Teacher Learning and Technology: The Logistics of Lifelong Learning

In a recent blog post from the School Library Journal, I was struck by a quote from a Principal of a New York City school.  Middle School Principal Jason Levy, describing new computing initiatives on their campus, said, “At 339, we don’t see laptops as toys, or even as tools.  We see them as megaphones to give students and teachers global voices."  Thinking about technology as  a megaphone for education and student-teacher voices, I would like to apply this thought to my last blog post.  That post discussed the need for reflection and revelation (getting outside opinion through "revealing" one's teaching to others) in order to make more effective.  This post will deal with the logistics of making those things happen.  More specifically, how do we use the technology that is our "megaphone" to allow reflection and revelation happen?

In chapter 8 of How People Learn, a lot of attention is paid to the practicing teacher, and the opportunities practicing teachers have to consistently learn from their own new experiences.  But what about collaboration with teachers around the country, or even around the world?  There are a number of ways in which teachers can connect in a way that was previously impossible from teacher support groups, teaching resources online, videoconferencing  Whether it be more experienced teachers transferring knowledge to young teachers or colleagues at the same level sharing failures and successes, the benefit and necessity for that type of communication will become more apparent for all.  In the meantime, that resource has been a lifesaver as I transition from research to teaching.  For instance, as I have been taking TLT 431, and our assignments are meant to be implementable classroomlessons and techniques.  I am one of the few people in that class without K-12 classroom experience or without direct aspirations to become a K-12 teacher.  However, what has been a saving resource for me has been the use of the internet to catch myself up in terms of vocabulary of the trade and templates for teacher resources (i.e. unit plan templates, etc).  Thankfully,we have had ample access to resources and recommendations for ways in which we can use technology to enhance our teaching, but also to reach out and learn what others are doing.  Without that resource, I feel I would struggle much more with how to realize those assignments.

Another question to ask is: what is "formal inservice education?" and does it have to be limited to days out of school, at a physical building somewhere?  From distance education to more informal "iTunes University" (in which Lehigh participates) courses, there are ample resources to continually take structured, in-depth classes without leaving the classroom or the comfort of home after a long night of grading papers.  Technology to support teacher learning beyond preservice and inservice training is becoming more essential as demands and time constraints trim the amount of effort and resources that can be put into educational pursuits for teachers. Teachers have an incredibly important job that needs constant updating the way in which a doctor would.  Doctors must meet a requirement of continuing education credits at regular intervals to keep their licenses (and these can come in a variety of online, in person, or conference/seminar-participation formats).  Teachers, who are essentially molding the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and innovators, must be held to a similar standard, and encouraged to continue their education through such outlets and with the backing of their school.

Technology is no silver bullet for perfecting teacher training and learning, this we accept and reiterate repeatedly.  But, it does open possibilities that were once too time-consuming or inconvenient to fit into the time constraints of a teacher's life.  The best teachers realize that they are never done learning, and try to instill that same love of learning in their students.  With the internet - more specifically the "people power" on each side of those internet connections - teachers are finding ways to connect with students and colleagues to make that endeavor more exciting and accessible to all.