Professional Development

One of the most frequently visited branches of my PLN (Personal Learning Network) is iLearnTechnology. Recently featured was a post about Mike Summers, who commented that we spend so much time revisiting the same questions about education, learning, and teaching. We all know the answers, but seem unwilling (or unable) to affect the changes necessary. I was so intrigued by the way that Mr. Summers wrote about how frustrating it is to spend time going around and around, how he felt after he read and re-read so many edublogs about the possibilities of educational technology. I will agree with some comments made on his blog and others. Relevant professional development is the key to successful integration of technology into educational settings. If teachers see the inherent value of the technology integration, along with being given the time to explore, see the outcomes, explore the difficulties, and collaborate with others, it will work.


I tell my colleagues that we have to meet our students where they are at and go from there to give them the best educational experience. Administrators have to meet their teachers where they are at and create professional development opportunities that allow teachers at all integration levels to grow their knowledge and experiences. It will and can work.