ProcessUser Studies: SIELT Survey

Background
Methodology
Limitations
Results



Background
The 1999 Stanford Institute for Educational Leadership Through Technology was held in March 1999. Attendees of the institute were educators using technology in their jobs. Not all were classroom teachers and not all were from the Bay Area.

Methodology
Following the institute a short survey was sent to 56 SIELT participants who had identified themselves through their institute registration as classroom teachers at public or independent schools. One email was later identified as undeliverable and nine participants returned the survey completed.

The email including the survey was as follows:

Dear Stanford Instituter,

I need your help. On the last day of the recent conference at Stanford my brain began to work overtime. As a graduate student in the Learning, Design, and Technology program at Stanford, I am responsible for an integrated masters design project. After hearing the various speakers and talking with many participants, I have decided to start over on my project. I feel like I am bungee jumping out of my ivory tower and the cord which I have chosen to tie off is the fact that most teachers are isolated in their classrooms and need opportunities to share information and to communicate with colleagues.

My work will be useless without teacher voices, and I hope that you will take a couple of minutes to answer the following brief questions: Thank you so much for your time. Your input is the only way I can work diligently to meet the needs of teachers.


Limitations
Because the Stanford Institute was considered an expensive education conference and the students at the schools which responded have high access to technology, it might be inferred that the SES of the responding schools is not representative of all schools across the nation. Also, the conceptions of what activities could be considered TPD varies among educators and should have been defined in the survey itself.


Results
Respondent How do you most often communicate with your students? How do you most often communicate with your colleagues? How do you most often spend any free time during instructional time? Where do you do most of your non-instructional work within the school building? How much time per week do you spend on teacher professional development activities? What teacher professional activities are available within your building? Other Comments
Gail Long, English Teacher and District Technology Staff Developer in class, by phone, by e-mail my preference is by e-mail, but also by phone what free time. If I have time, I will use the Internet to find assignments or to communicate with my colleagues. I am never out of my room. I am here breaks and lunch because kids want to do projects on the computer and over the Internet. probably 2.5 hours Non--I use on-line courses, journal articles over the Internet, newspapers over the Internet  
Bob Brauneisen, Elementary Teacher On a daily basis I made it a point to interact with each of my students. Some received more attention than others, but that was mainly situational. As a first year teacher I communicated with my colleagues on a daily basis, for evaluation purposes. These colleagues were teaching the same grade level as myself and I respected most of their opinions. Then for 4 years I was in a team teaching situation and we discussed our lessons pratically two or three times a week, but interaction with other staff was not as frequent. Then my last year I wasn't team teaching any longer and I seemed to interact with others more often (I was also a mentor teacher and that contributed to a lot of the need to communicate with at least the newer teachers.). The answer to that question is situational. During silent reading I would read silently along with my students instead of correcting papers. My first thought is to walk around observe my students and help any that need it. I might spend some of that time preparing for the next lesson. Some correcting of papers would be done if I feel it is necessary for the students to receive the feedback from that activity before they go home or sooner. I'm not sure I really understand the question, but if you mean read the sports page and check email, that is done in the classroom. Mostly lunches and recess periods are spent preparing other lessons or talking with coworkers. Maybe one or two hours of reading different periodicals At the time of my teaching years nothing, except for sitting in on other teachers lessons, or reading. I'm not in the classroom any longer, but I will try to answer
Nancy Carey As a High School teacher, I see my students everyday in class and make myself available for them to see me before school during the lunch hour and afterschool by appointment. I communicate with colleagues mostly by written messages, bulletin notices, informally at meetings, and by phone. (We have phones in every classroom). Within a year we will be communicating with each other by Email on the site network . I am observing students as they work in their groups and answering any questions they might have. Otherwise, I have routine tasks for class management that I handle. What do you mean by non-instructional work? Meetings are held in classrooms, library, cafeteria, and theatre. Preparation time in the classroom or at home. I would guess that I spend about 5 or 6 hours per week on my own doing research or attending meetings that strengthen my professional growth. I continue to take courses and attend workshops whenever I can get away. Staff Development activities in technology are offered through the District Office on a continual basis. Staff Development days (six this year) have been held on site. All of these days have been devoted to preparing for our WASC review. the questions referring back to my elementary school teaching, two years ago
Kathy Blackney, Computer Literacy Middle School Teacher My middle schoolers and I communicate almost exclusively verbally Email If you mean unstructured time during class, I have them practice their keyboarding skills, or do email or even play computer games. If you mean during my "free" time--I spend most of it doing building tech coordinator jobs--I make repairs, load/troubleshoot software, train, order, ...... in my lab and any other classroom that needs me My own prof dev--probably 3-5 hours is spent reading to try and keep up! Other prof dev-- I am the trainer in our school, so I probably spend an average of 1 hour per week in that capacity. The school district's Prof Dev Committee offers monthly speakers/activities. any computer-type training is available whenever a teacher/student requests it--and happens quite often.  
Joanne Oppenheimer, K-8 Computer Teacher, private school Once a week, once a month brief visits to their classrooms to get a feel for what's going on in their room. weekly plans with teacher and daily meetings with other computer teachers who share the room and a monthly meeting with the Tech committee that includes parents, special project meetings with libraians and teachers, meetings to evaluate how projects are going. prep for classes, developing templates, downloading photographs, checking minor equipment problems. In the computer room one night per week unless I'm taking a class or giving a talk at a conference. we offer some classes for teachers and parents. Teachers can have dropin training to go with a project and the teachers are required to be with their class when they come to the computer room so often the teacher learns with the students.  
Patrick Lee Directly--face-to-face; however, more than ever I am increasingly communicating with them via e-mail. Exactly the same way as the students. Plannignfor the next teaching period; often, zipping through the Internet for ideas; also, as a teacher development and resource specialist, I am often trouble-shooting or training people how to use the technology in front of them My office, which is part of the library and has my laptop, scanners, CD-R, and 2 G3's available. 60% of my time, in my position. G3's, scanning, CD-R, laptops, CD-Rom's for training in software, Power Point, books, Mag's, etc.  
Jennifer Chapman, I teach two computer classes at Sacred Heart Prep HS in Atherton. I put some pages up on the web for student to refer; I have created a distribution list for each class to which I send mass general message; Also, send specific e-mails to all my students With the teachers in the Tech dept., e-mail; Other teachers tend to drop into the computer lab when they need help Working in a computer lab, providing tech support, working on the school web site (which is not one of the duties in my job description), I don't have much free time In the computer lab Working in a private school with an awesome department head, I have had 12 days of professional development this year, I have been off campus to attend software seminars (Macromedia, sponsored by Oracle 8i) I couldn't give you a per week number, but now with the invention of on-line courses, I plan to get more involved with that As part of the Tech. dept. we offer workshops to teachers at the end of the school day, but participation is generally low. I have not been in the teaching profession for long. I have held various jobs for the last ten years and don't feel the teaching community is one I want to remain a cemented part of. My view of teachers is not a positive one they hoard information which should be shared, unopen to change or new inventions, authoritative....
Nikki C. Fernandez, Technology Teacher-Coordinator, The John Thomas Dye School I most often communicate through conversation Most of my communication is through e-mail. I watch what the kids are doing on the comouters, answer e-mail, plan etc. At my desk basically none on a weekly basis. Publications  
Cate Waidyatilleka, Iolani School In class, verbally. I do create class email lists, but they are inconsistent still about checking so it's an inefficient way as yet. With colleages, it is easier to email than to find them on campus. Everyone checks their email daily so this works well. Then they can respond at their convenience. By "free time" I'm guessing you mean the minutes before the bell after a project has been finished? If so, I usually run over not under, but if there's time, we'll talk about something in the news (current event). In my classroom which is empty some periods and has my computer, files, cupboard, etc. Even when my roommate is teaching she lets me stay in and work here. That's hard to say. If you want a wild guess, it'd be 1-2 hours. We have access to the Internet and the library has professional journals. We meet informally with other teachers to discuss lessons and teaching. In fact, we have dept. meetings weekly and course group meetings at least once a month. If you count those as professional development, add them on to my answer above.  


Enthusiasm for classroom experimentation gathers momentum and direction cumulatively, like a train rushing downhill without obstacle (Rosenholtz 1991).

Design of a Real Time Network for Teacher Collaboration
© 1999 Courtney S. Glazer