bonnie long

  Bonnie Thompson Long
  B.A. in Liberal Studies, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, 1987
  M.A. in Counselling Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, 1989
  M.Sc. (Hons) Technology and Learning, Trinity College, Dublin, 2008
  Galway Doctoral Research Fellow, School of Education, NUI, Galway

  Email: b.long1nuigalway.ie
  Phone: 00353 91 492195

Biography:

Born and raised in Whittier, CA, Bonnie graduated from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, with a B.A. in Liberal Studies in 1987, with a view to becoming an elementary school teacher. In 1989, she completed an M.A. in Counselling Psychology at the same university. She taught 6 ^th grade Maths, Science and Technology for several years at Lennox Middle School, an innovative and award winning inner city school of 1,800 students, situated under the flight path to LAX. In 1993, she became a Technology Mentor Teacher, training teachers throughout her school in the use of technology in the classroom. She was named Head of the Math/Science department in Lennox Middle School in 1995, and among other duties, was responsible for providing guidance and training for new teachers in her department.

In 1998, Bonnie moved with her Irish husband and two young sons to Galway. In 2002, they welcomed a daughter to their family. Bonnie joined the NUI, Galway School of Education in 2000, as a part-time education technology tutor. She has worked with Post Graduate Diploma in Education (formerly H.Dip) students for several years as an education technology tutor, reflective portfolio tutor, microteaching supervisor and teaching practice supervisor. She has also taught students on the PDPES and M. Ed. Programs.

Keen to continue her own schooling in the area of education technology, Bonnie completed an M.Sc. in Technology and Learning at Trinity College, Dublin, in 2008. She started the structured Ph.D. program in Education Technology at NUI, Galway in the autumn of 2009, under the supervision of Dr. Tony Hall.

Research Interests:

Bonnie’s main research interest lies in the use of technology to enhance the learning experience of pre-service teachers. Her master’s thesis for Trinity College, Dublin, entitled, “ Online Communities on the MUVE: Using Second Life to build an Online Peer-support Community for Pre-service Teachers”, dealt with the use of the multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) Second Life, as a means of creating an online support system for PGDE students at NUI, Galway. Areas of interest included the use of computer mediated communication (CMC) with pre-service teachers, social presence, teacher presence, community connectedness and online community building.

Current Research:

Bonnie’s Ph.D. research focuses on the use of Digital Storytelling as a method of enhancing student teachers’ ability to be reflective practitioners. The thesis, provisionally entitled “Digital Storytelling and Meaning Making: Critical Reflection, Creativity and Technology in Pre-service Teacher Education”, examines the use of Digital Storytelling as a technology enhanced learning process for pre-service teachers, and investigates how creative ICTs and innovative pedagogies can be combined effectively to enhance reflection, creativity and engagement in learning. Areas of interest include reflection and reflective practice, storytelling and narrative in education, Digital Storytelling, multimedia learning theories, autoethnography in teacher education and pre-service teachers’ use of technology.

Conference Presentations

In February, 2011, Bonnie presented her research to date at the 4 ^th International Digital Storytelling Conference in Lillehammer, Norway at the Create, Share, Listen conference. Her conference presentation and paper are available in the Program section of the conference website.

Special Interest Groups

Bonnie is the facilitator of the Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA) Special Interest Group (SIG) on Digital Storytelling.  The  ILTA  DST SIG has been created in order to facilitate communication, collaboration and resource exchange with Irish and international colleagues interested in Digital Storytelling in education. 

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