Reaching out to Rural Schools: University-Practitioner Linkage through the Internet.

This article discusses the creation of a teacher as researcher learning environment in one small rural Idaho elementary school through the Internet. At the request of five elementary school teachers from the same rural school district, the researcher, a university professor, created an online course, "Teacher as Researcher," which provided instruction on both Action Research and Teacher as Researcher methodology. The researcher examined, analyzed, and described the learning process that took place among the teachers as novice online learners, between the teachers as teacher researchers, and the elements and processes that constituted their creation of a local learning community. The researcher met with the students at their request in real time (synchronous) for three consecutive days toward the end of the course to discuss the learning process that had transpired, answer questions, and bring closure to the teacher as researcher learning experience. The researcher views the Internet as a new medium for reaching out to rural schools who wish to minimize their limited learning opportunities and their sense of academic isolation. ********** Teacher and principal isolation is a common problem in most schools regardless of the location (Coward, DeWeaver, Schmidt, & Jackson, 1983; Carlson, 1992; Leo-Nyquist & Theobald, 1997). The geographic isolation of many rural schools only compounds the problem. As a result, rural schools experience a shortage of qualified personnel and have greater teacher and administrator turnover and burnout (Monk & Haller, 1986). In one study, Carlson (1992) asked his subjects, "If you could make a change in your rural setting, what would it be?" The number one response by the rural educator's participating in Carlson's study was, "increased adult educational opportunities." One method that may address these problems faced by rural professionals is the linkage of rural schools to universities through the Internet. This article discusses the creation of a teacher as researcher learning environment in one small rural Idaho elementary school, between the school and the nearest university through the Internet. At the request of five rural elementary school teachers in one district, the researcher, a university professor, created a three credit graduate online course, "Teacher-as-Researcher." The researcher also met in real time with the teachers two thirds of the way through the course to discuss the learning process that they had undertaken, answer questions, and bring closure to the teacher as researcher learning experience. At the request of the teachers, the course began on May 1st and the 3-day visit took place during the second week of June. This allowed the teachers both an opportunity to finish the school year and to complete the foundational course readings. The course ended on the last day of June. The primary purpose of the course was to cultivate a growing capacity within the teachers to listen with wonder, mutual respect, and a sense of awareness to the ongoing process of change in their world. The teachers through participation, interaction, and transformation of their's and others' social world and experience contributed to the continual improvement of self and others, the organization, and the school community in which they lived and worked. They contributed to this improvement through examination, identification, and analysis of an identified group concern. The course provided a qualitative research foundation in both Action Research and Teacher as Researcher methodology. The researcher examined, analyzed, and described the learning process that took place among the teachers as novice online learners, between the teachers as teacher researchers, and the elements and processes that emerges as they created a local learning community. The researcher views the Internet as a new medium for creating action researchers and teachers as researchers and a new opportunity for learners to discuss, share, and collaborate on classroom issues and create ongoing learning communities. …