Group items tagged

The authors conducted a study of two groups of students (ages 13-17) with two mentors in a teacher education program at Brigham Young University. The study examined how interaction within the two study groups contributed to social construction of shared knowledge. Group A had social interactions previous to the six-week online project, while group B had no previous social interactions. The researchers examined a variety of data including email exchanges, chat room transcripts, electronic logs, and discussion board entries. The conclusions suggested the effectiveness of an online mentor whose role helps establish social interaction, a supportive climate for the exploration of ideas, consensual decision-making, and open discussion. The strength of the study involves using two groups for comparison, as well as a variety of authentic data resources. Limitations include whether results can be generalized and limited ability to analyze students' prior social interactions as factors in the results.

In this study, the role of a PLN using Twitter in a teacher preparation program. Teachers who were already using Twitter found that the power of Twitter as a PLN came not from the sharing of resources, but from the collaboration and conversations of other educators. Many new teachers were initially hesitant to use Twitter as a PLN, but with virtual mentors and an explanation as to the power of a PLN, new educators were more likely to use it as a powerful tool to develop their teaching practice.

I found this study particularly interesting as recently read a blog post by Etienne and Bev Wenger about whether or not colleges are utilizing the ideas of community of practice in their teacher prep programs. The findings of the study are not particularly surprising, teachers are hesitant to use Twitter but find the collaboration worthwhile. Both control groups were graduate students, I would be interested to find out if this is being implemented in any capacity at the undergrad level.

This study discusses the concept of using PLNs during teacher preparation programs. It discusses how newer teachers are more hesitant to use social media like Twitter and do not understand how valuable the tool can be. The studies findings emphasizes how PLNs promote professional development and allow for instant feedback through conversations and collaboration. The study also discusses how some teachers are hesitant at first, which I think is common thread for new and veteran teachers.