Professional Development / Internet Integration

This was certainly a topic that provided much fodder for discussion. In my preparation I decided to have a little fun and so I canvassed the teachers and administrators in my building as well as some in a neighbouring Middle School. An educator who believes in their continued professional growth is the 'Commander-in-Chief' or the 'Sarge in Charge' of their edu-world.m
My poll question was:

Do you believe  teachers  are responsible for their professional development, or is administration responsible?

Many teachers believed that they were responsible for their professional advancement (70%) while some believed, administrators included, that administration was(20%). There were a few still on the fence (9%) not sure who was responsible while the jury was still out for some (1%). These teachers stated that they are the ones who need to be intrinsically motivated and so advance their own learning. The Title One Coordinator (Middle School Administrator), remarked that student achievement was an area of concern and if teachers were to be adequately prepared for the challenge, especially with NCLB breathing down their necks; administrators MUST make professional development a priority. She mentioned a professional development system called ProDev that offered courses to teachers in all areas of development from classroom management to technology skills as basic as understanding Microsoft Word. Teachers received credits for professional development and are sometimes offered graduate credit courses. As an added incentive teachers are presented with a 'small gift' at the end of the year if they have 44 or more professional development credits. As a young 4th Grade teacher remarked to me today,'Times have changed. Teachers no longer need to be pushed or prodded to develop themselves. The new breed of teachers want to move up to new and better positions so the desire is intrinsic rather than extrinsic'.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

As I perused the readings, these issues fairly jumped out at me.

• educational leaders must harness the value of information and communications technology and reconsider the goals for technology integration that are focused on student learning. Ultimately student learning outcomes is the measuring stick of all new programs. If there is no growth, the program is unnecessary.
• Educators must align their tech skills to standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction and provide multiple learning environments. Here enters the Web 2.0 tools for classroom use.
• Fayetteville School District has the 'right ' attitude; they believe technology infusion is for the teacher as well as the students and although NCLB is a driving force behind decisions in education, they believe it is NOT just about the test. I applaud this; students must be prepared for the world at large not just for 'passing' a test.
• Henrico County went further to educating their board on technology, not just the teachers - they believe it is not just about the tool, it is about instruction. It is the process of creation and collaboration among and between learners (students as well as teachers).
• Blogs and digital portfolios being used by students was a much discussed topic. Personally I'd like to see more school districts infusing technology use in classrooms by unblocking some of these Web 2.0 sites and help teachers truly educate their students beyond the classroom.

Dr. Scott McLeod's Slide - Reaction

A very powerful question.  One comment I agreed with was Linda's. She spoke of students being BORED who did not wish to be lectured but needs to be engaged. Students are actively involved in technology outside of school and so as educators, we need to extend that knowledge, not power them down when they enter our classroom doors.

Personal Story

In 2008, when I just came to this country; I came in as a great teacher; always teaching because I was not exposed to the type of technology I was being asked to use. I just didn't know how. I did not have Promethean boards or smart boards in my classroom back home. One day I was going through an Science lesson and my observer commented to be at the end that it was a good lesson but I was lecturing too much. I was crushed because I thought I was impressing her with my 'teaching skills'. That incident opened my eyes to what the American classroom was all about - engaging learners, differentiating instruction, using technology based lessons and overall catering to the needs of every learner.  I got empowerment from the criticism and launched myself into learning all I could learn and applying it in my classroom.

My growth speaks for itself. I'm now equipped with so much that I would say to anyone, a classroom cannot survive in this day and age without technology. Children are living in a digital world and in order to advance this we must embrace it and pass it on as one of the best legacies we could give to our students.