Teacher Professional Development and Technology

Teacher professional development is a key component of any educator’s success in the classroom.  For many teachers, participating in professional development is a requirement for maintaining a teaching license.  There are many different methods that teachers can use to obtain professional development in a variety of curricular areas.  One of the methods that is gaining popularity is using online sources.  Teachers can use online resources to participate in professional development.  This can be a good choice as it offers teachers the flexibility of getting what they need when it is needed.  Many teachers use online sources because it saves both time and money.  Because teacher professional development is such an important part of the educational system, it is only natural that the methodology that is used to obtain professional development be studied and reported upon.

                As teachers look for professional development opportunities that will help them meet their curricular goals, they may also consider the method used to obtain the instruction as important.  Utilizing online sources may then offer the teachers the added benefit of seeing how they can incorporate educational technology into their classes as well.  In the first article read, “Professional Development 2.0:  Transforming Teacher Education Pedagogy with 21^st Century Tools”, the authors undertook a study which they hoped would expand their knowledge of using collaborative approaches in the classrooms.  Too often, teachers are constrained by old teaching paradigms and need to see the benefit in how new emerging technologies can be used in both teaching and learning.  Many faculty members are considered “digital immigrants”, those who are not native to using educational technology in their daily teaching lives.  Unfortunately, they are teaching digital natives and must alter their teaching paradigms enough to make use of technology and provide effective instruction to their students (Archambault et al, 2010). Technology offers many ways to reach students’ today.  The use of Web 2.0, or online resources that offer students and teachers the chance to not only read what is on the web, but to write and modify or create as well.  For this study, the researchers found that of the teachers surveyed, most felt like they could not only effectively participate in online environments, but could become facilitators so that their students could use the online resources more appropriately.  The teachers felt that the biggest difference was that learning about technology is very different than learning what to do with the technology in an instructional setting.

                While the use of Web 2.0 applications can be very powerful in a classroom setting, there are still many reasons why teachers don’t feel comfortable using them in the curriculum with students.  In the second article read, the issues of digital natives vs. digital immigrants is the underlying thought process as to why teachers do not feel like they are able to use technology, specifically Web 2.0 in the classrooms.  Convincing teachers that there are better ways to teach to reach more learners requires a carefully designed professional development experience and teachers need to know that there is a positive end result.  Helping them feel comfortable in an online environment and determining if there was a specific subject or grade level in which teachers felt more at ease teaching and learning in an online environment seems to hold great impact in their future technology experiences.  Teachers need a clear idea on not only what to do with technology, but more specifics in how to use the technology (Holmes, et al, 2010).  For many this is too challenging and they do not use technology to the fullest potential in the classroom.  There are many tools at a teacher’s disposal everyday and only those which can be seamlessly integrated into the everyday lessons are going to hold the most promise. 

                Teachers know that one of the biggest draws to getting students involved is to make sure they are active participants in their own learning.  A good constructivist learning environment allows for students to collaborate with others and create content that demonstrates they are growing their knowledge base.  The last article that was read entitled, “Editorial:  Examining Social Software in Teacher Education”, once again points out that software, specifically social software like Facebook or MySpace, can play an important role in both teacher education and ongoing professional development.  The author does not dismiss the potential negatives with using this software in a classroom setting and perhaps it is important to realize that not all technology tools and applications should have a prominent role in a classroom.  It still comes down to teachers knowing their learners and understanding how to use technology to reach those learners.  Finally, this article gives an important rationale for allowing students (and teachers) to “publish artifacts of their learning” and that these artifacts can then “promote feedback and reflection” (Ferdig, 2007).

                As with any example of how technology might be used in a classroom, the important distinction is that teachers are prepared, been properly trained, and have the correct support on a regular basis.  In the future, we will definitely see more professional development take place online and that can only further enhance the experiences that teachers can provide for students.  There are many ways that technology can be used to have students collaborate with each other and then create content to share with a greater audience.  Having the support and guidance of a teacher who has been properly trained in using these tools can make the difference in student learning success.

Resources:

Archambault, L., Wetzel, K., Foulger, T. S., & Williams, M. (2010). Professional Development 2.0: Transforming Teacher Education Pedagogy with 21st Century Tools. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education, 27(1), 4-11.

Ferdig, R. E. (2007, February). Editorial: Examining Social Software in Teacher Education. Journal of Technology & Teacher Education. pp. 5-10.

Holmes, A., Signer, B., & MacLeod, A. (2010). Professional Development at a Distance: A Mixed-Method Study Exploring Inservice Teachers' Views on Presence Online. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education, 27(2), 76-85.

Multiple Intelligence Theory

Howard Gardner set his sights on changing the way that intelligence is looked at.  He considered the view of a single general intelligence (“g”) as outdated and unable to account for some of the issues he was encountering as he studied individuals who had suffered from some sort of brain injury.  While his perspective was mainly that from a psychological standpoint, his theory of Multiple Intelligences soon became a “beacon of light” for educators around the world. 

                Gardner has designated at least 8 different intelligences that he believes (and in his opinion, empirical research has proven) exist in each individual.  Those intelligences include:  linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natural intelligence.  He continues to question the existence of a ninth intelligence, existential intelligence.  In order for an intelligence to “qualify” it must meet a series of criteria.  These criteria include:  the potential for brain isolation by brain damage, its place in evolutionary history, the presence of core operations, susceptibility to encoding, a distinct developmental progression, the existence of idiot-savants, prodigies and other exceptional people, support from experimental psychology, and support from psychometric findings. (Gardner, 1983)

                Because educators grasped so quickly onto Gardner’s theory and looked for ways that it might impact what was going on in the classroom, it seems natural that we should look to see how Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences might apply to educational technology use in schools.  Gardner believes that technology is “a tool, not positive or negative” (Weiss, 2000) and believes that the use of technology in the classroom can allow for different intelligences to be “showcased” in a variety of ways.  For example, someone who exhibits a strong musical intelligence, might be highly engaged when they’re using a computer program to compose music.  Likewise, someone who is strongly intelligence in logical-mathematical intelligence, might enjoy creating a new computer program or modifying existing programming through the use of Open Source Software.  Just using the Internet might expand upon interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences due to the very collaborative nature of online resources now available.  There are numerous other ways in which multiple intelligences may be strengthened by using educational technology resources.

                Gardner cautions against seeing the multiple intelligence theory as a “educational prescription” that will cure what is wrong with students in the educational system (Gardner, 2006).  Rather, he envisions his theory as a platform for understanding about how education is to be designed for student understanding.  If teachers are using the theory correctly in the classroom, students will be given the opportunity to demonstrate or show their learning in a fashion that best suits their strengths.  Similarly, he believes that the assessment practices currently in place in the United States need to be looked at closely for their connection to multiple intelligences. 

                One of Gardner’s fundamental assumptions about his theory is that there is a relationship between genetics and culture.  Without the culture valuing a particular intelligence(s), it will not be important to the child.  Our educational systems are products of the cultures in which we live.  The role of technology in the educational system is also a by-product of our cultural value.  As we move forward, it seems apparent that technology is not going away and as educators, it is our responsibility to ensure that students are given opportunity and experiences to best use their intelligences in their learning.  It is through this design that Gardner believes that his multiple intelligence theory can make the greatest impact.  He reminds his readers that it is especially important that we not allow technology to not dictate the uses, but rather, the educator and the student. (Gardner, 1999)

 

Resources:

 

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind. Basic Books:  New York.

Gardner, H. (1999). The disciplined mind. Penguin Books: New York.

Gardner, H. (2006). Multiple intelligences. Basic Books: New York.

Weiss, R. (2000). Howard Gardner Talks About Technology. Training & Development, 54(9), 52.