Research Results
Impact of the IMYM Project on Grade 8 Pilot Teachers: A Follow-up Report
May 2001
Prepared by Distance Learning and Information Technologies Unit, Program Development Branch, Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning
7.0 Summary
The IMYM8 Follow-up Session gave pilot teachers the opportunity to meet, share, and discuss ideas with fellow pilot teachers in a community of learners. They indicated that discussing and sharing ideas, challenges, and successes with colleagues in person at the follow-up session was very encouraging and validated their classroom experiences. They also had the opportunity to see and share samples and exemplars of student work.
After the pilot of the Systems and Interactions unit, IMYM8 pilot teachers self-assessed the competency level of their pedagogical skills in various information and communication technology (ICT) areas. Pilot teachers selected from a rubric of four compentency levels: Exemplary, Accomplished, Developing, or Beginning. 23% of teachers reported being at the Exemplary level, 42% at the Accomplished level, 28% at the Developing level, while only 7% reported being at the Beginning level. While reflecting on their professional growth, IMYM teachers recognized many positive changes in their classroom practice. These included their ability to
- facilitate collaborative learning
- design assessment to match learning goals
- integrate ICT to add value to their classroom learning environment
- design interdisciplinary learning experiences
IMYM pilot teachers reported sharing their experiences with the IMYM model by sharing software knowledge and knowledge of the IMYM approach with fellow teachers. They also held open houses, hosted classroom visitations, gave presentations, created classroom websites, and provided mentoring to colleagues who wanted to set-up and teach the Systems and Interactions unit.
