The Importance Of Technology In Professional Development

Guskey (1986) and Hashweh (2004) describe professional development as a systematic attempt to bring about change. Guskey (1986) and Griffin and Barnes (1986) specifically describe the change components: (a) change in the classroom practices of teachers, (b) change in teacher’s beliefs and attitudes, and (c) change in the learning outcomes of students. When developing his model, Guskey (1986) questioned the order of these components.

Technology is all around us, no matter where we look it’s there. That alarm clock with the worn out snooze button, your phone, the TV you have but don’t use cause you got netflix and so much more! Technology is constantly changing, growing, evolving. There’ll be an Iphone 7 one day and the next week the Iphone 8 will come out with bigger and better features. It has become a big part of our lives, especially for the younger generations, millennials and so forth. We witnessed the technological evolution and it has now become a part of our identity. However for some, they find technology revolting or as plague that has struck society. Technology is great it gives us more opportunities in a professional aspect, it’s capabilities are beyond what a human can do and some people may disagree but technology has many features that help us.

Technology of the past 20 years has become a focal point of teaching and learning. As a teacher, it is my job to facilitate the learning for an individual by creating an environment that not only conducive for learning, but also places the child in a position to discover and learn them for themselves. Technology has given teachers to opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom, and has begun to reshape their role in the learning process.

Teachers can use technology within the classroom to assist with providing instructional guidance and education to students. However, the use of technology in the classroom has both its advantages and

No matter where one lives or what job is held, one thing remains necessary for success to occur, communication. Effective communication enables bosses to communicate with employees, family and friends to talk with one another, and teachers to communicate with students and parents. It is this communication that lays the ground work for success in any situation. Today, many people rely on various forms of technology to communicate with one another. The advancements in technology make sending out important reminders, cute pictures, or a simple life update quick and efficient. It is no different in the world of education. Teachers must learn how to use effective technology communication tools such as class websites, social media, e-mail, and text alerts to communicate quickly and effectively with both parents and students while preserving the safety and security of students working online.

Schools need to embrace the new world of technology and encourage it. Students are changing, teachers must change too(10 reasons) Teachers education needs to be modified to reflect demand of moderate classrooms. Students deserve educators who will teach in a more open and productive atmosphere. Teaching with technology and teaching about real life skills could be what is needed to encourage students. Students want to learn skills that they are actually going to need later in life.

In ED 505, one of the requirements was to obtain a Twitter account and tweet weekly information that pertained to professional development. This assignment was very effective. I was given an opportunity to experience collaboration through an online learning environment that was common between my classmates and I. This task also reminded me that as an educator, I should be a life-long learner. Therefore, it’s vital that I stay current on best practices in an effort to remain an effective teacher. This assignment made this task manageable. Prior to the having the Twitter account, I didn’t possess the expertise of locating professional development opportunities that would be favorable for my career. Now, I have the confidence to research and seek

In Lavin, Korte, Davies). The result of the study further pushes the notion of how important it is for school staff to understand the given technology so they can distribute the information effectively to their students. All the technology in the world will be ineffective if the teachers themselves are not passionate of their work. “Technology has the potential to transform the learning environment from passive to active and more subject to the control of the learner.” (qtd. In Lavin, Korte, Davies).

Schools all over the nation are looking to replace their textbooks with computers, but they are all wondering if it is a good idea.This has sparked controversy throughout the states because some schools want to take the plunge, however others are not so eager to let go of old teaching methods, maybe because they would have to rewrite their entire curriculum, which could take months to completely take over the old one. Yet still the sources say that because the amount of positive aspects of technology in schools outweighs the negative ones, new technology should be employed in an educational setting.

Satterfield (2014) participates in numerous professional development trainings, she gained new theories and techniques every day. She states that we can develop ourselves everyday with today’s technology if we are willing to deal with it. She participated in twitter-chat by exploring with others to discuss and identify the challenges they faced in school.

Integrating technology in every day teaching is a great necessity in this 21st century, but at the same time it is a great challenge for educators with the advent of numerous technologies almost every day. My goal for this project, as an intern, will be to assess and evaluate various technological tools used by teachers across the building and training them on research based strategies that play a vital role in making learning more meaningful and

Cuban et al. (2001), however, found that teachers do not always have enough time to blend technologies into their teaching routine as easily as their pupils expect. In spite of the training, some teachers face certain low response/adaptability to changes. Hence, the top-down pressurers [external imperatives] must provide consistent support and guidance, sufficient time to get familiarized with the tools and positive rewards. These strategies allow finding opportunities into the digital age to make more pedagogical moves in teachers’ labour. Stepp-Greany’s study (2002) appeared to report gains for students related to their use of technology in their study ‘including higher motivation, improvement in self-concept and mastery of basic skills, more student-centred learning and engagement in the learning process’. In short words, the more student-centred learning is promoted, the more teachers and technologies can improve the education and learning. Technology and teachers are adjustable and compatible since they can complement each other and increase their valuable practices mutually. Laurillard (2008) suggested that technology could bring collaborative learning for teachers, and now, we can add to her statement the students, in order to show what both groups [teachers and students] could do best in their academic settings.

The idea of incorporating Twitter into the classroom is a growing idea among both students and teachers. While the popular social media site may seem like a place for people to tweet about random things, such as how their day is going or where they are going for lunch, Twitter also has the capability to benefit students outside of the classroom. Many k-12 teachers and college professors have begun to use Twitter to keep students engaged and stay up-to-date on what is going on with the school, as well as increase communication between both students and teachers. When used correctly, Mary Bart argues that Twitter has the ability to increase learning outside of the classroom.

It is crucial that students are not just being educated in only one way. Each child is different; as a result, learning styles should be versatile and open to new strategies. By learning to use technology correctly, teachers are preparing themselves, and the students for the future by developing certain skills that will be essential in the 21st century. Besides developing the students’ technology skills, students will

The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future.