The Australian
Education Times ICT FOR EDUCATION
The Greatest C S
ince the inception of 1:1 technology programs, the need to increase the awareness of and improve skills, in the use of technology, to staff has been of universal concern. In fact, this has probably been of concern forever, it’s just the change driven by technology and the increased rate of change has highlighted deficiencies in these areas. I’ve been attending conferences for the last 10 years and this topic has been of interest to all the attendees. My discussions with many schools from all types of demographics and budgets has highlighted a few methods to deliver Professional Development (PD) to staff.
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Just in time support: In this circumstance, a teacher will have support in their classroom for using the technology. This could either be in the form of a technical support person assisting the teacher and showing them how to deal with issues or with a curriculum ‘expert’ assisting with the implementation and transferring skills to the teacher. This is probably the most effective way for teachers to be supported in the adoption of technology as it is entirely at a practical level. It does require staff to be available as needed by teachers. In this scenario, there’s a need for the teacher to reach out so the communication path of other types of PD is reversed.
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Off site PD: This type of PD is readily available and includes those run by vendors, peak bodies and in some cases, schools. Most times there’s a cost for this type of PD and the need for relief.
The Australian Education Times
On site training with teacher relief provided for staff or PD is conducted during Professional Development days:
The cost of this is high as the staff costs for the relief teachers need to be covered by the school or it is competing for access against the myriad requirements on any staff PD day. This type of training is normally mandatory for staff.
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On site training delivered by an ICT specialist during teacher down time (Lunch time or after school):
This is almost certainly the cheapest form of PD for the school to produce. The ICT specialist can either be from within staff or arranged through a vendor. This type of session is normally voluntary and the value is greatest for staff already implementing technology.