Abstract
This study investigated professional development in arts and design technologies with the aim to support the transformation of a critical mass of primary school teachers. Research questions included the following: What happens when teachers engage in professional development that is centered within a critical literacy framework with attention toward a schoolwide STEAM vision? What changes (if any) are observable in teachers’ engagement with these technologies and become visible in their pedagogy and practice? The year-long state-funded study involved 12 teachers in one urban primary school. Teachers engaged in 12 full-day workshops across summer, fall, and spring. Data included interviews, video/photographs, pre-and post-arts survey, teacher artifacts, and exit slips. Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT), a methodological approach that aims to contribute both to personal and societal transformation, was adopted. Engagement in arts and design technologies starts with the aesthetic; art and design technologies fostered abduction; important shifts in teachers’ attitudes and implementation of arts and digital technologies into their instruction were evident. Professional development situated within the lives and experiences of teachers is critical to personal and societal transformation. Instruction and practice must foster embodied learning that is felt, heard, touched, and experienced.
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Albers, P. (2023). Kimono Books and Chicken Hats: Doing Critical Literacy as Professional Development in One Urban Elementary School. In: Tafazoli, D., Picard, M. (eds) Handbook of CALL Teacher Education and Professional Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0514-0_10
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