Chapter 5: Staff Development for Technology Integration in the Classroom

Summary and comment on Chapter 5 of Technology in its Place

Chapter 5 discusses different approaches to staff development and integrating technology in the classroom. The author briefly discusses some approaches from the past that didn't work, such as holding workshops or offering computer literacy classes (Collier, 2001), and instead focuses on four new approaches that should work better towards achieving the goal of seamless integration.

Approach #1: Technology Mentors
The mentor/student relationship is a time-proven method of success in many lines of work, and the same can hold true for integrating technology. Collier writes that "technology mentors are a valuable resource in planning staff development for technology integration" (Collier, 2001, p 63) and this makes sense because the mentor is the expert that can streamline the process for the newbies. Mentors have "been there" and "done that" so they can offer sage advice to those new to technologies in an intimate environment.

Approach #2: Student Involvement
Often times the students know more about available technologies than many teachers, especially teachers from generations bygone...so why not use the students as a resource? Collier mentions that "...students are facile with technology and can provide help with troubleshooting and just-in-time technical assistance" (Collier, 2001, p 65). I actually used this approach in a class recently. My Humanities students were in the Computer Lab working on various film projects. I had a student that was becoming frustrated with MS MovieMaker due to her unfamiliarity with the software. I am not a pro at using MovieMaker either, so I polled the class as to who could help and demonstrate to me & Lauren how to get the application we needed accomplished. After a few quick unsolicited commentaries as to the negative merits of MovieMaker versus other more expensive options, I had a student come over and instantly offer a 60-second tutorial that saved time and enlightened myself and others.

Approach #3: Teacher Leadership and Student Technology Competencies
This approach involves creating a "team" of cross-curriculum teachers to determine attainable technology goals while working collaboratively with technology specialists (Collier, 2001). I viewed this as being the best of both worlds: a tech specialist working with classroom teachers from the trenches. The classroom teachers can "keep it real" as to what types of technology the kids need and teachers will actually use, while using the knowledge of the specialist to make it work in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Approach #4: Inquiry and Action Research for Technology Integration
This is the "teacher as a researcher" approach to staff development (Collier, 2001, p 68) and involves teachers as explorers. By taking a hands-on approach and researching the available technologies, teacher are able to determine first-hand what students may encounter during their research. Collier wrote that this approach "strengthens the student research approach in a number of important ways (including) providing formal instruction in keyboarding, guided research, and structured note taking" (Collier, 2001, p 69).

The chapter closes by discussing the role of administrators in the process and assorted resources for staff development. Collier notes that "each of the four approaches underscores the need for strong administrator support to make possible a complex aspect of systemic change" (Collier, 2001, p 69) and I think that is the case for most changes occurring, technological or otherwise. Without the support of the administration, it is very difficult to achieve positive results because the often the teachers and administrators have different priorities.

Resource:

Collier, C. (2001). Staff Development for Technology Integration in the Classroom. In Collier, C. & LeBaron, J.F. (Eds.). Technology in its Place: Successful Technology Infusion in Schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.