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The three key questions and their indicators below deal with, in order, how much technology-related training is provided to staff, what that training consists of, including its methods and goals, and lastly, if and how such training is evaluated. In Chapter 7, the assessment of technology proficiency is discussed, and, in that context, a series of standards for teacher preparation in technology literacy are referenced. These standards, and others adopted by states (see, for example, the Virginia standards for technology also cited in Chapter 7), provide a basis for designing professional development opportunities for teachers. Similar benchmarks are available for school administrators (again, see the Technology Standards for School Administrators reference in Chapter 7), although not for administrative support staff. Key Question 1. What technology-related training and/or professional development do staff receive? This key question and its indicators relate to tracking hours and participation percentages for recordkeeping purposes. In addition to the above-mentioned standards, there are guidelines available to technology planners and administrators, providing ideas on what professional development for technology use should encompass. Broad categories, such as those in "Critical Issue: Providing Professional Development for Effective Technology Use," developed by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), can be helpful in planning what types of courses to include. The NCREL report lists the following desirable elements: a connection to student learning; hands-on technology use; variety in learning experiences; curriculum-specific applications; new roles for teachers; collegial approaches to learning; active participation of teachers; ongoing process; sufficient time; technical assistance and support; administrative support; adequate resources; continuous funding; and built-in evaluation. (See Resources for further detail.) The Michigan State Department of Education has also developed standards
for professional development with indicators divided into categories
of context, process, and content that may prove helpful in assessing
technology-related staff training. (See the sidebar topic "Standards
for Professional Development.")
The methods and content of technology-related professional development are changing as quickly as technology itself. Still, guidelines exist for goals in the form of technological proficiency levels found in standards such as ISTE's NETS for Teachers and the Technology Standards for School Administrators (see Chapter 7 Resources). A goal statement should also be set forth in the professional development portion of a district's technology plan. Technology has brought a windfall for delivery methods in professional
development. Online delivery means can help educators to find the best
time for training based on their own schedules (see the Resources for
this chapter). Video and audio conferencing allow teachers access to
both instructional and collegial support. E-mail and e-bulletin boards
enable teachers to share information and solve problems. Still, taken
as a whole, technology cannot solve the problem of allocating the time
needed for ongoing professional development to establish and maintain
proficiency in technology use. There are many competing demands for
teachers' and administrators' time, and districts need to allocate sufficient
time and resources for professional development and training (of all
kinds).
TERM DEFINITIONS AND CATEGORIES Academic year: A period that begins on the first day of classes and ends on the last day of classes, usually consisting of two semesters or three quarters, and includes a minimum of 30 weeks of instructional time over the course of one calendar year. Delivery means: Web or other online; interactive video or other teleconferencing; satellite or television broadcast; video tape, CD-ROM, DVD; "hands on" workshop; lecture, presentation, meeting; computer-based training. Indicate whether access setting is group or individual. Event type: In-service staff development course offered during the normal workday; pre-service course for teachers or administrators; formal class offered outside of working hours. Incentives: Recertification points or credits; salary points; money; certificate of class or course completion; provision of substitutes; release time; computer or training materials. Technology-related content areas: Can include planning and designing technology-supported learning, implementing technology-supported learning, technology tool skills, professional productivity, assessment, social, ethical and legal issues.
Whether and how schools and districts assess professional development offerings is an important indication of the seriousness with which staff development is considered. Assessment must, however, go beyond a minimal "head count" approach, in which attendance lists or sign-in sheets are used as evidence of program success. Tailoring evaluation methods to professional development programs makes sense-data on how teachers and administrators progress and how they are using new technologies to promote student achievement give great insight into what technology is doing for schools. By evaluating professional development, technology planners and administrators can learn what is working, and what or who needs help. Measures of proficiency are discussed in Chapter 7 that could serve as outcome assessments, but such outcome measures are at best indirectly related to professional development inputs. A list of assessment tools for professional development is provided
in the Resources section at the end of this chapter. These are published
by individual technology coordinators or planners and school systems;
several are online.
The relevant unit for professional development data element definitions is the single training event or program. Single training event unit records form the basic elements for a comprehensive professional development database. A system based on training event unit records would meet day-to-day administrative needs and support overall assessment and planning. The data elements presented below illustrate basic units of a data system from which indicators can be derived to answer important policy and planning questions. It is important that training events cross-connect with teacher identification in these records, since many of the questions aggregate the professional development and training experiences of individual teachers. The data elements listed below, along with others defining basic school components such as classrooms and adapted from other NCES handbooks, can be used to create the indicators listed in this chapter. The complete list of data elements for this guide can be found in Appendix A; a number of detailed examples illustrating the creation of indicators from data elements can be found in Appendix B. LIST OF POTENTIAL DATA ELEMENTS FOR A UNIT RECORD: STAFF TECHNOLOGY-RELATED TRAINING For each training/professional development event attended by at least one staff member at the school or district level, the following data elements are recorded:
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