Web+2.0+-+Chapter+5


 * Professional Development**

The chapter begins by discussing the issues with professional development and the effectiveness of technology integration. Research indicates that technology integration is not happening to the degree to which it should be given the amount of resources and professional development that have been provided to educators. There has been little to no significant change in educational practice on a large scale.

//This research seems to be representative of AG's issues with technology integration into classroom instruction - not as much as we had anticipated given the resources and training. As a result, we are evaluating the effectiveness of both our use of technology and our professional development practices related to it and looking for ways to improve both.//

This chapter recommends strategies to improve professional development opportunities with the goal of significantly improved technology integration. First the authors state that we must "meet them where they are." (pg 100) They promote differentiated instruction for teachers! But more importantly, they describe the need for and how to create "communities of practice" - looking at learning as a process of participation that takes place within a specific context. (pg 103) Joint enterprise (purpose), mutual engagement (common activities) and shared repertoire (artifacts) are goals of a community of practice. Trena Noval (www.techLearning.com) describes ways to keep members of the learning community energized:
 * create an environment of trust
 * eliminate confusion
 * create productive dialog - use interactive learning
 * provide opportunities to share
 * give constructive feedback and support

//We should look at the characteristics listed above and use the to gage the effectiveness and improve our ITLT program, as well as other professional development opportunities. Are we providing differentiated instructional experience for our teachers? I plan to use these strategies as I plan for House/Family curriculum planning meetings at AGI and PLE//.

The chapters also discuss the use of social networking strategies to develop alternative forms of professional develop, which demonstrating how teachers might use the applications with students. Examples are given for the use of blogs, podcasting and wikis. These offer opportunities for individualized professional development //on demand//.

The authors stress that the use of technology must a fundamental goal for both administrators and teachers for the professional development experiences to be successful.

//I think that we have great potential at AG because the use of technology is viewed as a fundamental part of improving the instruction the we provide our students.//

Links to related online professional development resources:
 * [|techLearning] - techLEARNING.com is produced by [|Technology & Learning Magazine], with contributions from hundreds of K-12 teachers, administrators & other experts in the field.
 * [|TappedIn] - The online workplace of an international community of education professionals. K-12 teachers, librarians, administrators, and professional development staff, as well as university faculty, students, and researchers gather here to learn, collaborate, share, and support one another.
 * [|LearningTimes] - LearningTimes.org is an open community for education and training professionals. Members have **free** access to a wide range of opportunities to interact and network with peers from across the globe. Member activities include live webcasts and interviews with industry leaders, online debates and discussions, live coverage of industry conferences, and international working groups.
 * [|The Educational Podcasting Network] - The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
 * [|For Teachers New to Wikis] -
 * [|Curriki] - Global Education Learning Community - We believe that access to knowledge and learning tools is a basic right for every child. Our goal is to make curricula and learning resources available to everyone.
 * Teacher Connect - Shared Learning - The idea: Link a profile to a network to a network, no boundaries (teacherconnect), network the education networks internationally... large networks, class networks, industry networks, alumini networks...pointing our students to other students projects overseas, industry education projects, teachers using technology connecting to and from teacherconnect.... students blogging about what they learn when they start work