Mediating subject English and teacher identities through edutech designed professional development
Submitted by:
Narelle Wood
Abstract:
According to a 2017 report on the edutech market in America, more than 86% of the 1000 teachers and school administrators surveyed used one of the digital learning tools from one of four major edutech companies (Microsoft, Google, Apple or Amazon), the selection of which primarily based on the reputation of the company and ease of use (Edweek, 2017). Implicit in the decision to use these digital tools and platforms is the perceived ability to enhance student achievement, engagement and retention (Australian Trade and Investment Commission, 2016), a relationship that has not been overly well researched using qualitative methodologies. Based on the reported link between digital tools and increased learning outcomes, the projected growth of the edutech industry in Australia alone to grow to $1.7 billion by the year 2022 (Australian Trade and Investment Commission, 2016). Many of these edutech companies now provide professional development modules to teachers claiming to “design new models of learning that better prepare learners for life and work in the 21st Century” (Microsoft, 2012). However, throughout these professional development programs there is often little consideration given to discipline histories, in this case subject English, as well as the pedagogical limitations and affordances of these digital tools within the classroom. This paper explores the ways in which frameworks such as Microsoft’s (2012) 21st Century Learning Design (21CLD) Learning Activity Rubrics constructs particular teacher and subject identities, specifically within Subject: English. The discussion draws on data from a case study of an English as an additional language teacher and her experience of a school imperative to use particular ICT programs within the classroom. Aspects of the Microsoft’s 21CLD Learning Activity Rubrics was used by the school as a metric to assess teacher use of ICT as part of a school-wide peer-observation professional development program. Preliminary findings, based on both the case study and discourse analysis of commercially available frameworks, indicate that the framework mediates the type of applications used in the classroom, with little consideration of English teacher practices and the language/literacy learning students are engaging in.
References
Australian Trade and Investment Commission (2016). Australian Education Technology: Education of the future now. Accessed 19/02/18 www.austrade.gov.au/edtech/australian-education-technology-report-2017.pdf
Edweek (2107) Market brief: Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft: How 4 tech titans are reshaping the ed-tech landscape, pp 1-9. Accessed 19/02/18 https://marketbrief.edweek.org/category/exclusive-data/?intc=mktbf-topnav
Microsoft Corporation (2012) 21st Century learning design: 21CLD learning activity rubrics pp. 1-44
Accessed 19/02/18 https://education.microsoft.com/GetTrained/ITL-Research
Bio
Narelle Wood is currently undertaking her PhD at Monash University, specifically exploring English teachers' accounts of creative practice. She has a background in English education both as a secondary school teacher and working with primary school aged children in gifted education.