Technology mentoring with peers: one school's experience from the perspective of the participants
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Abstract
This qualitative study focused on a one-on-one technology mentoring staff development program in a secondary school. Peers served as mentors to colleagues during the three years of the study. Interviews of 29 participants formed the primary data source, and documents from the program added depth to the data. The perspectives of the participants in this particular secondary school added to the understanding of this staff development process. The results revealed some changes by the participants in their professional use of technology, their attitudes toward technology and staff development, the use of technology in their classrooms, and their involvement in collaborative relationships. The findings of the study addressed a gap in the literature and offered some insight into the staff development portion of technology planning. From their experiences, the participants discovered that mentoring led to productive collaboration, group learning, and reduction of the isolation that is so typical of secondary teachers. Through the process of discovering these benefits, some of the participants began to use collaborative activities and other constructivist strategies in their classrooms. A few of the participants established an electronic process for handouts and the submission of assignments in their classes, which illustrated a new level of technology use for both staff and students. These changes and other perspectives of the participants demonstrated the power of technology mentoring by peers.