Dan Agins's List: Uconn Capstone

• Students are the ultimate beneficiaries of effective professional development programs in our schools
• New teachers often have not been prepared well by their universities to deal with the exigencies and demands of the classroom
• • I recall a conversation with someone in which he or she said that teachers need to be more like doctors, in terms of the amount of time it takes to "train" and then be paid in the same manner. 
• Teachers must be afforded the necessary time to develop their professionalism.
• Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, Knowles Theory of Andragogy, Roger’s Facilitation Theory, Honey and Mumford’s Learning Style Theory, Active Learning Theory and Constructivist Theory
• • look these up - why haven't I heard of these (except Constructivist) throughout this program?
• Teachers must be provided opportunities to adapt and practice newly-learned skills in their context
• Multimedia technology offers solutions to this problem. R. Tharp states: “Multimedia technology can provide ideal conditions for learning how ideas and actions are connected. Because video images and texts are presented together, often on the same television or computer screen, the relationships among practice, research and theory are immediately apparent” (2002).
• • So, our PD needs to be like the Jasper Woodbury series?? Interesting ideas here. 
• Professional development topics must be connected to these standards and equip teachers to use these standards to prepare their daily lesson plans.
• • Is this suggesting that PD must be targeted towards "the test?"
• Quality teaching is the result of strong teacher support, the right teaching strategies and techniques, a strong curriculum and teachers’ high expectations and positive attitudes toward diversity.
• The U.S. Department of Education has eliminated the Eisenhower Professional Development grants in mathematics and science
• • isn't that the basis of what we all had to read about?
• • I recall having to fill out paper work proving I was "highly qualified." I wonder how much was a dog and pony show? 
• all teachers are highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year
• Many professional development models reflect a deficit-driven approach where existing knowledge of teachers is not valued and teachers simply participate as consumers of knowledge with little acknowledgment of the contributions they have gained through observation and experience.

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• it has also been criticized for its cost, often vaguely determined goals, and for the lack of data on resulting teacher and school improvement that characterizes many efforts.
• • What perhaps makes it not a "one shot deal" is when we actually spend more than one day thinking about the ideas/topics covered. We own it.
• This preferred approach holds that for teacher learning to truly matter, it needs to take place in a more active and coherent intellectual environment—one in which ideas can be exchanged and an explicit connection to the bigger picture of school improvement is made
• • I don't get this, need to re-read.
• • and what have their results looked like?
• In the most sophisticated examples, teachers set common instructional goals, teach lessons in their individual classrooms, administer informal assessments to determine levels of student mastery, and then regroup as a team to analyze the data together. Then, they pinpoint areas of success, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for future teaching
• In essence, professional development relies on a two-part transfer of knowledge: It must inculcate in teachers new knowledge and skills such that they change their behavior, and those changes must subsequently result in improved student mastery of subject matter
• ne study concluded that students in schools whose learning teams relied on a set of formal protocols for guiding meetings improved more than those in a comparison group of schools where that structure was lacking.

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• It cannot be sold simply as a way to make their job easier
• This delicate situation must be handled carefully, always showing great respect for others and the challenges they face learning something so difficult for them.
• teacher leaders must demonstrate their successes
• • HUGE! the key is accountability
• report the conversations back to an administrator
• Open House or Technology Showcase for parents or community

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• Educational technology is not,   and never will be, transformative on its own
• Teachers, in other words, must become "fearless in their use of technology"   and empowered by the many opportunities it offers
• it must be viewed as an ongoing and integral part of teachers'   professional lives.
• The ultimate goal of professional   development is to improve student learning
• the use of technology enables   teachers to implement new teaching techniques, to help students work collaboratively   and develop higher-order thinking   skills, to encourage students to be engaged   in the learning process, to assist students who have various learning styles   and special needs, and to expose students to a broad range of information and   experts.
• When teachers are accustomed to using the   equipment to boost their own productivity, they "are more likely to see ways   in which similar uses could support the projects they want their students to   do,"
• • TRUTH
• Adults require relevant, concrete experiences with adequate support, appropriate   feedback, and long-term follow-up (Speck, 1996)
• Practice logs can promote these helpful activities.   Such logs can show how often teachers use a new practice, how it worked, what   problems occurred, and what help they needed
• If technology is to   be used to produce improvements in student achievement, teachers must see a   direct link between the technology and the curriculum for which they are responsible   (Byrom, 1998
• The best integration   training for teachers does not simply show them how to add technology to their   what they are doing. "It helps them learn how to select digital content based   on the needs and learning styles of their students, and infuse it into the curriculum   rather than making it an end in itself," notes Fatemi (1999)
• • opportunity does not equal action

  • "allows for" does not equal "will actually happen"
• • this just seems like carrot and stick coercion, which will not equal true and honest integration. Did we need to coerce people to do math in order to keep a gradebook in the past? 
• The only way   to ensure that all students have the same opportunities is to require all teachers   to become proficient in the use of technology in content areas to support student   learning.
• Now that students are being held to higher standards, teachers   are being held accountable for student achievement; educators must show that   professional development has an impact on achieving the learning goals that   were identified in the original plan (Guskey, 1998; Wilde, 1996).
• Schools often assign only one individual or a few people to develop the professional   development program for technology use, without allowing for the input of teachers,   parents, and the community. Although this approach may seem an efficient use   of time, it does not promote the buy-in of all stakeholders. In the long run,   the effort will not be successful without adequate buy-in. Further, if parents   and community members are not informed of changes in instructional practices   relating to technology use and the importance of ongoing professional development   for teachers, they may react with resistance when technology innovations are   implemented or when teachers are given time for professional development activities   in technology.

• Some educators may not be interested in professional development for technology   use because they oppose technology as a means to improved student learning.   They may argue that technology shifts the focus of schools from the content   of the information conveyed to the means of delivery (hardware, software, and   networks).

   

  Some parents and community members believe that schools should not allocate   money and time for teachers to receive professional development in technology   use. They may suggest that teachers learn about technology with their own resources   and on their own time.

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• no one can argue that the most important influence in student learning and achievement is still teacher quality. So it stands to reason that the true challenge of effectively integrating technology in education is human rather than technological
• A comprehensive, well thought-out professional development plan that moves educators along the continuum from novice to integrator over time, regardless of their starting position, demonstrates investment, commitment and thoroughness on the part of the district.
• Effective implementation begins with putting the vision onto paper — the actual map of where the district is headed
• Professional development is the key component to fostering the technology culture, because educators are needed to apply and integrate technology with the curriculum, and engage students in different learning projects aligned with their learning goals
• Having computers in classrooms is pointless if teachers do not have the time to experiment with the programs and implement new practices in the classroom.
• • Where do we draw the line between "having the time" and making the time? Where does priority level come in?
• Building a school site or district intranet is an invaluable strategy for sharing activity ideas and successes. It encourages collaboration and the proliferation of the technology culture. Readily available ideas beget more ideas, and so the wealth of knowledge resources within the district grows.
• Technology is a tool, just like books, paper and pencil. Technology serves to enhance the effectiveness of teaching but cannot replace the role of the teacher. Therefore, educators — administrators and teachers alike — must be completely comfortable with all the uses of the tool in order to improve classroom instruction.

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• effective leaders create structures in which it’s clear that teachers have a certain authority.
• It is difficult to let go and empower others when you know it is your neck on the line for results. But of course, in the end, it is that team effort and drawing the best from staff that will generate improved performance. That’s just a tough leap.
• The other thing we’ve seen is teachers working with colleagues on their own to start creating the kind of environments they want in their schools. They create professional learning communities, finding time to collaborate. They seek out their own professional development opportunities and advocate for themselves to be able to go and learn, so they can bring that knowledge back to their colleagues. But again, this takes a lot of care and commitment—and time. It’s hard for teachers to sustain over the long haul if they aren’t given support from leadership
• • This is the million dollar question
• what we’ve found is a mismatch between what teachers say they need in professional development and what they’re actually getting.
• What they say they need are strategies to help them tailor that knowledge to meet the needs of special education students, English-language learners, and other groups in order to work towards closing the achievement gap.
• It’s really about teachers and leaders working together and making informed decisions. It’s not about teachers vs. administrators. It’s about getting together and reflecting on what needs to be in place for everyone to be successful and making sure this gets done in a way that everyone is comfortable with.
• • Here is the disconnect. What I am comfortable with and what others are comfortable with might not align.
• It’s about being purposeful in really engaging these teachers in such a way that they feel ownership in what the school is doing. The more teachers are engaged in some of the decisions at the school and district level through leadership, I think the better they understand the big picture and those negative perceptions start to change.
• • I would agree with this.
• The perception among many elite students who are interested in teaching is that it’s less of a career and more of a short-term way to gain experience and engage in meaningful work
• We need to draw upon our best teachers to ensure that these short-term educators are the best they can be and that they are really hitting on all cylinders while they are in the profession
• • Still feels cheap. Teaching is a profession, not a stepping stone.

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