AACTE Committee Members Honored with Prestigious Research Award
Current and former members of the AACTE Committee on Innovation and Technology (I&T) were recognized with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2020 Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education (JDLTE) Outstanding Research Paper Award for their case study research, “TPACK Leadership Diagnostic Tool: Adoption and Implementation by Teacher Education Leaders” (Clausen, Finsness, Borthwick, Graziano, Carpenter, & Herring, 2019). Recipients of the award include: Jon Clausen, Ball State University; Elizabeth Finsness, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Arlene Borthwick, National Louis University; Kevin Graziano, Nevada State College; Jeffrey Carpenter, Elon University; and Mary Herring, University of Northern Iowa. The research award affirms the long-term work and impact of the AACTE I&T Committee.
The case study examined how the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) leadership diagnostic tool was used by teacher education leaders who established and sustained organizational and learning environments for TPACK-based initiatives at three institutions. Participants indicated all components in the tool were relevant for planning and implementing their TPACK initiatives. Participants “used the diagnostic tool to engage with others about their initiatives, to consider how physical spaces and personnel could be repurposed in support of their initiatives, and to think critically about prioritizing competing political, financial, and contextual demands” (Clausen et al., 2019, p. 64).
The award recognizes a single article from JDLTE’s prior volume year with the highest possibility to advance the field of teacher education, based on the criteria of potential impact and contribution, innovativeness, and generalizability or usability. A peer-reviewed journal, JDLTE offers a forum for sharing research, practical, and theoretical contributions related to technology in teacher education. The award and full paper will be presented during a special session at the 2020 ISTE conference in Anaheim, California.
The development of the diagnostic tool (Graziano, Herring, Carpenter, Smaldino, & Finsness, 2017) stemmed from an AACTE request for the Committee on I&T to develop materials that supported education leaders in the effective implementation of technology, content, and pedagogy into their educator preparation programs. The Committee on I&T, one of AACTE’s seven standing committees (now programmatic advisory committees) facilitates communication about and use of innovations in learning and technology as they strive to develop the Association’s technology agendas related to PK-12 and postsecondary education. For change to occur in teacher preparation programs with regard to how technology is used, all individuals associated with a preparation program need to be responsible for and responsive to infusing technology throughout their programs including, but not limited to, educator preparation leaders such as deans, teacher educators, and district and school administrators (Borthwick, Foulger, & Graziano, 2020). The TPACK leadership diagnostic tool allows educator preparation leaders to enact change through self-assessment and reflection on their current practices and assists leaders in developing TPACK-ready educator preparation programs that enable teacher candidates to become technology proficient.
For a copy of the case study article, visit JDLTE.
References
Borthwick, A. C., Foulger, T. S., & Graziano, K. J. (2020). Preface. Champions as water carriers: Prioritizing technology infusion in teacher preparation. In A. Borthwick, T. S. Foulger, & K. J. Graziano (Eds.) Championing Technology Infusion in Teacher Preparation: A Framework for Supporting Future Educators (pp. xxiii-xl). Portland, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Clausen, J. M., Finsness, E. S., Borthwick, A. C., Graziano, K. J., Carpenter, J. P., & Herring, M. C. (2019). TPACK leadership diagnostic tool: Adoption and implementation by teacher education leaders. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 35(1), 54-72.
Graziano, K. J., Herring, M. C., Carpenter, J. P., Smaldino, S., & Finsness, E. S. (2017). A TPACK diagnostic tool for teacher education leaders. TechTrends, 61(4), 372-379.
Kevin J. Graziano is professor in the School of Education at Nevada State College and former chair of AACTE’s Committee on Innovation and Technology.
Tags: AACTE governance, research
