Leveraging the Impact Cycle for Integrating Technology in the Classroom
In today's classrooms, tech devices are readily available. After the influx of funding for educational technology tools during the pandemic, most schools are better equipped with devices than ever before. Does that mean our teachers and students are using these devices to their fullest potential? Hardly. According to Trust and Whalen (2020), "While many educators now have access to online platforms and digital resources, only a minority use these tools regularly, with many citing discomfort with technology and insufficient training as primary barriers." Scherer, Howard, and Tondeur (2021) report similar findings, "Teachers' adoption of technology remains inconsistent, largely due to factors such as perceived usefulness, self-efficacy with digital tools, and the lack of a supportive school culture that prioritizes technology integration."
So, how do we bridge the gap so that the massive investment in edtech tools does not go to waste? We leverage instructional technology coaching within our school districts. Jim Knight's The Impact Cycle goes over three stages of coaching: Identify, Learn, and Improve. These stages can be used in instructional technology coaching just as they can be with subject-specific coaching.
The first stage is Identify. The keys to this stage are helping the teacher define specific and actionable goals. During this phase, coaches can support teachers to help them analyze their current teaching methods, look over relevant data, and choose a measurable goal to work toward.
The second stage is Learn. The keys to this stage are supporting teachers by implementing strategies the help them reach their goals. This may take on many different looks, depending on the teacher. Coaches may use modeling, co-teaching, co-planning, observing, filming and reflecting, or any combination of those strategies. The coach wants to build the teacher's confidence and capacity so that the teacher sees the desired changes in the classroom.
The third stage is Improve. The keys to this stage are reflection and feedback. Teachers and coaches need to focus on continuous improvement. You may not be where you want to be, but we are looking for progress. Coaches use data and feedback to direct teachers' improvement plans. Coaches and teachers work together to reflect on the progress made and what changes need to be made to continue pushing to reach the teachers' goals.
In my experience, teachers most want to feel they have a say in what they are learning. It is much more powerful for a teacher to determine the goals they want to reach than if their goals come from an administrator after an observation. All teachers strive to be the best they can be for their students. A coach's job is to be there to support the teacher and help them reach their potential. When it comes to tech tools, teachers want time and support to build confidence in what they're doing before they are expected to teach using said tools. It is not necessarily that teachers don't want to use the amazing tools they've been given, but they don't know where to start. With all the pressures on classroom teachers today, coaches can help to lift some of the weight off and show teachers how edtech tools can benefit them and their students.
References:
Knight, J. (2018). The impact cycle: What instruction coaches should do to foster powerful improvements in teaching. Corwin.
Scherer, R., Howard, S. K., & Tondeur, J. (2021). Profiling teachers’ readiness for online teaching and learning in times of COVID-19: A latent class analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 118, 106675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106675
Trust, T., & Whalen, J. (2020). K-12 teachers’ experiences and challenges with using technology for emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(4), 283-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1811019
This is an incredibly important topic as the rise of technology in schools continues to increase! In my school district we have technology coaches that model Jim Knights Impact Cycle very well. The teachers greatly benefit from the use of these coaches.
ReplyDeleteI love your insight into goal setting. I agree that goals set by the teacher are more likely to be worked towards and accomplished. Nugent et al. (2023) recently researched the characteristics of an effective instructional coach. The research concluded that "(a) the coach–teacher relationship quality predicted the level of teacher engagement in coaching and their instructional reflection and (b) the quality of coaching strategies predicted the overall quality of the classroom instruction" (para. 2). This further backs that the coach-teacher relationship in goal setting is a clear predictor for success.
References:
Nugent, G., Houston, J., Kunz, G., & Chen, D. (2023). Analysis of instructional coaching: what, why and how. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 12(4), 402–423. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijmce-08-2022-0066