Digital Internship Presentation, TLT, 2008

1. Digital Internship 2.0
Dr. Alec Couros
Faculty of Education
University of Regina

2. Overview
History, Context, Rationale

3. Overview: History, Context, Rationale
A research-based training project designed to provide
preservice teacher interns with focused, sustained, and
pedagogically appropriate educational technology
experiences.
Funded since 2002, federal then provincial gov.
Research team interested in ICT and pedagogy.
Perceived need from the field.
Insufficient exposure to appropriate ICT in program.
34 interns: 14 elementary, 6 middle years, 6 secondary,
8 arts education.

4. Activities
Content & Processes

5. Activities: Content & Processes
Workshops on various topics: social learning,
SmartBoards, managing ICT in the classroom, critical
media literacy, internet safety & cyberbullying, digital
video, podcasting, technology-rich differentiated
learning, GPS, other sessions.
Worked with cooperating teachers as well.
Developed a Ning support group.
At-school drop-in support.
LOTS of one-to-one just-in-time learning.
Provided hardware to schools via MPIL.
Research.

6. Findings
Results of the Project

7. Findings: Effects on the Intern & School
Staying current
Developing self-efficacy
Forming support networks and an arena for sharing and
springboarding.
Interns perceived as technology resources.
Catalysts of change.
Recipients of supplementary mentorship.

8. Findings: Effects on Teaching
Allocation of hardware and support.
Greater access to a wider range of teaching tools and
authentic resources.
Enhanced assessment possibilities and options.

9. Findings: Effects on Students
Quality of resources accessible to students.
Motivation and comportment in the classroom.
Perceiving lessons as accommodating and personally
relevant.
Fostering digital literacy.
Confidence and sense of responsibility.

10. Findings: Barriers
Time.
Resources in the school.
Disparate school policies.
Initial parental resistance.

11. Other Major Findings
Laptops are beneficial to interns.
Intentional communities are difficult to maintain.
Parental education and involvement vital.
Liberal policies and support are beneficial to
technology-infused practice.

12. Future Directions
Plans & Possibilities

13. Future Directions: Plans & Possibilities
Changes in programming.
Development of 6-course ICT stream.
Integration into education core studies courses.
Focus on faculty ICT development.

14. We've reached the point in our (disparate)
cultural adaptation to computing and
communication technology that the younger
technical generations are so empowered they
are impatient and ready to jettison institutions
most of the rest of us tend to think of as
essential, central, even immortal. They are ready
to dump our schools. (Cringely, 2008)

15. Contact
alec.couros@uregina.ca
http://couros.ca