Effective Programs for Training Teachers on the Use of Technology
By: Sally Bowman Alden
Our educators and parents did not grow up with computers and have not been schooled in their use. If we are to gain the many benefits technology offers our children in learning and their futures, our teachers must be provided with ongoing opportunities to develop their understanding of the value of technology to themselves personally and professionally and effective uses in the classroom.
There are several common characteristics among effective teacher training programs: (1) incentives and support for teacher training; (2) teacher-directed training; (3) adequate access to technology; (4) community partnerships; and (5) ongoing informal support and training opportunities.
1. Incentives and Support for Teacher Training
All effective teacher training programs emphasize the importance of incentives and support for teacher training. Support for teacher training needs to come from local building and district administrators and preferably from the school board. Added incentives to recognize teachers for their efforts can boost participation in training programs and substantially increase teachers' commitment and learning. Effective incentives include college credit, release time from classes to attend training sessions and recognition for performance and for increased and improved use of technology in their classrooms.
2. Teacher-Directed Training
In studying the curriculum for teacher training programs, I have repeatedly observed that teacher-directed programs are far more effective than administrator-directed ones. The more effective programs survey teachers' needs and develop training sessions around these topics.
Furthermore, teachers make the greatest gains in programs that first provide teachers with the opportunity to experience the benefits of technology for themselves personally; for example, how a computer and software can assist them in developing lesson plan materials, worksheets and bulletin board materials or sending professional-looking notes home to parents.
Once teachers experience the benefits of using computers and software for themselves personally, training advances to helping them develop their own ideas on how to share these benefits with children and integrate technology as a tool throughout the curriculum. This makes sense--to most effectively communicate the benefits of any subject or tool, we personally need to understand its value, then develop proficiency in the area and, finally, develop effective means of teaching it to someone else. For example, our teachers understand the value of knowing how to read and therefore have become competent readers and teachers of reading.
Our teachers need to develop their understanding of the value of technology, then develop proficiency in using technology and ultimately teach our children how to use technology.
3. Adequate Access to Technology
To escalate the rate teachers experience the value of technology and gain a basic proficiency in using different types of programs, training programs need to emphasize hands-on experience. The Socratic method may be effective in introducing concepts; however, the vast majority of training time needs to be dedicated to teachers experimenting and learning on the computer. Many programs provide teachers with after-hours access to computers to increase their learning, not only in the schools, but also at home by allowing teachers to take computers home evenings, weekends and during vacation periods. This allows teachers to experiment and learn privately without any fears of embarrassment and without the pressures of the school day.
In addition, immediate access to technology in the teachers' classrooms (rather than only in a computer lab) makes a difference. If at least one computer is in the classroom, a teacher more quickly applies what he/she learned in a training session. In schools that have few computers, place some computers on carts, so that they can be scheduled for each classroom's use.
4. Community Partnerships
The community--businesses and parents--can significantly boost the resources a school has available for training. They can assist in identifying the skills and experiences children need for their world outside of school. They can lobby or coordinate fundraisers for financial support of teacher training programs. Local businesses can provide direct funding of training programs, volunteers to conduct or assist in developing training sessions, and volunteer substitute teachers to allow teachers to attend training sessions. Local colleges can assist in developing or teaching training sessions and extending college credit to teachers.
5. Ongoing Informal Support and Training Opportunities
Computers, software and related technologies are continuously changing, and teacher training programs need to reflect the dynamic nature of the underlying technology. While formal training sessions help teachers get started, ongoing formal and informal learning opportunities are the key to rapidly integrating technology into all curriculum areas. Programs that are effective in continuing to develop teacher's skills provide release time for software evaluation, curriculum planning and attending major educational conferences where teachers ca learn from teachers outside their school district. Regularly scheduled opportunities for teachers to share their experiences and knowledge allow teachers to build upon each other's experiences, rather than having to learn everything on their own. By encouraging teachers to share their knowledge with each other, schools can escalate the rate all teachers develop their ability to integrate technology in their classrooms.
Sally Bowman Alden is executive director of the Computer Learning Foundation.
