One-On-One Technology Mentoring for In-Service Teachers: The Experiences of Future ICT Coordinators

With the increasing demands of technology integration by the institutions, educators felt the need to develop themselves professionally. In this study, as a way of professional development, we focused on one-on-one technology mentoring for in-service teachers because the experiences of mentors would shed light on professional development programs in the context of both mentors’ progress and mentoring in-service teachers. Mentors for teachers were assigned to facilitate teachers’ ICT usage and ICT integration skills. The mentorship implementation lasted two semesters with 42 mentors’ participation. The determination of the content of the mentoring process was completely based on the needs and interests of the teachers. After the implementation, the perceptions and experiences of the mentors were asked and coded through content analysis. According to the analysis, the responses of the mentors were grouped into five main categories; (a) affordances of the technology mentoring process, (b) the contribution of the project to the teachers, (c) the contribution of the project to the mentors, (d) the challenges experienced by the mentors, and (e) the weaknesses of and the suggestions for the mentoring process. The findings of this study indicated that future ICT coordinators believed that one-on-one technology mentoring in real school settings is an effective way not only for training in-service teachers but also for creating awareness of being an ICT coordinator and developing ICT mentoring skills.

Faculty members’ planned technology integration behaviour in the context of a faculty technology mentoring programme

This qualitative case study aimed to examine faculty members’ perceived behaviour regarding the use of technology in their classrooms. The behavior was examined within the framework of the decomposed theory of planned behavior. The theory states that technology integration behaviour is directly related to intention and perceived behaviour control and indirectly related to attitude, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control. Data sources included semi-structured interviews conducted with 17 faculty members who participated in a faculty technology mentoring programme implemented at a large public university in Turkey over a semester of 4 months’ duration. The data analysis revealed that the factors affecting faculty members’ planned technology integration behaviour were related to their intentions, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control, as explained in the theory. Faculty members identified a number of student-related, faculty-related and context-related challenges in technology integration. The recommendations arising from the study are to support and sustain faculty members’ technology integration in higher education classrooms. Implications for practice or policy: Technology mentoring programs can improve faculty teaching practices with technology in higher education classrooms. Faculty members’ technology integration behaviour can be supported by addressing the challenges, including lack of time and motivation, insufficient technological knowledge and classroom management problems. The technology integration awareness of faculty members can be developed by improving the teaching and learning environment with the support of administrators, peers and students and providing the required time and incentives to integrate technology.

KONSERVASI TANAMAN KHAS CILIWUNG MELALUI EDUKASI KOMUNAL

As an area with unique biodiversity, the area around Ciliwung plays a major role in determining the sustainability of this role. One of the Ciliwung watershed parts of Jakarta, namely in Pejaten Timur Pasar Minggu, there is an area that is very well preserved. Based on the priority problems of the partners, the solutions offered are increasing public knowledge and transfer of science and technology regarding the conservation of typical Ciliwung plants. Increasing knowledge is deemed necessary and important because the community is an active actor in biodiversity. The methods for implementing the Ciliwung special plant conservation education are socialization, training and education, introduction of science and technology, mentoring, and monitoring. The partners involved are the Ciliwung Care Community (KPC) Gema Bersuci and people around KPC. The result of the activity is an increase in partners insights regarding the importance of conservation, recording and labeling of plants at partner locations, and planting of seedlings on the border. The conclusion of the activity is that there are around 100 types of plants that grow in partner locations, planting Moringa seeds along the border of the partner's area, labeling 100 types of plants, and the community plays an active role in conservation of Ciliwung's typical plants. Abstrak Sebagai wilayah dengan keanekaragaman hayati yang khas, wilayah sekitar Ciliwung berperan besar dalam menentukan sustainabilitas peranan tersebut. Salah satu DAS Ciliwung bagian Jakarta, yaitu tepatnya di Pejaten Timur Pasar Minggu terdapat wilayah yang sangat dijaga kelestariannya. Berdasarkan permasalahan prioritas pada mitra maka solusi yang ditawarkan yaitu peningkatan pengetahuan masyarakat dan transfer iptek mengenai konservasi tanaman khas Ciliwung. Peningkatan pengetahuan dianggap perlu dan penting karena masyarakat merupakan pelaku aktif kelestarian hayati. Metode pelaksanaan edukasi konservasi tanaman khas Ciliwung yaitu sosialisasi, pelatihan dan edukasi, introduksi iptek, pendampingan, dan monitoring. Mitra yang terlibat adalah Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung (KPC) Gema Bersuci dan masyarakat. Hasil kegiatan adalah adanya peningkatan wawasan mitra mengenai pentingnya konservasi, tercatat dan terlabelnya tanaman di lokasi mitra, serta penanaman bibit di sempadan. Kesimpulan kegiatan adalah terdapat sekitar 100 jenis tanaman yang tumbuh di lokasi mitra, penanaman bibit kelor di sepanjang sempadan wilayah mitra, pelabelan terhadap 100 jenis tanaman, dan masyarakat berperan aktif dalam kegiatan konservasi tanaman khas Ciliwung.

Implementation and Evaluation of Technology Mentoring Program Developed for Teacher Educators: A 6M-Framework

<p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-language: ES; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">The purpose of this basic research is to determine the problems experienced in the Technology Mentoring Program (TMP), and the study discusses how these problems affect the process in general. The implementation was carried out with teacher educators in the education faculty. 8 doctorate students (mentors) provided technology mentoring implementation for one academic term to 9 teacher educators (mentees) employed in the Education Faculty. The data were collected via the mentee and the mentor interview form, mentor reflections and organization meeting reflections. As a result, the problems based on the mentor, on the mentee and on the organization/institution were determined. In order to carry out TMP more effectively and successfully, a 6M-framework (Modifying, Meeting, Matching, Managing, Mentoring - Monitoring) was suggested within the scope of this study. It could be stated that fewer problems will be encountered and that the process will be carried out more effectively and successfully when the structure in this framework is taken into consideration.</span></p>

Pre-Service Teachers and Technology Integration with Smart Boards

This study explores pre-service teachers’ experiences integrating SMART Board technology into their teaching practice. The results suggest that pre-service teachers found the technology mentoring process to be useful in preparing them to integrate instructional technology into their lessons. The pre-service teachers developed high interest in integrating SMART board technology within their own practice. They also reported the technology mentoring process to be useful in preparing them to integrate instructional technology into their teaching. This article highlights the need for teacher educators to create a better curriculum aimed at preparing teachers who can selectively, purposely, and effectively integrate appropriate educational technologies into classroom instruction.