Week 8 - Post 1 - Reflections on Chapter 5

            Chapter 5 in Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools, describes the increased pressures placed on teachers to use technology in the classroom. Even though money has been spent on technology trainings and seminars, the amount of technology integrated into the classroom has not changed. The text supports the idea that the common workshops offered through schools as teacher professional development are not effective. Some reasons for the ineffectiveness of workshops is the time of day offered, typically after school for several hours, and the lack of support available once the workshop is completed. Workshops do not always give the tools necessary for teachers to bring new skills back to the classroom. Many efforts are being made to change the way we offer education to teachers. The Department of Education’s Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology grant program is one example that examined challenges related to technology integration. Studies show that difficulty with technology integration comes from lack of alignment with the curriculum, lack of peer support, and teacher discomfort and resistance. The text offers several suggestions to help with these issues.

            One suggestion offered is to incorporate communities of practice into teachers’ daily routines. Teachers are often taught technology concepts abstractly without having the opportunity to engage with the actual tools. We know that learning occurs through interaction with others, participation with materials, and the ability to relate concepts to daily life. Communities of practice or professional learning communities allow individuals to follow their own interests while interacting with others. Another suggestion for facilitating teacher development is to use social networking and Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, podcasts, and wikis, in the trainings so teachers can see first hand how they work, discuss ways to integrate them into the classroom, and start to become comfortable using them.

            I agree that teachers are expected and should be expected to integrate technology into their classrooms. I was also happy to read that instead of blaming teachers for resistance to change, efforts are being made to reexamine the way professional development trainings are offered. I have found that short workshops or all school staff trainings are not effective ways to inspire teachers to integrate what they have learned. Often, only a few teachers bring the ideas back to their classrooms and don’t feel supported by the rest of the staff. Some teachers might try to use what they’ve learned but once the workshop expert has left, there isn’t anyone to ask. Just as we teach our students by example, administrators who are requesting teachers to use technology should organize staff meetings using different technologies. One meeting could be very brief with the expectation that teachers would blog about a specific topic throughout the week and come back to discuss at the next meeting. Wikis could be used to organize all school events and teacher responsibilities. Podcasts could provide staff trainings on basic tasks such as school cleaning and recycling rules. If teachers are taught using these tools, I think they would be more inclined to recreate them for their students. Chapter 5 gave me several new perspectives on how to show other teachers the benefits of the Web 2.0 tools we have learned about.