Feeding The Need
It was
interesting to the survey the teachers concerning their professional
development with technology and getting to know their ICT needs. Results
revealed that out of the 25 teachers we surveyed with my colleagues the
following where their needs for a successful Professional development.
They
cited luck of;
1. Funds to go for training in Professional
development with technology.
2. Technology integration in the curriculum.
3.Adequate computers and access to
internet.
4. Core technology competencies and computer
skills and not aware of the existing technologies and their use in the
professional development.
5. Sufficient Time to prepare technology based
instructional materials.
I will
address my recommendations to three parties that I feel are a hinge of
professional
development plan with technology in a school setting to help solve
the above needs.
·
Administrators
·
The Technology
Planning committee
·
The Teacher.
To The Administrators
·
Ensure that the
technology plan includes professional development as a major component.
· Pursue strategies
for obtaining and sustaining funding to provide the necessary technology,
professional development, technical support, equipment upgrades, and equipment
maintenance to achieve educational goals.
·
Use a variety of
incentives and requirements to motivate teachers to participate in professional
development activities designed to help them integrate technology into their
classrooms. Offer technology for classroom or personal use as an incentive to
participation.
·
Demonstrate support
for and leadership of ongoing inquiry-driven professional development for
technology use.
·
Address any
problems that arise with new uses of technology in the classroom quickly and
efficiently.
·
Recognize teacher
successes with technology. Share these stories with the school and the
community. Encourage teachers to share their successes with colleagues at
conferences.
To The Technology planning committee.
·
Focus on building a
knowledge base about teaching and learning with technology to ensure that
technology planning, decision making, and professional development are based on
research.
·
Ensure that the educational goals for technology are
aligned with school or government goals for student learning and that
professional development supports those goals.
·
Recommend the
purchase of specific technologies to achieve the identified learning goals.
·
Continue
identifying professional development resources and opportunities relating to
technology use for school staff.
·
Clearly specify the
intended outcomes of the technology professional development. Develop a plan
for evaluating the success of professional development activities using various
assessment tools and strategies.
To The Teacher.
·
Seek to know from
colleagues that have gained some knowledge about ICT like those that have been
trained by CCTI Online .org.
·
Develop an
individual professional development plan that provides for acquisition of
technology skills and integration of technology into classroom projects.
·
Visit other schools
and classrooms to see how technology has been integrated effectively into the
curriculum. Or virtually visit classrooms by viewing CD-ROMs, videotapes of
technology use in schools, or Internet sites relating to technology integration
in content areas.
·
Join social Media’s
networks like Twitter, Facebook and develop a PLN, to become part of a
community of teachers. Form peer groups across schools, and join subject-matter
networks and collaborative to communicate about technology.
·
Sacrifice time and
money for technology.
MY
JOUNERY OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH TECHNOLOGY
My
Journey has been filled with a lot of achievements towards my professional
development and I am confident to say that I am not the same teacher I used to
be before I started undergoing professional development with ICT driven by CCTI
Online.
I have
been able to know the benefits of technology integration in the curriculum, its
challenges and through what I have gained I have learnt how best I can use
technology to enhance learning and also how to help my colleagues to move in
the same path. The positive impact of collaboration with colleagues has helped
me learnt a lot of new things. Imagine in the short time of being trained I now
have a personal YouTube channel and I am aware of how useful YouTube is to my
professional development. I have also been able to connect with useful people
that can help me professionally and my PLN is growing through twitter, Google+
which is bright ray that shows the direction of where I am going.
The
curator site /blog is another achievement that I am proud of. Now I can curate
important useful resources for others to consume.
With this
I feel I have got some strategies that can help deal with the challenges facing
professional development with technology. And the victory over these challenges
is make a step towards professional development with ICT, you may never step
back , you will gain the courage to move on because Professional
development with technology is not an event but a process.
