EDU6250 Journal # 2 of 3

Plair, S. K. (2008). Revamping Professional Development for Technology Integration and Fluency. Clearing House, 82(2), 70-74.

Summary/Recommendations
The purpose of this article is for the author to share ways to revamp technology-related professional development to include knowledge brokers skilled in educational technology and pedagogy, in order for teachers to feel more confident in their abilities.The very beginning of this article shares the insight from a veteran teacher, who shares that she is nervous to bring technology in her classroom because she doesn't want something to go wrong or not know how to fix a problem. She mentions that with technology her learning style has changed, and she would prefer to have someone sit with her 1:1 to go over how tools to use in the classroom. 

The author shares that there are 4 types of technology related professional development currently being done. Ranked by skill level lowest to highest, those types are:

1. Awareness: Short-duration sessions with news of an innovative practice
2. How-to: Short-duration sessions or series of sessions learning software applications
3. Seminars/Workshops: Longer-duration sessions such as Intel Teach to the Future, eMints training, or university programs
4. On-going support: District help-desk staff, online support resources, intermittent, limited follow-up on site 

Number 4 is the most important, but the least prevalent in schools. The author states that Technology is the new literacy, and coaches or specialists should be in place to support teachers and students in all subject areas.


Reflection
I personally feel very lucky to feel as comfortable as I do with technology, and can act as somewhat of a "specialist" to my co-workers! I totally agree with what this author is saying about professional development. As teaching is changing, so should the way we should grow and develop in the field. Teachers are not going to integrate technology successfully if they do not feel comfortable or confident using it - which is why we need people in our buildings to support us and meaningful PD throughout the year!