EdTech Global

Developing a global understanding of educational technology

Author: claire.hazenberg (page 2 of 16)

Module 5: Professional Development

This week I have been exploring teacher professional development (TPD). In this post I will examine the Who? The What? And How? Of TPD.

Who?

Who drives professional development? Who identifies the learning objectives? Who delivers and facilitates TPD?

It is commonly accepted that effective technology leadership relies on the presence of a champion who is an active and enthusiastic advocate for technology in education (Stuart, Mills & Remus, 2009; Shanks, 2000). In terms of coordinating and leading technology TPD, I believe teaching technology champions should be driving both informal and formal development experiences. Through identifying learning objectives, building communities of practice, facilitating professional discussion and modelling best practice. With the support and facilitation of school leadership, champions should be encouraged to showcase, model and deliver development experiences. Just as Avidov-Ungar & Hanin-Itzak (2019) suggested, change and growth can be achieved through empowering ICT Coordinators in schools.

What?

What does technology in education look like? What skills and knowledges do teachers need to develop? 

TPD experiences need to be diverse and responsive to not just the needs of the learners and educators, but to the opportunities presented by continuing technological developments. These diverse TPD experiences should include exploring technology as a curriculum subject area, as a pedagogical tool and as an inventible part of the future of their learners lives and therefore the future of education. Technologies worth to education depends on more than just access, but rather how teachers use it (George & Sanders, 2017). I believe every community, school and learning institution is unique and therefore I cannot definitely say what skills and knowledge educators need in order to be effective integrators and users of technology-enhanced pedagogies. However, I do believe that across all education institutions there must be a minimum level of teacher digital literacy. I am very fond of using the UNESCO ICT Teacher competency framework (UNESCO, 2011), as a point of reference for such development.

How?

How can professional development be effectively and authentically delivered? How to promote teacher autonomy and engagement?

From the research and studies I have read and my first-hand experience receiving and delivering TPD experiences, I believe the most effective way to foster professional learning is to establish strong communities of practice (CoP). CoP is a widely accepted and celebrated practice to improve educator capacity (Patton & Parker, 2017). To help develop strong CoP, I believe in utilizing a learner-centered approach (Begg, 1993), where the teacher is positioned as a learner or researcher (Giroux, 1988) and is encouraged to identify their own learning needs not based on their self-identified “deficiencies” but on their interests. To compliment this approach, I also believe in championing and empowering grade leaders and ICT coordinators (Avidov-Ungar & Hanin-Itzak, 2019). To deepen development experiences, I suggest employing a range of different strategies some of which include supporting teachers to engage in reflective blogging or journaling (Prestridge, 2014), providing hands-on exploratory learning experiences others (Gallivan, Spitler, and Koufaris, 2005) and establishing peer-coaching models.

 

See illustrated diagram below.

 

References

Avidov-Ungar, O., & Hanin-Itzak, L. (2019). Sense of Empowerment Among School ICT Coordinators: Personal, Subject-Area and Leadership Empowerment. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 24(3), 401-417.

Gallivan, M. J., Spitler, V. K., & Koufaris, M. (2005). Does information technology training really matter? A social information processing analysis of coworkers’ influence on IT usage in the workplace. Journal of Management Information Systems, 22(1), 153-192.

Giroux, H. (1988) Teachers as Intellectuals: towards a critical pedagogy of learning. South Hadley: Bergin & Garvey.

Howell, J. M., & Higgins, C. A. (1990). Champions of change: Identifying, understanding, and supporting champions of technological innovations. Organizational Dynamics, 19(1), 40-55.

Patton, K., & Parker, M. (2017). Teacher education communities of practice: More than a culture of collaboration. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 351-360.

Prestridge, S. J. (2014). Reflective blogging as part of ICT professional development to support pedagogical change. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(2), 6.

Shanks, G. (2000). A model of ERP project implementation. Journal of information Technology, 15(4), 289-303.

Stuart, L. H., Mills, A. M., & Remus, U. (2009). School leaders, ICT competence and championing innovations. Computers & Education, 53(3), 733-741.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). UNESCO ICT competency framework for teachers. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000213475

Waight, N., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2012). Nature of technology: Implications for design, development, and enactment of technological tools in school science classrooms. International Journal of Science Education, (34)18, 2875-2905.

Module 4: TPACK in Context

In my context (Malawi state school system), in order for technology to be used as a meaningful pedagogical tool teachers, leaders and school administration need to urgently develop their own knowledge and understanding of technology and necessary digital literacy skills. I particularly like the UNESCO ICT competency framework and could see this model being used to inform pre and in-service teacher training.

This framework has been designed to be used by countries with different social and economic conditions and growth strategies. It acknowledges that while countries may share similar goals they may take different paths to achieve those goals. One of my favourite aspects on this framework is that it is designed to value and use the  current strengths of countries rather than looking at its deficits.

The diagram below is an illustrated example of how countries can use the framework to localise and tailor teacher competency programmes based on their policies and current educational conditions.

UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers p.17

Based on my first hand experience and observation of education in Malawi, I used the framework to create the diagram below. I believe some of Malawi’s strengths exist within their school organisation and national curriculum. Areas I believe that would make the greatest impact would be to focus on developing policies and teacher training programmes.

State of ICT in Education Malawi by Claire Hazenberg

References

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). UNESCO ICT competency framework for teachers. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000213475

UNESCO. (2019, September 30). Competency Framework for Teachers (long version) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG284HgGRvg

Knowledge and Knowing: A need for change in education

In the thought-provoking article, Pleasure, Beauty and wonder: Educating for the Knowledge Age, John Eger begins by suggesting that the challenges learners face today is not the process of acquiring knowledge but in determining its validity and authenticity. As a result, strong economies need to possess creative and innovative work forces.

According to Eger, maths and science alone will not provide students with the skills needed to be successful in a global innovative economy, instead they need to posses a joy of learning and creativity. To support his claim he used the results from Robert Root-Bernstein study which discovered that nearly all of the great inventors and scientists were also musicians, artists, writers, or poets, including Galileo (poet), Einstein (violinist) and Samuel Morse (painter).

He discussed the success stories of two education institutions, St. Augustine and High Tech High which embraced differentiated teaching and enriched learning through the arts. I am always weary and would caution other readers to not simply assume that these examples could be quantified and used as models for other institutions. The work and effort that must have gone into developing a community culture that embraced this approach  would have been significant and certainly stands as a major hurdle for other institutions trying to achieve the same goal.

Eger concludes by suggesting that there is a need to go back to basics and reevaluate the purpose of public education. He calls for need to find new ways and approaches and to question the rhetoric and to “change the lenses in the camera” (p. 20).

Ironically, I also used this same analogy when explaining my beliefs of the qualities of the ideal teacher (see blog here). Education, in order to be effective, needs to be responsive, adaptive and willing to change its perspective.

As a school leader this is the type of article, I would use to stimulate professional dialogue amongst staff. Using questioning and dialogue my aim would be to support staff in reflecting on the schools responsive and adaptive qualities.

  • As a school are, we responsive and adaptive?
    • If so
      • What are we doing at an instructional, classroom, departmental level?
      • How can we learn from each other?
      • How can we learn from others outside of our school?
    • If not
      • Do we need to be?
      • What are our challenges?
      • What is within our power to control?

I believe authentic and powerful educational institutional change needs to come from the ground up, through inspired teachers and an empowered community.

References

Eger, J. M. (2011). Pleasure, beauty, and wonder: Educating for the Knowledge age. The Futurist, 45(1), 18.

Root-Bernstein, R., & Root-Bernstein, M. (2004). Artistic Scientists and Scientific Artists: The Link Between Polymathy and Creativity.

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