Technology Article

I recently read an article in the October issue of Tech & Learning called "Mix it Up!" by Ellen Ullman.  The article discusses how five school districts have come up with innovative ways to deliver professional development opportunities to teachers.  Professional development is something that most teachers dread because we very seldom get much out of it.  Technology PD is something that is vital to make sure that teachers incorporate technology in their classrooms, and we must make the PD beneficial in order for it to be effective.  One idea I really liked was the eCoach school bus that the Scottsdale Unified School District in Arizona uses to train students and teachers in effective technology use.  The eCoach travels from school to school and is installed with technology that is in the classroom, including a SMARTBoard, document camera, iPads, and wireless Internet access.  The eCoach allows teachers to stay at their school and still receive hands-on, effective professional development.  Tom Clark, chief technology officer in this school district, says that "by providing teachers with experience with iPads and some of the innovative apps that are available, they can learn what might work best in their learning environment."  The article discusses other school districts who are utilizing online PD, providing teachers with hundreds of videos and interactive online technology coaches that provide teachers with individualized instruction.  I thought that this was a very informative article that had some great ideas for providing teachers with better technology professional development.