This REL Midwest study examined the instructional technology practices and perceptions
of high school teachers in a rural region of Iowa, and described how these practices
and perceptions varied among teachers of different subjects and experience levels. A related infographic [231 KB
] highlights the study’s key findings.
archived information
Iowa Learning and Technology Networked Improvement Community
Download the partnership’s overview handout [132 KB
]
Partnership Facilitator
Marshal Conley
mconley@air.org
Research Liaison
Jonathan Margolin
jmargolin@air.org
Partnership Objective
The National Education Technology Plan outlines the critical role of education technology in preparing students for postsecondary success. Education technology is an especially important tool in meeting the specific challenges in rural communities, which account for at least one-fifth of public schools in each of the seven states in the REL Midwest region.
Active from 2017 to 2019, the Iowa Learning and Technology Networked Improvement Community (NIC) brought together rural districts to engage in continuous improvement research activities to identify effective ways of integrating technology into instructional practice. Participants in the NIC included staff from rural Iowa high schools and the Central Rivers Area Education Agency (AEA).
Increasing the access to and use of educational technology and re-examining traditional instructional delivery models are of particular interest to Iowa education stakeholders. Half of the state’s public schools and 70 percent of its districts are in rural areas, where technology can connect students and educators with resources that might otherwise be out of reach. Districts in the Central Rivers AEA identified the use of education technology to improve instruction as a primary goal for the next several years.
Members
- BGM (Brooklyn, Guernsey, and Malcom) Community School District
- JR Glenn, History Teacher
- Jeremy Mize, Instructional Coach
- Rick Radcliffe, Principal
- Central Rivers Area Education Agency
- Ashley Flatebo, Instructional Technology Consultant
- Kay Schmalen, Educational Services Consultant
- Cari Teske, Educational Services Consultant
Training, Coaching, and Technical Support Projects
In-Depth Coaching and Consultation to Support the Iowa NIC
REL Midwest provided in-depth coaching and consultation in Iowa to help stakeholders identify the programs and practices that support the integration of technology into classroom instruction. Through the NIC, stakeholders used Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to identify, test, and refine practices to use technology more effectively. Materials, including slide decks and facilitation guides, from the coaching modules are available online.
Publications
Blog Posts
- Resource roundup: Continuous improvement cycles
- Wrapping up the Iowa Learning and Technology Networked Improvement Community: Impact and resources
- New report examines technology use in instruction in rural schools
- Resources and lessons learned from REL Midwest’s networked improvement communities to support educators
- Using technology to increase depth of learning
- Meet the NIC member: Michelle Cowell
- Education technology and continuous improvement resources and events
- Collaboration for success: Networked improvement communities
- Upcoming documentary connects the research on education technology to stories from Iowa
- A partner in continuous improvement: Central Rivers Area Education Agency
Events
- Supporting the Need for Resilience in Rural Areas (National Forum to Advance Rural Education)
- Using Technology to Promote 21st Century Skills: Lessons from Rural High School Teachers in Iowa (Illinois Education and Technology Conference)
- Using Technology to Promote 21st Century Skills: Lessons from Rural High School Teachers in Iowa (Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance Conference)
- A Closer Look: Teacher Perceptions and Use of Technology in Teaching
- Iowa Learning and Technology Networked Improvement Community
- Conducting Relevant Research through Networked Improvement Communities
- Build Improvement Capacity by Leveraging the Power and Potential of Regional Educational Service Agencies
- Learning Upgrade: Technology in Iowa Schools