Overall professional development is key in educating individuals about technology, its importance and its components in order to effectively educate students. Proper and valuable professional development targeting technology is needed especially at our district. Due to an older generation of teachers, it is important to educate these individuals on how to use technology appropriately and effectively in order to educate the students.
Professional development is a concept that needs to be revamped in order for our society to shift to the new 21st century world of technology.
Technology Professional Development needs to be:
- available to all for all
- provided closer to the classroom with lessons for classroom instruction
- available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, online, to the desktop when and if possible
- provided in differentiated instruction for all levels of knowledge
- good-quality, research-based instruction
- required by all teachers a specific amount of hours each school year (at least 12 hours) with refresher courses throughout the year to update information and build on knowledge and experience
- a requirement by all "new" teachers at the beginning of school year along with a technology assessment to determine their level of experience and expertise with technology
- a requirement for all new teachers to pair up with older teachers (reverse mentoring) activity for each to learn from each other
- include a requirement that teachers create and teach at least five technology integrated lessons per school year
- vertically and horizontally aligned across all grade levels and subject matters
- provide planning, evaluating, sharing time throughout the year
- aligned with Technology Applications TEKS, SBEC requirements as well as district standards and expectations pertaining to district's Technology Plan
- explain and instruct teachers of the STaR Chart and how to successfully progress to the "Target Tech" level
- a continuous program, adapting and building on to the additional knowledge, skills and strategies for all sessions
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Your professional development requirements for your school district are clear and precise. I think we all need more PD opportunities in the line of technology. With your plan in place, your school may already be on its way to achieving the goals.
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