Upcoming ISTE Institute
Yesterday, I posted some thoughts on why technology is important to the education of our students. As we approach the ISTE Institute this week, I also find myself thinking about good professional development since that is what our project will focus on.
Professional development too often focuses on the technical skills required of the participants, particularly when it’s technology professional development. This is the problem, because this is where it usually ends - knowledge of the technical skill. In order for professional development to be effective it has to be transformational. This is true especially if we believe that technology can be a catalyst for school change. And in order for it to be transformational it has to be self-directed and reflective. These key elements are built into our Institute project. Many PD programs are structured contrary to this: sessions are typically one-shot deals; there is no assessment, no follow-up, no reflection. And consequently, no transformational learning.
I have also been thinking about the current focus of my job as an instructional technology specialist. And also about how a role shift fits in not only with the research on good professional development practice but also transformational learning. At least 50% of the job should be focused on 10-15 teachers, transforming their thinking about education over the course of the entire school year. After several years, more and more teachers would be transformed into a new way of thinking about teaching and learning with technology. Our plan of the ISTE Institute will hopefully move us in this direction.
I’ve set up a weblog that we’ll be using during the Institute and during the time afterwards that we implement our plan.
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