Burns, Mary. From Black and White to Color: Technology Professional Development and Changing Practice.
Jun 2002, Vol. 29 Issue 11, p.36-41.
In
1998 the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory started a project whose purpose was to help teachers create learner-centered,
technology rich learning environments. Traditional instruction (teacher centered)
and lack of technology use was rampant in the six schools selected. Over a two-year
period, 25 teachers in each school received 36 hours of professional development each year. “The three strengths in
this particular professional development model were:
q Elevation of comfort in technology over proficiency;
q Focus on classroom management techniques; and
q Modeling of the very type of instruction and technology use we advocated in the classroom” (Burns, 36)
Before
this study, these teachers had received skills-based technology instruction. Skills
based technology instruction is unsuccessful because it does not help teachers mesh the curriculum with the technology. The instruction assumed that the teachers were familiar with manipulation of technology
and if they weren’t it was up to them to figure it out. On the other hand,
the SEDL study focused on comfort with technology rather than proficiency and teachers were encouraged to ask their peers
for assistance rather than relying on an instructor. No more than 5 commands were given at a time. This model of “peer-based”, “minimal skills needed” instruction facilitated the
teachers’ shift to a learner centered technology classroom. It was such
a success because it made technology comfort more important that technology expertise, making teachers feel more confident. When you are comfortable with something, you can enjoy it more. Teachers could also reproduce this instruction model with their own students in their classrooms. Students would work in small groups, with a team leader who would be trained by the
teacher to teach a simple computer application such as setting up a PowerPoint template.
Teachers began to realize “that the smallest amount of input could yield greatly improved output in terms of
the quality of student work” (Burns, 37).
This
study also showed that teachers’ biggest fear regarding technology was classroom management of limited hardware resources. Therefore when teachers were trained during this study, it was not in a giant lab.
Each group of 5 teachers was put in a classroom with only three computers. The
group needed to decide how to utilize the computers effectively and efficiently to complete the given task. They were grouped as students would have to be to use technology, assigned specific roles within the group
and given a task. Once they figured out a plan, these once “traditional”
teachers became less afraid to give up control in the classroom.
No classroom has the perfect ratio of 1 computer to 1 student. Teachers
have to group students to take advantage of technology and it is the TF’s job to give them strategies and models. The teacher in turn becomes more of a facilitator than a teacher and more inclined to give students more autonomy in terms of their work.
This article mirrors Standard II. in that it explains how technology facilitators can provide teachers with options
for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities and how teachers can use a variety of
strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment and support them as they implement the strategies.
Bibliography
Burns, Mary. From Black and White
to Color: Technology Professional Development and Changing Practice. Jun 2002, Vol. 29 Issue 11, p.36-41.
