Abstract:
This qualitative narrative inquiry was driven by my desire to further explore my
personal discovery that my utilization of educational technologies in teaching and
learning environments seemed to heighten a sense of creativity, which in turn increased
reflective practice and authenticity in my teaching. A narrative inquiry approach was
used as it offered the opportunity to uncover the deeper meanings of authenticity and
reflection as participants' personal experiences were coconstructed and reconstructed in
relationship with me and in relationship to a social milieu. To gain further insight into
this potential phenomenon, I engaged in 2 conversational interviews with 2 other teachers
from an Ontario College in a large urban centre who have utilized educational
technologies in their teaching and learning communities and I maintained a research
journal, constructed during the interview process, to record my own emerging narrative
accounts, reflections, insights and further questions. The field texts consisted of
transcriptions of the interviews and my reflective journal. Research texts were developed
as field texts were listened to multiple times and texts were examined for meanings and
themes. The educational technologies that both women focused on in the interview were
digital video of children as they play, learn and develop and the use of an audible teacher
voice in online courses. The invitation given to students to explore and discover meaning
in videos of children as they watched them with the teacher seemed to be a catalyst for
authenticity and a sense of synergy in the classroom. The power of the audible teacher
voice came through as an essential component in online learning environments to offer
students a sense of humanness and connection with the teacher. Relationships in both online and face to face classrooms emerged as a necessary and central component to all
teaching and learning communities. The theme of paradox also emerged as participants
recognized that educational technologies can be used in ways that enhance creativity,
authenticity, reflection and relationships or in ways that hinder these qualities in the
teaching and learning community. Knowledge of the common experiences of college
educators who utilize educational technologies, specifically digital video of children to
educate early childhood educators, might give meaning and insight to inform the practice
of other teachers who seek authentic, reflexive practice in the classroom and in on line
environments.
