Connected to Classroom Practice, Pedagogy, and Content
Too often technology PD falls into what I classify as a “spray and pray” category where skills are broadly covered in the hopes that teachers will adopt one or more practices they view. Based on my experience, this doesn’t work very well at all. If you truly want to change teacher practice, PD needs to occur in the context of where they work, classroom or in the school, and it has to focus on issues immediately relevant to them.
The following two coaching roles or strategies as defined by ISTE will help to establish relevancy to the teachers’ needs:
- Providing just-in-time, just enough advice or training on teaching strategies, or integrating technology.
- Co-planning technology-rich, active, engaging learning activities with collaborating teachers.
Sources
Knight, J. . Instructional coaching, a partnership approach to improving instruction. Corwin Press, print.
Peer Ed. (0). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h679fRuKMc
Walter and Lebowski [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://gutenfilm.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/hall-of-greats-the-big-lebowski/