This study examined how an inquiry learning project model affected the development of teachers' TPACK (technological pedagogical content knowledge) as they integrated technology into their English language arts teaching. Twenty in-service teachers participated in a graduate course where they completed an inquiry learning project using educational technology. Surveys and reflections found that the project significantly increased teachers' beliefs in the value of technology for instruction and their technology skills. Teachers' analogies showed they progressed from feeling afraid to integrate technology to feeling more confident after seeing student engagement and learning with technology. Key themes from reflections were developing new attitudes toward technology integration and negotiating knowledge through collaboration. The study implies that cultivating teachers' TPACK through innovative models can help teachers lead educational change

1. Scaffolding the TPACK Framework for English Language Arts
In-Service Teachers: New Literacies, New Minds
Hiller A. Spires
Professor & Senior Research Fellow
Lisa Hervey & Tanya Watson
Doctoral Research Assistants
Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
College of Education
North Carolina State University

3. The Friday Institute for
Educational Innovation
• The research arm of the College of Education at NC
State University.
• Focused on 5 main areas
– 21st
Century Teaching and Learning
– Professional and Leadership Development
– Technology Infrastructure
– Evaluation of Educational Innovations
– Educational Policy
• Explore our projects at www.fi.ncsu.edu

4. Scaffolding the TPACK Framework for English Language Arts
In-Service Teachers: New Literacies, New Minds
“What Knowledge is of Most Worth?”
~ Herbert Spencer
As we continue into the 21st century, Spencer’s
compelling question is still front and center but now in
the midst of fast-paced technological changes that
are prompting new literacies.

5. Research Question
How does an inquiry learning project model affect
TPACK development and support ELA teachers to
integrate technology?

6. TPACK, Distributed Cognition, &
Instructional Scaffolding:
Theoretical Perspectives
• Mishra and Koehler’s TPACK (2006, 2008)
• Distributed Cognition (Salomon, 1993)
• Vygotskian perspective (1978) of scaffolding
customized support

7. TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006)
• PCK – Knowledge of teaching and learning principles
to deliver content effectively.
• TPK – Knowledge of how various technologies can
be used in teaching and understanding how using
technology changes the way teachers teach.
• TCK – Knowledge of how technology can create new
representations for specific content.

8. Participants
• 20 in-service teachers
• Enrolled in a graduate course on literacy, technology
and media
• 19 females and 1 male; 16 Caucasians, 2 African-
Americans, and 2 Asian-Americans
• 23 to 54 years; average age of 30
• 5 to 10 years of teaching experience

9. The Inquiry Learning Project (ILP) Model
Spires, H., Wiebe, E., Young, C., Hollenbrands, K., and Lee, J. (2009).

10. Creative Synthesis -- A 21st Century Skill

11. Inquiry Learning Project (ILP) Kits

12. Method
Using a mixed method research design (Creswell &
Plano-Clark, 2006), data for the study was collected
from three sources:
1) A teacher survey that assesses teachers’ beliefs
about technology use (Park & Ertmer, 2007;
Ertmer, 2005; Fang, 1996) that was administered at
the beginning and end of the
course.

13. Method
2) An exploratory visual representation and analogy
exercise that attempted to capture changes in
participants’ views of their TCPK
• Synectics - From the Greek “syn” and “ektos,” and refers to the
fusion of diverse ideas (Gordon, 1961; Nolan, 2003). Students
formed a bridge between existing and new knowledge.
• Synectics utilizes 3 metaphorical forms: direct analogy, personal
analogy, and compressed conflict.
• Students in our study created direct analogies between their
TPACK and a self-selected visual stimulus.

14. Method
3) Teacher-generated reflections that were
captured via an online forum within the course
Moodle.
• Data analysis focused on teachers’ responses to open-ended questions
posed in weekly online forums throughout the semester.
• Two researchers independently read the forum responses and targeted
initial topics based on the frequency with which participants mentioned
particular topics.
• Topics included: evidence of scaffolding, evidence of TPCK
development, shifts in teachers’ roles, shifts in teachers’ beliefs, and
other.

15. Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding Technology Use
Survey (TBTUS), a 54-item survey*
Post-class ratings were significantly higher than pre-
class ratings in two areas:
1) teachers perceived values of computers for
instructional purposes, t(19) = 2.48, p = .02
2) teachers perception of their in-class technology skills,
t(19) = 2.10, p = .05.
*(Ertmer, 2005)

16. TPCK Analogies in Voicethread
Visual Stimulus
Teacher-Generated Analogies
Initial
Teacher-Generated Analogies
Revisited
I chose the image of the man on
the edge of the cliff. It seems to
me that he is hanging on for dear
life afraid of falling. This is the
way that I feel about TPCK; I
am afraid to take the plunge.
I’m afraid to lose control or to try
something new and innovative.
The cliff represents my way of
teaching--content and pedagogy.
Beyond the cliff’s edge there are
new technologies, pedagogies,
and content. The man is afraid to
“let go.” As a teacher, I’m afraid
of making mistakes with
technology.
What is that old saying? "You've come a
long way baby..." Well, I know that I have
come a long way during this course, when
it comes to technology. Instead of
"holding on for dear life," I feel like I have
begun to take the plunge. If I haven't
jumped right off the cliff, I have at least
tested the water to see if it is hot or cold.
This class has increased my TPCK
knowledge by introducing me to
numerous tools that I can use in my
language arts classroom. Also, I have
become excited about technology. After
seeing my students complete their book
trailer videos, I see how enthusiasm can
spread from the students to me. And I
found out that it is all right for the
students to distribute their knowledge to
me.
http://voicethread.com/#q.b173311.i928335

17. Themes from Teacher Reflections
• New Attitudes: “I Can’t Turn Back Now”
Now that I have new knowledge and awareness, I also carry the
personal burden of determining how to use it in a meaningful
way.
• New Negotiations: “It’s OK Not to Know Everything”
I was able to work with other teachers and professors who have
experienced the tools, which privileged me with first-hand
information about successes and challenges.
• New Cognitions: “I Can Actually Feel My Brain
Changing”
Thinking about TPACK pushes me to look at the curriculum in a
different light.

18. Implications
Technology Use Cultivates Student
Learning and Creativity
By creating their own e-books about original stories, my
students proved that they are highly engaged when using
technology to extend their learning. My students more
frequently applied emerging writing skills without support
and were eager to practice rereading their work to build
fluency for the audio recordings.

19. Implications
Teachers Create a New Educational Future Through
Innovation and Leadership
I have found that my fellow teachers now are
experimenting with different technology tools that I
introduced to them. I have the ability to bring
innovative ideas not only into my classroom but to our
entire school.

20. Looking Ahead…
• TPACK may be the knowledge that is of most worth to
teachers as they innovate, collaborate, and lead
education to a new era.
• TPACK can be scaffolded for ELA teachers and, at a
minimum, it represents a powerful tool for teachers as
they negotiate the rich and complex landscape of new
literacies with their students.

21. Stay Connected
Join us at the New Literacies Colaborative (NLC) Ning
at:
www.newlit.org
Find our full paper at:
http://tinyurl.com/clz2va