EDLD+5364+Week+4+Reading+Reflection

EDLD 5364 Week 4 Reading Reflection

The McRel Technology Intervention Program (MTI) is a research-based model for teacher professional development to assist them in integrating technology into their classroom ultimately to improve student achievement. The results speak for themselves as stated in this quote, “MTS participants reported stronger skills on more complex technology applications and, on average, rated themselves at the “adaptation level” of technology user (whereas the other teachers were at a lower, “adoption level”).” (Regional Education Laboratory, 2005) Implementation included three phase. Planning, implementation and transfer are all part of the process. Leaders would benefit by knowing that this is a huge undertaking and not just a fly-by-night plan. They would have to buy-in and support the ongoing implementation through each phase. They would have to know that the infrastructure is in place, understand the results of the surveys, support the teachers throughout the process and continue adding new groups of teachers in years two and three. Overall, the participants in the McRel project had a stronger desire to integrate technology and were at higher levels of integration than teachers in schools who were in the comparison group. Technology skills learned in professional development are not the key to integration but being able to discern how technologies can be used for integration is more important. If there are issues, they must be addressed immediately; otherwise, it becomes discouraging and will not work.

Cooperative Learning The main focus of this chapter is to show how multimedia is a natural environment for cooperative learning to take place (Howard Pitler, Elizabeth R. Hubbell, Matt Kuhn, Kim Malenoski, 2007). Since multimedia projects often have a need for many roles in completing the detailed projects, it lends multimedia lends itself to cooperative learning. The projects need to be well-thought out so that they won’t bog down. Students must have clear expectations of what is expected of them both individually and as a part of a group. This can often be presented in the form of a rubric. It goes on to list many different ways to form a multimedia project. These include keypals, webquests, web site creation, collaborative organizing like shared calendars or social bookmarking, course management and simulation games. Of course there is always communication such as blogs and wikis.

Professional Development Every sentence and paragraph resonates with me as I read this chapter on professional development. The quotes stating how most of the quick four-hour professional development trainings held at the end of the day when teachers are tired are failed attempts. The thousands of workshops and conferences are nothing but failed promises that have not led to any significant change in practice when teachers returned to their classrooms. Technology leaders could encourage communities of practice and begin to implement ways of scaffolding for teachers just as it is done for students. The McRel method should be required in every district. Teachers engaging in communities of practice can begin to use some Web 2.0 tool such as a blog or wiki authentically by defining some related information about which to communicate or learn. As they use the software with one another, they encounter and experience the software and can learn and assist each other. They authentically achieve a comfort level and then they are able to see how they could employ this tool in the classroom. The best communities of practice are those that are formed through interaction while pursuing an interest. Another suggestion is to develop alternative forms of professional development that embed the social-networking tools we want teachers to consider. Many tools such as blogging, podcasting and wikis can be used to create or promote professional development.

Barriers to Accurate Assessment The most obvious reason for assessment, besides providing comparison data for states and college entrance, is helping teachers evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction to find ways to improve. However, to truly be useful, assessment must accurately evaluate the student’s knowledge based on the student’s personal goals. Individual learning differences such as inability to decode words or someone needing assistance with reading the test make testing unfair. A common testing format and administration will always favor some students and hurt others. Media constraints include interaction between the type of skill or knowledge being measured and the medium in which it is assessed. Supports are often foolishly removed from students in a testing situation. If they have been learning with certain tools, why snatch them away by suddenly changing the test environment from that of the daily learning environment. Finally the lack of integration with the curriculum is a hindrance. Sometimes simple observation and talking to the student would be a great assessment. The media types should match the student learning.

Regional Education Laboratory. (2005, September 1). McRel Technology Inititiave: The Development of a Technology Intervention Program. USA.