I have been researching professional development in science education. More specifically I have been trying to find out what types of professional development are effective. This week I found an article discussing hypermedia, or basically technology and how beneficial it can be to professional development.
One thing that continues to show up in everything that I find is how important experiencing different models of instruction is. This is one thing that teachers find particularly helpful and I can see why. Getting a chance to sit in on another teacher’s lesson can help teachers see what types of things are working or vice versa. The article I read discussed how technology can make it so easy to do this. Classes that are being offered online can be accessed at a time that is convenient for you and also in an environment that suits you.
Another thing that technology allows in professional development is increased opportunities for collaboration. According to the article, school provided in-service opportunities do not always allow for this. Getting the chance to talk with my peers always helps me understand better so I can see how getting the chance to talk with others through an online outlet could be beneficial. A few other reasons that teachers viewed hyper media as a positive tool in professional development was the freedom of accessibility and the large variety of materials that became available to them.
Technology can be incorporated into professional development in so many ways- blogs, virtual tours, skype, discussion boards, online classes, etc. I took two online classes last summer and really enjoyed it! It allowed me to work at my own pace and was very convienent- although a class condensed into four weeks was somewhat rigorous! I still had the opportunity to chat with classmates over discussion board posts about reading. I communicated often with the professors, so I still felt a connection with them, even though they never saw my face. I think that what you talk about with communication between teachers is very important. Through technology, I can see what my friends teaching in Illinois are up to while I am teaching in Iowa without going to visit! It is interesting to see what other states and districts are doing in their classroom units and lessons.
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