Teachers and Learners as Researchers - and better still - Teachers as Learners and Researchers Sarah...
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Teachers and Learners as Teachers and Learners as Researchers Researchers - and better still - - and better still - Teachers as Learners and Teachers as Learners and Researchers Researchers Sarah Fletcher Sarah Fletcher John Hewitt John Hewitt
Teachers and Learners as Researchers - and better still - Teachers as Learners and Researchers Sarah Fletcher John Hewitt
Teachers and Learners as Researchers - and better still -
Teachers as Learners and Researchers Sarah Fletcher John
Hewitt
Slide 2
Building Websites for Teacher Research In our presentation we
focus on 5 core questions: How are we creating TeacherResearch.net?
How are we creating TeacherResearch.net? What are the pedagogical
challenges? What are the pedagogical challenges? What are the
technological challenges? What are the technological challenges?
How are we assisting teachers to build websites? How are we
assisting teachers to build websites? What are we learning as we
assist the teachers? What are we learning as we assist the
teachers? In our post-presentation discussion we focus on: How can
we support access to teachers websites? How can we support access
to teachers websites? How might we create an interactive TR
database? How might we create an interactive TR database?
Slide 3
A need for websites: Teacher Research has an increasingly high
profile nationally and internationally, but it remains largely
invisible and the knowledge created by teachers is often unseen,
unshared and uncelebrated websites are one solution. Teacher
Research has an increasingly high profile nationally and
internationally, but it remains largely invisible and the knowledge
created by teachers is often unseen, unshared and uncelebrated
websites are one solution. There are many websites relating to
teacher research but, as yet, we have not solved the problem of how
to harvest and disseminate more than a small fraction of this
research. Neither is this problem unique to the UK. There are many
websites relating to teacher research but, as yet, we have not
solved the problem of how to harvest and disseminate more than a
small fraction of this research. Neither is this problem unique to
the UK.
Slide 4
A Croatian Viewpoint: The teacher as mediator or technician. In
our country, teachers are most frequently perceived as mediators or
technicians whose task is to prepare and implement the tuition
based on devised out-of- school expert instructions. Their role is
more artisan- like, less professional and creative. Branko
Bognar
Slide 5
School websites can promote research by their teachers:
In-House MA Programme: Since September 2000, we have run an
in-house MA programme with Bath University. The tutoring for this
has taken place on site after School on Wednesdays 4.00- 6.30pm.
The group has consisted of ten or so staff from Westwood and three
or four from other local schools. The MA is action research based
and as such has been very flexible in meeting the needs of all
participants. Colleagues are encouraged to reflect on their current
practice and investigate how it can be improved. Since September
2000, we have run an in-house MA programme with Bath University.
The tutoring for this has taken place on site after School on
Wednesdays 4.00- 6.30pm. The group has consisted of ten or so staff
from Westwood and three or four from other local schools. The MA is
action research based and as such has been very flexible in meeting
the needs of all participants. Colleagues are encouraged to reflect
on their current practice and investigate how it can be improved.
Westwood St. Thomas School, Salisbury
Slide 6
Creating TeacherResearch.net This website is popular and
attracts readers from all over the world. This website is popular
and attracts readers from all over the world. It arose from a need
to have a resourced knowledge exchange to support Sarahs MA
tutoring and DfES BPRS funded mentoring. It arose from a need to
have a resourced knowledge exchange to support Sarahs MA tutoring
and DfES BPRS funded mentoring. The current site, launched in March
2005, reflects our learning about pedagogical and technological
needs of teacher researchers and others who support teacher
research The current site, launched in March 2005, reflects our
learning about pedagogical and technological needs of teacher
researchers and others who support teacher research In future, this
site needs to incorporate video to provide access to v-mentoring
pedagogy. In future, this site needs to incorporate video to
provide access to v-mentoring pedagogy.
Slide 7
Pedagogical Challenges: Providing a useful, accessible resource
to assist teachers researchers to collaborate in research projects.
Providing a useful, accessible resource to assist teachers
researchers to collaborate in research projects. Creating an
extensible teacher knowledge repository on-line. Creating an
extensible teacher knowledge repository on-line. Enabling access to
teachers accounts in an attractive stimulating way and reviews of
other useful resources. Enabling access to teachers accounts in an
attractive stimulating way and reviews of other useful resources.
Offering support to teachers who work alone as well as
collaboratively with colleagues in LEAs and HEIs. Offering support
to teachers who work alone as well as collaboratively with
colleagues in LEAs and HEIs. Promoting and retaining the
practitioner element of Teacher Research where research is done
by/with teachers in their schools. Promoting and retaining the
practitioner element of Teacher Research where research is done
by/with teachers in their schools.
Slide 8
Technological Challenges: Creating and sustaining a core
identity across its files. Creating and sustaining a core identity
across its files. Ensuring it interacts effectively with search
engines. Ensuring it interacts effectively with search engines.
Making it visually attractive and maximising click through, while
encouraging visitors to check back in. Making it visually
attractive and maximising click through, while encouraging visitors
to check back in. Ensuring the website is easy to maintain
regularly. Ensuring the website is easy to maintain regularly.
Uploading large numbers of files with different formats. Uploading
large numbers of files with different formats. Enabling an key word
search facility across the site. Enabling an key word search
facility across the site.
Supporting Teachers as Researchers: Masters Degrees in
Teaching
Slide 11
MTeach:TT500MAR This MA level module at Bath Spa enables
teachers to be research mentors for one another. Teachers are
encouraged to investigate a small aspect of their practice in
classrooms through action research and create a web-based Snapshot
to represent their own research project. This MA module is being
piloted at Bitterne Park Secondary School in Southampton by 20
teachers.
Slide 12
What are we learning as we assist teachers in TT500MAR? Though
some teachers may be initially reticent, with appropriate support
most are eager to represent and share their research projects
through their websites. Though some teachers may be initially
reticent, with appropriate support most are eager to represent and
share their research projects through their websites. They enjoy
freedom to create a web-based Snapshot since they have creative
ownership of the process. They enjoy freedom to create a web-based
Snapshot since they have creative ownership of the process. The
Carnegie Foundation KEEP toolkit provides a flexible, accessible,
content-free scaffold for teachers. The Carnegie Foundation KEEP
toolkit provides a flexible, accessible, content-free scaffold for
teachers. It is essential for research mentors to assist teacher
researchers by modelling how to create a Snapshot. It is essential
for research mentors to assist teacher researchers by modelling how
to create a Snapshot. Teachers Snapshots could be linked to school
websites. Teachers Snapshots could be linked to school
websites.
Slide 13
Creating Web-based Snapshots What are we learning in assisting
teachers to create KEEP Snapshots? Teachers need a simple
accessible format which allows them to share and discuss their
ideas with one another. Teachers need a simple accessible format
which allows them to share and discuss their ideas with one
another. Teachers enjoy creating Snapshots to communicate learning
and can assist students to create them too. Teachers enjoy creating
Snapshots to communicate learning and can assist students to create
them too. Teachers do not yet have access to a Template that will
assist them in creating an MA level portfolio submission. Teachers
do not yet have access to a Template that will assist them in
creating an MA level portfolio submission. Teachers need a
customised Template to scaffold MA level submissions and allow
linking of their Snapshots. Teachers need a customised Template to
scaffold MA level submissions and allow linking of their Snapshots.
We need web-based templates to support teachers as a matter of
urgency so we can upload their work in an interactive database. We
need web-based templates to support teachers as a matter of urgency
so we can upload their work in an interactive database.
Slide 14
Why do we need a database for teacher research? To create an
extensible collection of teacher research documents that will -
encourage teachers to make their ideas and work more accessible,
encourage teachers to make their ideas and work more accessible,
enable users to find relevant materials more easily and enable
users to find relevant materials more easily and allow
consideration of user-based evaluation. allow consideration of
user-based evaluation.
Slide 15
Post-presentation Discussion How can we improve access to
teachers research through their own websites - locally, nationally
and internationally? How can we improve access to teachers research
through their own websites - locally, nationally and
internationally? How might we create an easily extensible
interactive Teacher Research database? How might we create an
easily extensible interactive Teacher Research database?