Professional Development

       

Professional development

Educators are role models for the next generation. It is therefore vital for them to be equipped with the digital competence all citizens need to be able to actively participate in a digital society (Redecker, 2017, p. 15). Technology competence is signalled as a focus for professional development for teachers enabling them to respond to the digital disruption in both education and industry (Jones, 2018, p. 8; Hunter, 2015, p. 16; Joyce, 2019, p. 26). UNESCO (2020) highlights that teachers are expected to have the requisite competencies to effectively integrate digital technology into their professional practice. (p. 23). The literature presents many varied options for teacher professional development, including online, networking, communities of practice, demonstrations, and mentoring (Rowston, et al., 2020, p. 702). Kopcha (2012) suggests that mentored teachers integrate technology more frequently over time than a teacher who does not learn with a mentor (p. 1109). Bandura (1977) also highlights that modelling another individual is an effective tool for enhancing the self-efficacy of an individual (Bandura, 1977). The following video provides an answer to the question, What is Mentoring?

A PLN for professional development and mentoring

Traditional top-down professional development models have historically embraced synchronous, face-to-face activities that require dedicated time and sometimes physical travel (Trust, et al., 2018, p. 137). The long-term collaboration typically seen in PLN’s enables group members to share and utilize the expertise of others to develop new approaches to teaching and learning (Brown & Flood, 2019, p. 4). The following video suggests the ways you might develop your own PLN.