Blog 6: Technology Training
Melissa Campbell
Staff
development is an essential part of a school. I believe that technology staff
development is one of the most important areas due to how rapidly the field is
changing and growing. In a school there are teachers with a wide range of
experience. There may be teachers who have taught with technology their whole
careers. While others are having a hard time embracing the change. This can be
a huge challenge for a media specialist when designing staff developments. It
is similar to our classroom of students. There are many different learning
styles in one room and a variety of experience levels and background knowledge
that are present. The library today looks vastly different than the one twenty
years ago, and this will continue to be true in even twenty more years
(Jurkowski, 2010).
At Peachtree
Elementary the range of technology skills of the staff begins with those who
are afraid to use the SMART Board attached to their walls and don’t know how to
create folders on the computer, to teachers who use the laptop carts weekly,
develop interactive websites, and bring their students to the computer labs for
various activities. I think this is typical of most schools. Some teachers are
naturally hesitant to change their teaching styles or incorporate new or
unfamiliar technology, while others embrace it. After talking with the media
specialists at my school I see that it is always an uphill battle to find a
balance between the skill levels of the staff.
Every
school has some type of professional development established. At Peachtree the
media specialists plan a staff development every month. Each month the topic is
different. A few examples of topics include digital cameras, NEOs, SMART
Boards, OPAC, Accelerated Reader, projects ideas for students, and using data
bases. There is a great media team that always stays up to date on the latest
technology our school has to use. Time for these meetings can be an issue.
Teachers are already overwhelmed with their jobs. Most staff
development is planned after school when attention and participation is low
(Jurkowski, 2010). Sometimes these sessions are during our planning which is in
the middle of the day but takes away when we can plan for our students. The
media team really tries to be productive during this time and provide teachers
with useful information they can actually take back to their rooms and use.
Instead of
hosting a required staff development meeting sometimes the media staff will
host “Yall Comes.” An email is sent out to the staff letting them know the
date, time, and topic of the y’all come. This way teachers can decide if the
meetings will benefit them or not. These meetings are often hosted by teachers
that have a special skill in a certain technology area. By utilizing experts
inside the school this can save on outside costs. Also if the meeting is being
hosted by someone teachers know and feel comfortable with. They may get more
out of the meeting.
If I were to
provide technology staff development I would make sure the topics varied, but
not so much as to provide too much information. Sometimes in education I feel
that we provide a little bit of everything, to the point of not learning enough
of one thing to be effective. I would make sure to focus on certain areas
enough to help teachers feel comfortable and proficient. A few things I would
do with technology training is provide clear and easy to use training aids,
make it enjoyable not a chore. Have some optional sessions for teachers who
need the extra help. I would not overwhelm teachers with too many new items at
one time. I would make sure to be organized with the resources I provide to alleviate
confusion. Technology is a great asset for teachers to use. It is the media team’s
job to make teachers feel comfortable and ready to use the tools presented to
them.
Jurkowski,
O. (2010). Technology and the school
library: A comprehensive guide for media
specialists and
other educators (revised ed.). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
I agree that technology training can be very difficult especially if it is mandatory. When teachers feel like they are obligated to do something they may be reluctant about, they will most likely come in with a sour attitude and not take away anything from the training. Once this has happened, you have wasted time and done nothing to support a collaborative working environment. I love the idea of "y'all comes." If I were to do something like that, I think I would start by surveying the faculty to find out what types of technology they wanted to learn more about.
ReplyDeleteIn my district, my media specialist has technology committee meetings once a month, but not by choice. No technology training is offered through her. Luckily we have a fabulous technology support staff from the BOE who feels those voids. Anytime teachers need any support with technology, a simple e-mail will get you help ASAP from a technolgy specialist. THough this is nice, I feel like the school could benefit more if the LMS would reach out more to the staff to provide support.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your paper on technology training. You had several important reasons why staff development in technology training is useful. You mention in your paper that Peachtree Elementary school media specialist does host a staff development training each month. Having training each month to inform staff on how to use the technologies in the media center will save time for the media specialist. At my school the media specialist and the technology specialist have to connect all the electronic devices for teachers. When they cannot get their technology to work, the teachers will get upset and discouraged. They will complaint and some will be afraid to use the tool again.
ReplyDeleteThe role of a media specialist is changing. The idea to teach students, faculty, and administrators how to use and do some media services on their own will be a plus to the media specialist in the future. I have noticed several of my media specialist friends are being adding to the connection schedule. They are having to teach classes most of the day and still have to do the media center duties later on during that day.
I do agree that several teachers are having a hard time embracing the change. They do not want to add technology to their lesson plans nor learn how to use technology to enhance their lessons. They want to teach the traditional way with books and papers. This issue will cause a problem in the future. Most of these teachers will have to retire or leave the teaching profession.
I like the thought of having teachers who want to attend a staff development come if they like. This staff development class will be more rewarding than one where you are forced to come.
The variety of skills is certainly an obstacle for planning technology staff development - you almost have to offer 10 different classes geared to 10 different levels of expertise (or lack of expertise!) Finding times and getting teachers motivated is difficult as well - it's a universal problem.
ReplyDeleteThis year, we knew we needed to offer training to teachers on Destiny since it was our first year with it, and we brainstormed ways to accomplish this. First, we got our administration on board to "encourage" participation, then we sent out invitations for a "Date with Destiny" (which really got their attention!) We asked grade levels to sign up for times that suited them - before, during or after school - and we even provided snacks (with the premise "If you feed them, they will come.") Because of the administrative support (and the food!), we were able (eventually) to get all grade levels participating and many of the specials teachers as well, so we felt it was successful.
I guess we just have to keep trying new and different ways to entice teachers to become invested in staff development....
Melissa, you’ve made some excellent points in your post, and I think you have the right idea by not constantly trying to integrate many technology trainings with little focus or in-depth coverage. I know I would rather receive extensive information or coverage of one topic and try to start incorporating it in the classroom than barely knowing about 3-4 different topics/applications. Where I work, they aren’t focused on technology training, so the only teachers who know about some of the applications or technology options are the ones who ask. Unfortunately, our media specialists don’t have good turnouts when they try to promote a technology information session. How do the “Y’all Comes” meeting sizes vary? Does it depend on the material being presented? Do you ever gear towards a certain topic/subject or grade level? I think something similar to these meetings may interest teachers at my school if we specific geared it towards a specific department to meet or a specific grade level.
ReplyDeleteResponse 1-Sabrinda Davidson
ReplyDeleteThis year we have professional development every Thursday given by the two instructional coaches. Our media specialist hasn’t ever given a PD since I have been at my school which is going on 7 years now. Since I have been at my school, the media specialist has always worked alone with no assistant, so she doesn’t have time to plan with teachers. Usually the only time I have seen the media specialist deliver a PD is during the first faculty meeting when she covers the media center handbook, schedule, and website. She also cover copyright extensively. This is a sad situation, because Jurkowski (2010) states that librarians can teach teachers about what the library has to offer, as well as teach about technologies around the school (p.162). Unfortunately, this is not happening at my school. So even though I can’t react to how my media specialist plans PD’s, I can respond to yours and how your experience is similar in nature to mine. I agree 100% that topics should be explored in depth, before jumping ship to explore another topic. For example, I wouldn’t teach a Geometry unit for just one week and then jump to Data Analysis. For something to be mastered effectively, time and practice should be prevalent. Also, when you cover too many topics at once, it is overwhelming to teachers. I know I become overwhelm when too many tasks are given for me to do. Usually they end up on the back burner. Thanks for also listing your do’s and don’ts. I will make sure to remember them when it is my turn to give a workshop.
I like the idea that your media specialist has informal informational meetings. One school I student taught at had "SitNGets", which was basically the same thing, only it wasn't just about technology. Attendance was not required and the topics ranged from teaching tricks to tools to increase at home reading. The teachers could sign up to present and then an email was sent around tell the topics and the time. I think it is a great idea for the media specialist to create technology based classes. Also, if the media specialist creates a reference sheet, then new teachers could be given these reference sheets so they can be brought up to speed with the technology that is in that particular school. I think many of the teachers in my school would like an easy to read "How To" page on topics such as the Promethean board and iRespond. As you said, it is very important to remember that teachers are at different levels when it comes to technology. Working with different teachers at different levels in the same room can sometimes be tricky. So, having a beginners class meet once every other month and have an advanced class meet on the other months might make it easier.
ReplyDeleteYou really hit the proverbial nail on the head with your comment that you feel we sometimes train a little on tons of different things and never really teach/learn anything. I feel that way lately about much of the technology in my school. I received a Promethean board a few years ago and was trained in a 2 hour session about 4 weeks before my board was installed. Can you believe I forgot everything in those 4 weeks? Then, it was summer break so needless to say, I am still missing necessary information that I had to search for on my own. Now, I've been given an Activslate and a class set of "clickers" to use with my class. That training consisted of, well, nothing. I doubt I'll be using them before summer break anyway. (I was given them last week.)
ReplyDeleteAs a future media specialist, I hope to create engaging professional development training for my teachers. Often, we are placed in whole group (about 100 teachers) or small groups where 2-3 people try to tell us what they know rather actually training us on anything. I really hope I'm not that way.
Melissa, I thought you brought up some very valid points regarding technology training. I too feel that teachers are often thrown new technology, with little instruction, and often its too overwhelming. It's easier to put something aside than to try and figure it out on your own. I love that your school provides "y'all" meetings. This sounds like a great way to provide a comfortable setting where teachers can actually take away useful information. I think it's important to provide follow up to these kinds of meetings too. Some teachers will walk away and immediately put the new knowledge to work, while others need a few more meetings before they're comfortable enough to try it in the classroom. Unfortunately, it always seems to be a time issue for both teachers and media staff to work into a week all of the areas that need to be addressed.
ReplyDelete