| Technology and
Professional Development
Just as technology improves student
achievement, it enhances professional development
practices for educators. For states, school districts
and schools across the country, technology is a critical
tool that can be used to provide access to coursework
and materials enabling teachers to become “highly
qualified”.
Technology Helps Teachers
Meet Professional Requirements
NCLB requires public elementary and
secondary school teachers meet their state’s
definition of “highly qualified teacher”
for each core academic subject they teach. Technology
can help teachers earn degrees, state certifications,
and competencies in core academic subjects. A number
of states and professional organizations now offer
convenient e-learning opportunities for teachers.
Technology makes it cost-effective for states to provide
large-scale, consistent training that responds to
public priorities.
For example:
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Florida Online Reading Professional
Development (FOR-PD) is a free, online staff development
project designed to help teachers improve reading
instruction for students in grades PK through
12. FOR-PD translates scientifically based research
practices into engaging multimedia content for
all teachers—not just reading teachers.
By February 2005, FOR-PD had trained more than
16,000 teachers in 67 Florida school districts.
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Black Hills State University and
Northern State University in South Dakota offer
an associate of science degree in paraprofessional
education. This degree, which allows current or
prospective educators to complete a curriculum
developed to fulfill the NCLB requirements for
K-12 paraprofessional educators, is offered completely
by distance education using a variety of delivery
methods. Earning this degree will also permit
students to enroll in a four-year degree program
at an institution of higher education. |
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The Concord Consortium and PBS
have joined forces to offer professional development
for under-qualified and pre-qualified algebra
teachers. The project offers online courses that
include video clips, hands-on activities, and
discussion moderated by a trained facilitator
to convey information about effective teaching
strategies. |
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Louisiana’s Algebra I Online
Learning Project, a pilot project of the Louisiana
Virtual School, targets rural and urban schools
with one or more sections of Algebra I taught
by an uncertified mathematics teacher. The program
pairs these classroom teachers with certified,
online teachers who provide yearlong instruction
to students and face-to-face and online mentoring
support to classroom teachers. Districts benefit
by having certified math teachers providing online
instruction, classroom teachers benefit from the
strong professional development that can lead
to certification, and students benefit from access
to high-quality, technology-supported Algebra
I courses. |
Technology Improves Professional
Development and Classroom Practices
Technology is also a way to enrich the
curriculum and improve classroom practices for teachers.
Here are some best practices:
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Intel Teach to the Future is one
of the largest ongoing, technology-oriented professional
development programs in the country. Between 2000
and 2003, the program trained 100,000 K–12
teachers to integrate technology into curriculum
and instruction. The program had four specific
results, according to a program evaluation: |
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Teachers feel prepared to
integrate technology into classroom practices.
Hands-on technology training gave even “technophobes”
confidence in using technology with students.
Teachers’ positive ratings of the
training indicate that it was a productive
experience with specific, useful outcomes
for them. |
| • |
Teachers do something new
when they return to their classrooms. Large
numbers of teachers used the plans they
developed during their training—and
went on to experiment on their own with
technology integration and project-based
teaching and learning strategies. |
| • |
Infusing technology into
classroom practices was focused and sustained
over time. Teachers see value in integrating
technology into classroom practices, so
they continue to do so. |
| • |
Trained teachers became Master
Teachers—district-level technology
leaders with a deep understanding of how
technology can be used to support instruction.
(Martin, et al., 2004) |
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| • |
The Regional Educational Technology
Assistance (RETA) initiative in New Mexico offers
professional development to teachers in virtually
all of the state’s 89 school districts as
well as in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools and
in private and parochial schools. The initiative
provides teachers with a variety of curriculum
resources on the Web, CD-ROM, and public television.
A 2004 study of the RETA initiative shows statistically
significant increases in teacher practices in
these, among other, areas: |
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Developing curriculum that
includes computers; |
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Using technology tools such
as the Web, e-mail, spreadsheet, database,
CD-ROM reference materials, and other education
software applications with their students; |
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Engaging students in project-based
work; |
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Engaging students in presentation
of student work using technology; |
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Engaging some or all of their
students, rather than just one, in a technology-related
activity. (Martin, et al., 2003) |
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In California, 92 percent of middle
school teachers trained through a state program
report moderate to high use of technology to enrich
and expand the curriculum. Some 56 percent report
that they are integrating technology into the
curriculum, up from 30 percent before the training
under the No Child Left Behind, Enhancing Education
Through Technology program. Even in the early
stages of implementation, 63 percent of teachers
reported some evidence of academic improvement
among students, and 14 percent reported major
evidence of academic improvement. (Cradler, et
al., 2004) |
Citations
Cradler, John; Cradler, Ruthmary; Beuthel,
Bob; Freeman, Molly; Cradler, Dan.
“No Child Left Behind, Enhancing Education Through
Technology: Summary Report on the Implementation,
Use of Support Resources, and Initial Impact of the
California EETT Round One Competitive Grants.”
Educational Support Systems, Inc., July 2004.
Martin, Wendy; Hupert, Naomi, Cult,
Katie McMillan; Kanaya, Tomoe; and Light, Daniel.
“Intel® Teach to the Future Summary of Evaluation
Findings, 2002–2003: U.S. Classic Program Implementation.”
Center for Children & Technology, June 2004.
http://www2.edc.org/CCT/admin/publications/report/IntelTTTFClassic_3yr04.pdf
Martin, Wendy; Hupert, Naomi; and Admon,
Noga. “The RETA Initiative: Year 5 Evaluation
Report.” Center for Children & Technology,
September 15, 2003.
http://www2.edc.org/CCT/admin/publications/report/RETAInitiativeYear5Evaluati.pdf
“No Child Left Behind: A Toolkit
for Teachers.” U.S. Department of Education,
May 2004. http://www.ed.gov/teachers/nclbguide/nclb-teachers-toolkit.pdf
Web Sites
http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/forpd
http://rtt.pbs.org/rtt/index.cfm
http://lvsportal.doe.state.la.us/?algebra
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