The Digital Story: Designing Professional Development in Technology Integration for Teachers (original) (raw)
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Review of Educational Research, 2007
The literature base on technology professional development for teachers reveals that there is a long way to go in understanding methods of effective practice with respect to the various impacts of these activities on teaching and learning. In the No Child Left Behind era, with programs like Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology, the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education, and E-rate (the schools and library portion of the Universal Service Fund) that have been targeted as No Demonstrated Results, we need to move to a more systematic study of how technology integration occurs within our schools, what increases its adoption by teachers, and the long-term impacts that these investments have on both teachers and students. In addition to the findings of a comprehensive literature review, this article also articulates a systematic evaluation plan that, if implemented, will likely yield the information needed to better understand these important educational issues.
Transforming Classroom Practice: Technology Professional Development that Works!
Teaching and Learning
Technology professional development workshops primarily focus on technical skill training, and these skills are often taught out of context and seem remote from classroom practice. How can educators learn how to teach with technology in a variety of disciplinary areas so that their professional learning experiences are considered valuable and are readily integrated into their teaching practice? This paper presents a professional development workshop model, called the TPACK-based Professional Learning Design Model (PLDM), that is a practical and efficient method for engaging teachers and teacher candidates in the development of tech-enhanced teaching practice. The workshop model uses four specific types of professional development experiences to promote teaching with technology, rather than teaching the technology, with the goal that teachers leave the workshop being able to understand how to integrate one tech-enhanced activity into their own daily instructional practices.
Background: Presently, models of professional development aimed at supporting teachers’ technology integration efforts are often short and decontextualized. With many schools across the country utilizing standards that require students to engage with digital tools, a situative model that supports building teachers’ knowledge within their classrooms is needed. Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers’ instructional planning and delivery, as well as their perceptions of their proficiency with technology integration, changed when they participated in a model of technology-focused professional development titled the Technology Integration Planning Cycle Model of Professional Development. The researchers also examined the relationship between students’ (N = 1,335) digital literacy skills and teachers’ participation in the Technology Integration Planning Cycle Model of Professional Development. Program: The TIPC Model of PD comprised whole-group professional development sessions, long-range planning, access to instructional coaches, professional learning communities, digital tool resources, observations with reflections, and a comprehensive project website. Research Design: This mixed-methods study combined numerous quantitative and qualitative data sources and data analysis techniques to answer the research questions. Pre- and posttest comparisons were used to examine changes in students’ digital literacy skills and changes in teachers’ perceptions of their pedagogical expertise for integrating digital technology. Daily diaries, classroom observations, interviews, and field notes were analyzed to understand the role of the professional development in teachers’ instructional planning and their perceptions of their proficiency. Findings: Results indicate that students in classrooms with participant teachers performed significantly better on a digital literacy assessment, the Survey of Internet Use and Online Reading, than did control group students. Selective exposure to digital tools, professional learning communities, and opportunities for reflection were the most transformative elements of this model for teachers. Teachers were better prepared to envision their roles in the classroom and the purposes for integrating technology because of the TIPC framework. Conclusions: The results of this study provide important implications for professional development, particularly in regard to (1) providing a model in which to ground discussion and application of technology integration; (2) situating digital tools within context-driven instruction; and (3) using multiple modes of teacher engagement. Full Citation: Hutchison, A., & Woodward, L. (2018). Examining the technology integration planning cycle model of professional development to support teachers’ instructional practices. Teachers College Record, 120(10).
Examining the factors of a technology professional development intervention
This article discusses technology integration literature used to guide the design and implementation of a technology professional development intervention (TPDI) for secondary education teachers. Qualitative multiple-case research methods were used to examine teachers’ perceptions of the TPDI factors to provide a deeper understanding of which factors teachers’ perceived to be beneficial to the quality of the TPDI. A content analysis methodology was used to compare teachers’ perceptions at two different phases throughout the study: Phase 1: while participating in the TPDI and, Phase 2: after transferring the knowledge and skills taught in the TPDI to teaching practice. The results demonstrated seven beneficial factors to include when designing technology curriculum for adult learners: relevant, learning, access, reactions, interactions, clear and easy, and instructor. While this study examined a specific TPDI, the instructional design incorporated factors rooted in constructivist design principles, making the implications of the findings relevant to the instructional design of technology learning environments for higher education and business environments.
Designing effective professional development for technology integration in schools
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2019
This study aims to explore the critical factors for effective professional development (PD) activities to support teachers' technology integration and suggests a design model: flipped PD. The following questions are investigated: What are the core features of effective teacher PD, what are the implications of core features in effective technology integration PD, and what are the best practices for designing a flipped PD model for preparing teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms? First, we discuss the core features of effective teacher PD: content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, collective participation, and the role of context. Second, we explore design factors in recent technology integration PD studies: learner centred, relevance and reflection, evidence of student learning, support and follow-up, student voice, and initial implementation with teacher leaders. Finally, we present a discussion of our recommendations for a flipped model for technology integration PD.
A Professional Learning Model Supporting Teachers to Integrate Digital Technologies
Issues in Educational Research, 2018
Contemporary teachers have an obligation to support and scaffold students’ learning in digital technologies and to do this in authentic contexts. In order for teachers to be successful in this, their own competency in digital technologies needs to be high, and their own 21st century learning skills of communication, collaboration, creativity and problem solving need to be well honed. Teachers are challenged to understand not only the associated digital pedagogical practices and content knowledge, but also to be familiar with how the technology components can be best used to support learning (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2013). This paper reports on a 2016 pilot project that incorporated the key components of highly effective teacher professional learning to leverage transformational change: on-site, over-time, through a community of practice and building the confidence and competence of teachers to implement the digital technologies curriculum (Jimoyiannis, 2010; Rodrigues, 2005; W...
2012
Using a comparative case study design, this paper explores the impacts of two technology-related professional development (TTPD) designs, aimed at helping teachers design classroom activities using the wealth of resources available on the Internet. The case study is part of a larger mixedmethod study involving 36 teachers and over 1,200 students. Using the lens of curricular adaption, we analyzed the experiences of two teachers from each of the two TTPD designs in terms of the kinds of instructional activities teachers designed, how these were supported with online resources, and teachers' perceptions of impact on student learning. Findings suggested that participants used a variety of personally relevant design strategies when applying TTPD concepts to their contexts. In particular, the teachers discussed how they tailored instruction to fit student needs and their interests, and how they incorporated instructional games, simulations, and interactive resources to enhance motivation and provide self-paced instruction. Finding also helped clarify results from the quantitative study by highlighting differences between the designed artifacts and subsequent classroom implementations.