Techlearning blog

One of my primary professional passions these days involves helping school district leaders develop and "deliver" (I know, it's a loaded term) professional development workshops for teachers related to the effective integration of technology into the curriculum. Already in the first sentence of this post, I've probably used some terms that have offended some people. I do count myself in the group which views authentic education more as something which must be individually "constructed" rather than "delivered," and I recognize the term "integration of technology" can imply that something (the use of computers) should be sprinkled periodically into the learning process to facilitate student engagement as well as help cultivate digital literacy skills alongside traditional ones. Despite these perceptions and acknowledgments, I live and work in the real world where professional development IS "delivered" at regular intervals to teachers, and "technology integration" by teachers is not just a buzzword but an important strategic, instructional goal for many school districts. The question I would like to explore today is, "How can the professional development opportunities we share with and experience as teachers be most effective? Additionally, how can the goal of helping students learn to seamlessly utilize digital technologies for communication and learning be advanced most effectively?

I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to Dr. Mitchel Resnick’s keynote address from BLC 2007 yesterday, thanks to Bob Sprankle who recorded the session and shared it as a podcast. Dr. Resnick observes that in our schools when it comes to educational technologies, we often see people trying to use them to "put a sugar layer of entertainment on the bitter medicine of School." When it comes to helping teachers learn to more effectively use and integrate technologies into their own learning landscape and the learning landscape of their students, like Dr. Resnick, I am not interested in helping them merely add "a sugar layer." I am interested in helping teachers reflect on their own instructional practices, their methods of assessment, the degree to which they provide differentiated pathways of learning and assessment for their students, and the ways digital technologies can facilitate this process of self-analysis, growth, and change. I also found Dr. Resnick's discussion of our relationship to media instructive. We can CONSUME, INTERACT with, or CREATE media. He contends that interaction is insufficient, creation is required for learners to engage in deep inquiry and an interactive process of reflection and analysis which produces the most meaningful learning moments. I agree with him. But how can we help promote this vision in our schools?

When I share a professional development workshop about engaged learning and technology integration, I am acutely aware of Everett Roger's diffusion of innovations bell curve which generally describes the makeup of most school teacher groups and their attitudes about technology integration:

In most schools, only a few teachers will categorize themselves by their attitudes and actions as "innovators" or "early adopters" of new technologies. Most fall into the early majority, late majority, and laggard groups. My inclination is to focus on that small group of innovators and early adopters when I share professional development about technology use, because that group is always the most receptive. The fact is, however, that ALL teachers need professional development and the opportunity to grow in their instructional practices... Not just the self-selected 16% (or so) of teachers on the leading edge of this bell curve.

The questions remain: How should school districts structure and sequence professional development workshops for teachers about technology integration to maximize the impact this time and those dollars will have on instruction, student learning, and teacher professional growth? How can STUDENT CREATION of media products be best encouraged? Here are (currently) my top three recommendations for schools and school leaders.

1. Digital Storytelling with VoiceThread: For technology integration focused professional development which will be shared with ALL teachers in ALL grade levels and content areas in a district, focus on digital storytelling. VoiceThread is the most powerful and flexible free, online tool I have used and helped students and teachers use to date for digital storytelling. While it is true software programs like Audacity, PhotoStory (for Windows XP users) and iMovie (for Mac users) are free, each of these programs creates a FILE which must then be uploaded to a server somewhere to be shared online. After that process (which is often NOT straightforward) the challenge of providing a safe, moderated venue for feedback/comments on the published digital story is also present. VoiceThread solves that issue in an elegant way, permitting learners to either share VoiceThreads privately or publicly, with or without moderated text and audio comments. I'm choosing to invest personally and professionally (with my time and attention) in VoiceThread with projects like "Great Book Stories." As I work with school district technology directors and instructional technology directors, professional development sessions which focus on using VoiceThread in simple yet powerful ways is my #1 recommendation. Teachers can use VoiceThread digital stories as ways to introduce topics, assess student learning, and invite students to teach their peers different elements (yes, "standards") of the curriculum. Digital Storytelling and VoiceThread open up a world of instructional learning possibilities, revealing the truly protean nature of computer technology and the read/write web.
2. Student Digital Storytelling and Media Festivals: In the United States, citizens have spent over 20 billion dollars on telecommunications services and telecommunications hardware in the past nine years through the federally administered E-Rate program. That is a lot of money. 99% of our public schools and libraries in the U.S. are now "wired" for Internet access, but in many schools the students have STILL not truly been given access to the technology. Computers sit on most teacher's desks, but 1 to 1 learning projects like OLPC (where all students get to use and keep a laptop 24/7, at school and at home) are in short supply. Electronic whiteboards are being purchased in large numbers by school districts around the nation, and it IS a big deal for teachers and students to (in many cases) have direct access for the first time to both an LCD projector in their classroom as well as an interactive environment for sharing digital media with others. Electronic whiteboards are not, however, transforming the predominantly teacher-directed instructional focus our our schools. As David Jakes noted yesterday, within our NCLB-motivated, high-stakes, punitive testing educational cultures in most public schools, didactic and traditional teaching methods predominate. How can professional development about technology integration possibly make a meaningful inroad into the professional practices of teachers in such a culture? The answer is, it probably can't in a broad sense. That is why technology integration efforts need to focus increasingly on giving students access to digital technologies. Find creative ways to help small groups of students CREATE digital stories and then share them with peers, their parents, and the community. The example of Dr. Tim Tyson at Mabry Middle School the past seven years should be highly instructive to all of us, as should the continuing work of Marco Torres. In both cases, Tim and Marco have found ways to empower learners through digital storytelling. They have found ways to put digital technologies into the hands of students, and invited them to share meaningful stories. There is not a specific "formula" which is guaranteed to make a positive impact with technology on student learning and achievement-- there are multiple complex factors which affect every educational context and every school. However, Tim and Marco's examples suggest some key "ingredients" that can powerfully contribute to successful technology integration and meaningful learning experiences for students.
3. Equip and empower a cadre of learning leaders: Progressive school districts are recognizing the vital importance of equipping teachers not only with personal digital tools (wireless laptops) but also with instructional support and ongoing professional development to assist them in their own learning journeys as 21st century educators. It is HARD for teachers steeped in the pedagogies of the 20th century to step away from the front of the room and facilitate group-based learning as students explore issues and create knowledge products. It is difficult for teachers to accept the idea that STUDENTS, rather than the teacher, should be ASKING as well as answering most of the questions in the classroom. Transformative pedagogic change is a challenging, time-consuming proposition. School districts with vision for the future are moving toward one to one learning models TODAY, first with teachers, and down the road... for students. It would be wonderful if all our schools could INTELLIGENTLY implement one to one learning initiatives for BOTH students and teachers this year. Financially, as well as culturally, however, that prospect is not realistic. School district leaders can move toward that vision of 1 to 1 learning, however, by empowering smaller groups of teachers (who preferably apply and are accepted into the program) to acquire the tools and pedagogic dispositions required to provide engaged, authentic learning opportunities for 21st century students. By equipping and supporting these teachers, as well as connecting them to professional learning communities like the K-12 Online Conference, the Classroom 2.0 Ning, and Tapped-In, school leaders can further propel teacher-leaders toward a path of lifelong learning and reflective educational practice as they connect on an ongoing basis with other educators around the world sharing many of their passions and visions for student learning.

What do you think? Are their other ways that may be even better to spend our professional development heartbeats?!