A Kimist with an IPHoNe

I am a director for some professional development projects for middle school and high school science teachers. These are intensive projects that take three weeks in the summer followed by recurring meetings during the following school year. For several years, teachers who have participated in one project have often returned for subsequent projects. The group of teachers is a little different every year, but there is enough continuity that a learning community or community of practice has formed. The group has common goals centered around teaching chemistry or middle school science. They face common challenges like managing a lab full of teenagers in safe environment while still fostering a place where teaching and learning can occur. They learn from each other by sharing their successes and failures, and they learn together.

For several years, I have purchased a notebook computer for each new teacher to the program. As they return for a second year, I purchase digital projectors for them. After that, they have some flexibility in choosing technology that they will use in their classrooms. Last year, one teacher requested an iPhone for his technology from the project. I declined his request on the basis that I could not make a strong enough case for the use of an iPhone in the classroom. I have purchased iPods for several teachers with the understanding that the teacher plans to do some podcasting and may loan the iPod to students for use in review. I could not see a teacher loaning a student his iPhone for any reason, so I denied the request.

As I think more about communities of practice, however, I want to consider if an iPhone or similar technology might be justifiable in one of these projects as a device that can encourage and foster more interaction between teachers. Would an iPhone in teachers’ hands make it more likely that they would read each other’s blogs? Would they use the iPhone to discover more resources that could help other teachers? Could they use their iPhone in their own classroom? Would an iPhone make it easier and more likely for teachers to request help from other members of the group?

To help answer some of these questions, I’ll first consider our experiences with notebook computers. Before these teachers entered our group, many of them did not have a notebook computer. Some did not have a dedicated computer in their classroom. Some may not have had a computer at home. Some did not know how to use a computer as a teaching tool. We have made progress in all of these areas. We also see them now using their computers to communicate with each other. They use their computers to retrieve new knowledge and tools from the Internet and they share them with each other. They have used their technology to develop and teach new lesson plans. The programs have been successful in helping teachers use new technology and gain new skills that they apply in their classrooms, hopefully producing a better teaching-learning environment and ultimately more educated students. This demonstrates that the group has been receptive to new technology, and that they have changed some of their practices to incorporate things they learn in our programs. The notebook computer experience also demonstrates that the teachers are willing to use this technology to communicate with other members of the group.

Will teachers accept something like an edublogs site as the online tool for their community? To date, we have only used email and a listserv to share ideas and resources. This summer, we will use an edublogs site to share ideas and resources, and phase out the listserv (assuming the site is successful). Teachers in our groups do not want new toys just to have new toys. They will only adopt new practices if they are convinced of the added value over what they have been doing. Teachers will need to be convinced of the value of staying in contact through an edublogs site if they are to persist beyond the summer workshop (where it will be highly encouraged).

If the teachers buy into the online community tool, then perhaps we will be ready to ask the last question: will they use iPhones to help them connect to the community? To answer this question at the moment, I can only draw on limited personal experience with an iPhone, and that of a few friends who also have one. I use iPhone for many tasks on a regular basis (see my review), with one common task being retrieving information. I’m guessing that for teachers to use iPhones to connect to our community, they will need to believe that it contains information that they want or need to use. However, much of what they like to do in the group is retrieve files. iPhones will allow them to learn about new posts, but not actually get the files. For that, they will still rely on their computers. One of my colleagues is now famous for walking across campus while typing something to his class in their online community. Certainly our students have wholeheartedly adopted the idea of using phones to communicate with text. I suppose, the real answer to the question will be determined by their perception of the iPhone’s capabilities applied to the community makes it worth while. They can learn that new files are posted. They can see new links posted and visit those websites. They can see new movies posted and hear new podcasts that are available. Perhaps this might be enough to cause most of them to use their iPhones to connect with their community.

I will be very interested to see how they receive the edublogs site, and whether they persist in using it. I think that will be a significant indicator regarding the promise of using iPhones to connect with each other, so I’ll go observe and write more at a later time.