Change
In The New Meaning of Educational Change, change expert Michael Fullan: “Educational change depends on what teachers do and think—it’s as simple and as complex as that.”
Fullan goes on to describe three components in implementing any new program or policy: new revised materials; new teaching approaches; alteration of beliefs. The end goal is for teachers to change their beliefs about what a classroom should look like and how it should operate effectively. It is important to address each of these areas, providing appropriate access to technology, as well as professional development that addresses how to use the technology effectively in teaching practice. As the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) study discovered, “Technology in and of itself will not change education; what matters is how it is used.” If professional development is effective, teachers observe and think about new and effective ways of delivering instruction, thereby increasing the chances that their own teaching changes to model those new methods, in this case, using the new materials of technology.
Professional development is key!
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