Topic Inquiry Blog Post 3: Supporting Teachers Learning ICT (to teach curriculum, as active learning pedagogy, to teach each other)
As ICT changes in the field of education and social media, many teachers are trying to keep up with the ever changing ICT hardware and software that is available to them. Many teachers are often overwhelmed by the amount of information and tools out there for them to use. Being overwhelmed often leads to anxiety and lack of use. Let’s face it teachers are busy and do not have the time to spend hours on end “looking for shortcuts or support.” That being said, teachers cannot let themselves fall behind in the modern world and watch the changes around them, instead of being part of that change. Becoming obsolete should not be an option, especially when we are ever so concerned over both job security and of course preparing our students for that outside modern world in which we live in.
Teachers are a diverse group of professional and even though our basic education is similar, our comfort level, liking, and knowledge of ICT widely vary. In addition the way we work, where we work, and what we have access to at work also vary widely. Many teachers are often hindered by the schools lack of resources and overbearing policies to adapt their teaching styles to ICT. Then at the other extreme we have teachers who have all the ICT they can handle and either learn as they go or fall prey to anxiety and ignorance.
What should really happen in an optimal world is that administration and policy makers actually ask for teacher input, since we are the ones on the frontline and will be the ones to teach the ICT and teach with it. However since this inclusion may not happen anytime soon (or at all) for the moment, admin must train their teachers in ICT. ICT is a skill set and it requires training and professional development time. ICT is skills set, as is learning how to differentiate, run literature circles, or learn to how set up and run an inquiry-based class or project. There should be professional development (PD) from both outside and inside the school. From the outside experts are called in to help teach staff how to use the ICT available at the school that teachers will be expected to learn (i.e. becoming a Mac school or having SMART boards). Inside the school there should be PD for learning new software that all staff will need to know and use (i.e. PowerSchool, Moodle, or Atlas Rubicon). There should also be PD time allowed for internal workshops between either grade levels, or subject departments. Another internal PD session could be the staff hosting various common-like groups (i.e. eReaders, blogs, website design, Photoshop, etcetera). I am a firm believer that “Teachers Talking To Teachers” is PD (I have personally learned so much from having TWO professionally trained actors in my departments to share and help out).
In the end admin need to support the teachers in their ICT learning in order for the teachers to then take that learning and apply their ICT skills in a more authentic and positive way in the classroom.
It is important to read what is being written by educational researchers and education professionals on the kinds of supports teachers need to to teach with ICT. Historically teachers have passively waited for administration to provide them with the training and skills development that they need to incorporate ICT into their professional skills and knowledge. However, in most professional fields, acquisition of professional skills and knowledge is generally considered the purview of the professional – for example, every professional has unique strengths and challenges, how would an administrator know what professional development would be appropriate for any individual educator? There has been an attempt, over decades, to provide ICT Pro D to teachers and it has resulted in a profound lack of development or efficacious teacher beliefs about ICT in their profession. If teachers want to be considered professional educators rather than technological curriculum deliverers, they are going to have to take responsibility for their own professional development, including ICT.