The Importance of Professional Development
“I tried some technologies where I would broadcast my lecture in the event that a student couldn’t make it to class but I found that they weren’t being as responsible as they should be with paying attention to those details. I offered the opportunity to post things and they could download it on their i-phone and listen to the lecture on their way home on the bus but I didn’t find that my class really…well they didn’t do it. Ultimately I put a quiz at the end of that podcast and presented it the next day in class and nobody had ever seen those questions.” Teacher A, Interview January 2012
This statement brought to light the fact that there is an apparent gap between the technologies that are available and their usefulness in the classroom. What is happening? Jamieson (2004) explains,“(t)he widespread adoption of online teaching and learning environments within universities represents a major realignment of the institution’s organizational identity – historically derived from the traditional architecture and pedagogy associated with learning on-campus. In turn, this development creates an immediate need for suitably resourced and targeted professional development for academics” (p. 26). Apparently there has been a lag between what is available and what is now happening in the institution and what we, as teachers, are actually prepared for. Teachers, such as Teacher A above, are jumping in with both feet to save a drowning victim without first learning how to swim. The intention is an honest and a good one but the result is not.
In addition to this Laferrière (2006) says, “(t)eaching challenging content and process to learners who bring diverse experiences in a globalized world requires teachers who can create powerful learning situations using emerging devices, tools, media, and virtual environments. Primarily, e-learning is not just about using new tools to do old things; it is about calling upon the best of teacher educators’ knowledge to improve teachers’ ways of understanding teaching and learning. Nevertheless, teacher education needs to model new designs for more powerful learning environments for teacher learning” (p. 86). To make matters even more complicated, our students are becoming more technologically savvy. This raises the bar for educators to be more knowledgeable about and competent with the tools they introduce in the classroom. The mistake sometimes made here is to assume that students can simply be given access to educational technology without proper guidance and instruction from the teacher. The student will likely be able to master the use of the technology; however, the lesson the teacher is trying to achieve (assuming there was one) will be entirely lost.
Balancing the Budget
There is only so much time and money to go around in the world of education. Jamieson (2004) recognizes that the demands and pressures on teachers and their time are ever growing. For this reason he strongly suggests that professional development be implemented at the local level “in a directly work practice-embedded way” (p. 26). He does not give away too much more information but he does make it clear that trying to educate the educators “en masse” likely will not work.
What Does Professional Development for Teachers Look Like?
“Workshops are available on a monthly basis for us to sign up for; many of the tools that we are using every day for our grading or our delivery of the material. It depends on the subject that you teach what tool is going to be most beneficial. I was thrilled that they taught me how to use the (electronic) whiteboard or some short cuts on PowerPoint. Things are always evolving so it’s important that they offer that as different software packages become available on the computer as well.” Teacher A, Interview January 2012
Teacher A recognized that professional development for educational technologies needs to be relevant to the teacher (and the students).
Pedagogy
There needs to be an understanding that a change of pedagogy is required. Muwanga-Zake (2008) asserts that “a change from a behaviourist use of a chalkboard to a constructivist utilisation of an Interactive White Board (IWB) incorporates a change of tools and technical skills as well as a shift of pedagogy” (p. 285). Not only do teachers need to be experts at using the tool but they also need to change the way they have been doing things. Many authors advocate for the use of constructivist strategies and authentic activities to get the most out educational technologies (Resnick & Wilensky, 1999; Edelson, 2001; Linn, Clark & Slotta, 2003; Winn, 2003; Knuth & Hartmann, 2005; Pellegrino & Brophy, 2008). Students must be guided or mentored in order to reach the “new social cognitive heights and possibilities” envisioned by Sugar & Bonk (1998, p. 152).
Technology Training
It seems almost impossible to educate teachers individually on the technological tool of their choice; however, this is precisely what Jamieson (2004) suggests. Many of the online educational technologies now incorporate a training component involving the use of the system as well as how to implement it in the classroom or a sample lesson plan (e.g. Geometer’s Sketchpad). The availability of training, in particular FREE training, is something to consider when searching for a technology to implement in the classroom. It is also important to raise the issue of training for specific technologies with the institution rather than waiting for the institution to decide what training to provide.
TPACK
Khan (2010) describes the TPACK Framework for teaching with technology. In order to get the most out of teaching with technology educators must have an equal and thorough understanding of the content, the technology, and the pedagogy that best suits the learning. When it comes to professional development and the use of educational technologies, Khan (2010) advocates for “more prescriptive recommendations from best-practice research” (p. 217).
The Delivery of Professional Development
Professional development for educational technology should be happening in a structured, defined manner, and on an ongoing basis. According to Archambauld et al. (2010) “technology-related faculty development should include an awareness of what the specific type of technology has to offer with relationship to learning, the chance to explore the integration of technology into the curriculum, time to learn and apply it to teaching, and, finally, a reflection on the outcomes of the teaching” (p. 11). Often the focus of educational technologies is simply on its technical use if it is paid any attention at all. Most professional development hours are given to topics that apply to the majority of teachers.
Social Networking
Some teachers have taken it upon themselves to create sites on which to discuss and share ideas about specific technologies. This is an excellent way in which to attain the knowledge and skills required.
Online Tools/Online Examples
Many educational technologies that are available online now include a professional development component and lesson plans (as mentioned previously). Although some of the sites may provide services free of charge, consideration must be given to the fact that teachers must devote an enormous amount of time and effort to learn the technology and how to BEST implement it into the classroom. This is not a one-time effort as technologies are ever-changing. Professional development in any capacity is life-long and ongoing. Professional development for the use of educational technologies should given the recognition that it is due.
Which Technologies Should We Choose?
“The different kinds of technologies you see in the classroom, students are generally ambivalent toward them. There is an initial cool factor if you’re using something that is whiz-bang and they’ll say ‘that’s really neat’ but sometimes it even distracts them from the point you’re trying to make and the actual learning they have to do. And once they’re over that cool factor technology just becomes another tool that a teacher can use to try to have the students learn what they need to learn.” Teacher B, Interview January 2012
The concern here is not only with the novelty factor that is associated with anything new in the classroom but also with the vast (infinite?) number of technologies that are available for use. Technologies should be exciting to use should they not? And not only for the student but also for the teacher? Samawarickwema et al. (2010) say, “(s)taff development relating to Web 2.0 technologies must not only enthuse teachers about the pedagogical value of the environment, but also provide opportunities to make appropriate technological choices. Giving staff the opportunity to experience new learning spaces was advantageous for supporting informed design of collaborative learning experiences for their students. As one participant commented, experience in the virtual space helped to do this by ‘contextualis[ing] how social software could be used for teaching’” (p. 48). In this article, teachers were given the opportunity to practice with the technology that they planned to use in the classroom. This is an obvious exercise but also one that raises the question: “Where do we find the time?” Assuming we have the time, some important aspects to assess when choosing a technology are its ease of use, its cost, and its ability to fulfill pedagogical needs (e.g. Does the technology promote active, collaborative learning?).
The Result: Meaningful Learning
Careful selection and implementation of educational technologies that promote active, constructivist learning in a collaborative, learner-centred environment will result in deeper learning and a better understanding of math and science concepts (Resnick & Wilensky, 1999; Edelson, 2001; Linn, Clark & Slotta, 2003; Winn, 2003; Knuth & Hartmann, 2005; Pellegrino & Brophy, 2008). As educators, it is our job now to search for the “perfect” technologies. It is also up to us to urge our institutions to support us and to compensate us for the extra time required to put those technologies into practice in the classroom.
References
Archambauld, L., Wetzel, K., Foulger, T., & Williams, K. (2010). Professional development 2.0: Transforming teacher education pedagogy with 21st century tools. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 27(1), 4-11.
Edelson, D.C. (2001). Learning-for-use: A framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(3), 355-385.
Jamieson, P. (2004). The university as workplace: Preparing lecturers to teach in online environments. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 5(1), 21-27.
Khan, S. (2010). New pedagogies for teaching with computer simulations. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(3), 215-232.
Knuth, E. J. & Hartmann, C.E. (2005). Using technology to foster students’ mathematical understandings and intuitions. In Masalaski, W.J, & Elliott, P.C. (Eds.). (2005). Technology-supported mathematics learning environments, (pp. 151-165). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Laferrière, T., Lamon, M., & Chan, C. (2006). Emerging trends and models in teacher education and professional development. Teaching Education, 17(1), 75-90.
Linn, M., Clark, D., & Slotta, J. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integration. Science Education, 87(4), 517-538.
Muwanga-Zake, J. (2008). Framing professional development in information and communication technologies: University perspectives. 7, 285-298.
Pellegrino, J.W. & Brophy, S. (2008). From cognitive theory to instructional practice: Technology and the evolution of anchored instruction. In Ifenthaler, Pirney-Dunner, & J.M. Spector (Eds.) Understanding models for learning and instruction, New York: Springer Science + Business Media, pp. 277-303.
Resnick, M., & Wilensky, U. (1999). Thinking in levels: A dynamic systems approach to making sense of the world. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 8(1), 3-19.
Samawarickwema, G., Benson, R., & Brack, C. (2010). Different spaces: Staff development for Web 2.0. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(1), 44-49.
Sugar, W. A., & Bonk, C.J. (1998). Student role play in the World Forum: Analyses of an Arctic adventure learning apprenticeship. In C.J. Bonk & K.S. King (Eds.), Electronic collaborators: Learner-centered technologies for literacy, apprenticeship & discourse (pp. 131-155). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114.
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