the research approach and design, including participants, procedures, data collection and analysis, and limitations. Strategies used to ensure trustworthiness and ethical treatment of informants throughout the study will also be discussed.
Worldview
It is important to first establish the point of view through which the researcher understands how the world works, as well as how knowledge in our world is constructed. By understanding the lens through which the researcher is approaching the current study, the reader may have a better idea of the motivations driving the research methodology (Creswell, 2013).
These foundational beliefs, based on the researcher’s ontological and epistemological assumptions regarding reality, knowledge, and the relationship between the two, have a significant impact on the overall procedural design of the study and exploration (Guba, 1990).
While I subscribe to the notion that reality is subjective, and that there are as many truths as there are people (Scotland, 2012), I also believe that an external world exists separately from the world held in each person’s mind, suggesting a pragmatist worldview (Cherryholmes, 1992, as cited in Creswell, 2013). I also share Scotland’s belief that “meaning is constructed through the interaction between consciousness and the world” (p. 11). It is through engaging with the world around us that we learn and create meaning, and through our personal experiences and interactions with others that we construct our own realities (Scotland, 2012), Crotty, 1998,
Lincoln & Guba, 2000, and Creswell, 2009, 2013). There is great value in putting forth time and #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 30 effort in order to account for various perspectives and “truths” in order to seek understanding of a particular thing (Stake, 2010) on a deeper level. I believe there is significant power in narrative, by providing informants with the opportunity to share their history, perspectives, and values. Each voice carries with it a complex and unique reality - a set of “truths”, values, and beliefs - that has been shaped by years of experience. The narrative provides insight value to things which cannot be otherwise be quantified. I understand and respect that the realities of others may be quite different from mine, and I will place my own constructed reality in the forefront of my mind as I seek to interpret the reality of others.
Patton (2015) suggests that pragmatism “is itself a philosophical worldview”(p. 153), and
Creswell (2002) explains that the constructivist approach only goes so far in the way of advocating for those who are marginalized. While I appreciate and seek to understand participants’ perspectives, and take great interest in conducting research that has practical applications, my passion for the field of education and educator professional learning drives me to conduct research that is change-oriented and transformative (Martens, 2010), with a focus on educator empowerment (Creswell, 2002). Educators, in the case of this research, historically lack agency over their own professional learning options. The research questions to be addressed are grounded in a specific issue, as I am concerned with any existing shortcomings in the field of educator professional development. I believe that exploratory research is valuable and that reality is subjective. However, I also believe that, collectively, there is great value when these realities intersect and reveal commonalities which may lead to a greater understanding of
“what works” (Patton, 2015) for educators so that action may be taken to improve status quo with regard to educator professional development. It is my hope that findings from this study not only provide a greater understanding of educators’ motivations for participating in optional self- #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 31 directed professional learning opportunities, but that they also reveal, though the voices of the participants, actionable ideas to bring forth change. I want the stories of these participants to speak to those with decision-making authority when it comes to professional development, and I wish to empower educators to drive their own learning experiences.
Goals
Maxwell (2008) explains that goals are anything, including purposes and motives, that drive the researcher to conduct the study. Due to the transformational approach to this research, these goals include desired outcomes and actionable next steps I hope to illuminate in order to empower teachers and improve professional learning opportunities for educators.
Personal and Intellectual Goals. As a classroom teacher, I despised professional development. I dreaded the term inservice and quickly learned to associate this term with meaningless sit-and-get presentations over which I had no choice or control. It was not until my sixth year in education that I participated in a professional learning opportunity that was relevant to my needs and interests. It just so happened that this positive professional growth experience was a conference that I not only chose to attend and paid for on my own, but also an experience throughout which I was in complete control of my own learning for the first time in my career as an educator. Since this event, my interest and participation in self-directed, personalized professional learning as grown, and I have begun to dedicate my career to advancing professional learning for teachers in my school district and beyond.
Over the past few years, I have had the pleasure at working in professional learning at the district level with many who have begun to embrace innovative professional development practices for our educators. I was the founder of our district edcamp events, as well as our district Twitter chat, which occurred approximately every few weeks last year. District #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 32 professional learning initiatives have also included a variety of optional events for teachers to customize their own learning and take advantage of as needed. These include webinars, workshops outside of school hours and during the summer, virtual book studies, and beyond.
At the time of this study, I was the professional learning specialist for STEM and
Innovation. As a teacher, I was incredibly dissatisfied by the mandated professional development in which I had to participate over the course of seven years in the classroom.
During my final year at the school level, I became the chair of the professional learning committee to try to make a difference in school professional development by offering choice and voice to our teachers. I led the design and development of our first mini-conference, which was based on teacher needs and interests and included many teacher-led sessions. My passion for teacher voice and disdain for the professional development status quo has significantly impacted my work as an educator and a researcher. Therefore, it was somewhat of a struggle to reserve my beliefs during this study, asking questions and making interpretations free from bias.
Therefore, bracketing (Chan, Fung, & Chien, 2013) was used by the researcher in order to attempt to acknowledge and move beyond her own experiences with traditional professional development, as well as the phenomenon of self-directed professional learning. Due to my passion for the topic, member checking (Shenton, 2004), as discussed later in chapter three, helped to alleviate some concerns regarding the accuracy of the interpretations and the communicated findings.
I now understand the significant power in taking charge of my own professional learning my connecting with other educators and creating opportunities for growth, and I have interacted with hundreds of other educators who have done the same. With increasing availability of digital technologies, the emergence of grassroots learning opportunities for educators, and the use of #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 33 social media, possibilities for personalized professional learning are endless. I investigated the role of personalized professional learning practices that many educators have recently adopted in order to better understand the complexities of perspectives among those engaging in such activities. I was able to explore this type of optional, self-directed, networked learning in K-12 educator professional development; that is, professional learning in which teachers actively engage on their own accord, as opposed to district- or school-mandated, top-down professional development. I aimed to identify potential actionable steps from illuminating the experiences, beliefs, values, ideas, and motivation of educators who have participated in this type of optional self-directed learning.
Practical Goals. Through this research I also hoped to advocate for action with regard to perceived issues with traditional educator professional development. I desired to challenge the professional development status quo and urge educators, schools, and districts need to reexamine traditional practice. I believe that it is imperative for K-12 schools and districts consider this paradigm shift as they determine requirements and explore options for educator professional development. Finally, I want all educators to realize that they, too, can take control of their professional learning by leveraging new technologies and optional learning events to create unique networks and learning experiences to best meet their needs.
Research Questions
According to Stake (2010), the question driving the study should be of primary importance. Therefore, the research question structure is included in this section to outline the what of the study, prior to the overview of the how. While many qualitative researchers may focus on several individual questions, I chose to narrow the study to a “single, overarching central question and several subquestions” (Creswell, 2013, p. 138). #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 34
This study was guided by an overarching research question central to the study: What inspires educators to engage in optional, self-directed professional learning (PL)? As described in the following section, to answer this question I chose a case study tradition with the aim of analyzing a single case in depth. The tension driving the study of the selected case (a particularization of the proposed research question deeply connected with the personal goals) is:
Do educators engage in optional self-directed professional learning to cope with the deficiencies of traditional professional development?
The complexity of the study of this particular issue underscores the development of the following topics and subquestions that have helped me illuminate it:
Topics and Subquestions:
(1) Current self-directed practices (How are these educators engaging in self-directed
personalized PL?)
(2) Motivations (Why do educators to participate in these learning experiences? What
do they like/dislike about the experiences?)
(3) What enables and impedes the participation in PL (What enables and/or impedes
educators from participating in these types of PL?)
(4) Characteristics of the learning experiences (Which characteristics of these
learning experiences do participants believe would benefit school and district PL?
How and why?)
Research Tradition
Marshall & Rossman (2006) state three major purposes for research: to explore, explain, or describe a phenomenon” (p. 31). This particular study is pragmatic in nature, with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the motivations and shared beliefs of participants in optional #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 35 self-directed professional learning. The transformative goal was to leverage the information gleaned from research participants to illuminate potentially actionable steps to improve the professional development status quo.
Qualitative Inquiry. It is advised to use a qualitative study when there is an issue to be explored, when a theory has yet to be fully developed, and/ or when we seek to empower participants through their narrative (Creswell, 2013). I believed that the “open and flexible design” (Corbin & Strauss, 2015, p.4) offered through a qualitative approach was most appropriate when considering my research question and subquestions, as well as the exploratory nature of the study. I wished to observe and analyze potential patterns or theories as they develop throughout the study, as opposed to beginning with a theory.
Qualitative design allows researchers to gain a deeper understanding of others’ interpretations as shaped by past experience. This aligns with a primary goal of this study, which is to explore for the purpose of identifying emerging patterns of meaning (Creswell, 2013) and use those to affect change. It is through this qualitative approach that I hoped to arrive at a deeper comprehension of the complexities of each educator’s perceptions and experience
(Marshall & Rossman, 2006) so that change might be possible.
This research adopted a qualitative single case study approach (Stake, 2010) to explore an overarching research question related to participant motivation to engage in optional professional development, while also considering potential issues and implications for the field of professional learning.
Case Study. After careful consideration of the study’s driving question and related topics, Stake’s approach to case study seemed the most appropriate research tradition to employ.
Cases, which are “bounded by time and activity”, allow researchers to gather detailed data using #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 36 various data collection methods on an ongoing basis over a period of time (Stake, 1995; Yin,
2009). Stake (1995) describes qualitative case study as a deep examination of the uniqueness and complexities within a single case, leading to a thorough understanding of the particularity of a case within its context. Stake’s constructivist approach to case study utilizes qualitative data exclusively, including interviews, observations, and documents. The flexible nature of Stake’s design process allowed for modifications throughout this study, as his approach leans on Parlett and Hamilton’s (1972) concept of “progressive focusing” (Yazan, 2015). This allowed for a refinement of the study’s path as data were collected and analyzed and various themes emerged.
Stake’s (1995) graphical representation of the case study process assisted the researcher in organizing the major components of the case, which was a large, suburban K-12 school district (Appendix C). The contexts affecting the current case study include socio-political, educational, and previous research in the fields of education, such as professional development adult learning. The researcher utilized two observations, one-on-one interviews (two per participant), a focus group (involving three of four participants), and online archival review
(blogs, Twitter) as main sources of data collection. The setting involved a combination of in- person and online interactions. The observations and focus group took place in schools on
Saturdays during face-to-face professional learning events. Semi-structured interviews took place face-to-face and online via Skype. Online archival review, such as examination of social media, took place on an ongoing basis throughout the study.
The overarching research question seeks to get at the heart of the why - the motivation behind a behavior occurring in a bounded system - a large, public suburban school district. A bounded system was used due to the fact that these educators are all part of a movement within a single system that is beginning to offer some of the opportunities mentioned throughout the #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 37 study, as well as encourage the participants’ more innovative professional learning behaviors.
Observing and interviewing them as a single case allowed the researcher to examine their behaviors and motivations as a whole and consider the why behind this common phenomenon.
Why is it that educators in this district are engaging in self-directed, personalized professional learning opportunities? Case study is used when a researcher wishes to capture the complexity of a case (Stake, 1995). A case study design approach was applied as an attempt to get at the why in this scenario - the motivation behind the optional participation in self-directed professional learning. The researcher hoped that the investigation of shared beliefs and experiences would not only allow for a deeper understanding of these motivations, but also reveal any shared beliefs and practical wisdom of educators which may illuminate actionable outcomes.
Setting and Participants
The setting for this study was a large, public, suburban school district with approximately
100 schools responsible for the education of over 100,000 students. The district employs over
7,000 teachers. An estimated one-half of the students in the district participate in the free and reduced lunch program. The student population is diverse, consisting of approximately 40%
Caucasian, 30% African American, 20% Hispanic, and 5% Asian students. Since 2014, the district studied has begun offering a variety optional professional learning opportunities that are optional and available to district personnel on their own time. It has recently begun to embrace a more innovative and diverse approach to professional learning design, and the district office has been encouraging participation in many of these events. Through social media, email, and the district website, the county advertises upcoming opportunities to its teachers. News of these opportunities often spreads via word of mouth through educators in the district, or passed along #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 38 to a network of educators through social media. Throughout this study, there were numerous opportunities for educators in this district to participate in optional professional learning opportunities, virtually and in person, within and outside of their own district.
While convenience was taken into account, as the researcher conducted the study within her own school district, convenience sampling was not be the primary participant selection technique for this study. Access to educators was essential because of the exploratory qualitative nature of the study. However, the potential limitation of sacrificing credibility of participants or quality of information (Miles & Huberman, 1994) was not a concern of the selection process.
Within the researcher’s district, there was a relatively small subset of educators from which to choose; that is, educators in the district who were engaging in optional self-directed learning opportunities. However, there were more than enough in this subset to select four exemplars who could provide rich information related to the topic of study.
Purposeful sampling (Patton, 2015) was used to select participants that would be most likely to provide rich, illuminative information regarding participants’ experiences and perceptions with regard to traditional and emerging professional learning opportunities . The shift to the term purposeful sampling, formerly referred to by Patton as purposive sampling, was an intentional one, as purposive sampling has been historically used to explain sampling that seeks a representative sample of a population with the goal of generalization beyond the study.
The updated language reflects a “specifically qualitative approach to case selection” (Patton,
2015, p. 265).
The specific type of purposeful sampling that was used for this study is criterion sampling. This particular type of sampling lends itself well to this study due to the fact that every participant must have experienced the phenomenon of interest (Creswell, 2013). Criterion #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 39 sampling could also be considered exemplary sampling due to the fact that meeting required criteria meant that each participant was an exemplar of sorts (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Stake
(1995) advises that we aim to learn as much as we can, selecting cases that will lead us to the greatest understanding. Exemplars must be a criterion in case study in order glean the most meaningful information possible. In order to be selected for the study, participants will have had to participate in at least two different optional professional learning events in the past (e.g. A
Twitter Chat and an edcamp event), and had to have had registered for at least one optional, face- to-face professional learning event (e.g. a local unconference event) taking place during the data collection phase of the study, which lasted approximately 8 weeks. The researcher also attempted to select a diverse group of educators, a move toward maximum variation sampling
(Patton, 2015). Participants varied in age, experience, role, gender, grade level, race, and family responsibilities.
Since the number of participants should “provide ample opportunity to identify themes of the cases as well as conduct cross-case theme analysis” (Creswell, 2013, p. 157), I limited the case number to four for the purposes of this study. These four “information rich” (Patton, 2015, p. 264) participants were selected from the pool of educators within the district who were actively engaging in optional self-directed professional learning events, such as Twitter chats, blogging, and unconferences. In order to call for participants, an initial interest survey was sent out via Twitter upon the conclusion of a district Twitter chat. Twenty educators responded to this initial survey and were willing to learn more about participating in the research. Only fourteen were eligible to participate based on the exemplar criteria set for the study. The majority of those who responded worked in elementary schools or had an elementary #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 40
background, with only two who could bring a middle school perspective. It should be noted that,
of those who were eligible to participate, zero worked at a high school.
Throughout the study, there were various opportunities for district educators to
participate in optional professional learning events, over which they were able to drive their own
learning, at least to an extent. Such events included unconference events, such as edcamps and
PLAYDATE opportunities, and chat events on Twitter. There were at least four unconference
events scheduled in the area during the time of the study, as well as numerous Twitter chats in
which they were able to participate virtually. The participants selected were individual school-
based educators in the suburban K-12 public school district, and each had experience with
optional self-directed professional development, which was required in order to be selected for
the study. Below is an overview of the basic demographics of the four participants (pseudonyms
used).
Participant Yrs. in Approx Role Title I Race Young Education Age School? Children?
David 3 30s Middle School Science Y Caucasian Y Teacher
Sue 34 50s Elementary School N African- N Teacher American
Lisa 18 40s Elementary School N Caucasian Y Media Specialist
Ty 10 30s Elementary School Y Caucasian N Academic Coach
The following four participants were selected because they are exemplars; they are
included in a small subset of educators in their district who are actively initiating their own
professional growth through participation in optional opportunities. They are included in a small #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 41 subset of educators in their district who are actively driving their own professional learning. The participants selected are all school-based educators who are actively engaging in activities such as Twitter chats, blogging, and unconferences.
David. David is a middle school science teacher in his early thirties. He is married with a young child, and education is his second career field. Prior to teaching, David used his degree in business to serve as a general manager for a local restaurant, among other things. He is now certified to teach middle grades math, science, and gifted. David has three years of teaching experience, all of which have been at a Title I middle school.
David is passionate about creating an engaging learning environment for his students and taking positive risks in his classroom. He describes himself as motivated, someone who is driven to seek out learning on his own. He joined Twitter last school year and attended his first edcamp as well. He enjoys attending optional conferences when he is able, and has been asked to present to other educators at district events. In addition, David has also participated in live video chats with Google Hangouts, reading the blogs of others, and informal collaboration with other teachers off campus. David has become a teacher leader in his school and has been asked by his principal to create a brand new innovation class that he will launch next school year. He mentioned that he finds joy in helping other teachers achieve their goals, and would possibly like to enter that type of a role in the future. For now, he is content in his classroom, working to create meaningful learning experiences for students.
Sue. Sue is an elementary school teacher with grown children and over thirty years of classroom experience. She is currently recognized as a National Board Certified Teacher and has certifications in early childhood education, teacher support specialist, instructional #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 42 supervision, and educational leadership. She also has a K-5 math endorsement, which she chose to earn about four years ago.
Sue blogs professionally and stays fresh in her field by reading the blogs of others, reading her Twitter feed and participating in Twitter chats, attending edcamp and other optional, local events, watching webinars and educational videos, and engaging in Edmodo communities.
She tends to focus on technology because she has a one-to-one classroom, meaning each student in her classroom has regular access to an iPad. Sue jokes that she is “old” and surrounded by technology that is new, but she is beyond dedicated to continual growth and committed to sharing with others. Even if Sue were to retire in the next few years, she still wants to be involved in education. She is passionate about the children, as well as helping develop teachers, and she has no plans to completely leave the field of education anytime soon.
Lisa. Lisa is an elementary school media specialist in her forties with over eighteen years of experience in the field of education. She has a young daughter and strives to make her top priority. Lisa came to the district about a year ago, after spending several years at another nearby district. She was originally certified in early childhood education, but earned her certificate to be a media specialist in 2007. She has also earned endorsements in the areas of gifted, reading, and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). As a media specialist,
Lisa commented that her number one goal is to impact the children, and the second is to make her teachers happy.
An elementary school media specialist new to the district, Lisa often finds herself on an island when it comes to professional development in her school. She mentioned in an interview that most of the professional development offered at her school occurs within grade level teams in teachers’ classrooms during planning time, and, due to her role as media specialist, Lisa is #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 43
“not invited”. Lisa enjoys learning, and hopes to be included in teacher collaboration more often in the future. She has aspirations of becoming a media specialist at the high school level within the next few years.
Ty. Ty, a single male in his thirties with approximately 11 years experience in the field of education, is an academic coach in his Title I elementary school building. He was originally an elementary special education teacher, and he also earned his reading endorsement in 2010.
Ty was an elementary teacher for several years at the same Title I school, then an instructional coach at the district level, and returned to a Title I elementary school last year to serve as a local academic coach. He likes his current role because he is able to develop relationships with both teachers and students and has been able to connect with the school community. Ty recalls his father encouraging him to be well-rounded, and so he is passionate about exploring the unknown when it comes to his own learning. He has a growth mindset and is focused on developing personally and professionally. Ty plans to stay where he is for the foreseeable future, although friends and colleagues often encourage him to go into school administration. He would at least like to stay in his current role for three more years so he is able to make a significant impact.
Ty has attended many unconference events and organized a few as well. He has been an educational blogger for a few years now and has been on Twitter professionally since 2012. Ty has also engaged in virtual book clubs and Twitter chats, many of which he led for other educators. He learned about edcamps two or three years ago and has organized several himself.
He worked for the district office in the professional learning department during the 2014-15 school year, where he helped organize the first two district-wide edcamps. Last year, when he returned to a school building, he was the lead organizer of two school-based edcamp events, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 44 which were open to all. Ty actually hosted his fourth edcamp one week prior to the focus group interview for this study.
Data Collection
Interviews, focus groups, observations, and artifact analysis were the data collection methods used during this study. Gathering descriptions and perceptions of participants was of primary importance during this qualitative case study, as interviews are “the main road to multiple realities” (Stake, p.64). Interviews were semi-structured and recorded with a video and/or audio recorder. The researcher also took brief notes throughout interviews when appropriate, but remained cognizant of Stake’s (1995) advice to listen first and foremost.
Interviews with the four main informants were conducted twice over the course of the study.
Each one-on-one interview lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes. One was conducted face-to- face and captured with an audio recorder, and the remaining seven were conducted and recorded via Skype.
In addition to the individual interviews, three of the four informants participated in a focus group together. This provided an informal space for the participants to have open dialogue around the topic of optional, personalized professional learning. The focus group took place after an unconference event in the educators’ district, when the event was fresh in their minds.
While a sample of beginning interview questions can be found in Appendix B, the protocol for the focus groups was intended to be much less structured due to the fact that a more open-ended approach would potentially allow for rich dialogue among informants. This was the case, as the researcher contributed very little during a rich, participant-driven focus group conversation. All focus group and interview data was transcribed from audio and video recordings using the
Transcribe software, Google Docs, and Google Voice Typing. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 45
An additional method for a researcher to really understand the experiences of another person is to encounter the phenomenon herself; therefore, observation accompanied interviews during this study (Patton, 2010). Observations are said to move the researcher to greater understanding of an event and the behavior of participants. Throughout any observation, the researcher should keep a detailed record “to provide a relatively incontestable description for further analysis”, allowing the event to “tell its story” (Stake, 1995, p. 61). During this study, three of the four participants were observed while participating in an edcamp, so that the participants’ behaviors during the event could be “heard or felt” (Stake, p. 90). Observations lasted approximately 30 minutes. The majority of the observations took place during and between edcamp sessions, with some taking place in the main room as well. A sample of a the unconference observation protocol used can be found in Appendix A.
A review of documents can substitute for direct observation opportunities that were missed by the researcher (Stake, 1995). This is particularly helpful when observing organic, self-directed technology behaviors that were not necessarily planned. A review of social media was also helpful to this study, as a great deal of educator behaviors and perceptions with regard to professional learning can be readily accessed online. Participants’ blogs and Pinterest pages, for example, were reviewed to learn more about participants and triangulate data. The advantage to using Twitter during data collection is the fact that all conversations can be archived for future review. Twitter chat archives provided a good opportunity to gather data about the participants’ interactions with peers during an informal, self-directed professional learning opportunity. In addition, Twitter’s advanced search feature allowed the researcher to target specific content in their feeds. A review of public tweets from participants’ feeds proved helpful when it comes to #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 46
considering the participants’ experiences, attitudes, and beliefs, as well as triangulation of the
observation and interview data.
Below is a matrix created prior to data collection, which displays what the researcher
needed to know, the rationale, and the process by which she planned to explore each concept.
Data Collection Strategies Matrix
What do What kind of Whom do I Timeline Why do I need Where can I I need to data will answer contact for for to know this? find the data? know? the questions? access? acquisition I need to understand the Semi-structured history of the interviews and spring/summ PD “event” educator in Interview Participants, archived, public er 2016 practices/ both types of data/online N/A for public data such as experience PD experience observations archive data blog/Twitter to best posts understand perspective This info will help me understand the beliefs that educators hold when approaching Educator PD, as well as spring/summ One-on-one beliefs about how historical Semi-structured er 2016 interviews or Participants PD experience has interviews focus groups opportunities shaped their
views. This will also help me begin to capture the essence of optional, nontraditional #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 47
PD opportunities This will give me insight as to what it is that teachers expect from PD opportunities, which will spring/summ Perceived PD perhaps shed Semi-structured One-on-one er 2016 Participants “event” needs some light on interviews interviews
why it is that
they choose to participate in optional, nontraditional PD when traditional PD is available This will help me understand the perspective of educators who choose to Semi-structured Beliefs and engage in interviews a and spring/summ values optional Participant, archived, public Interview er 2016 regarding growth N/A for public data such as data/online professional activities and archive data blog/Twitter growth determine the posts similarities/diff erences among educators who choose optional PD spring/summ Motivation Understanding Semi-structured One-on-one er 2016 for educators’ Participant interviews interview data participating motivation for
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 48 in optional, optional PD nontraditional participation PD may be most valuable in helping me understand their PD choices at a deeper level This will help me better Interview understand the data, edcamp Perceived mindset of an events, Semi-structured areas of educator who unstructured spring/summ interviews, Participant, er 2016 strength chooses to teacher observation event and areas of spend his/her meetup during informal organizer potential free time events, PD event growth engaging in Twitter chats professional (live or learning archived) opportunities
Field notes and memos (Stake, 1995; Miles, Huberman, & Saldaña, 2014) were also used
during the data collection phase, and the researcher kept a journal (Stake, 1995) of sorts
throughout the duration of the study to gather her thoughts and make sense of the emerging
patterns from the transcriptions.
Data Analysis
At its core, analysis is the process of making sense of data by deconstructing and
reconstructing to find patterns and meaning (Stake, 1995). Case study relies on both “direct
interpretation of the individual instance and through aggregation of instances until something can
be said about them as a class” (Stake, 1995, p. 74). Stake also emphasizes the importance of
categorical data. Throughout this data analysis process, both the complexities of the case #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 49
(including motivation for engaging in self-directed professional learning), as well as capturing shared beliefs about professional learning experiences, were both of importance.
Careful consideration was taken when analyzing and interpreting data, especially when trying to derive meaning from shared experience in order to understand the beliefs and experiences of participants (van Manen, 1990, as cited in Patton, 2010). Coding is one way to reveal patterns and allow themes to emerge from transcripts, field notes, and document reviews
(Stake, 1995; Miles, Huberman, & Saldaña, 2014; Saldaña, 2012; Corbin & Strauss, 2015).
Open and axial coding (Saldaña, 2012) were used to categorize portions of all textual and visual data collected in order to identify emerging patterns and themes. Saldaña (2012) breaks coding into two cycles, the first of which deals with coding raw data collected, while the second refers to coding the results of the initial coding attempt. The main first cycle coding strategies that seemed appropriate and were used for this study were: descriptive, emotion, and values (Miles,
Huberman, & Saldaña, 2014; Saldaña, 2012; Creswell, 2013). Pattern codes were then used to reveal categories and themes that helped to capture shared beliefs and perceptions, including motivation for participation in optional self-directed professional learning and past experience in the area of professional development. In addition to coding, jottings and memoing were utilized in order to include reaction snapshots and and thoughts that occurred during the data collection process and beyond (Miles & Huberman, 2014). Creswell (2013) recommends using technology to allow for organization of all data collected, enabling easier coding, searching and filtering, memoing, and annotating. In addition to hand coding, the following Google applications and extensions were utilized in order to organize and code the data: Drive, Docs with tables, voice typing, the commenting feature, and the Highlight Tool add on for Google Docs (Figures 3.1 -
3.9). This software allowed me to store and categorize the data in several ways, create various #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 50 notes and memos, duplicate transcripts for reanalysis as needed, and organize textual, visual, and video data into folders. The images below highlight the use of Google applications and add-on features utilized in order to organize and analyze research data.
Figure 3.1
Figure 3.2
Figure 3.3 #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 51
Figure 3.4
Figure 3.5
Figure 3.6 #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 52
Figure 3.7 #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 53
Figure 3.8
Figure 3.9
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 54
Social media analysis was of great value as the researcher captured participant behavior and beliefs. The researcher used the control+find feature in the Google Chrome web browser when viewing participants’ blog content in order to gather additional information on topics and ideas collected during the interviews and observations. Tweets sent by participants on Twitter that were related to certain events, such as face-to-face edcamps or Twitter chats studied during the data collection process, could easily be searched by the event’s hashtag within the basic search feature of the Twitter.com platform. In addition, the advanced search feature within the
Twitter platform was used to search and filter tweets from participants by specific user, keyword or content, and date or date range (Figure 3.10).
Figure 3.10 #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 55
These measures were not only used to collect original data, but also to triangulate
the data gathered during the observation and interview processes. Data from field notes,
journaling, memoing, interview transcriptions, and document review was constantly
reviewed and compared, as prolonged engagement with the data was be key throughout
the study.
Trustworthiness
Patton (2010) focuses on dependability and credibility when considering the quality of qualitative research. Lincoln and Guba (1985) use the terms credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability when discussing trustworthiness in qualitative study. Creswell
(2013) elaborates on said terms and suggests excellent strategies for ensuring the trustworthiness of a qualitative study. The following will outline strategies will be used to strive for quality research throughout the duration of this study, as suggested Guba (1981), as referenced in
Creswell (2013) and Shenton (2004).
Credibility. Shenton (2004) suggests several strategies to assist researchers in ensuring credibility of their research. Case study is a well recognized and well structured approach, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 56 which, as Shenton explains, contributes to the credibility of the study. Stake’s (1995) graphical representation of the case study process was used in order to organize the current study and define aspects of the study, such as function, setting, participants, and data gathering methods.
In addition, I have attempted to clearly articulate the case that was studied, as well as develop and sustain trusting relationships with participants during the study. I articulated my experience and qualifications to my audience. While framing the emerging themes of the study in my findings, I considered existing research in the field. During data collection, I strived to leave behind my biases and opinions in order to obtain the most accurate data possible. I attempted to phrase interview questions in an open-ended manner, modifying particular questions that appeared leading or biased in any way. During the focus group, I intervened very little in order to collect data that was as pure and organic as possible. Member checking was also used in order to confirm with participants that their thoughts and ideas were accurately represented throughout the reporting of the findings, and I requested review of the research process and product from a knowledgeable, external auditor (Shenton, 2004). Finally, I triangulated the data collected by utilizing a variety of data collection protocols, such as observation, social media archival review, semi-structured one-on-one interviews, and a semi-structured focus group interview.
Transferability. Thick descriptions (Guba, 1981) of participants, activities studied, and participant narratives were employed during the data analysis and reporting phases in order to paint an accurate picture of findings. The narratives and discussion found in chapters four and five strive to provide a level of detail sufficient for a reader to transfer conclusions to other situations or environments. In addition to using thick description (Guba, 1985), so the reader may apply ideas as appropriate to his/her situation, I clearly establish the context of the study in #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 57 chapter four. I have also included existing research in the fields of professional learning and adult learning.
Dependability. A detailed methodology has been included in chapter three, allowing a future researcher to conduct a similar study. Member checking, while already mentioned, also contributed to enhancing the dependability of the study. The execution of the methods process has been articulated, and overlapping methods (interviews, focus groups, archival review, observation) were used.
Confirmability. I have outlined the data collection and analysis process in this chapter, and the data was triangulated in order to reduce any influence from my own bias. I have acknowledged in this chapter my own personal goals, beliefs, bias, attitudes, and knowledge about the topic of self-directed, personalized learning for educators. Finally, all potential shortcomings and limitations of the study are addressed in chapter five.
Methodological Limitations
While there are many strengths of qualitative research, there are drawbacks to the above design. As Patton (2002) explains, “there are no perfect research designs. There are always trade-offs” (p. 223). It was my hope to more deeply understand these particular participants in the case in order to gain insight into the motivation behind participation in self-directed, personalized professional development. Therefore, purposeful sampling (Patton, 2015) was used to select exemplars who would be likely to provide rich, meaningful data that would bring to light information regarding the central issue and related topics. While selecting exemplars for a case study has its benefits and, in the current study, was necessary in order to glean the most illuminative data possible, it also comes with its limitations. As Patton (1990) explains, using exemplars, or any type of purposeful sampling can lead to distorted findings. By definition, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 58 exemplars are not the norm. In the case of the current study, they are opting into opportunities that are above and beyond their required duties. In other words, these participants were seemingly motivated to participate and learn from optional events and activities. They might hold different beliefs than the norm and have unique dispositions when it comes to educator professional development. Therefore, their narratives and the current findings may or may not be generalizable to other situations. Since the insights gleaned from this study may be transferable to the reader, and the researcher aims to provide a thorough description of context in order to facilitate naturalistic generalizations. It will be up to the reader, however, to determine the generalizability of this study’s findings in various settings (Marshall & Rossman, p. 42).
The researcher’s preferences, current job at the time of the study, and experiences as a teacher related to professional development could also be a limitation to this study. Her transformational worldview and passion for improving educator professional learning might color findings in a manner that trends toward advocacy. The use of semi-structured interviews, triangulation, and Stake’s (1995) flexible approach to qualitative case study aimed to create a research climate that was open and flexible, as the researcher aimed to avoid personal bias. In addition, member checking was used to confirm that the findings accurately reflected participants’ voices.
Finally, the time of an educator is limited. While a focus group and one-on-one interviews were used along with observation, the researcher strived to respect the time of the participants by creating a balance with regard to data collection methods. Archival review of online artifacts was helpful, alleviating the need to rely solely on synchronous time spent with participants. In addition, the majority of the one-on-one interviews were conducted online using #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 59
Skype to webconference, and the researcher was careful to schedule these sessions during times that were most convenient for participants, such as after school or during their lunch period.
Ethical Considerations
Various ethical considerations were taken into account as this study was designed, with particular regard to suggested strategies provided by Creswell (2013). These include the application for Institutional Research Board at the university approval prior to beginning any part of the research with participants. In addition, the researcher obtained approval from the
Research and Accountability office in the K-12 public school district and adhered to appropriate procedures prior to interviewing educators or conducting observations. Informed consent was obtained prior to research with any informant and his or her principal, and the time and space of all who gave consent was be respected throughout the study. Identities of all participants of the study have been kept confidential, as will all information gathered from said participants. When gathering and analyzing data, such as public text obtained from social media or interview responses, the context and integrity of the information collected were kept in tact. Finally, educators involved in the study were informed and reminded that they may withdraw from the study at any time.
Chapter 4: Findings
This chapter will present the findings from the current study. The purpose of this study was to examine the behaviors and underlying motivations of educators who choose to participate in optional, personalized professional learning opportunities. The archival, observational, and narrative data captured in this chapter are intended to shed some light on the following sub- questions: #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 60
(1) Current self-directed practices (How are these educators engaging in self-directed
personalized professional learning?)
(2) Motivations (What inspires educators to participate in these learning experiences? What
do they like/dislike about the experiences?)
(3) Enabling and Impeding Factors for participation (What enables and/or impedes educators
from participating in these types of PL?)
(4) Characteristics of the learning experiences (Which favorable characteristics of
nontraditional learning experiences do participants believe might be incorporated into
typical school and district PL? How and why?)
This chapter will begin by presenting the findings regarding current practices and motivations of participants, followed next by perceived factors that both impede and enable educators to participate in optional, self-directed professional learning. Finally, the chapter will conclude with data regarding participants’ ideas for strengthening professional development in their schools and district.
Optional, Self-Directed Professional Learning Practices
This section aims to highlight several common practices revealed throughout the study, as well as general motivations for engaging in the identified practices. Data suggested that
Twitter and edcamp were the most discussed in the study, but participants also described other means through which they drive their own professional learning. The following practices will be highlighted in this section:
Defining Current Practices.
Twitter and Twitter is an online, social microblogging platform that allows users to Twitter Chats send public messages, or tweets, up to 140 characters. A hashtag (#) can be used to tag tweets so that all tweets with the same hashtag can easily be curated in the platform and accessible with a simple search. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 61
Users can follow the accounts of other users to subscribe to their tweets.. Subsequently, tweets from all accounts a user follows will populate in his or her home feed. Users may interact with the tweets of others. For instance, a user can favorite a tweet, retweet the tweets of others so her followers will see it, post replies to tweets, or even “quote tweet” so that she can retweet someone else’s content and add her own comment above it. In addition, users may send a direct, or private, message to other users.
Twitter is used by millions of people worldwide and has many uses. From famous actors and celebrity athletes to business organizations and educational institutions, Twitter is used for diverse reasons. Educators across the world are leveraging this free social media tool to connect and learn without constraints of time or location.
Twitter chats are typically advertised, synchronous events that occur on Twitter and last approximately one hour. Chats might also be asynchronous and last much longer than one hour. There is usually a designated moderator and topic of the chat. Participants use a hashtag to aggregate tweeted content so that they may engage with other chat participants. Some educators participate in virtual book clubs and use a hashtag to chat about books, either synchronously or asynchronously.
Edcamp The edcamp model is an educational unconference that is based on Boule’s concept of Open Space Technology (OST), meaning that those who attend are the people who are supposed to be there, and whatever happens are the only things that could have happened (Boule, 2011). Edcamps are face-to-face events that usually occur on Saturdays. They can last a few hours or all day with a lunch break. There are even global online edcamps that take place over the course of two days. Educators often find out about edcamps by word of mouth, social media like Twitter, online and printed flyers, and emails. The main guidelines of edcamp are that it must be free, open to all who want to attend, participant-driven, interactive, and non-commercial. Edcamp session content is designed and delivered by the participants. A distinguishing characteristic of edcamp is that attendees are encouraged to adhere to the law of two feet, which means that a participant should leave any session that does not meet his or her needs in order to create the most meaningful learning experience possible.
Podcasts Podcasts are audio files which are stored online and can be accessed digitally by listeners. It is common for podcasters to produce a series of episodes to which people can subscribe and subsequently receive updates as new episodes become available. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 62
Pinterest Pinterest is a social content-sharing platform that allows users to “pin”, “title, and share ideas as images which may contain other media such as videos and webpages. A user can create “boards”, similar to a virtual bulletin board, to categorize the content they pin. Users can “repin” content that other users share, as well as comment on the pins of others.
Edmodo Edmodo is a platform that allows for social learning and is typically used by teachers, students, and students’ parents. Teachers often use it as an online learning environment for students, but might also utilize the tool to communicate, collaborate, and learn with other educators. The platform allows user to create of closed groups, join public online communities, publish and share digital media, as well as connect and communicate with other Edmodo users.
Blogs Blogs, short for weblogs, are websites or webpages that allow a user to publish content chronologically. Anyone can author a blog through various online platforms. Blogs are generally geared toward a particular topic or theme, and readers can subscribe in order to receive publication updates.
PLNs A PLN is an abbreviation for a personal (or professional) learning network. This term is commonly used amongst connected educators, or educators who regularly use tools like social media to network and learn with others. Educators build and connect with people they consider “members" of their PLN virtually and in person, such as on Twitter, Edmodo, at edcamps and other conferences, and even informally in their schools or districts.
Defining Professional Learning.
Overall, the participants broadly defined the term professional learning (PL). Perceptions of what constituted PL included any type of activity or opportunity that “enhances your craft”
(Sue, interview, May 3, 2016), “helps improve your practice” (Ty, interview, May 5, 2016), or allows you to “discuss your business and to learn from other people…” (Lisa, interview, May 5,
2016) Simply stated, participants’ conceptualization of PL involved taking advantage of opportunities to learn and grow professionally. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 63
A Shift in Professional Learning. While participants seemed to easily delineate traditional and nontraditional professional learning practices, it seems as though the lines between the two may actually be starting to blur. Some of the participants expressed that they had seen shifts in district and school professional development. Sue, an elementary school teacher, explained that, over the course of her 34 years in education, professional learning has changed a great deal (interview, May 3, 2016). Lisa, an elementary school media specialist, also believes that professional learning has seen a shift. “[Professional learning] used to be a year- long, five-PLU, sit-down-have-somebody-talk-to-you… Since I've been in education, it's kind of evolved from that. That's still available, but a lot of people don't want to spend the time …”
(interview, May 5, 2016)
Lisa captured the array of activities that might constitute professional learning, which she explained “can range from anywhere from trying to get certified in something or going to college and getting a degree...all the way down to starting a book club or...even meeting [others] for coffee...Sometimes it's just organic...” (interview, May 5, 2016) Lisa summed up her comments by saying, “There is definitely not one single professional development or professional learning style anymore.” (interview, May 3, 2016)
Nontraditional Professional Learning Practices by Participant
Participation in and experience with self-directed learning practices varied by participant, demonstrating the element of personalization based on the needs and preferences of each adult learner. All participants had attended edcamp events, engaged in professional learning activities via Twitter and webinars, and read the blogs of other educators. Beyond those few practices, an array of professional learning activities were mentioned. Edcamps and Twitter were the most commonly referenced throughout the study and will receive the majority of the attention #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 64
throughout the sharing of the findings and discussion. Each participant also reported unique
preferences for professional growth activities. The table below captures the level of participation
in each of the optional, self-directed professional learning activities mentioned throughout the
study.
Current Practices by Participant
David Lisa Sue Ty Middle School Elementary Elementary Elementary Science Teacher School Media School Teacher School Academic Specialist Coach
Edcamp x x x x
Twitter x x x x
- Twitter Chats x x x x
- Virtual Book x x x Clubs
Blogs
- Reading x x x x
- Publishing x x x
Optional Conferences x x x x
Edmodo x x
Pinterest x x
Podcasts x x
Twitter: The Hub. The data suggested that uses for Twitter were seemingly endless.
One significant trend that emerged throughout the study was the use of Twitter as a
communication hub, central to other nontraditional practices above. For instance, all participants
mentioned Twitter as a primary means of learning about other informal professional
development activities. They also leverage Twitter to share upcoming events with other #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 65 educators, using (Sue, December 8, 2015), encourage participation from colleagues, connect with people before and after PD activities, and share learning with their Twitter network (Oct 25,
2016). Ty defined Twitter as the “go-to place” for discovering and sharing nontraditional professional learning opportunities (interview, May 5, 2016).
While district-led Twitter chats were part of three participants’ self-directed professional learning narratives, all but one participant used Twitter as a professional learning tool prior to these offerings. Only one participant, David, began using Twitter for PL as a result of district staff influence. In addition, central office technology personnel actually blocks educators in the district from using Twitter on the district network.
How Educators are Using Twitter to Learn. Of the four participants, David was the most recent to join Twitter, which he began using for professional development within the last year. While he is relatively new to Twitter, he, like the other participants, has been quite active on Twitter in the past several months. David uses Twitter regularly to engage in chats, ask his personal learning network (PLN) for ideas (8.8.16), share his professional learning with others
(11.19.15), showcase his students’ classroom activities (5.17.16), connect globally with other educators and classrooms (5.21.15), thank fellow educators (12.18.15), and share resources
(5.30.16). David’s general Twitter behaviors were typical when compared to other participants in the study.
A Deeper Dive: Ty’s Twitter Story. Ty, the most experienced Twitter user, shared much in common with David regarding general uses of Twitter as a tool to connect and learn with others. He began using Twitter in 2012 after attending a state literacy conference. He was encouraged by a session presenter, an educational mentor of his, to join Twitter. He explained that he will try anything she says, even if he does not fully understand it, due to the respect he #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 66 has for her work. At the time he joined, however, nobody at his school was really using Twitter as a professional development tool, so most of his Twitter connections were national.
He explained how he began “lurking” on Twitter initially, following along with what others were tweeting, but not actively contributing yet. Eventually, he began to share and engage with other educators, both locally and globally, using Twitter consistently as a professional development tool.
Ty as a twitter evangelist. Ty uses Twitter to connect and grow, but he is also focused on leading teachers in his building to use Twitter as a tool for professional development.
In his coaching role, he also uses Twitter to showcase teachers and build morale in his building.
Ty tweets often during the school day to showcase students and teachers at his school in order to
“lift them up and show them off” (text 9.5.16).
Physical fitness is a priority for Ty, so he visits the gym almost daily. He can frequently be found checking his Twitter feed and tweeting about education when he is between sets during his gym visits after school. He also uses Twitter for professional development when he is home and settled in for the evening. While this typically entails him engaging with tweets from his feed and his followers, sometimes he also participates in hour-long synchronous chats in the evenings. Ty constantly encourages educators in his building to use the tool for professional development as well. When he first began sharing the idea of Twitter for professional learning, other educators thought he was crazy. Even as recently as the fall of last school year, many teachers at Ty’s school were resistant to even giving it a try. Before the end of the school year, however, well over half of the teachers at Ty’s school were set up with Twitter accounts, at varying levels of participation. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 67
Many teachers at Ty’s school first began actually using Twitter after learning how at an edcamp event. He shared that there was a session at a local edcamp focused on how to use
Twitter as a tool for professional learning, which is when several launched their Twitter accounts. There was, in fact, a Twitter session at the second edcamp that was observed during this study. (Observation 4.23.16) During that edcamp, several educators mentioned Twitter, with one edcamp participant claiming, ““Social media tears down walls.” He pointed to my computer and added, “People are much more comfortable typing behind that thing”. (Observation 4.23.16)
He also attributes his school’s growth in the use of Twitter, as well as other nontraditional professional learning, to what he described as peer pressure from other colleagues at the school- that it is becoming the popular thing to do. Many teachers have even started lighthearted hashtags using their colleagues’ names to encourage them to get on Twitter, and most educators who have Twitter accounts at his school are now using it regularly for professional development.
Leaving the Nest: Understanding Stages of Twitter Use Through Ty’s Experience.
“Change your Twitter picture so that you’re not an egg” (Aug 25, 2015) was one of the first pieces of advice that Ty tweeted to a fellow teacher who he was welcoming to Twitter. When someone first joins Twitter, they have yet to be hatched. There have been numerous illustrations published by Twitter users, both serious and humorous, that depict the stages of Twitter development, and participants in this study mentioned it without being asked explicitly about the topic. The data, then, suggested an understood evolution of sorts. Three of the four participants mentioned Twitter stages, or varying levels of interaction with regard to participation on Twitter.
Ty, for example, explained that Twitter participation can be a progression of sorts.
Ty recalled one educator in particular who he introduced to Twitter. “It's really interesting because it's not something that I would really see her doing and she's absolutely been #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 68 on there...She’s still in that phase where she's she's following. She's really into history. She's following certain news channels, she's following certain individuals, as well and paying attention to current events because she's found her passion there. She's not interacting, and I think that's perfectly fine, but it's been so nice to see that. I wasn't really sure what her participation level on
Twitter was going to be and it's still relatively high even though she's in the beginning stages of
Twitter usage…” (interview, April 28, 2016)
Twitter Chats: PD In your PJs. Ty remarked about Twitter chats, “You just bring like- minded, energetic, passionate educators together, and that's always a good thing...” (interview,
May 5, 2016) All educators in the study participate in Twitter chats, or #edchats, that suit their interests and needs.
Participants mentioned chats based out of their own district, organized at both the school and central office levels. In addition, they participate in other state chats, national literacy chats, educational technology chats, professional learning chats, and beyond.
How They Work. Lisa commented that opportunities for nontraditional, optional development are frequent and diverse and, when discussing the availability of personalized professional learning opportunities, Lisa used Twitter as an example. Lisa pointed out that there is usually a specific theme of each Twitter chat, and she expressed the vast array of Twitter chat options by saying, “The sheer amount of twitter chats there are… There's a twitter chat for everything in education, I think… they are in my Google Calendar because you can bring down that #edchat calendar online1 and feed it into your Google calendar...” (interview, May 3, 2016)
While Lisa has used Twitter for professional learning since last year, she still considers herself a “newbie” as far as professional Twitter chats are concerned. In her personal life,
1 Note: In this statement, Lisa was referring to a massive, public #edchat calendar, such as the one located at https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 69 however, Lisa had some experience with the Twitter chat concept before ever trying it for professional use. This gave her some idea of what to expect before giving educational Twitter chats, or “edchats”, a shot. “Well, I kind of knew what was going to happen with the Twitter chat because...Twitter chats don't have to be just education. I've done it with TV shows like
Downton Abbey, so I kind of knew the rules. But the only thing I did have to learn is that you have to put ‘A’ … and then the number of the question that you're answering (see Figure 4.1).
(interview, May 5, 2016)
Figure 4.1
Ty said about Twitter chats,, “You never know where your journey is going to take you.”
(interview, April, 23, 2016), and referenced some Idaho educators with whom he connected during a chat one evening from bed when he was unable to sleep. They discussed teacher leadership while he also worked on making connections to try and help a fellow teacher whose husband was just relocated to the state. Ty explained during the focus group, “...all of a sudden
I’m in the middle of the Idaho chat…. And I thought, ‘How in the world did I get here?’... and I should have been sleeping, but that’s okay” (interview, April, 23, 2016) Lisa responded, “That’s okay. We all do that.” (interview, April, 23, 2016), and followed by stating that it was better than staying up on Facebook. Ty mentioned a friend of his, who always says that Facebook can be mindless and Twitter can be mindful (interview, April, 23, 2016).
David participates in various Twitter chats and values the learning value the offer him.
David explained that he will “ pop in and out” of chats and sometimes does not even know how he stumbles upon them. He said about another state #edchat, “I don't even know how I found it... #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 70
Through people I follow or people who have followed me…” He somehow found #OHedchat, or Ohio’s regular educational chat, which David said always offers good topics and gives him a broader perspective. In an #OHedchat chat about priorities (which originated in the central time zone, and was therefore later than usual for David on eastern time), David commented that the
Twitter chat in which he was involved took precedence over sleep. (March 16, 2016). At the time of this study, he was planning to seek out other state chats to continue expanding his learning network.
Another specific chat David and two other participants mentioned was the chat organized by the central office staff in their district, through which they regularly connect with predominantly local educators. He recalled a recent chat offered through his district where he first connected with a teacher at a local elementary school. At the time of the study, they were actually in the beginning phases of planning a collaborative project for students at their schools, an engaging student competition that integrated science, technology, and other content. The following vignette was derived from David’s interaction during this particular Twitter chat, as well as from comments that were made during interviews.
A Twitter Chat in Action. Four days before a district-led chat this past spring, David saw an announcement on Twitter about an upcoming district Twitter chat. This post included a graphic that was tweeted to the world, the date and time of the chat, the chat topic, the name of the guest chat moderator, and, of course, the appropriate chat hashtag. This particular Twitter chat was about STEM instruction and would be taking place the following Sunday evening.
Educators from across the county, state, and even beyond favorited and retweeted the advertisement. The day before, a reminder was sent out and retweeted by many. Educators looked forward to jumping on their devices the following evening for a fast-paced hour of #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 71 professional development.
The designated moderator sent a reminder tweet twenty minutes before the chat was to begin. David replied publicly to her tweet, joking that he was racing to get his son to sleep. On
Sunday evening as the eight o’clock hour approached, David joined several others who jumped on Twitter, ready to learn and chat with others. He searched the appropriate hashtag in order to see the specific district chat feed. The designated chat moderator tweeted at eight o’clock on the dot with the chat hashtag and asked that all participants introduce themselves. David tweeted that he was “checking in” and just put his son to bed so he could participate. He introduced himself and exchanged pleasantries with others in the chat. Many of the chat participants were educators from the district in which the chat originated, but they were joined by educators from elsewhere as well. The hashtag feed continued to populate with introductions and welcoming words amongst the participants.
A few minutes later, the moderator announced that the chat was about to begin, and tweeted the first question using “Q1” prior to the first question, along with the hashtag. Most participants began responding to questions one using the formula “A1”, then their response to the question, and then the hashtag. This format was fairly consistent, aside from side conversation that began to occur among participants between official chat questions. For instance, David and three other chat attendees engaged with another participant by replying to her “A1” tweet. They shared words of agreement and and elaborated on her comments about learning from failure.
Within minutes, the chat was in full swing and educators responded to thought-provoking questions. David shared what he was doing in his classroom, his philosophy about STEM, reasons for STEM integration, related challenges and strategies for overcoming, future lesson plans, and more. Side conversations continued to develop. Some chatters still used the hashtag #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 72 and their tweet was included in the chat feed, while some left the hashtag off as the conversation strayed from the original chat topic. Participants dove more deeply into certain pieces of the conversation or asked follow-up questions to an idea or experience that had been shared. David began to chat with a teacher in his district about a possible collaborative project - a STEM competition that would join students their schools. After an hour that has seemingly flown by, educators shared a few final resources and ideas before saying their “good nights”. Throughout this chat, David posted a total of 26 tweets related to the topic. The moderator thanked everyone for attending, and several showed appreciation to the moderator for an inspiring chat. David thanked the moderator for an awesome chat and wished all of his chat friends a great week.
Even after the chat, educators continued to tweet with the chat hashtag in order to share tips, ideas, and experiences related to STEM with their fellow educators.
Virtual Book Clubs: Read It & Tweet. A specific type of Twitter chat emerged as a component of Ty and Sue’s innovative professional learning practices. Virtual book clubs leverage the hashtag function of Twitter in order to chat about books, either synchronously or asynchronously. Ty entered the world of virtual book clubs after he joined the world of Twitter.
An author and role model of his had presented the idea of Twitter for professional development, and was actually one of the leaders of Ty’s first Twitter chat that he regularly attended. Some of the same educators Ty was following, interested in literacy, began talking about children’s literature and using the hashtag #nerdybookclub. They used this hashtag to share book reviews and recommendations asynchronously (i.e. not meeting at a particular time to chat). For example, he sent out a Tweet with the hashtag in February of 2014 asking for a book recommendation for a very specific type of elementary school reader. Within two days, five different educators replied with several appropriate book recommendations for the student based #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 73 on Ty’s description.
While #nerdybookclub does not have scheduled synchronous chats, Ty still finds himself interacting with many of the same people in one of his regular Twitter chats. Ty explained that the #nerdybookclub hashtag became a trend in which he began participating, and became so popular that a blog was born from it. According to the blog, anyone who is a fan of children’s literature is an honorary member of the club (https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/about/,
2016). There is also a Facebook group for this community to communicate. Ty said that most people just use this group as a platform to share links to blog posts, and does not find it very valuable to his learning.
In July and August 2015, Ty sent tweets encouraging some colleagues new to Twitter to check out the #nerdybookclub hashtag in order to connect with other educators who have a passion for children’s literature. Earlier that year, Ty even started his own version of a virtual book club using a hashtag that included “bc”, meaning book club, and then the name of his district. He composed a blog post and sent a tweet out about it, linking the blog to the tweet and encouraging others to join. The blog post had information about the formation of the virtual club, as well as the first book assignment and the date of the first synchronous chat. He also pictured two copies of the book, explaining that he purchased them with the intention of loaning them out to anyone interested. Several educators from the district and beyond commented on his tweets and blog posts, noting that they were planning to participate, and a couple claimed a copy of the book.
Stages of Twitter Chat Interaction. Just like with general Twitter use, participants reported a progression when it came to Twitter chat participation. As Ty described his experience, “...definitely went through the phases of Twitter as far as not jumping right away #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 74 into a Twitter chat, but eventually getting to the point where I paid attention to when one was, and kind of looked to see how it was working and how it was running. I don't remember exactly but I'd probably be willing to bet that I did end up jumping into that very first one at some point in time…” (interview, April 28, 2016)
Sue does not think she said much during her first Twitter chat experience. “ I just kind of red through the feed.... I think the moderator said introduce yourself, so I introduced myself, then but still kind of just reading what other people were posting. And then I think you kind of feel comfortable and like, ‘Oh, okay. I can respond to that…’” (interview, April 26,2016)
Dynamic Chat Roles. In addition to the Twitter chat stages above, the theme of flexible roles appeared more than once. In other words, participants felt as though their role changes depending on the content of the chat and their knowledge in that particular area. They also felt that their role could change within one chat, depending on their knowledge of the specific question being asked. For example, Ty explained:
I feel like we frequently can take on multiple different roles within a chat, and I think that
at times I definitely enjoy taking on the coaching role in helping to lead others with their
growth because that's something that I am passionate about. But I also love the learning
side of it as well and being a student also, so it kind of depends upon...the interaction
among participants and how the flow of the chat is going as to which role I might take
on.... If I have questions... once I dive deeper into those topics I start to ask questions so I
can learn from those people... Sometimes that turns into others asking me questions
also… (interview, April 28, 2016)
Lisa provided an example of role flexibility. She said that speaks up when she knows about the topic, but she also has the ability to simply read what others say and learn from that. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 75
For instance, there is a makerspace Twitter chat in which Lisa has not yet participated actively because she feels she does not yet know enough about the topic. She added that, although she does not participate in the chats when timid about the content, she will go seek out related content on Podcasts, Pinterest, as well as in edcamp sessions.
Twitter Chat Preferences.
Lisa dislikes when people spend a lot of time philosophizing or sharing quotes to attempt to get retweets, especially during a Twitter chat, and considers this to be unproductive. Lisa prefers productive chats, and explained that she a chat is productive when there is a great deal of exchanging ideas. (interview, May 5, 2016) She also commented on “edu-celebrities”, who sometimes use the edchats for self-promotion. The first Twitter chat in which Ty participated has gotten too large, he explained. There are so many people participating now, and so he appreciates the smaller chats he has found, which he considers more manageable and personal.
Ty prefers the district chat that David referenced because he is able to connect and keep up with local educators, many of whom he would otherwise only see occasionally at edcamp.
Edcamp: Vote With Your Feet. All four participants have attended at least one edcamp event. Edcamps are face-to-face, participant-driven unconference (unconventional conference) events for educators that usually occur on Saturdays. Some have attended over five, and Ty has even organized three edcamps. Ty, who has been in the district over ten years, even referenced a recent private, mandated district event that, for the first time, infused elements of edcamp.
While some participants have participated in edcamp and other informal events outside of the district, all four participants reported that the first edcamp they attended was organized and held within the district. Ty and Sue both stated that their first edcamp ever was the inaugural district event in 2014. Lisa reported that her first edcamp was a 2015 STEM (Science, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 76
Technology, Math, and Engineering) edcamp event, also organized by the district. David was the most recent to join the movement, with his first edcamp being a 2016 school-based event in his district.
How It Works. Sue explained that you begin edcamp with a “blank slate…literally”
(interview, April 26, 2016), and that the edcamp agenda is actually constructed by the participants with no set presenters or sessions (interview, April 26, 2016). She described edcamp as an authentic, fun, and engaging experience that begins with the interests or the learner.
Participants at edcamp are expected to follow the law of two feet, which was foreign to many in the room during the first observation. This rule, so to speak, was established to encourage learners to drive their own learning throughout the event by changing sessions as desired in order to best meet each learner's’ needs. Participants considered edcamp to be a positive experience with passionate fellow educators. Ty expressed, “If you get people that are willing to show up on a Saturday morning to talk about education, then they're clearly passionate and want to be successful within their professions and want to continue to learn and grow. How could that possibly go wrong?” (interview, May 5, 2016) These passionate educators will also connect before, during, and after the event using Twitter, and many edcampers exchange Twitter handles during and between edcamp sessions.
The following vignette is intended to articulate the edcamp experience. These insights are based on an observation (April 23, 2016), as well as Twitter archival review during and after this specific edcamp event.
A Taste of the Edcamp Experience. On a Saturday morning this past spring, Lisa, Ty, and David joined other educators from various schools and districts at a local elementary school.
They arrived in comfortable attire and were greeted at the sign-in table upon entering the lobby. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 77
Ty and Lisa each arrived alone, and David with his wife. They wrote their names and Twitter handles on blank nametags headed toward the school’s media center.
There was a large session whiteboard in the front of the media center, with nothing but session times and room numbers. Ty, Lisa, and David were chatting with other educators over coffee and snacks were, and the energy was positive. The volume of chatter increased, and a few educators at a time gathered around the session board- some just to look, others to place a Post-
It note to claim a spot on the board. Ty, Lisa, and David remained in their seats casually chatting while other participants surrounded the board in the front of the room. Sticky notes began filling the board, and excitement was building as new topics were introduced. The host walked around to each table to encourage people to fill out a sticky note to suggest a session topic.
The event officially began and the organizers welcomed the edcampers. Introductions were made and participants, both the newbies and the veterans, were celebrated. While Ty and
Lisa had attended many edcamp events, this was David’s first. A few people trickled up to the board to add a session topic as the event was about to kick off. The event information and hashtag were shared, and participants were encouraged to share their learning and ideas via
Twitter. The host announced that sessions would begin shortly. Participants took one last look at the updated session board, which would soon be moved toward the breakout rooms so that sessions could be modified or added throughout the event. Ty, Lisa, and David headed toward breakout rooms.
Conversation in the breakout rooms was positive and informal. The flow of chatter often deviated from the original topic, and edcampers took turns sharing experiences, tips, and ideas.
Lisa decided to attend a session on appsmashing, or how students can use two or more apps together to learn and create with technology. With her iPad out, she tweeted that she was excited #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 78 to have time to learn and practice with the apps. David was huddled up with two other male teachers around a computer, also discussing technology for the classroom. They were exploring a popular K-12 website and discussing how to teach students coding through this online tool. A few educators walked past the breakout classrooms as they tried out different sessions. The energy was uplifting while educators laughed and took notes on what was being shared. Many edcampers were on their devices, exploring a site they just learned about or tweeting about what they were learning.
An announcement was made that it was time to move to the next session. Lisa decided to head to a session about Microsoft and tweeted that she was in need of this work session. Others revisited the session board to see if anything new had been added to the board and to grab a quick snack. After a while in session two, Lisa tweeted that her focus in session two had shifted.
She found herself in a new discussion with other educators about the pros and cons of flipped learning in certain environments. She commented that this was a mini-session within a session, or a topic that unexpectedly arose, and that she was participating in the organic learning that ensued. Meanwhile, David was attending a session on a popular web application and discussing a recently released feature that allows for a new style of lesson plan creation.
After the second session, Ty added a session about literacy, as a few teachers decided that they needed something more than what was offered. They headed off to an empty breakout room for their small session. As others learn about Ty’s newly added session, they trickled into the room. The third session closed and most attendees moved to the fourth session. Some were late returning to the media center for the closing after the fourth session. They entered just in time for prizes, and then the host wrapped up the event. He thanked those who helped make the event possible, both in person and on Twitter just after the event ended. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 79
Edcampers left energized and ready to take what they learned back to their own schools and classrooms. David and other inspired edcampers shared their excitement on Twitter, as well as thanked organizers and other teachers who shared during the event. David thanked the main organizer for hosting the event. One participant tweeted Ty to thank him for Ty’s guidance and inspiration during the event, and giving him compliments for being a great educator. David was also mentioned and thanked in a tweet from an edcamp participant. The participant explained that he was planning to practice with the online tool on which he collaborated with David during the first session, and that he plans to use it with students the following school year.
The Edcamp Experience from a Connoisseur’s Perspective. Lisa has attended several edcamp events and considers herself a connoisseur of sorts. “I like that I can choose the topics to go into and talk about... After you go once and you like it, you go again, and then you want to go again, and then you keep going, and then you get addicted, and then you almost become where you’re kind of a connoisseur.” (interview, May 3, 2016) She said she is beginning to recognize many of the other participants when she shows up at an edcamp, explaining that that once you start going, you get hooked and keep returning. (interview, May 5, 2016)
The first edcamp she attended was offered by her current school district, which she said was advertised to her via email or a flyer. (interview, May 5, 2016) Lisa explained that she was simply motivated to attend and learn. “I didn't have somebody knocking on my door saying,
‘Hey, go to an edcamp!’” (interview, May 5, 2016) Lisa said that she was fairly sure of what to expect before attending her first edcamp because she had watched videos about it online. While she mentioned that she was not completely caught off-guard by anything that occurred, she felt pressure to be an expert at a topic if she initiated a session on it. “I still feel like there's a little bit of ‘you-better-be-an-expert-at-it-if-you're-going-to-post-it-on-a-sticky-note’. My first time out I #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 80 was not an expert at it. I was following the idea of ‘if you have a problem or an issue or something that you're really interested in, and you don't know anything about, you just post it.’
And so I kind of followed that for the first time out… There was one woman in the room who had more experience than I did...I had none. She had a lot. And it was just it was weird because people were looking at me like, ‘Oh, you're supposed to be the one who is leading all of this and talking about it’, and I was like, ‘Nope. I'm the one who doesn't know a thing about it, and I want to. So, I kind of had to learn the hard way about that… so I kinda backed off a lot.” (interview,
May 5, 2016) Lisa also mentioned that she sometimes has mixed feelings about participating in the conversations when there are many people from another school or district in her session.
(interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa does participate during sessions when she feels comfortable doing so. She had several questions and shared tips with several educators during an edcamp session about grants and funding. (LO 3.12.16) At another edcamp, she also appeared to be comfortable leading a short part of a conversation in a small group of four about blogging, a topic with which she said she has a lot of experience. Informal conversations that broke out during a session led to two small separate learning groups. In her group, Lisa shared ideas about blogging from what she has learned running her own blog over the past few years. “Here’s what you do: You go on wordpress... You can post stuff on an email and it goes up…. So I can be at my daughter’s swim practice and send an email and the blog post goes up” (LO 4.23.16).
Twitter certainly appears to be a major component of Lisa’s edcamp experiences. During an observation that took place while at an edcamp, Lisa asked the session facilitator if he was on
Twitter so that she could follow up with him about something virtually. When she searched for his Twitter account during the session, she was excited to see that she already followed him. (LO
3.12.16). Lisa tweeted about another edcamp event at least sixteen times, once the day before #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 81 regarding her excitement about the upcoming event, and fifteen times during the event to showcase what she was learning and share ideas. (5.7.2016)
Lisa stated that there are really two groups of people who attend edcamps; there are those
“who don't know a thing about it- kind of the newbies, and then there are quirky people like me that come with some pretty cool ideas and share... they're pretty interesting people.” She characterizes these people as innovative, brave, talkative, ahead of the game with regards to technology integration, and happy to share their knowledge with others. (interview, May 5,
2016)
Dynamic Edcamp Roles. David explained edcamp as a “two-way street.” He liked the informal, collaborative environment environment and the fact that role of presenter was dynamic so that everyone could contribute to the conversation. You always hope to be able to go in and take something away, but at the same time you feel good about being able to give somebody else something to take away that they can maybe use and make a difference in their world, and really that's the idea… to make it better all around.” (interview, May 2, 2016) Ty shared a similar feeling about roles, stating that he loved to learn when people in the room knew more than him about a topic, but that he is also more than willing to contribute to the conversation when he is knowledgeable about the subject being discussed in a session. During nontraditional learning experiences, in David’s opinion, time flies by. He recalled a recent edcamp experience, when several of the sessions continued well beyond their scheduled time because the participants wanted more.
Edcamp Preferences. Lisa elaborated a bit on what constitutes a high-quality edcamp experience. While she believes that she can take something from every professional learning experience, she prefers edcamps that are regional, with a diverse pool of attendees. She also #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 82 explained that she finds more well-established edcamps more enriching, and prefers to attend those which are run by experienced organizers. She noted that, when she walks into an edcamp, she can tell whether the organizers are new or not, and that some people just do not quite understand edcamp yet. She can tell an organizer is new if they are unable to initiate brainstorming of sessions or do not yet seem to be speaking the language of edcamp that encourages participants to engage with others in sessions. Regardless, Lisa believes that “you're going to walk away with ideas that you never would have” (interview, May 3, 2016), even at a smaller, school-based edcamp. She simply is not sure that they are worth the time when they might not bring her much value.
Sue mentioned that she also prefers larger edcamps. Specifically, she explained that she liked the edcamps that had been held at the district level more so than those that had been starting at individual schools. She likes a larger, more diverse audience and feels that she has benefitted more from the larger events.
Lisa dislikes when people come to edcamp without an open mind. “You can sit with them for a few minutes in a session and you can realize that they have absolutely no desire to change their way of thinking. ...When you’re sitting in an edcamp session and you've got someone going
‘I'm never going to do that’...you're kind of like, ‘why did you come?’ You don't come to say no. That's not why you come to something like that. You come to say, “Oh, okay, I'll think about it.’ So I don't really like stubborn people at edcamps…” (interview, May 3, 2016). She summed up by saying that the content and ideas shared at edcamp are not the concern, but just sometimes the mindset of the people.
Podcasts: Chores Become Educational. Lisa expressed a strong preference for listening to educational podcasts, and elaborated a bit on this topic. “I've [listened to] some #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 83 podcasts for… self-motivated professional learning…mostly about technology, maker
[movement]...And then I do some history just because it kind of gets me into… some of the stuff the older kids are doing, and I find them interesting.” (interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa listens to several podcasts for entertainment, and some for work, such as Stuff You Missed In History
Class, Revisionist History, and Technology Bytes. One of her favorite podcasts is Technology
Bytes, where she listens to men chat informally about technology news, gadgets, and trends. She learns the most from this one, picking up useful information to share with her school technology personnel. Lisa is also very interested in the Maker Movement and student creation, so she listens to the MakerCast podcast. She sometimes shares the podcasts she likes with other educators by tweeting out information about them. For instance, in the spring of this year, she tweeted out an icon with the MakerCast logo and urged her Twitter followers to listen by endorsing the podcast.
Sue mentioned one specific podcast from which she learns a lot- a series by another educator whose strength is educational technology. Sue explained that she enjoys listening to him discuss flipped learning, a style of instruction that she has been trying in her own classroom over the past couple of years. Sue commented that she was even on a podcast episode one time as a guest. While Sue was attending a national technology conference, the podcaster, who was also in attendance, tweeted about flipped learning using the conference hashtag. In this tweet, he mentioned that he would love to meet up and speak with some teachers who were flipping instruction for their students. Sue, who was in a session at the time and could not join him, contacted him back via twitter to provide her email address so they might connect at a later date.
After connecting with the podcaster, he invited Sue to be a part of an episode and interviewed her via Google Hangouts, a live video-conferencing software, in order to interview her for a #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 84 podcast episode that was then published and shared on podbay.fm. She actually shared the link to this podcast episode with the researcher privately through Twitter.
Pinterest: Pin to Share. Pinterest, a virtual, social bulletin board of sorts, was used by both Sue and Lisa for professional development. Sue has stated that Pinterest can be used as a tool for idea curation (Aug 18 2013, Figure 4.2). She also has shared educational Pinterest finds with other educators via Twitter. (July 2 2013, Figure 4.3)
Figure 4.2
Figure 4.3
Lisa uses Pinterest more regularly for educational purposes. She has two Pinterest accounts, one for her personal use and one for professional use. She is logged into the Pinterest app using her personal account on her phone; she uses her iPad to keep up with her professional
Pinterest presence. “I pin to my personal account when I am sitting somewhere and I am bored. I build my professional account at home on my iPad when my daughter is watching her kid TV.”
Lisa has over 70 boards, or categories of content, on her professional Pinterest account
(Pinterest, Aug 26, 2016). She has pinned over 1,500 educational resources for herself, teachers, media specialists, and families. The images below (Figure 4.4) highlight some of the components of her professional account. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 85
Figure 4.4
Edmodo: Group Codes Open Community Doors. Edmodo is a social learning platform for educators, students, and even parents, that provides for collaboration and learning in a secure environment (http://edmodo.com, August 2016). Lisa sent a tweet in the spring of this year mentioning Edmodo. She considered Edmodo a digital learning community and suggested that such virtual support groups are essential for educators. During the same month, David also tweeted about Edmodo when he thanked a fellow teacher from another school and content area within his district for sharing a resource via the Edmodo platform. David explained that he discovered Edmodo groups on his own when he decided to sign up for an account during his first #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 86 year as a teacher. “I was just exploring and stumbled upon them.” (Spet 19, 2016). David was actively participating in teacher groups, or communities, on Edmodo prior to ever trying the online tool as a virtual classroom with his students.
Sue has tweeted about the tool as well, and has discussed Edmodo more in depth on her blog. Unlike David, Sue began using Edmodo as a tool for her students first. Around the same time as David, she began using Edmodo during the 2012-2013 school year, but with the goal of flipping her class, or providing content and activities for her students to access from home. She wrote on her blog that a student actually initiated this, asking Sue if she would set up an account for the class. Sue sent a tweet to share with the world that she had just begun using the tool with her students.
Sue showcased her use of Edmodo with her students through her blog an Twitter. She shared how she used Edmodo to post videos and assignments that her students could access from home. Her students uploaded their learning and creations into the social learning platform as well. She regularly blogged about her experiences of integrating Edmodo in order to build a learning community and flip her classroom. She shared her successes, struggles, and reflections on the tool with regard to student learning for months. One day, she shared on her blog that she had connect with teachers on Edmodo after joining a global literacy initiative for the first time.
She discussed on her blog how she discovered that Edmodo could be used to connect with other educators and other classrooms.
Sue learned from a district technology coach that there was a district technology group for her area within Edmodo, and Sue used the group code to join that as well. Sue posts questions in that forum when she needs help or has questions about integrating technology in her #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 87 classroom. Sue mentioned two instructional technology coaches from her district in particular who are on Edmodo and have contributed to her professional growth.
In addition to learning from local technology specialists through the Edmodo platform,
Sue has commented on her blog that the support community at Edmodo is very responsive. She even tweeted with @edmodo directly a couple of times to share her experience with the tool and volunteer to present at their booth when they were calling for presenters as well as once to ask for technical support from a tool that integrates with Edmodo. She heard back from both companies the same day on both of these observed occasions.
Blogs: Reflect & Share. All four of the participants mentioned that they read the blogs of others for professional development, and three of them publish their own blogs as well. Lisa publishes a media center blog, Sue writes a blog for other teachers about flipping learning for students at the elementary level, and Ty blogs about children’s literacy.
How Educational Blogging Works. Lisa explained that she is an educational blogger who also reads the blogs of others both to learn about technology, as well as to grow in areas of personal interest. Lisa used to use Google Reader for an RSS feed to learn from blogs, but this service was discontinued, so she stated that she is looking for a new feed reader to gather all of the blogs she follows into one central location. “I'm trying to get Feedly going and get back into it so I can start reading them again, so, for the most part, I just I look them up. I'll look them up and Google.” (interview, May 3, 2016)
Sue reads others’ blogs, primarily for technology content, such as how to use iPads in the classroom. Such learning benefits her since every student in her 1:1 classroom has regular access to a device. Sue usually finds blog posts through tweets, either links shared in her feed or during an actual synchronous Twitter chat. Sue explained: #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 88
I just saw this one guy's website through a Twitter post... I don't know how I got to him-
some Twitter post. Somebody had posted something…I saw… he'd actually made an
iPad table where he could film the kids up underneath, and he's a first grade teacher, and
so I went to his website. I looked at it, and I sent him a message and said, ‘Has anybody
told you how awesome you are?’ So then he sent me something back and just that kind of
thing. And so whenever somebody follows me, I always send a message that I'm looking
forward to the collaboration because it's a give-and-take thing. (interview, May 3, 2016)
Sue began her own blog in 2012 to share her journey with others so that they may learn from her implementation. Sue blogs about flipping her classroom, or providing online content and activities for her students to access beyond school walls. She typically blogs at home on her own time. Much of the content on Sue’s blog involves Edmodo, which she also uses as a professional development tool, as well as a social learning environment through which she flips her classroom. She has provided readers with everything from step-by-step instructions to setting up an Edmodo account, challenges and successes from her experiences, how to use
Edmodo for professional development, and ideas for others who want to try flipping their own classrooms.
Ty began blogging about children’s literacy during the summer of 2013. He said that the choice to launch this during the summer was intentional; he really wanted to focus heavily on its development when he had the time. He noted that, during the school year, it was much easier to come up with topics to blog about, such as instructional strategies he was implementing in his own classroom. In his current role as an academic coach, he now also uses his blog as a forum to highlight the great work of teachers in his building. He also invites guest bloggers from his school, as well as others in the district, to write posts on his blog. Both Ty and Sue share their #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 89 blog posts by linking them to tweets. People often respond to these tweets to praise or comment on the blog post.
Building a PLN: A Community for Support and Motivation. Referred to as a personal learning network, a professional learning network, and a personalized learning network by participants throughout the interviews, it was not difficult to capture the essence of what a PLN is to educators in this study. It is a network of educators and organizations in which all four participants are actively engaged, predominantly through virtual means, such as Edmodo, blogs, and Twitter. For many educators, a PLN might simply consist of a few colleagues in their school building. For a connected educator, or someone who regularly leverages online tools to build his
PLN, this network may be expansive and interconnected. Hundreds or even thousands of people and organizations could comprise a single educator’s network, and these connections might overlap from one arena to another. For instance, participants discussed seeing members of their virtual PLN (i.e. people with whom they connect on Twitter and Edmodo) at local and even national face-to-face events, such as optional conferences, district events, and edcamps. Many
PLN contacts may have been formed virtually and remain as such; many educators engaging in professional, educational interactions online may never meet face-to-face. Nevertheless, these
PLN connections serve many purposes for participants, from personal and professional support to educational inspiration.
How It Works. Lisa stated that many of the people on Twitter are trying to build their professional learning network (PLN). (interview, May 3, 2016) She said that part of the reason she initially started using Twitter was because she was “really interested in building a personal learning network, you know, that PLN thing, and what it means, and...the components of it and how do you do it well…” She explained further: #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 90
I kind of started with the Web 2.0 class I took at [a university] a long time ago and just
finding the pieces... starting there and building your network and getting to know people
and pulling on people who are good at what they do without having to be face-to-face
with them.” (interview, April 23, 2016).
While Lisa has recently become more active with regard to building her PLN, she explained that it is not new to her, as she had a PLN as a blogger about her hobbies for a long time. She has recently moved toward building a career-focused PLN, however, which she said is personalized because she is in control of her learning.
David described his PLN twice as “all over the place” to capture the wide array of activities in which he participates in order to connect with people from whom he can learn and share. He has a PLN within his building, through which he explained he learns from others and, more recently, also assumes a teaching role among his colleagues. In addition to local contacts, he also connects with teachers beyond his school and district. Tools such as Edmodo and
Twitter allow him to network anytime and anyplace on a global level. (interview, May 5, 2016)
When attempting to capture the essence of her PLN, Lisa said that “growing” was a great way to describe it. ”I'm still starting out.... I still feel like a newbie in the twitter chats.... I've been to enough edcamps where I'm comfortable talking. I'm not necessarily comfortable leading... I stepped into leading one of the little edcamp chats the first time out and I was like "ew... I won't do that again". Ha. It's just growing.... I don't know another way to describe it. I’m learning how to participate. That's huge.... and just taking it easy because nobody's telling me what to do and there's no timeframe, so I like that part.” (interview, May 5, 2016) Lisa explained that the focus of a PLN does not always have to be directly career-related. She said she has always had a PLN, but it was previously centered around her hobbies and interests- not necessarily her work. She #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 91 believes her network is now intentionally growing with the goal of professional learning, and that it is personalized because she is driving the learning herself with no intervention of a supervisor or administrator. Only she decides when, where, and what to learn when it comes to engaging with her PLN.
PLN Example: Ty’s PLN Evolution. Ty enjoys the fact that he can connect with educators who have similar interests and are passionate about what they do. He enjoys sharing with others and learning from his PLN. At his school, Ty has identified what he refers to as a
“core group” of educators who are intrinsically motivated to participate in nontraditional, self- initiated professional learning. Beyond relationships developed within his school, Ty connects locally and globally in many ways. When asked about his PLN, he commented that it began with Twitter when he joined in 2012. It originated from his interests- following national literacy leaders on Twitter based on his passion. He began connecting with literacy lovers during chats and through blogging, as well as at state and national conferences. In 2013, Ty started a degree in technology and began also connecting on Twitter with technology leaders. When he became an instructional coach, he began connecting with people who knew about adult learning in education, such as national speakers, as well as other academic coaches. He chats with these coaches during an #educoach Twitter chat on Wednesday nights, where they swap stories and experiences in order to learn from one another. More recently, as Twitter has become more popular in his district, he has begun connecting with more local educators, virtually and in person. He referred to his PLN as a community, many of whom he actually knows pretty well.
Ty’s PLN, he stated, as been very important to him and continues to shift and grow.
Motivations for Participation in Self-Selected Professional Learning
All participants mentioned various reasons for participation in optional, innovative professional development. From edcamps and virtual book clubs to podcasts and blogs, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 92 participants derived value from each professional learning strategy in which they engaged.
David explained that you learn something from each of the practices. While Sue explained that she benefits greatly from reading the blogs of others, she enjoys the fact that edcamps because dive more deeply into content and “change the way you’re thinking about something”, rather than just learning about an isolated activity. (interview, May 3, 2016) Both edcamps and blogs, as well as Twitter chats, are important and powerful for Sue. Lisa felt similarly and shared that no single strategy or tool impacts her professional growth the most. She stressed that an educator should select more than one of the non-traditional routes- that each of the types of non- traditional professional learning opportunities serves a different purpose. ”It's almost like a spider in the web... picking up little bits and pieces here and there.” (interview, May 5, 2016)
Participants discussed which aspects they liked and disliked about certain practices as well. There were common threads, as well as unique differences that emerged with regard to participant motivations. This section will explore the findings on motivations, beginning with motivations by practice, followed by common themes that emerged, and finally the unique motivations driving each participant to seek out nontraditional learning opportunities.
Motivations by Practice. Findings regarding particular tools or learning strategies revealed different motivations for participation in various learning activities.
Twitter. Ty considered Twitter to be efficient. “I do like Twitter... you have 140 characters versus people typing paragraphs and paragraphs on Facebook.” (interview, April, 23,
2016) Ty also expressed that he liked the ease with which he can unfollow accounts that do not bring value to his feed. Participants like the fact that they can constantly connect with others and stay informed through Twitter. Through the network of people on Twitter, they are able to gain #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 93 a broader perspective and stretch their thinking, as well as connect with others who share similar educational beliefs.
Lisa described herself as shy and said that she likes Twitter because she does not “have to sit face-to-face with people”; and commented that she finds the virtual aspect of Twitter preferable when compared to the face-to-face nature of something like an edcamp (interview,
May 3, 2016). Lisa enjoys the ease with which she can customize which Twitter users’ content is displayed in her feed, as she can simply follow and unfollow whomever she pleases. She thinks this is an advantage of Twitter and said, “You can unfollow people and not feel guilty about it … with Twitter, especially when developing your personal learning network... if there's somebody that just isn't aligned with you you can go, ‘byebye!’" (interview, April 23, 2016)
Twitter Chats. Participants commented that Twitter chats are flexible and convenient.
“When you're sitting at home and...you've got a glass of wine and your PJs on; that's kind of how
[Twitter chats] work.” (interview, May 5, 2016) Lisa enjoys the convenience of learning through a Twitter chat. She has recently participated in several Saturday chats (#satchat), and shared in a tweet on May 5, 2016 that she was attending a chat while her daughter was playing at Playscape.
As Ty explained, “Twitter chats the flexibility of being able to pop in and out whenever.
And we always talk about professional learning in your PJs, right? People put their kids to bed, and you can get it whenever, wherever.” (interview, May 5, 2016) David actually tweeted during the introductions of a district chat that she had just put his son to bed so that he could participate in the chat (March 6, 2016). Ty gave an example of the flexibility of Twitter chats,
“If there is a chat where I feel like it just kind of is stalling out or kind of stale, I'm out of there...if it's not something that I feel like I need... I think one of the great things about Twitter chats is that it is very low commitment, so if you're getting something out of it and you're #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 94 enjoying the dynamics of it all, you stick around, and if not, then there's no pressure or commitment that you have to stick around.”(interview, May 5 2016) He added that, if he does not feel challenged, does not enjoy where the conversation is headed, or does not have time to fully participate, he leaves. “There are some [chats] that I pay particular attention to and schedule, and then there are others that I just happened to see going on at the time and jump in the middle of.” (Ty in the Focus Group Interview, April 23 2016) He added that, while Twitter chats typically “takes you to a great place”, you have the freedom to leave the chat if it does not meet your needs.
Lisa commented that the typical Twitter chat moves quite quickly, saying that, when engaging in a one-hour Twitter chat, one must try to keep up. (interview, May 5, 2016) In addition to the fast-paced nature of an hour-long Twitter chat, she often struggles to attend due to the time of the chats and family priorities. She mentioned during the focus group (interview,
April, 23, 2016) and in her Twitter feed (4/29/2016) that she was looking for a good
“#slowchat”, or an edchat that is slower-paced and usually occurs over the course of a week.
“I'm still looking for a slow chat because... then I can pop in and out when I want to.” (interview,
May 5, 2016) David also likes the #slowchat option for educational Twitter chats because a moderator will post a question on Sunday and allow for responses throughout the entire week.
This gives a reader time to sift through the answers thoroughly and on their own time, rather than having to commit to a fast-paced, one-hour synchronous chat session. David explained that it also allows educators to engage in deeper conversation about the topic, as well as side conversations that occur organically throughout the week.
David likes the fact that he can connect with educators locally and nationally to collaborate, learn new things, and broaden his views. Sue likes that she has the autonomy to #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 95 comment and share various resources and ideas during Twitter chats, and referred to it as “free sharing”. She enjoys when the moderators of Twitter chats also curate the resources shared and offer an archived list of resources to the participants. Lisa also looks at Twitter chats to find and curate resources (interview, May 3, 2016), such as infographics, which she prints out and sometimes shares on Pinterest.
Edcamp. Sue enjoys meeting with other passionate learners and having a personable conversation that allows educators to share ideas. “I mean, when you talk about getting up early on a Saturday morning to go learn more...it's a fun experience for me to continue to learn. It challenges me, helps me grow and... It's such a social experience... I get to see a lot of my friends as well. I get to meet new people that are interested in some other things also, so I enjoy that.” (interview, May 5, 2016). Sue likes the fact that she drives her own learning at an edcamp, and stated, “With the edcamps you can choose...what you specifically want to learn about or hear about, or even what you want to share.” (interview, April 26, 2016)
Ty discussed the law of two feet in depth, stating that he likes the fact that “you are not married to sticking to a session, which he said “has almost ruined me for other professional learning opportunities because when I go to traditional professional learning opportunities now and sign up for sessions... I don't want to stay if it's not good. All of our time is valuable, and there's no point in sticking around for something that you thought was going to be valuable that’s not valuable. So, I love the opportunity to be able to get up and move to something else that might challenge me a little bit more, extend me a little bit more…” (interview, April 28, 2016)
Lisa likes the ability to choose as well and also likes the sharing of knowledge. While there is admiration for those in attendance at these events, developing relationships with others at edcamps is not a focus for Lisa. “I think some people go to edcamp to be around people, and I #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 96 don't necessarily go for that... Sometimes I can remember a face, but I don't really remember names, but I do remember ideas. I remember scenarios they share. I remember things they're implementing. So that's why I go…. I want their ideas.” (interview, May 3, 2016) “I don't go to the people. I go for the ideas.” (interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa likes the fact that she never knows what she will walk out of edcamp having learned. One of the reasons she likes edcamp, she noted, was that she can attend and learn new things that she can ponder for some time, until it might be an appropriate time to utilize the newly acquired knowledge or skill. (interview, May
3, 2016) Lisa expressed that she enjoys learning at edcamp, even when the learning does not necessarily apply to her field. She just enjoys learning it. (interview, May 5, 2016)
David, a beginning edcamper, knew what to expect before walking into his first edcamp this past spring because he had taken an interest in the topic and asked around for explanations.
What he had not experienced or necessarily expected was the relaxed atmosphere. David appreciates learning from people outside of his building in order to gain a broader perspective.
He appreciates the fact that edcamp attendees actually have experience in the field and the interactions are more authentic. He also enjoys collaborating with educators who want to be there and collaborate.
Another reason David likes the idea of edcamp is because he is surrounded by passionate educators who want to try new things. He explained that this group seems to strive to make the difficult achievable, and that he is amazed by the fact that everyone is so optimistic and willing to share. They are open to new ideas and truly want to make a difference in their field. “You present an idea and, instead of the first thing being a ‘we can't do that’... it's usually more like
‘how can we do that?’ or ‘how does that work?’ or ‘what do you think about it?’ It's a lot more #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 97 positive it's a lot more optimistic… It's really a mindset… Instead of a can’t do attitude it's more of a can-do attitude.” (interview, May 2, 2016)
David did mention that he dislikes the fact that some optional professional learning opportunities, such as edcamps, are typically held on Saturdays, especially during the school year. He wished that more of this type of learning could be incorporated into school professional development, when he is not giving up additional family time.
David believes he has been able to personalize his professional learning through nontraditional professional learning activities, such as edcamp. He likes the fact that he can design his own agenda, as opposed to when he attends school-mandated professional development. He said that, even when it is not the norm at a traditional conference, he is still comfortable adhering to edcamp’s law of two feet and leaving when a session does not meet his needs, saying that he would want participants to do the same if he were presenting and the learning was not relevant to others. While David enjoys edcamps, or educational unconferences,
David is also a proponent of large, traditionally-structured conferences, as he appreciates the organization and likelihood that presenters will be knowledgeable about the session topics.
(interview, May 2, 2016)
Podcasts. Lisa can listen to podcasts as they are released, but she has the flexibility to listen whenever she chooses, as previous shows are archived in the free library on Apple iTunes
(Figure 4.4).
Figure 4.4 #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 98
Lisa also enjoys the fact that she is able to multitask while listening to podcasts. “I listen to podcasts at home while I am working around the house. Mostly on my phone with headphones on. I carry my phone around in a little purse I sling across my body, or I put it in a pocket. Then I take care of my mom duties.” (8.28.16) Lisa noted that she also likes to listen to podcasts while driving, and that she will rotate through the various podcasts to which she listens, depending upon which has released an episode most recently. She listens to a podcast at least every other day, and has also encouraged her daughter to learn from podcasting. “I’ve gotten my daughter hooked on Brains On. It gets her face out of screens and works on listening skills.”
“That's the thing is some of this works because... you can multitask. It's that seat time versus ‘I'm going to wash the dishes and...listen to a podcast... because our time is so little.
There's other ways to get teachers and get educators engaged in furthering their skills.”
(interview, May 5, 2016)
Pinterest. Lisa started her professional Pinterest account in her former district. When she began working in her current school and realized that, due to her role, she is often left out of #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 99 teacher professional development and collaboration, she started building upon the existing account. When leveraging Pinterest for learning, Lisa tends “think along the lines of ‘Would I share it?’ because she posts her Pinterest on her school blog. (interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa explained that curating content on her professional Pinterest boards is one means to support teachers when they want it. She shares several curricular resources for each content area (i.e. science, math) on her Pinterest page for teachers to access. In addition to sharing curricular content with her classroom teachers, she uses Pinterest (1) to search for teaching and decorating ideas, (2) to share various technology integration ideas, and (3) to share relevant content with families of students at her school. She considers this all to be part of her media job. “I’m a librarian, so searching for information to share is my thing. I have purposefully built my
Pinterest account so that I could connect it to my work blog and send colleagues there.” (Email,
August 28, 2016) Figure 4.5 was taken from Lisa’s school blog, where Pinterest is the first outlet displayed after social media.
Figure 4.5
Edmodo. Many teachers join groups on Edmodo in order to collaborate with educators who share common interests or teach similar content. For instance, in May of 2016, Sue encouraged teachers, and even sent a separate tweet to a fellow elementary educator in the #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 100 district, to join an Edmodo group of educators interested in an upcoming national literacy event.
At one point in the fall, she tweeted at the leader of the Edmodo group, stating that the group had gone missing from her feed. Again, she heard back from the group leader in one day, who explained that he restored the group (September 11, 2016).
Sue began sharing the benefits of Edmodo with regard to teacher collaboration via
Twitter as well. She shared a link to a blog post she created with the title Edmodo as
Professional Development (Sept 8 2012), as well as a SmartBrief article about Edmodo’s value as an educational resource for teachers (April 15, 2013). During a summer #edmodochat, a
Twitter chat facilitated by Edmodo for educators using their product, Sue stated that “teachers are always willing to share on Edmodo.” (July 17, 2014).
David enjoys the fact that Edmodo allows him to connect with a wide range of experienced educators. “I like that you are connecting with people globally and most of the time you don't even know it. It takes out many pretenses and broadens the scope of philosophies and ideas.” (Spet 19, 2016) While he did not mean to seem rude, he expressed that he feels as though it is easier to disregard what others share when he does not find their content relevant or interesting. While he said that sometimes it takes a while to get an answer from other teachers after posting a question to a community in Edmodo, that was the only negative he has found.
Blogging. Sue likes to hunt for ideas and also learn from people who are actually practicing teachers so that she can learn about what is working and infuse ideas into her own classroom. She finds ideas such as classroom activities for her students by reading the blogs of others. She authors a blog so that she may share her classroom experiences with other educators so that they may learn from her. Ty began publishing his own blog after he noticed that many of #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 101 the people he followed on Twitter were blogging. He wanted try in in order to see if he could impact other educators, as well as reflect and grow as a teacher. In his role as an academic coach, he is also motivated to showcase teachers in his building, as he believes it empowers teachers and gives them confidence in what they are doing, as well as educates blog readers.
PLNs. Lisa shared that she does not feel as though she receives opportunities for personalized growth opportunities at the school in which she works. “That's one of my reasons for branching out and trying to build my personalized learning network is because the local opportunities aren't great.... not great as in quality, but in numerous. And so I'm doing it for my own benefit.” (interview, May 5, 2016) She explained that she is actively seeking out building my professional learning network (PLN) and likes taking control of what she is learning.
(interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa connects with members of her PLN through blogs, podcasts,
Twitter, Pinterest and edcamp. Some members of her PLN overlap or stem from one nontraditional practice to another. For instance, there are people with whom she connects at edcamps, but also follows on Twitter.
Other media specialists and educators inspire Lisa to continue growing. “Some of the reason why I'm trying to build my PLN because I can look at some of the things [other media specialists] do… We're all in different places, and so that motivates me to get out there and to learn more and to really look for things outside of the box...I'm always looking for a little ways to tweak things and change things to get them used to bigger things coming. You know like the
Learning Commons changes. That’s a good example.” (interview, May 3, 2016)
Sue likes to learn, share, and get support from her PLN at edcamps, Twitter, Edmodo, and through blog posts. She considers her PLN a significant resource, particularly the instructional technology department in her district, who she can connect with on both Edmodo #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 102 and Twitter. She referenced one instructional technology specialist in particular, who regularly provides her with support for integrating technology in her classroom. When Sue posts a question for educators in her Edmodo circles, she said she will typically hear back from a few people offering help.
Motivations by Theme. Throughout the study, the words “interest” and “choice” were mentioned frequently by all participants. Three of the participants said they found great value in connecting with educators beyond their traditional work environment in order to broaden their perspectives. Three mentioned the word “passion” in some form when describing their participation in the more innovative routes to learning. None of the participants reported that a supervisor or superior had encouraged them to participate in nontraditional professional development opportunities; all expressed a personal desire to do so.
The term personalized learning is one that is heard often in the world of K-12 education, and it is gaining attention when discussing adult learning as well. It was mentioned by participants throughout this study as they discussed innovation, optional professional development. When asked what participants meant when using the term, responses included verbiage such as “learning that I've initiated” (interview, May 3, 2016), “seeking out learning to better yourself” (interview, May 5, 2016), an “opportunity to create my own path and go in any direction that I want to go...follow my own interests” (interview, May 5, 2016). The perception of learning that is personalized really came down to self-initiation and choice. All participants felt that nontraditional professional learning paths provided autonomy, allowing them to self- direct their learning based on relevant goals and interests, all of which are different.
Choice and Relevance. Sue explained that much of the professional development that takes place at individual schools is typically mandated and designed for the entire population of #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 103 teachers, regardless of whether every teacher at the school needs the training or is interested in the topic. Many traditional professional development sessions are delivered by someone who is assuming that “everyone is at zero”, she stated. She does not want to sit through a training on something that she, herself, has been implementing in her own classroom for a long time. With regard to what teachers need, Sue stated, “I don't care how many times people survey you or observe you... people really don't know what's going on... so they don't know…” (interview, May
3, 2016). With self-directed, more innovative approaches, she said that an educator is able to follow her own needs and interests- learning that relates to her classroom. While she has seen some improvement in this area and believes schools are trying to move more in this direction, she described the norm as a mandated, face-to-face event on a particular day, which every teacher in the building must attend, even if it is not applicable to her classroom.
While her experience with school-based professional development has not been great this year, Lisa is not opposed to traditional professional development, as she had very positive experiences with it in her last district. However, she prefers the choice factor in more innovative, optional learning opportunities, and stated that “When you do the more traditional training, you were usually following an administrator's wishes or you are going with a campus initiative or a system initiative... you really don't choose for yourself.” (interview, May 3, 2016) Ty was in agreement, stating that traditional professional development opportunities typically offer little autonomy, whereas nontraditional professional development is usually driven by the learner.
Goal Control. David described traditional school professional development as “hit or miss”, explaining that there are some sessions to which he is resistant in the beginning that end up benefiting him in some way, but that many times he finds it unnecessary for him to be there.
He does not feel as though the goals of the learner are often taken into account when it comes to #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 104 traditional professional development events, but participant knowledge is at times. He stated that a teacher often sits and is expected to learn, with very little say in the experience. As Sue explained, a trainer usually shows up to a traditional workshop situation with a set agenda, with little input from the participants. She describes traditional, mandated, school-based development as “staff development”, where a trainer arrives with a set agenda and often gives little consideration for the knowledge or needs of the participants. Ty mentioned something similar.
“I get incredibly frustrated sitting in a session and wanting to interact a little bit more, but the person up in the front is the person leading, and the person with ‘all the knowledge’ isn't always willing to lean on others to see where the learning might take us. You know they have a
PowerPoint put together and regardless of where the people in the room might be with their knowledge in particular situation we're following the slides.” (interview, May 5, 2016). Ty said he has only had positive experiences with nontraditional routes.
Lisa expressed that she does not think all professional growth should be designed to suit the needs of each individual teacher in a field as diverse as education. Sometimes, she explained, there is a larger vision for the team, and there is value in participating in training for campus or district initiatives. Ty said that, while nontraditional learning is driven by the goals of the learner, traditional professional development often is designed with a top-down approach. “I feel like it's goal-oriented for someone, but it's not always goal-oriented for the participants…
Whose goals are most important? I think that's one of the things that we all need to learn. That said, there are certain places we need to take educators; I get that. But how willing are they going to be to listen to somebody else is making those goals for them?” (interview, May 5, 2016).
Efficiency of Learning. Sue feels as though her time as an educator is not always valued during traditional school professional development, and that her time is sometimes wasted while #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 105 she is in a session about something she already understands or is already implementing in her own classroom. (interview, May 3, 2016) She finds it confusing that she has to attend trainings that she does not need, and would sometimes rather watch a video online than spend time in a face-to-face session. David explained that school professional development typically takes place during teachers’ planning periods. This sometimes can interfere with teachers’ level of preparedness for the students because they might not have time to make necessary plans or modifications to their lessons. While he attempts to enter these events with an open mind, he often feels as though the trainings do not apply to him, and he becomes anxious thinking about the other tasks he could be doing. In fact, David mentioned that sometimes irrelevant, mandated school trainings will inhibit progress toward his goals related to meaningful, self-initiated professional learning, as well as plans to implement that learning in his classroom. (interview,
May 2, 2016) Lisa feels that the more self-directed professional growth opportunities allow educators to spend less time and allow teachers to seek out ideas to try as needed, which she feels is more manageable due to other priorities.
Teacher Voice. All of the participants said in some way that a function of nontraditional optional professional development to allow for greater teacher voice. Ty is a champion for teacher voice, and has realized that teachers participating in such experiences allow for growth opportunities that help said teachers develop into teacher leaders. He likes the fact that participants of this type of learning are all able to contribute to the conversation, and explained that you can learn from anyone else participating. Sue feels that, during traditional professional development, teachers are often not given an adequate chance to share what they are implementing in their own classrooms or what they have found successful with their students.
David commented that he enjoys hearing and learning from people who are actually practicing #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 106 educators. Lisa said she feels the need to talk with other educators about the innovative ideas they are tying in their schools; she wants to listen to their first-hand stories and see if she can apply it in her own educational environment. (interview, May 5, 2016)
Informal Conversation. In David’s experience, the most valuable part of school professional development has been found during the informal conversations during or after the session due to the fact that they are more likely to be relevant to the school and his classroom.
(interview, May 2, 2016) Throughout his interview comments, David also spoke a few times about informal collaboration with other teachers, either after school in public settings or during down times during conferences. He recently connected at random with one of his district leaders at a traditional conference, and they had a discussion about furthering technology integration in
Title I schools in the district. He noted that this type of situation happens often during nontraditional professional development, as much of it is simply based on unstructured or flexible conversation. Ty brought up similar points, stating that “often with traditional professional learning, sometimes the best learning that goes on as the informal time between sessions when you just have the opportunity to talk with your peers or… go grab lunch with some people from other schools...” (interview, May 5, 2016) He has not had these experiences much with traditional professional development days, and explained that nontraditional opportunities embrace this informal interaction.
Collaboration. Sue said that traditional school professional development does not usually allow for collaboration, but that it is more like “You sit here and I’m giving you this information… you take this information in.” (interview, May 3, 2016) She continued, “You know how you see videos of groups where teachers are teaching, and then there's a group of people who are watching, and then they meet together afterwards and they discuss… Where do #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 107 they do that? Where do they really do that? Where do they really have that... collaboration?” Ty explained that, while collaboration might sometimes be included in traditional professional learning if the trainer has a solid knowledge of learning design for teachers, typical traditional professional development consists of a person lecturing from the front of the room, allowing for very little collaboration. As for nontraditional professional learning, he said that collaboration is the heart of it all.
Motivations by Participant. While similar motivations for selecting particular nontraditional learning avenues emerged, data also suggested that each participant carries unique experiences and needs that inspire them to seek out the more innovative, optional professional learning opportunities. When describing optional, innovative professional learning, David immediately referenced unconferences and Twitter, stating that everything is more organic, participant-driven, and relevant. Ty mentioned that the bottom-up, participant-driven nature of these opportunities is key. Sue shared that nontraditional professional learning opportunities allow learners to be control of their own learning based on their needs and interests. Lisa expressed that they are flexible and convenient, so she is able to design her learning around her work and personal life. Each participant saw the benefits of this type of learning in their own way, influenced by their professional learning experiences, their personal lives and priorities, and their dispositions toward learning and interacting with others.
David: Science Teacher, Dedicated Father. David described himself as motivated, someone who is driven to seek out learning on his own. He believes educators need to have a personal desire to learn and participate in professional learning, and he always tries to get the most out of any learning situation. Nobody at his school, he explained, has been encouraging him to participate in optional professional growth; he does it on his own accord. David enjoys #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 108 attending optional conferences when he is able, and has been asked to present to other educators at district events. In addition to Twitter and an edcamp event for professional development,
David has also participated in live video chats with Google Hangouts, reading the blogs of others, and collaborating informally with other teachers off campus. He has developed relationships with many of the people he has met in the world of optional professional development, especially through Twitter. David explained that he is intrinsically motivated to participate in optional professional growth opportunities. Nobody at his school was encouraging him to participate; he simply wants to learn and improve as much as he can. (interview, May 5,
2016)
Learner-Centered. When compared with more traditional professional development practices, David said that the more innovative routes are more personal and relate directly to his passions and interests, “as opposed to a one-size-fits-all for the masses.”(interview, May 2, 2016)
He believes that self-directed, nontraditional opportunities are more personalized and learner- centered, as well as more relevant and organic, than traditional professional development. He also feel that participants’ knowledge and experiences are valued, and that nontraditional opportunities rely very heavily on educator collaboration and participant needs. (interview, May
5, 2016)
Free Access to Learning and Collaboration. While a lack of resources, such as funding or trainers, might be seen as a barrier to participation in professional learning, David suggested that this can actually promote participation in optional, nontraditional learning opportunities for those like him who want to grow. “Edcamps, unconferences, Twitter... all of that is free and allows for [meeting with like-minded educators] without the cost. “I think a lot of times it's just teachers that want to grow and that are not getting that from traditional professional development #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 109 they're not getting it in school...So I think it's almost I guess you could almost say it's out of desperation.” (interview, May 5, 2016).
Lisa: Media Specialist, Busy Mother. “I haven't been in school-mandated professional learning in about four or five years.” Lisa explained that all of her school’s professional development has been written to foster teacher collaboration, and that this occurs within their classrooms. She added that she is not included in those opportunities. (interview, May 3, 2016)
This is one motivation for Lisa to seek out professional learning opportunities outside of her school building. “I kind of get left out...and so I'm forced to go elsewhere….I figure at some point they're going to come around and they're going to want me to join and when they do all have a lot to offer.” (interview, May 3, 2016) In addition to the issue of being left out, Lisa does not have the funding for regular professional development outside of her school/district, such as relevant conferences. She said she simply cannot justify spending her media center money on her own development when she could be buying books or student materials. She also commented that she is currently trying to save up her own money so she can attend the ISTE
(International Society for Technology in Education) national conference next year.
Lisa explained that, while many teachers are already so busy and do not want to participate in activities that are after hours, she is intrinsically motivated to do so. “There are some people in education that you know when they walk out the door they're done educating….
You know this is my life. This is my career. I really like what I do. I like learning about it. And so I seek it out.” (interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa believes that, even when a training is mandatory, people have the choice to participate. “You can be a part of the learning and do your best... try to take away something...or try to be a positive influence, and then you can be a ‘Negative Nelly’ and complain the whole time you can ignore what is being said...” (interview, May 5, 2016). She #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 110 noted that one would never find her complaining about mandated professional development because she is not that type of person, and she does not think she knows everything. (interview,
May 3, 2016) Lisa participates in each learning opportunity to get the most out of it, regardless of whether it is particularly relevant to her role, and Sue said she strives for at least one takeaway, even when the training overall might not be relevant to her needs.
Choice. Due to the nature of nontraditional professional learning, Lisa feels she has a great deal of choice, and commented that it is definitely centered around her own needs and learning interests. “When you're doing edcamp and Pinterest and Twitter, you have to seek out the topics that you're interested in… or the topics that are gonna help you grow.” (interview,
May 3, 2016) She noted that nobody participating in these opportunities has a set agenda, and so it allows each learner to choose her path. (interview, May 5, 2016) One of the biggest payoffs of this type of learning, Lisa explained, is getting out of her school and simply hearing what other people are doing in education. (interview, May 5, 2016) “I call it spying...I tell my husband I'm going to go spy on [another elementary school] today.
I'm doing, but I would really like to go to high school level. So, short of going and getting a specialist degree, which I'm not going to do at this point...It's just not in our family plans...This is one way for me to continue to kind of stay fresh.” (interview, May 3, 2016)
Convenience. Lisa enjoys the more innovative options to professional learning, in large part because she can control her participation and structure it around her personal life. She commented that doing it on her own time is so important as a busy mother. (interview, May 5, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 111
2016) Lisa describes her participation in these innovative, personalized opportunities as “touch and go”- something productive she can do when she is not at work. She laughed and said that she has tried, in part, to use this type of learning as a productive substitute for what she considers her Facebook addiction. (interview, April, 23, 2016) Lisa has no plans to let up on her participation in optional, self-directed professional learning, and she is adding strategies to her professional development toolbox. “I'll just keep going until I get bored or until I feel like I know enough to move forward.” (interview, May 5, 2016)
Sue: Veteran Teacher, Lifelong Learner. “I don't know everything...nobody does, and you might not know that you need to know something until someone says [so].” (interview, May
3, 2016). Sue feels like some of the professional development opportunities offered through her district allow her to personalize her own learning and follow her interests. Edcamps, for instance, allow her the option of selecting from a variety of sessions offered. However, much of the learning that she seeks is related to technology, and she finds a great deal of relevant material online or on Twitter. Sue mentioned that she enjoys virtual non-traditional professional learning opportunities because they allow her to drive her own learning. “If it's something I'm interested in...I can click on and read more about it. I can go to a different website and find out more about it, and if it's not something that I have a need for or something that I think is going to benefit me, then I can just scroll past it so so I kind of have the freedom to pick and choose what suits me.”
(interview, May 3, 2016)
Sustainability. Sue often learns something online or at an unconference event and is able to take an idea back to her classroom and implement it immediately. However, there are times when she learns about something and needs to ponder it, and then see it again later to become more comfortable with what she has learned. Therefore, Sue likes a variety of learning #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 112 opportunities because they allow her to see something more than once, keeping it fresh in her mind and allowing her to revisit topics as needed. “I think online with the Twitter chats with the webinars, this stuff keeps coming back up, so it's fresh… it's like you're continually getting professional development on that one thing.” She said that the follow-up piece is is something that is missing from traditional professional development- that the trainer in these situations will deliver the session and “go on their merry way” (interview, May 3, 2016). Sue painted a picture of participants attending and taking copious notes, only to return to the classroom and not change a thing. She wondered why there is nobody that returns to check in after teachers have had a chance to implement what they learned in a training.
Classroom Impact. One of the greatest benefits Sue has found through self-initiated professional development is learning about new technology, such as a Dot & Dash robot, that she has been able to introduce to her students. She learned about this particular technology at a local unconference through code.org. Sue could not think of anything she dislikes or would change about these more innovative learning options. (interview, May 3, 2016) She stated, “I wouldn’t have been doing a lot of stuff that I do in my classroom now if it hadn't been for the relationships that I had that I made on Twitter or through professional development. Half the stuff that I do in my class, I really would not be doing. I really wouldn't.”
Ty: Instructional Coach, Passionate Leader. Ty said, above all else, one must have a passion for what they do. This hunger to learn and grow, he explained, is connected to working for the best interest of the students. “That's one of my favorite things... no matter how many years you've been an education- whether you're brand new to education or you've been an education for 30 plus years- You're not going to get stale if you continue to have a desire to learn. (interview, May 5, 2016) #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 113
Autonomy and Coaching. Ty believes that self-directed learning allows him to be autonomous with his learning. “We’re able to decide where to do and determine what we need.”
(interview, May 5, 2016) He is not only passionate about growing professionally himself, but also in leading other educators to do the same. He thinks that providing nontraditional opportunities allow educators to develop into leaders, follow role models they respect and admire, and help teachers develop an educational philosophy by learning from others. While nontraditional learning allows him to work towards his own goals, he thinks the beauty of nontraditional learning opportunities is that one might leave the experience with completely new goals that otherwise may have never existed.
Relationships. Ty mentioned relationships with other educators in his conversations about nontraditional professional learning. He will often connect with educators on Twitter, and then meet them face-to-face later at edcamps or optional conferences. He recalled one experience in the summer of 2014 at a national technology conference. “I ran into a Twitter friend Jen, who I have never met in person, but it was the first time we did come across each other, and we didn't even realize that we are both going to be there until we were both there and saw that we were both live tweeting during some different sessions and… made contact that way.
And then [we] met up in a session, and it's the only time that I've seen her in person, but we have kept up and communicate more now... I do feel like we have more of a professional relationship today than we did before our face-to-face meeting” (interview, May 5, 2016) He explained that, at local events, such as edcamps, he typically knows who he is going to see. There is a core group of educators who he respects, and with whom Ty has what he referred to as a “work friendship”. (interview, May 5, 2016)
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 114
Enabling and Impeding Factors for Participation in Self-Directed Professional Learning
Throughout the study, various enabling and impeding factors were discussed. Factors that were considered to be enabling differed from motivating factors in that enabling factors were essentially the circumstances needed to set the stage for participation in optional, nontraditional learning activities. In other words, while participants were motivated to engage in self-directed learning for a variety of reasons, there were also factors that participants perceived as external variables that facilitated initial participation in such opportunities, regardless of level of motivation. Impeding factors, on the other hand, were viewed as barriers to participation.
Participants commented on impediments to their own in optional professional learning activity, as well as those factors which they believed may impede participation of their non-participatory counterparts.
Time and Priorities. David thinks that lack of time is the most significant barrier to participation. He commented that many of the informal, self-directed professional learning opportunities are at times when teachers are decompressing from the week or wanting to spend time with their families. He explained that teachers already have so many responsibilities that spill over into their personal time. Other participants commented that they, like all educators, are expected put in so many hours outside of their working hours, and their workload is heavy, preventing them from participating in optional professional learning.
Lisa thinks that one barrier to participation in innovative, optional PD is that many teachers have misconceptions regarding the time it actually takes to participate in these opportunities. (interview, May 3, 2016). She also stated that optional professional development is simply not a part of many educators’ routines. Since Lisa’s time is limited due to her busy schedule as a mother, she is sometimes unable to participate in activities that occur during #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 115 weeknight evenings, such as Twitter chats. Ty explained, as an organizer of optional professional development events, that it is difficult to find the best time for teachers to attend.
Since people are always going to be busy, he said, you simply have to plan it and those who show up are the ones who learn. Ty added that he recognizes many feel participation in such events requires extra time, but that he does not feel that way. “I think that [to] the strongest, most driven, hungry educators... it doesn't seem like extra work.
Family Priorities. Even though Ty does not have kids, which enables him to regularly participate in optional PD, he realizes that one barrier to peer participation is the fact that people must make spending time with their families a higher priority. David, who does have a young child, discussed the fact that there have been times when he wanted to spend time at an optional, nontraditional professional learning event, but could not for that very reason. “There have been times when I wanted to go to, but I also value my family and time with my family. They put up with me working so much during the week that a lot of times during the weekend that time is really valuable for family.” (interview, May 2, 2016) When discussing his workload, David explained that he already has so much on his plate during the week that family time is sacred.
(interview, May 5, 2016)
School Culture. Leadership at the school level was discussed by all four participants, and teacher complacency was mentioned by two. Lisa believes that school and teacher leaders are the ones who enable the type of environment where professional learning is viewed as something valuable. Ty also placed an emphasis on school leadership, stating that the professional learning culture depends greatly on those at the top. Sue noted that it is also beneficial when school administrators understand that every classroom and teacher has unique needs. (interview, May 3, 2016) She explained that support and encouragement from the leaders #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 116 in the building is helpful, and that there has to be value placed on continuous growth at the school, at the top, as well as among teachers. Some schools, Sue and Ty commented, seem to be better at this than others, which is why certain schools have a greater level of participation in optional professional development. For instance, there are several school and district leaders who model the use and share the benefits of Twitter as a tool for professional learning. Sue shared that many educators might not participate simply because they are comfortable with their classroom practice; if it has been working for years, they might not see a need to grow professionally. Overall, culture in the building was considered a significant influence on participation or nonparticipation in optional, self-directed professional development.
(Lack of) Awareness. David stated that many teachers might not fully understand the more innovative pathways to learning. According to Lisa, comfort with nontraditional practices may result from a similar reason. For example, since many of the more innovative professional learning activities rely heavily on social media, teachers can find this factor to be a turnoff.
Some have told her that they “don’t do Twitter” (interview, May 3, 2016). “I think we talked about the unknown and the fear before... not understanding or liking social media. It's almost like not liking to be in a crowd....it's not really the platform itself it's just that they don't participate in... their personal life, and so they're nervous and afraid about getting into it in their professional life.” (interview, May 5, 2016) In addition, Lisa mentioned that typical one-hour Twitter chats generally move at a rapid pace, which can make it difficult for those not familiar with the tool to keep up.
Participants reported learning of innovative, optional professional learning opportunities through Twitter, email, and flyers. In addition, they reported learning of different PL strategies through their regular participation in these types of learning environments. For example, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 117 participants reported discovering the ideas of educational blogging and edcamp through Twitter interactions.
Participants mentioned awareness of these events and opportunities as an enabling factor for overall participation. In addition, participants mentioned that lack of awareness with nontraditional professional development practices was an impeding variable for their non- participatory colleagues. Ty, for instance, referenced teachers at his school who jumped at the opportunity to participate in these nontraditional learning activities once they became aware of what was available. Simply educating them about the options, he explained, went a long way.
On Spreading Awareness. One related thread that was explored in the study was how the participants, who were experienced exemplars with regard to nontraditional PD, felt about their role in encouraging non-participatory peers. Lisa says that trusted fellow educators might influence a teacher to jump into the world of non-traditional professional development, but she does not necessarily believe that those who do regularly participate should explicitly encourage others to do so. (interview, May 5, 2016) “I don't really ask people to participate with me...just because I kind of get the feeling that they find it off-putting an overwhelming...It's probably because of who I am. I'm not necessarily a big cheerleader.” (interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa has tried to talk to some friends at work to encourage them to attend with her on occasion, persuading them by saying that they just need to try it once in order to get interested. (interview,
May 5, 2016) She will mention to her Facebook friends that she is heading to an edcamp, and she often casually shares with her colleagues that she learned something new from edcamp or
Twitter. During the interview, Lisa considered the fact that she does not often share explicitly with colleagues and pondered whether she should talk about it more with them, despite discouraging responses when she has mentioned it in the past. (interview, May 3, 2016) #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 118
David does think that proponents of nontraditional learning opportunities should encourage other educators to participate, either through modeling behavior or by talking with them. He thinks most educators want to learn and grow, but many may need to explicitly hear from colleagues that these opportunities are different from traditional, mandated staff development. David has educated other teachers about these learning events and strategies, promising them that they will not be a waste of time and are not like the typical professional development, which is why they have negative preconceptions in the first place. (interview, May
2, 2016) David commented that educators really need to have a desire to engage in optional learning to get the most out of these experiences.
Sue never wants to come off as bragging, and never wants to overwhelm busy teachers by adding more to their plate. She tries to show what she has learned to indirectly encourage teachers to join the nontraditional professional learning phenomenon. She will sometimes send out links to things she has learned and ask people if they are attending certain optional events.
However, she does not feel as though it is her role to push people or persuade other teachers to attend.
Ty, who is in a leadership role, said he takes a more upfront approach to sharing and encouraging. He commented that he has persuaded teachers at his school and the district to start blogs, get on Twitter, and attend edcamp events. He also thinks that a direct approach can be effective. “I think the greatest way to...‘persuade’ those who are not totally into it at this point in time is to allow them to see that those people that are participating or growing without them. And
I think that that doesn't need to be us telling them that they aren’t growing - it needs to be us showing them that they aren’t growing…” (interview, May 5, 2016) He explained that he wants to raise the bar in his school by developing teacher leaders who are participating in optional #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 119 growth opportunities. In just the past year, Ty has seen systematic change and a shift in school culture.
Participants’ Visions for Future School Professional Development
Participants responded to various questions about traditional, mandated professional development, as well as nontraditional, self-directed professional development. Many comparisons were made throughout the interviews, both organically and when explicitly questioned about the similarities and differences between the two. It seemed that participants were often seeking out optional, nontraditional learning opportunities to meet learning interests and needs that were not being met through traditional means. Participants, however, shared many ideas for infusing favorable characteristics from their self-directed, innovative professional learning experiences into future school and district professional development opportunities.
They believed as though certain qualities, such as choice and collaboration, could enhance adult learners’ PL experiences during what are typically more traditional sit-and-get PD experiences.
They would like to see school and district PD that provides teachers with greater options to allow for learning that meets each educator’s unique needs.
Participant Experiences with Traditional Professional Development. It may be valuable to first explore the history and dispositions of participants with regard to traditional school and district professional development. Ty stated that educators have been conditioned for low expectations when it comes to professional development, as these experiences have historically been frustrating for teachers. When they hear the term, he explained, they already feel as though time spent is not going to be beneficial. Lisa agreed, saying that many will expect
“sit and get” experiences, and that most teachers simply do not like professional development.
“You can't manage everyone in a one-size-fits-all method. I think that's a lot of what mandated professional development is. It's a one-size-fits-all, and sometimes it doesn't fit.” (interview, May #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 120
5, 2016) Ty agreed, and is trying to move away from this at his school as an academic leader in his building.
More than once, David described school trainings as “hypocritical” due to the fact that the presenter does not model that which she is teaching. For instance, the training might be about differentiating learning experiences for students, but the training itself is not at all differentiated for the adult learners. “I think a lot of times professional development is really hypocritical in that you're teaching teachers how to teach in a good way, but it's being delivered in a sit and get format, or a traditional … classroom way, going back before the Industrial
Revolution.” (interview, May 5, 2016) “When you hear ‘professional learning’ or ‘professional development’… it has a negative connotation for a lot of teachers, so when you hear that, you don't really make it a priority because you feel like somebody's going to be wasting your time.”
(interview, May 2, 2016)
Lisa, only in the district one year, believes that many teachers hold negative feelings toward professional development, which is why many do not choose to participate in optional, personalized professional learning opportunities. She commented that teachers dislike professional development and do not want to be a part of it. (interview, May 3, 2016) However,
Lisa said she has even seen a recent shift in traditional district offerings with regard to professional learning. “Even in the last year you can see with their a-la-carte professional opportunities that you can sign up for... with the twitter chats, book studies … edcamps, webinars... yeah, I think the district's doing a very good job of it…. I like the a la carte menu, especially some of the ones coming out this summer for the technology where you can go and sign up and you can go to what you want.” (interview, May 5, 2016). Even with the more traditional workshops or trainings offered by the school or districts in which she has recently #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 121 worked, Lisa said that professional developers seem to be more savvy these days, building in work sessions and collaboration time, as well as respecting the time and experience of the learners. (interview, May 5, 2016) A couple of the participants mentioned that mandated school professional development is sometimes necessary in order to learn procedural knowledge they will need. Training for testing administration, for example, was mentioned three participants and was viewed by Lisa and Sue as something that should not be optional.
Teacher Choice. Ty shared a vision of changing the design of school professional learning to allow teachers an opportunity to have positive experiences at the school level. He brought a different perspective, as he is frequently responsible for designing and facilitating professional learning in his school. He was able to speak about professional learning design goals he has for the school, in addition to some strategies he implemented over the past year in his role as academic coach. They have been able to implement learning days for teachers that included more choice, even though it was mandated. Sometimes, he explained, he has to utilize his expertise to determine what the learning is going to look like. He plans to continue providing the greatest amount of differentiation possible and encourage them to create their own professional growth paths.
Sue mentioned that schools and the district should send out interest and needs assessments prior to providing training to best determine how to provide teacher support. David said that he thinks that teachers should be able to attend professional development at school based on areas of need or interest, as well as applicability to their classroom. He considered the fact that, in order to provide meaningful professional development at the school level, the administration needs to know their staff and understand their diverse needs and interests, and quoted the old saying “different strokes for different folks” (interview, May 5, 2016). Ty #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 122 commented that teacher choice is very important. He expressed that all professional learning should allow for teachers to leave and attend something different if their needs are not being met.
Exemption Option for Mandated Training. An exemption option was something that was brought up numerous times during the interview. David believes that there should be an opt-out option for those educators who have already attended a training, can prove mastery of the topic at hand, or have documented time spent engaging in self-initiated professional learning that equates to the mandated professional development. He recalled an instance when math teachers in his school actually had to attend the a training three times, even though it was documented that they had seen the exact presentation twice already (interview, May 2, 2016). David understands that sometimes there will be a need for some mandated training within any large organization, but he commented that teachers should be able to select professional development, both within the school and beyond, and document their own participation throughout the year.
Sue also brought up a similar idea, saying that the district could administer an exit exam of sorts, allowing educators who can demonstrate competency in a certain area to be exempt from particular staff development requirements. She feels that teachers should be trusted to be professionals and be able to ask for exemption from school professional learning when appropriate. (interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa also believes that motivated educators who are participating in self-directed, personalized professional learning should have an option to opt out of mandated campus professional development. “If you're motivated and what you're doing is building towards the school improvement goals and you can prove it...it's like a differentiated classroom; you should be able to show that you've achieved it and be able to move on…”
(interview, April, 23, 2016) #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 123
Interactivity and Collaboration. David, who wants to learn about new ideas and innovative ways to teach, suggested that traditional, mandated professional development be more interactive and hands-on. He would like to see less direct instruction during school development.
“I feel like if you made it more interactive... less ‘I'm up here presenting. I'm the know-it-all. I'm going to give you this information, and then you're going to sit there, and then you're going to go and do it, and you were going to be excited about it. If it had more interaction kind of like an edcamp feel, I think that could be... That could be...... a quick change.” (interview, May 5, 2016)
David has mentioned such these ideas to his administration. He added that, in addition to outside trainers, educators within the building could also present, which could leverage capacity within the building, as well as build a culture that builds confidence and empowers teachers. He prefers this “instead of being in a group or… being talked to by somebody who you don't know or somebody at the county level...” (interview, May 5, 2016) He hopes his suggestions about professional development were heard. Regardless, he is adamant about expressing his opinion about professional learning options at his school. (interview, May 5, 2016)
Lisa also discussed ideas for infusing certain collaborative and interactive elements from nontraditional professional development into school professional development. She suggested a coffee talk around Twitter hashtags, for example, as well as edcamp-style collaboration amongst grade levels. Ty, who has some control over professional learning at his school, has plans to provide for more teacher collaboration in his building next year- to share strategies, as well as challenges to solve together. They also want to ask some broad, thought-provoking questions regarding elementary content and skills. “If we want our students to inquire than we need our teachers to also inquire.” (interview, May 5, 2016) #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 124
Scheduling and Convenience. Sue mentioned that teachers should have more opportunities to participate in professional development, such as more summer offerings. Lisa prefers Saturday morning trainings over after school, and thinks that it is easier for many to attend optional events on Saturdays. (interview, May 5, 2016) She explained that she would attend more events if they were offered on Saturdays when her husband can watch their child.
(interview, May 3, 2016) Lisa also shared some thoughts regarding traditional professional development choices and exemptions on campus. She suggested that there be a variety of on- campus options for teachers throughout the year, allowing teachers to choose based on their needs. (interview, April, 23, 2016)
Lisa would like for the district’s technology department, or other curricular areas, to host short podcasts periodically. She feels this would help her stay informed. “How great would it be if maybe once a quarter they just sat down and talked about the things that were going on? Or talked about things they were saying or things that worked and didn't work? Doesn't have to be long ... I would sit and listen to somebody talk about something in the school system...like a 30 minute podcast... They are very knowledgeable people, and I would pick up a lot from it ... I would listen to...a coach talk about manipulatives…. I would just sit and listen to it while I'm doing other things.” (interview, May 5, 2016)
Sustainability. With nontraditional professional learning opportunities, Sue feels that topics continue to resurface and the learning is more sustained. She would like to see more of this with school and district professional development. She wants to have continued support and follow-up from trainers- someone to help her troubleshoot and answer questions once she is implementing what she learned with actual students. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 125
Consideration for Motivation of Learners. Lisa differentiated between two types of professional learners: those who seek it out and go above and beyond, and those who will only attend when the professional development is mandated. This, she explained, is why she believes schools and districts need to offer a variety of styles and meet the needs of both groups.
Traditional, mandated professional development still has a place, in Lisa’s opinion. Sometimes, she added, an initiative might require more than social media or self-directed, nontraditional methods. Regardless, Lisa has no plans to discontinue her personalized professional learning journey anytime soon. “It's too much of a trove of information and new stuff for me, and so I'm just going to. Whether it benefits me or not in my career, I'm still going to keep doing it.”
(interview, May 5, 2016)
Conclusion
The current qualitative single case study included four participants, all public K-12 educators who were exemplars when it comes to participating in optional, self-directed professional learning opportunities. This study sought to and understand the inspiration behind these educators’ participation in such activities, as well as reveal whether their participation is related to perceived deficits of traditional professional development. In addition, topics and subquestions of the current study aimed to illuminate participants’ self-directed practices, their specific motivations for participation, factors that enable and impede participation, as well as characteristics from these experiences that might be transferred to more traditional professional learning opportunities.
Data collected indicated that participation in optional, self-directed practices varied by participant. Practices included engaging in professional learning using both online tools and face-to-face strategies. Such practices included the use of Twitter, Twitter chats, virtual book clubs, blogging, Edmodo, Podcasts, Pinterest, and building personal learning networks (PLNs), #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 126 as well as attending edcamps, or educational unconferences. Findings regarding motivations for participation indicated that there are particular qualities of each practice that attract participation, as well as motivational trends that transcend participant preferences and all practices mentioned.
In addition to many common themes, each participant in the case reported unique needs and interests which inspire them to opt in to such opportunities. Data collected on enabling and impeding factors implied strands of circumstances, the presence of which were perceived to either facilitate or hinder participation in nontraditional learning activities for educators. Such themes included time and priorities, school culture regarding professional growth, and awareness and familiarity with such practices (or the lack thereof).
These findings, which capture the voices of educators in a bounded system, might serve as a resource to those responsible for designing and developing professional learning programs and policies. Participants’ narratives may also inform and empower educators to drive their own professional learning by seeking out and leveraging available nontraditional professional growth opportunities. The ultimate goal, of course, is that the teachers are heard so that learning needs of educators can be met which, in turn, will benefit the students sitting in our classrooms every day.
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Chapter 5: Discussion
This chapter will discuss the findings from the current study. The purpose of this study was to examine the behaviors and underlying motivations of educators who choose to participate in optional, self-directed professional learning (PL) opportunities. The issue under consideration was whether educators engage in this type of learning in order to compensate for deficits of traditional professional development. This discussion will be organized to address the issue under consideration, as well as the following research sub-questions:
(1) Current self-directed practices (How are these educators engaging in self-directed,
personalized professional learning?)
(2) Motivations (What inspires educators to participate in these learning experiences?
What do they like/dislike about the experiences?)
(3) Enabling and Impeding Factors for participation (What enables and/or impedes
educators from participating in these types of PL?)
(4) Characteristics of the learning experiences (Which characteristics of these
learning experiences do participants believe might be incorporated into other
types of PL? How and Why?)
Overview of the study
This study explored participants’ current nontraditional PD practices, strengths and weaknesses of nontraditional professional learning, variables that enable or impede participation in self-directed professional learning, and experiences with traditional professional development.
Additionally, considerations were made to determine if and how motivating or favorable #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 128 characteristics of optional, self-directed professional learning could be translated to the more typical school or district professional development environment.
This case study aimed to capture the nature of nontraditional professional development practices in a large, suburban, K-12 public school system that has encouraged and offered innovative professional learning opportunities to its teachers. By capturing the narratives of educators in this school district, the researcher hoped to shed some light on the topic, issue, and sub-topics mentioned above. The overarching goal of this study was to illuminate the motivations of a growing community of educators who choose to actively personalize their own learning through participation in optional, self-directed professional learning opportunities in and out of the district. The underlying transformational goal of this work, however, was to glean insights from the experiences and narratives of these educators in order to inform future design and development of professional learning programs for educators.
The researcher employed qualitative measures in order to conduct a single case study of four participants within a bounded system. Exemplary sampling (Miles & Huberman, 1994) was used in combination with maximum variation sampling (Patton, 2015) in order to collect data from diverse, information-rich educators. The four participants selected were exemplars because they had participated in at least two types of optional, nontraditional learning opportunities, such as edcamps, podcasts, and/or Twitter. These participants included an elementary school academic coach, a middle school science teacher, an elementary school classroom teacher, and an elementary school media specialist.
Interviews, observations, archival review, and a focus group were used as primary means of data collection. Each of the four participants engaged in two one-on-one semi-structured interviews with the researcher, either in person or via Skype. In addition, follow-up questions #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 129 were asked via email, Twitter, and text message. Observations took place at two optional, face- to-face edcamp events. The first of these events took place outside of the school district, in a neighboring system, and one of the four participants was present. The second observation occurred at an edcamp event held in the participants’ district, and three of the four participants were present. Following this event, on the same premises, the researcher also facilitated a semi- structured focus group interview with three of the four participants. Archival review was also instrumental to understanding the current practices and motivations of the participants. Social media archives on Twitter and blogging platforms, such as Blogger, were examined in order to both triangulate the data and capture historical thoughts and experiences of all participants. In addition, credibility measures were taken throughout the course of the study, such as utilizing an established case study approach, member checking, and data triangulation.
Discussion of Findings
The following discussion of findings is organized by the proposed issue, followed by the above subquestions, which were intended to shed light on the topics and overarching research question.
The Issue. This study was framed around a potential issue: Do educators engage in optional self-directed professional learning to cope with the deficiencies of traditional professional development? Just as previous research indicates, participants mentioned frustrations with how traditional professional development has been delivered at the school level
(Williams, 2005; Darling-Hammond, 2013, Carpenter, 2015). Participants mentioned having little or no choice or voice in traditional professional development, as it often involves top-down mandates. (Darling-Hammond, 2013; Knight, 2000; TNTP, 2015; Gates Foundation, 2014).
Participants expressed that they were sometimes not heard (TNTP, 2015; Gates Foundation, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 130
2014), that learning experiences were not tailored to fit their needs (Boule, 2011; TNTP, 2015,
Darling-Hammond, 2013), that professional development opportunities lacked sustainability and follow-through (Darling-Hammond, 2013; TNTP, 2015).
Despite the scarcity of high quality, traditional professional learning opportunities at the school level as described in the research and participants, technology and social media tools such as Twitter, and unconference events such as edcamps, are transforming the way in which educators connect, share, and learn, allowing them dynamic opportunities to self-direct and personalize the ways in which they engage in their learning.
Current Practices and Motivations for Participation. The first research subquestions addressed the ways in which educators are engaging in self-directed, personalized professional learning. The second addressed motivations for participation. In this section, motivations by practice will be included along with descriptions of current self-directed professional learning practices.
Participants perceived a shift with regard to the availability of professional learning opportunities for educators as suggested in the literature (Swanson, 2013). This transition, which can be attributed largely to educators’ increasing adoption of digital technologies, is transforming the landscape of professional development among educators. The participants reported engaging in an array of organic, self-directed exchanges on their own accord, as well as attending optional district professional learning activities. These took place in both the online and face to face environments. Participants attended edcamps, learned on Twitter, chatted on
Twitter listened to podcasts, read the blogs of other educators, created and authored their own blogs, browsed and shared on Pinterest, joined educator groups in Edmodo, and used many of the aforementioned strategies to actively build their personal learning networks (PLNs). #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 131
First and foremost, the data suggested that Twitter was a useful professional learning tool for all participants. While each of the participants use Twitter for professional growth, experiences of the participants varied. From the driving purpose of participation to the types of activities in which participants engaged, each educator in the study shared a unique story as to how he or she uses Twitter as a tool for professional learning. Participants reported using
Twitter to engage in virtual book clubs, synchronous chats about a variety of topics in education, resource curation, idea sharing, collaborative planning, and encouragement. Since twitter use was a selection criteria, it was no surprise that participants use Twitter regularly.
All participants attended face-to-face edcamp events, where they could implement the rule of two feet and drive their own learning (Swanson, 2013; Gustafson, 2015; Carpenter,
2015). Edcamp events allowed participants to attend sessions of their choosing and collaborate with their fellow educators. Carpenter (2015) found various motivations driving edcamp participation, including recommendations (from colleagues, friends or Twitter), learning (desire to grow, build his/her personal learning network, collect resources), general interest in edcamp
(intrigue about the format), interest in a specific aspect of edcamp (personalized PD, relevant
PD, collaboration), and the opportunity to network. More than 90% of his survey respondents stated that they planned to attend a future edcamp event, and all participants in the study had plans to attend or lead another edcamp at the time of the study.
At the top of Carpenter's list for strengths of the edcamp experience were autonomy, positive experience, technology integration, discussion, and learning. This was similar to results from the current study, as participants liked edcamp events because of the positive attitudes of educators who attend, the informal discussion with peers, and their ability to drive their own learning. Three of the four participants even mentioned the fact that they want to leverage #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 132 edcamp’s rule of two feet at traditional professional development events- that they have been spoiled, in a sense, by driving their own learning at edcamp.
All educators mentioned reading blogs, and three of the four are educational bloggers.
Participants read blogs of others to get ideas for their classroom and learn from other educators.
They reported blogging for various reasons, such as to share classroom experiences with other educators, to reach teachers in their buildings, to reach students’ parents, and to reflect on their own practice. Edmodo educator groups were also used to connect and learn with other educators in communities of teachers with whom they had something in common, such as a passion for literacy or technology. The two female participants reported listening to podcasts to learn about technology and innovative educational ideas, as well as browsing Pinterest to find resources and share them with students’ parents and other educators. Finally, all four participants in the case were actively building their personal learning networks (PLNs) though the use of Twitter primarily (Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011; Swanson, 2013) , as well as other professional learning activities mentioned. From the convenience of information dissemination to opportunities to connect locally and globally, these innovative professional learning activities, both in and out of their district, were allowing these educators to drive their own professional growth. As they are learning to create their own learning paths, it seems their frustration for inefficient and ineffective training has become low. Participants seemed very confident that they know better than anyone else what they need as a learner, and they have discovered strategies to regulate what, when, and where they learn with little or no intervention from others.
Twitter Chats. All of the participants had engaged in Twitter chats for professional learning. They liked the convenience of this option because they felt as though they could contribute to the conversation when they had something to share, or they could simply watch and #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 133 learn from what participants in the chat were saying if they chose not to actively participate.
They mentioned the fact that they enjoyed Twitter chats because they can come and go as they please.
The two more novice Twitter users both mentioned a preference for asynchronous slow chats, or chats which typically take place over the course of a week, instead of a typical one-hour synchronous chat. It could be beneficial to start with slow chats when introducing educators to
Twitter as a platform for innovative professional learning. Lisa made a comment that, although she does not participate in Twitter chats when timid about the content, she will go seek out related content on Podcasts, Pinterest, as well as in edcamp sessions. It is possible that educators might find certain unconventional practices lower risk. It seemed that, when Lisa was less familiar with the content at hand, she was more comfortable being a passive participant in the professional development experience - listening and learning as opposed to sharing and contributing to the conversation. An intriguing discovery that should be noted is the fact that more than one participant indicated that they have ended up stumbling upon Twitter chats with people they did not know, and they commented that they had no idea how they arrived. It seems the Twitter browsing journey can lead to some unexpected, but pleasant, surprises for learners.
Twitter as the Hub. Twitter has been cited in research as a professional development tool, as well as being a forum for communicating other innovative professional learning opportunities. Research suggests that edcamps, for example, are typically advertised on Twitter, blogs and other social media (Demski, 2012; Gustafson, 2015; Carpenter, 2015; Swanson, 2013).
Twitter was, indeed, a hub for edcamp conversation and advertisement. Edcamps were discussed on Twitter before, during, and after the events. However, tweets about other professional development was not limited to edcamps alone. Participants in the case used Twitter to discover #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 134 and chat about books, Edmodo groups, blogs, Pinterest finds, podcast episodes, and even what they were learning at face-to-face conferences and trainings. The reverse was also true; Twitter handles and ideas were shared at edcamp events, on blogs, and via podcasts.
However, an interesting common thread that emerged was the fact that Twitter seemed to be the hub that marries many of the nontraditional practices and those who engage in them. In other words, the conversation about self-directed learning practices other than Twitter itself often still led to talk of Twitter. From PLNs, Pinterest, and podcasts, to Edmodo and edcamps, to blogging and book clubs, Twitter came up in the data repeatedly. Twitter was the tool through which participants said they learned of upcoming opportunities, shared learning from other informal PD, encouraged colleagues to participate in other PD, and provided links to learning opportunities outside of Twitter, such as edcamps, Edmodo groups, blogs, and podcasts. Twitter appears to be the informal, innovative professional learning junction of sorts.
Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). The building of a personal learning network
(PLN) is one of the notable emerging movements, which has great potential to shift our thinking about educator professional development. A PLN is defined in chapter two as a personalized network of people and resources that allows us to learn and grow “anytime, anywhere, with potentially anyone around the world who shares our passion and interest” (Richardson &
Mancabelli, 2011, p. 2). A PLN is essentially a personalized network of people and resources that contribute to one’s growth as an educator, accessible whenever and wherever they choose.
This differs from the more formal professional learning community (PLC) structure present in many schools (Gustafson, 2015), as a PLC usually entails a common goal, specific procedures, and face-to-face collaboration. Swanson (2013) discusses the value of learning from these networks, but also stresses the importance of contributing to these environments. She elaborates #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 135 on the reciprocal nature of a PLN, highlighting the advantages to collective teacher voice, multiple perspectives, and building meaningful learning relationships.
Throughout interviews, observations, and reviews of social media archives, participants’ conceptualizations of a PLN (personal learning network) were revealed. While many of their comments aligned with the academic description of a PLN above, other characteristics of emerged, further illuminating the concept of a PLN. On participant attributed a significant portion of her practices as an educator to others with whom she has formed relationships on
Twitter. The impact of other educators on participants’ learning was evident, as even specific names of influential educators were mentioned throughout interviews and Twitter archival review. As discussed in the research on ubiquitous learning and VLCs, reliance on other educators in a virtual community is foundational to its functioning. Technology is essential when one considers the optimal PLN, in which information and collaboration are highly accessible at any given point. As participants strived to use these technologies, along with face- to-face events, to their full potential, this customized learning network provided participants personalized professional learning opportunities that were social, convenient, dynamic, and entirely self-directed.
Dynamic Roles. Throughout the one-on-one and focus group interviews, a theme emerged regarding the roles that these educators assume when participating in nontraditional professional learning opportunities. Several comments were made to indicate that participants’ roles in such activities were organic and dynamic. Those who authored and published blogs for others were also blog readers. Participants commented on the give-and-take nature of edcamp and Twitter chat interactions. Just as Yang (2006) discusses when referring to virtual learning communities (VLCs), and Swanson (2013) mentions with regard to grassroots professional #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 136 learning, people who engage in these innovative practices may (and should) assume the role of both teacher and learner, contributor or sharer. This was a recurring theme in much of the discussion around organic and collaborative learning discussed in the study.
Evolution of Practice. With a few of the participants, there was an understood progression through some of the nontraditional professional learning practices. A personal learning network (PLN), for example, was seen as a network that participants were actively assembling and modifying to meet their needs. It was seen as something that was growing, global, and dynamic, shifting with their professional needs and interests. Twitter was a tool that played a crucial role in these educators creating their PLNs. An understood evolution on Twitter and Twitter chats also emerged in the data. For instance, one participant referenced phases of
Twitter use when it came to professional development; he began by following others and consuming information, and then he became comfortable with contributing to the global conversation and even becoming a Twitter leader of sorts among other educators. Another participant considered herself a newbie, and commented that she does not always feel comfortable entering into a Twitter chat conversation. Edcamp discussion also indicated an evolution of participation, as one participant shared her previous experience as a timid edcamp first-timer, now turned participatory edcamp connoisseur.
A Web of Learning and Sharing. It was anything but simple to segregate the data by specific professional learning practices, as the participants’ ideas about one method were constantly overlapping with others. For instance, Sue reported listening to a podcast, and then conversing with the publisher of that podcast on Twitter, and then videoconferencing with him using Google Hangouts for a podcast interview that was published and shared on a website called PodBay.fm (Sue shared this link with me via Twitter). In the description of the podcast #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 137 episode, the podcaster introduced Sue and encouraged podcast listeners to follow Sue on Twitter.
He provided her Twitter handle and the biography that appears in her Twitter profile. If you visit
Sue’s profile page on Twitter, she also has a direct link to her blog. Several of her blog posts, just like her tweets, contain text showcasing tools like Pinterest and Edmodo. She also Tweets and blogs about edcamp. Similarly, if you visit Lisa’s blog page, you will see links to her
Twitter account and Pinterest page. Both her tweets and pins contain information about connecting with others by building a personal learning network (PLN), emphasizing the use of blogging and Twitter as tools to do just that. Needless to say, the connections are seemingly endless, as the web of practices are dynamic, intertwined, and interdependent.
Diverse Practices: A Toolbox is Key. A significant finding about nontraditional professional development practices was the fact that each participant derived different value from different innovative practices. For instance, one participant mentioned that she reads blogs in order to quickly find ideas to try in her classroom, whereas edcamp allows her to dive more deeply into content and even change her thinking about topics in education. Podcasts were used by one busy participant as a way to learn through consumption while multitasking, yet she uses
Twitter to curate resources when she is able to devote more time to viewing the screen. She also prefers Twitter to edcamps when she is not in a collaborative mood. The bottom line is that there are several nontraditional PD strategies that each learner may leverage, depending on their personality, mood, interests, schedule, and learning needs. Participants discussed the importance of harnessing the power of more than one self-directed learning practice, as they complement one another.
Motivations. The second sub-question addressed the factors that motivate educators to participate in optional, self-directed learning experiences, as well as what they like and dislike #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 138 about each practice in which they participate. Motivations shared by participants were organized in chapter four into three sections: (1) motivations by practice (discussed above), (2) motivations by theme, and (3) motivations by participant. Motivations by Practice was integrated into the previous section. Below is a brief discussion highlighting important themes that emerged across the board, as well as comments regarding motivations by participant.
Motivations by Theme. Participants shared several common sentiments with regard to their professional learning. Much of what they said they want out of professional learning is aligned with professional development research. They are passionate about their work, and therefore intrinsically motivated to learn (Knowles, 1936). They mentioned that they crave learning opportunities that can be customized to meet their individual needs and like being self- directed in their learning (Houle, 1961; Tough, 1967; Knowles, 1968; Darling-Hammond, 2013;
Brookfiled, 2009; Merriam, 2014; Swanson, 2013). They want their time to be valued (TNTP,
2015) and to be respected for their experience and knowledge (Knowles, 1968).
Participants prefer learning that is sustained (Darling-Hammond, 2013; Zapeda, 2008;
Williams, 2005) and relevant to their needs (Knowles, 1968; TNTP, 2015; Gates Foundation,
2014; Darling-Hammond, 2013; Moore, 2009). They reported a great deal of self-initiated social learning, as they enjoy collaborating informally with their peers (Knowles, 1968; TNTP, 2015,
Guskey, 2000; Zapeda, 2008). Interestingly, one participant mentioned a preference for Twitter and other independent technology-based practices due to the fact that sometimes collaboration is frustrating for her, which has also been noted in the literature (Guskey, 2009).
Participants repeatedly reported that, with self-directed personal learning, they were able to be in control of their own learning. Through the use of technology tools and the internet in ubiquitous learning, learning anytime and anywhere they wanted (Yahay, et.al., 2010; Yang, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 139
2006). In addition, they were able to take charge of their learning at informal face-to-face events, such as edcamps, and through sites such as Twitter, Pinterest, and Edmodo.
Finally, as related to the posed issue, educators were frustrated with typical, top-down, one-size-fits-all professional development that was not collaborative, relevant, or customized to fit their needs (Williams, 2005; Darling-Hammond, 2013, Carpenter, 2015; Knight, 2000;
TNTP, 2015; Gates Foundation, 2014; Boule, 2011).
The Comfort Continuum. One interesting finding worth noting is the emergence of varying comfort levels that were expressed across the spectrum of nontraditional practices. It appeared as though learners may be motivated to engage in different activities based on their perceived level of comfort or competence with professional learning topics being addressed.
Certain passive practices, such as listening to podcasts or browsing Pinterest, were seemingly considered lower risk than more interactive practices, such as synchronous Twitter chats or edcamps. For instance, one participant talked about her hesitance to participate in Twitter chats until she was familiar with a topic, and mentioned that she would first listen to relevant podcasts or edcamp conversations to become more comfortable with the content. This, along with the data suggesting an evolution with regard to level of participation in self-directed professional learning, prompted the researcher to consider the identified practices on a continuum (figure 5.1).
This chart takes into account the practices mentioned by participants and outlines them based on findings regarding the purpose of each practice. Toward the bottom of the following chart are the practices that are passive, allowing for the simple consumption of content. As a reader moves up the chart, the practices become more active, requiring more risk, so to speak, on the part of the learner. At the very top of the chart are practices that might seem higher risk, based on the findings. These are activities that are synchronous and collaborative, likely exposing a #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 140 learner to greater vulnerability. In other words, the data suggested that educators new to personalizing their learning might progress on this continuum as they become more familiar and comfortable with self-directed learning opportunities.
Figure 5.1 s y n c h r
Active, Edcamp Participation Collaborative Traditional (one-hour) Twitter Chat participation Learning Collaboration
Slow Twitter Chat participation Edmodo Group participation
a s y n c h
Blog Post Creation Creation Tweeting Original Content (Twitter)
Repinning (Pinterest) Redistribution Retweeting (Twitter)
Browsing Twitter/Pinterest Passive, Listening to Podcasts Independent Consumption Passively listening to edcamp conversation Learning Reading Blogs
Motivations by Participant. Participants explicitly expressed many common reasons for opting in to optional professional learning, which are discussed above. In addition, they also shared unique reasons, based on their own situations and motivations, to engage in such opportunities. Lisa, the media specialist, often feels left out of professional development in her school building, which was done in teams. She wants to be as knowledgeable as possible so when her teachers need her, she will be a strong resource for them. Lisa also thinks it is part of her job as a media specialist to curate and share with teachers, students, and parents. She likes to #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 141 learn about innovations in education and enjoys keeping up with instructional technology. In addition, she would like to grow so she can move from the elementary level to the high school level in the future.
Sue, a veteran elementary teacher, is the ultimate lifelong learner who consistently pushes herself to grow and be better for her students. She enjoys sharing her learning experiences with other educators so they can learn from her successes and challenges. She likes learning about technology through nontraditional learning opportunities, such as edcamps, Twitter, and podcasts. She is constantly thinking about the next thing she can try in order to push herself to be a better educator, and she would love to be in an instructional coaching role of some sort if she retires.
David, a novice teacher, is passionate about learning as much as he can about innovative learning practices and technology for hist students. He likes collaborating with positive educators who are open-minded and like to think outside of the box. Since he is new to Twitter and edcamps, he shared an enthusiastic beginner’s perspective when it came to the opportunities that such activities afford. He enjoys networking and collaborates with teachers, as well as professionals outside the field of education, in order to create meaningful learning opportunities for hist students.
Ty, an elementary academic coach who has been passionate about both receiving and providing professional development opportunities for years, often participates in innovative learning opportunities to engage in reflective practices. He tends to take a leadership approach to nontraditional professional learning activities; he has led Twitter chats and organized edcamps.
He noted his use of nontraditional practices to model and lead teachers in his building, as well as showcase and encourage the great work they do in order to build them up. He emphasized his #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 142 enthusiasm for spreading awareness of optional professional development with other educators, especially teachers at his school.
Enabling and Impeding Factors.
Time and Priorities. Participants found that time was generally the primary barrier to participation in optional, self-directed professional learning opportunities. They shared that priorities, such as family, as well as heavy teacher workload, were likely the main reasons that other educators do not participate. The two educators in the study with small children did discuss family priority conflicts, but were able to discover and leverage practices that work with their family schedules. A few of the participants mentioned that, to them, professional learning does not feel like extra work. They find the tie and make it a priority because they are passionate about what they do and want to improve for the teachers and students around them.
Culture. First, in this particular case, we should discuss the affordances of district involvement. While many nontraditional PL practices were clearly self-initiated by these intrinsically motivated educators, this district is seemingly unique in the sense that these types of self-directed learning opportunities are encouraged at the district level. This encouragement from the top, as well as the availability of district-mediated events, may be contributing to a culture that values professional learning and continuous growth (Zapeda, 2008; TNTP, 2015).
Three participants believed that optional professional development in their district was allowing for more teacher choice and voice, as they are beginning to infuse elements of non-traditional practices in district and school offerings, which participants like. They cited opportunities to drive their own learning recently on some district occasions, which infused elements of research- based best practices and adult learning principles such as making them informal and collaborative (Knowles, 1963). #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 143
To what extent are these self-directed professional learning activities encouraged or mediated by the district, versus grassroots efforts beginning with teachers? That is difficult to say at this time. All four of the participants reported that their first edcamp event was a district- led event. Three of the participants had used Twitter for learning prior to district chats or encouragement by district personnel. In addition, Twitter is actually blocked for teacher use on the district network. With that said, Twitter use from the district level may or may not have assisted in sustaining participants’ use of Twitter as a tool for professional learning. Edmodo use, on the other hand, was clearly a result of district support and influence. This online tool was district-initiated, district-supported, and district run. One participant mentioned belonging to an
Edmodo educator group that had been set up my the district’s instructional technology department, as well as the fact that she connects with instructional technology personnel through
Edmodo groups. There was no evidence to suggest that the district contributed to the use of podcasts, Pinterest, or blogging for professional development.
While leadership might contribute to a culture of learning, however, participants shared that top-down decisions, as well as deficiencies with school and district leadership, were barriers to effective professional development, as research has also noted (Darling-Hammond, 2013;
TNTP, 2015). Participants credited their central office with trying to implement new practices, citing characteristics that were aligned with professional development and adult learning principles. None of the participants, however, credited school leadership, nor were they generally satisfied with school offerings over which they had no control. They agreed with the research above; school leaders play an important role in promoting a culture that values continuous growth. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 144
Awareness (Or Lack Thereof). Twitter, colleagues, email, and flyers seemed to be the main avenues through which participants learned about innovative, optional professional learning activities and practices. They think that many of their counterparts do not participate because they are simply unaware of opportunities, or do not understand how they operate, which might make them uncomfortable. Social media was one barrier in particular, as many teachers are not on Twitter, which seemed to be central to the discussion throughout the study.
Participants shared different thoughts as far as their role in spreading awareness of these opportunities in their buildings and beyond. Interestingly, the two male participants (one of whom is in a coaching role), seemed more comfortable with encouraging other educators to engage in less familiar professional development activities, such as Twitter and edcamp. The two females in the study both claimed to take a less aggressive approach so as to not be “off- putting”, overwhelming, or seem like a show-off.
Recommendations: Next Steps for Improving Traditional Professional Development. The fourth and final sub-question was related to positive qualities of what participants believe is effective professional development. This question asked: Which characteristics of these learning experiences might be incorporated into other types of PL? How and Why?
While chapter five is infused with my voice, this section in particular required very little interpretation. Participants were clear and professional in their communication regarding what they would change about traditional, mandated, school-based professional development. They shared many common answers, as well as some unique ideas to support their visions. In addition, their comments were generally well aligned with principles established by previous research for decades, as well as what recent data on teacher perceptions and needs has demonstrated. Participants expressed their desire for choice (TNTP, 2015; Gates Foundation, #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 145
2015) and self-direction in their learning (Knowles, 1968; Brookfield, 2009; Swanson, 2013).
They want learning to be relevant to their needs and interests (Moore, 2009; TNTP, 2015), and they value informal collaboration with their peers (Williams, 2005; TNTP, 2-15; Guskey, 2000;
Zapeda, 2008). Three of the four participants shared very similar ideas about teacher professional development exemption options. They felt as though, especially if the learner is engaging in extra, optional learning on his or her own time, an educator should have the ability to opt out of school-mandated professional learning if they can prove content competency or show documentation for previous professional learning in that area. This is aligned with finding from the TNTP (2015) study, which suggested that a large majority of educators had been forced to sit through required training over content they already knew well. Participants want professional learning that is sustained over time (Guskey, 2000; Darling-Hammond, 2013) and takes into account the diverse needs of educators as learners (Learning Forward, 2011; Merriam,
2001).
One somewhat surprising finding, after educators had voiced strong dislike for most traditional, sit-and-get, school-mandated PD practices, they did not necessarily feel that we should do away with it. A few participants believed that we still need it to meet the needs of teachers who do not engage in PD on their own. Two participants also mentioned that it is sometimes necessary for school procedural trainings, such as technology rollouts or trainings on school-wide assessment. The academic coach of the group, who often designs PD for his teachers, feels that school professional development can be effective when those designing it are intentional with regard to best meeting the diverse needs of teachers. In addition, all participants shared comments regarding how favorable practices from more innovative PD could be infused into the typical, traditional school trainings. #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 146
Limitations
This study sought to understand what motivates, enables, and impedes participation in nontraditional professional learning opportunities, yet only exemplars were included in the study.
While purposeful sampling of exemplars (Patton, 2010) was the best strategy for exploring the research questions at hand due to the fact that this is an emerging field of research, the use of exemplars also created some potential limitations. Of course, there are tradeoffs when employing any type of sampling method. In this study it was necessary to rely on the perceptions of the four main informants as far as what motivates, enables, and impedes their participation, as well as their peers’ participation in such opportunities. When translating the findings to other situations, the reader must consider that the current study collected and analyzed data from exemplars, who are, by definition, not the norm. They may be more intrinsically motivated to grow and learn, for example, or their technology skills might afford them with opportunities that their less technology savvy counterparts have not yet explored.
It was quickly evident that the complexity and vastness of a personal learning network
(PLN) was quite difficult to capture in this study. Should the study have been dedicated solely to the inner workings of a PLN, it would have been more possible to fully capture and demonstrate the nature of relationships and interactions within this complex phenomena. The broader nature of this study only included the PLN as a piece of the puzzle, which certainly neglected to capture the full scope of all a PLN entails. Research dedicated to explicitly navigating the essence of a
PLN in isolation would be needed in order to fully address the nature of this professional learning phenomenon.
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 147
Implications for Future Research
As an emerging field, there is much research needed in the area of innovative, personalized professional learning opportunities. Miles (2014) and Carpenter (2015), for instance, agree with the fact that there is a gap in the research on the effectiveness of edcamp as an effective, sustainable, professional development and impact of this learning on practice.
Should this unconventional professional growth movement continue to influence the learning of educators around the globe, it is crucial that further research address the effectiveness of this model as is relates to prior research in the fields of professional development and adult learning.
While more research is certainly needed in districts that are beginning to embrace newer professional development practices, even more research is needed to determine what is driving educators in districts where suh opportunities are not shared nor endorsed. It would be interesting to study educators who stumble upon such practices, entirely on their own, to get to the heart of what is driving the more organic, grassroots efforts.
It is also important to consider if and how to spread awareness of innovative professional learning (PL), such as Twitter and edcamps. In addition, research is needed to both explore and advocate for districts who embrace innovative learning models and cultivate a culture that places value on continuous growth and teacher voice. Findings regarding motivations by practice and varying degrees of comfort with different methods of nontradtional professional development practices might be worth exploring, as it is possible that a pathway of sorts might be customized for learners who desire guidance when entering the world of innovative PL.
Conclusions
The bottom line is that schools and districts need to act based on what this research and previous research is telling us with regard to motivation, professional development (PD) #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 148 dissatisfaction, and adult learning preferences. Teachers are frustrated with mandated PD that does not value their knowledge or time. Learning opportunities, just like learning for our students, should be customized to best meet their individual needs and fuel their passion.
Autonomy of professional learning among educators is something that should be valued, encouraged, explored, and supported by school and district administration, as well as professional learning decision-makers.
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 149
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#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 156
Appendix A
Observation Protocol - Unconference Event
Date: Time of Observation: Location: Number of Educators Present:
Sketch of Main Meeting Room Environment:
Time Descriptive Notes Reflective Notes / Questions
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 157
Breakout Classroom Environments:
Room #______Time of Observation: Number of Educators Present: #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 158
Sketch of Breakout Classroom Environment:
Time Descriptive Notes Reflective Notes / Questions
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 159
Date: Time of Observation: Location: Number of Educators Present:
Sketch of Main Meeting Room Environment:
Time Descriptive Notes Reflective Notes / Questions
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 160
Room #______Time of Observation: Number of Educators Present:
Sketch of Breakout Classroom Environment:
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 161
Time Descriptive Notes Reflective Notes / Questions
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 162
Date: Time of Observation: Location: Number of Educators Present:
Sketch of Main Meeting Room Environment:
Time Descriptive Notes Reflective Notes / Questions
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 163
Room #______Time of Observation: Number of Educators Present:
Sketch of Breakout Classroom Environment:
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 164
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 165
Main Meeting Room Environment (if applicable): Date: Time of Observation: Location: Number of Educators Present:
Sketch # 2 of Main Meeting Room Environment (if applicable):
Time Descriptive Notes Reflective Notes / Questions
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 166
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 167
Appendix B: Interview Protocols
Interview # 1 Protocol
Interviewee Name:
Interviewee Nickname:
Interview #______Date______/_____/______Script
Welcome and thank you for your participation today. My name is Amy Vitala and I am a graduate student at Kennesaw State University University conducting a research project for my course on Advanced Qualitative research methods. This interview will take approximately 30 -
45 minutes and will include 18 main questions with some follow-up questions about your experience, attitudes, and beliefs about educator professional learning. I would like your permission to audio record this interview so I may accurately document the information you convey. If at any time during the interview you wish to discontinue the use of the recorder or the interview itself, please feel free to let me know and we will stop.
All of your responses are confidential. Your responses will remain confidential and will be used only for class and educational purposes. At this time I would like to ask for your verbal consent and also inform you that your participation in this interview also implies your consent. Your participation in this interview is completely voluntary. If at any time you need to stop or take a break, please let me know. You may also choose to withdraw your participation at any time without consequence. Do you have any questions or concerns before we begin? #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 168
With your permission we will begin the interview.
Gender
___ m ____ f _____ other (please specify) ______
Race/Ethnicity:
___ Non-Hispanic White or Euro-American
___ Black, Afro-Caribbean, or African American
___ Latino or Hispanic American
___ East Asian or Asian American
___ South Asian or Indian American
___ Middle Eastern or Arab American
___ Native American or Alaskan Native
___ Other
In which age group do you fall?
___ < 31 ___ 31 - 40 ___ 41 - 50 ___ 51 - 60 ___ > 61
How long have you been in the field education?
__ < 5 yrs __ 6 - 10 yrs __ 11 - 15 yrs __ 16 - 20 yrs __ 20 - 25 yrs __ > 25 yrs #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 169
In which types of optional, self-initiated professional learning (PL) opportunities have you chosen to participate?
___ edcamp ___ unconference ___ twitter chats ____ teachmeets ____ Voxer groups ____ book clubs ____ Live Streaming ____ Pinterest ____ Webinars/Live Video Chats
____LinkedIn ____ Blogging/Reading Others’ Blogs other: ______other: ______other: ______
Follow-up questions here might include:
Which type of unconference?
Which type of teachmeets?
Which Voxer group?
Which Twitter Chat?
Considering your answer(s) to the above question, how often have you been participating in each of the identified PL opportunities?
PL type: Length of Time:
Considering your answer(s) to the same question, with what frequency would you say you have you been participating in each of the identified PL opportunities?
PL type: Frequency:
How would you define professional learning? #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 170
How would you describe your experience with district-mandated professional learning?
How would you describe your experience with school-mandated professional learning?
How would you describe your experience with optional, self-initiated professional learning?
Why have you chosen to participate in optional, self-initiated professional learning?
For the purposes of this interview, I will refer to the optional, self-initiated professional learning opportunities we have discussed as “non-traditional PL”.
What do you believe are the differences between district/school-level professional learning and optional, “non-traditional” PL?
How do you feel about the effectiveness of “non-traditional” PL?
Follow-up questions here might include:
Why do you feel that XXXX?
Which of the “non-traditional” PL opportunities you mentioned do you think was most beneficial to your professional growth and why?
Which of the “non-traditional” PL opportunities you mentioned do you think was least beneficial to your professional growth and why?
What are your beliefs about the other educators who have been involved in “non- traditional” PL opportunities in which you have participated?
Why do you think educators choose not to engage in “non-traditional” PL opportunities? #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 171
Do you think that educators who do participate in these opportunities should encourage others to do so?
Why or why not?
Do you think that participation in “non-traditional” PL opportunities is something you will continue?
Why or why not?
Interview Protocol # 2
● How do you usually find out about informal PD opps?
● What does the term “personalized learning” mean to you?
● Do you feel that you have been offered personalized opportunities through
district/school PD? Non-traditional, optional PD?
● Can you describe your personal learning network (PLN)?
● Have you developed any lasting relationships via
○ social media?
○ Edcamps?
○ Optional events (conferences)?
○ Other experiences?
● What role, if any, do other educators play in your informal professional learning?
● Have you ever had someone reach out to you after an event/chat to follow up with
something you shared? #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 172
● How do you seek follow-up support for something you learned about at an optional PD
event?
● You mentioned relevance of non-traditional, optional PL…. What is it that you feel
makes these experiences are relevant?
● Did you know what to expect when you first participated in a non-traditional
experience?
● If you were in charge of decision-making about PL for the district, what would you
change and why?
● What are your professional goals? 3-5 years
● What would you say are good qualities of someone who leads professional learning?
● What enables and/or impedes educators from participating in non-traditional types of
PL?
● Tell me a little about a memorable experience at an informal PL opportunity.
● Which types of optional, personalized PL do you think you will seek out this summer?
Next year?
● What do you dislike about non-traditional PD experiences?
● Do you choose to go or does someone encourage you to go? PLUs?
● What has been the greatest benefit of participating in this type of PL?
● Which characteristics of these learning experiences do participants believe might be
incorporated into other types of PL?
● Do you feel as though traditional professional learning:
○ is autonomous, allowing you to be self-directed in your learning? #EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 173
○ Utilizes your knowledge & life experiences?
○ Is oriented around the goals of the learner?
○ relevant to your needs and interests?
○ encourages collaboration?
● Do you feel as though nontraditional professional learning:
○ is autonomous, allowing you to be self-directed in your learning?
○ utilizes your knowledge & life experiences?
○ is oriented around the goals of the learner?
○ is relevant to your needs and interests?
○ encourages collaboration?
#EDCAMP TO #EDCHAT 174
Appendix C
Stake’s (1995) Case Study Graphical Representation