http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/03/14/Getting-Teachers-Up-to-Speed-with-Technology.aspx?Page=2
Preparing teachers for using technology is the most important part of integrating technology into the classroom otherwise technology either doesn't get used or isn't used to transform the classroom. This article provided several ways to bring teachers up to speed with technology.
The first idea is to provide many different angles to teaching them how to use the technology. Lectures, videos, and projects were just a few of the ways that were used to show teachers how to use a specific technology.
Using the technology as an incentive was another way of actually getting teachers to the training. Teachers are more likely to attend a training if they don't receive the technology until after they have been trained with it.
Open-ended projects were useful in pushing teachers outside of their comfort zone and forcing them to come up with ideas about how to use the technology. There is exciting and enthusiasm when you come up with an idea yourself.
Another suggestion was to not force technology too fast on teachers. Many teachers do not have the time to learn and create new lessons. Small steps and peer collaboration can go a long way to helping them ease into using technology into their classroom.
I do really like the idea of open-ended projects for teachers to explore new technology much like we have our students do. Exploring creates ownership of the material and that produces a much more successful learning environment. Exploring through collaboration enhances learning even beyond that.
I have seen first hand what overwhelming teachers with technology looks like. I think we need a diversified approach to teaching technology. Just like in our classrooms we have different types of learners and different starting points for each learner. This is how we should approach professional development versus a one size fits all lecture that leaves some overwhelmed and some bored out of their mind.
In our district I believe we have shifted in just the last few years to a more collaborative, exploratory view of professional development. I would like to see more diversified learning opportunities for learning new material because while collaboration is great, some tools need to be presented or scaffolded before learners can wrap their mind around what they are getting into.
I also like the idea, that a teacher does not get the device until they have been trained on it! It is pointless to just hand something to a teacher and expect them to figure it out on their own. (You wouldn't do that with a student, right?) For some teachers, it will just sit and gather dust. Or for some teachers who want to use the device, they might play around with it and either give up if they hit a road block or they are not tech savvy or decide to put it off until later. There are many reasons!! I also like the idea of starting small and to not overwhelm teachers. That is how I work-once I figure something out, I want to master that before I move on to the next thing or before I teach it.
ReplyDeleteI agree about not giving the tech to teachers until after the training.
ReplyDeleteI also like the "Open-ended projects were useful in pushing teachers outside of their comfort zone " point of view. I think this is the best approach. Also, like the analogy to RTI :)
The part of the article that stands out most for me is the learning through collaboration. I have read so many articles about teaching technology in small groups or through the use of professional learning teams. To me, it makes so much more sense to have use small collaborative groups where teachers can explore and learn the technology that works for them rather than to be stuck in a large group setting trying to learn technology that may not even apply to them.
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