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An Aqua Squiggle and Giggles: Pre-Teens as Researchers Influencing Little Lives Through Inking and Touch Devices

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Revolutionizing Education with Digital Ink

Part of the book series: Human–Computer Interaction Series ((HCIS))

Abstract

Using technology for the good of society is a skill that needs to be modeled, instructed, and practiced as young students prepare for the future. The primary objective of this action research was to locate the emergence of skill development through an intersection of human connection and touch screen laptop use in a cross-age mentoring model with middle school and preschool students in an urban independent school representing 27 ethnic groups. To increase understanding of new forms of learning within a non-traditional grouping of sixth- and seventh-graders in a 1:1 laptop environment, I drew on their perspective and creativity as they utilized production and internet tools to facilitate their own data collection as they researched and tracked learning of the little buddy they mentored in literacy projects. The data showed students in this grouping becoming active pursuers of relational bonding with preschoolers and simultaneously developing a mindset parallel with that of adult teacher-researchers. Touch and inking unexpectedly became the tool that helped facilitate interpersonal conversational skills and social emotional development with English Language Learning in one case study.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    I am not entirely convinced of a single best descriptor for the process: “mentor” and “mentee” or “expert” and “apprentice.” There exists a critique for describing children as experts because they are technically not expert in whatever area they are helping guide learning as they too, are still learning. But saying more experienced learners and “less experienced learners” is cumbersome. I have been critiqued for referring to them as “teacher-researchers” and “apprentices” as the older students are neither officially credentialed “teachers” nor “researchers” in the way we know adults to hold such titles. The term teacher-researcher more aptly describes what they are doing in this process and indicates something more is at work beyond the colloquial connotation of “mentor,” especially when considering children are “mentors.” I admit momentary definitional defeat and present a challenge to researchers and practitioners to continue the quest with me for descriptors that are, possibly a more agreeable fit.

  2. 2.

    Private School Aid Service, www.psas.org.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Dr. Juli Lorton for essential feedback through early stages of research.

The support of Amazing Grace Christian School and Renton Preparatory Christian School, allowed the author to simultaneously teach full time and conduct research, implement findings for new iterative designs and study further implementation through design based research. Their flexibility and support have allowed for much research and innovation to be realized in practice across the past 10 years.

Portions of this study have been presented at the Workshop on the Impact of Pen and Touch Technology on Education, Redmond, WA, on April 29, 2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Design and Technology, Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, WI, USA

    Michelle Zimmerman

  2. Renton Preparatory Christian School, 200 Mill Avenue South, Suite 110, Renton, WA, USA

    Michelle Zimmerman

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  1. Michelle Zimmerman
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Correspondence to Michelle Zimmerman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Tracy Hammond

  2. Dept of Computer Science & Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Stephanie Valentine

  3. Raytheon BBN Technologies, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Aaron Adler

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Zimmerman, M. (2016). An Aqua Squiggle and Giggles: Pre-Teens as Researchers Influencing Little Lives Through Inking and Touch Devices. In: Hammond, T., Valentine, S., Adler, A. (eds) Revolutionizing Education with Digital Ink. Human–Computer Interaction Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31193-7_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31193-7_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31191-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31193-7

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