Professional development for effective technology use

Resnick thinks the “digital divide” will perform as a “fluency gap” rather than an “access gap” when the costs of computing decline. There is a real risk that only a small handful will be able to use the technology fluently (Resnick, 2001). As The CEO of Forum on Education and Technology says, the transformation of classroom technology from hardware, software, and connections into tools for teaching and learning depends on knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers who are motivated and prepared to put technology to work on behalf of their students (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2000). It seems absurd that we require students use computers to make things from music video to scientific simulations to robotic creatures and yet expect the teacher may or may not be experienced in the components of these technologies. How can we image a teacher who can just look up information on the Web, use a word processor and send e-mail could find the best ways to transmit information to students?

To prepare teachers for effective technology use, the traditional forms of individual workshops or one-time training sessions are not enough; instead, it must be viewed as an ongoing and integral part of teachers' professional lives (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2000). McKenzie (2001) identifies two principles of adult learning: 1. the learner may make choices from a rich and varied menu of learning experiences and possibilities; 2. Learners must take responsibility for planning, acting and growing.

Both principles are supported by the belief that professional development is experienced as a personal journey of growth and discovery that engages the learner on a daily and perhaps hourly basis (McKenzie, 2001). Due to limited timing and vision, the principles mirror traditional teaching methods and are relatively easy to facilitate. Birman, Desimone, Porter and Garet (2000) build up a formal causal model including six features to identify effective characteristics of professional development:

1. Form: considering “reform” activities that differ from traditional approaches. Reform activities such as study groups and mentoring are thought to be more responsive to how teachers learn and have more influence on changing teaching practice.
2. Duration: If there is more time, it is possible to make teachers sharing their progress, difficulties, ideas, issues, and needs.
3. Collective participation: Offering teachers the opportunity to work with teachers from similar grade or subject areas is essential in building learning communities.
4. Content: It is effective to focus professional development on content knowledge directly related to curriculum which teachers’ need.
5. Active Learning: Learners, weather teachers or students, should have the opportunity to discuss, plan and practice.
6. Coherence: The coherence of professional development with policies and other professional experiences helps teachers understand how everything fits together.

[References]:

Birman, B. F., Desimone, L., Porter, A. C., & Garet, M. S.(2000). Designing professional development that works. Educational Leadership, 57(8), 28-33.

McKenzie, J.(2001). How teachers learn technology best. The Educational Technology Journal, 10(6): FNO Press. Available URL: http://www.fno.org/mar01/howlearn.html

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory(2000). Providing professional development for effective technology use Available URL:
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te1000.htm

Resnick, M.(2001). Revolutionizing learning in the digital age. Publications from the forum for the future of higher education. Boulder, CO: Educause.
Available URL http://www.educause.com/reources

Assessment through a constructivist view

Traditionally, teachers grade students after learning is accomplished. The purpose of the assessment is to collect information about how much knowledge and skill students have learned and to make judgments about the adequacy or acceptability of each student’s level of learning. The type of measurement the teacher chooses will depend on the objectives which can be classified in terms of two broad categories: knowing about something and knowing how to do something (Snowman & Biehler, 2006). From my teaching experience, I have found the multi-choice standardized testing is less than optimum, especially for assessment in computer based courses because students just respond to those test items, rather than show creative responses (Ediger, 2001). Based on what I have learned in this semester, I would like to incorporate constructivist principles into the assessment. I will consider the assessment of student accomplishments with portfolios or exhibitions compiled by the students.

Portfolios may be difficult to evaluate, but it will engage students in interactive collaborative processes and increase individual motivation for building up their knowledge or skills. In the constructivist view, it is essential that the teacher is seen as a guide rather than an instructor. Thus, the philosophy of constructivism stresses the importance of following every day classroom or laboratory experiences to become a part of the individual student’s portfolio (Ediger, 2001). The purpose of the portfolio assessment is to facilitate learning and is not to assign a grade. The portfolio assessment is usually called formative evaluation (Snowman & Biehler, 2006). In a student-oriented learning environment, the main things that teachers want to know are weather students develop the abilities to self-assess and how to provide constructive feedback to students. This is not only an assessment process but also a learning process (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1995).

Evaluation rubric may be developed to assess each assignment in the portfolio. Ediger (2001) suggests a few considerations in rating each portfolio:
1. The numerical rating given may be quite subjective due to a lack of agreement by teachers doing the rating.
2. Numerical ratings are not the major objective in portfolio assessment. The major objective is to view student processes or products. So, teachers can notice achievement of the every day progress of the student.
3. Parents or peers may observe what the student is achieving.
4. Portfolio development provides opportunities for the student to reflect or think about what has been learned or what is left to learn.
5. Ownership of the portfolio resides with the student. Internal personnel, not extent test designers, are involved in portfolio development. Assessment is ongoing and continuous.


[references]:

Ediger, M. (2001). Assessment: a teacher’s guide. Available URL:
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contendelivery/servlet/ERICSerrlet?accno=ED451217.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (1995). Rethinking assessment and its role in supporting educational reform. Available URL: www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/assessment/as700.htm

Snowman, J., & Beihler, R., (2006). Psychology applied to teaching (11th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Learning and teaching

Bloom's learning for mastery (1968) is based on the rule that students vary in many ways. As a result, the “individual differences” must be reflected in learning standards, achievement criteria and teaching policies or practices. A student's aptitude determines how much time they will need to master a subject, not the likelihood that they will never be able to master it. In addition, Bloom believes that the mastery learning theory has a positive impact on students' interest in a subject and, understandably, their self-confidence. At the same time, the article "Good-bye teacher" (1968), Keller also developed his thoughts according to mastery learning. Keller's personalized system of instruction includes small units of time, self-pacing and unit tests with fast feedback etc.

Two thousand years ago, Confucius, a superior Chinese man, held similar statements as Bloom and Keller. Confucius was a teacher and scholar; he taught disciples to study knowledge and seek wisdom. In his view, people are nearly alike by nature, and differences only come from different teachings. Confucius’s education philosophy is to teach different students using different methods. His teaching principles gained wide acceptance primarily because of their basis in common Chinese opinion (Wikipedia, 2006). Some of the practical tenants of the Confucius's teaching were: 1). Self-cultivation exists within the individual, 2). No physical punishment to students, and 3). Study the past as if you would define the Future (Wikipedia, 2006).

In the digital age, what is expected of the teacher when employing Bloom's mastery learning theory into the interactive multimedia learning environment? More people hold the view that the learning achievement through the use of multimedia programs is defined by the software itself. But, Herrington & Oliver (1996) think the benefits of teacher assistance are that teachers can provide hints, suggestions, critical questions, and the “scaffolding” to enable students to solve more complex problems. Even though the interactive multimedia program itself tries to fulfill the coaching role, how can the coach adjust to different students according to different knowledge frames and learning styles? Some multimedia designers take efforts to eliminate pedagogical roles for teachers, but the coaching role is still best performed by the teacher (Herrington & Oliver, 1996). Coaching needs are highly situation-specific and are related to problems that arise as students who attempt to integrate skills and knowledge. Herrington and Oliver (1996) analyzed three essentially different, but frequently observed roles in the use of interactive multimedia: the teacher as transmitter of knowledge, the teacher as coach, and the teacher as manager. They conclude that the teacher as coach is a fundamental and integral part of the process of using interactive multimedia effectively, and should not be overlooked.

[References]:

Bloom, B.S. (1968). Learning for mastery. Evaluation Comment,1(2). Center for the Study of Evaluation of Instructional Programs, UCLA,1968.

Herrington, J & Oliver, R. (1996). The effective use of interactive multimedia in education: design and implementation issues. Proceedings of the Third International Interactive Multimedia Symposium, 169-176. Available URL: http://www.aset.org.au/confs/iims/1996/ek/herrington.html

Keller, F. S. (1968). Good-bye teacher. Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis, 1, 78-89.

Wikipedia:Confucius. Available URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius