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.

Effective Teaching: Reflecting and Revealing for Better Instruction

In Chapter 16 of Snowman, et. al. (2009), the authors focus on the teacher as student and the ways in which teachers can continually improve their teaching styles. Building from my last post, society needs to embrace the importance of a lifelong relationship with learning rather than viewing education as a a requirement that must be completed early in life.  No group of people benefits more from this viewpoint than teachers, and they should be not only allowed, but encouraged, to continue learning, taking classes, and improving their skill set.  Teaching is an ever evolving science that must be understood and improved upon as learners become more sophisticated.  Through reflection and revelation, two methods that will be further explored below, teachers can evolve with their student population and harness these changes for better instruction.

"Reflecting" as is mentioned in the title of this blog post refers to the constant checking of one's own teaching style and student outcomes. One of the most useful, but most dreaded, aspects of the end of year classroom experience is evaluation.  Students do not like filling them out, and teachers brace themselves for complaints about everything from homework levels to favoritism.  Rather than viewing this as a time of criticism, both sides should think of this as a real opportunity to learn and grow.  After feelings may be a bit hurt, there are real lessons in listening to students and their concerns.  Furthermore, for faculty of all ages, having a lesson videotaped or having a colleague observe your classroom can help one get a better perspective about how they are coming across or what signals might be getting crossed between the front and back of the classroom.

"Revealing" refers to the act of sharing stories with other educators of your experiences in the classroom, to both get ideas for what works, and to avoid what does not.  At Lehigh, there are a number of ways in which new teachers and developing teachers can practice, observe, and hone their skills.I have touched upon this before in a blog post, but it is worth mentioning the Teacher Development Series available here at Lehigh for teaching assistants and upcoming young faculty.  Through a series of talks and workshops, those preparing for a career in higher education can gain the skills necessary to be an effective professor, and hear experiences of other faculty and their struggles and successes.  In TLT 431, we are encouraged to do a set of classroom observations and write a reflective piece to analyze teaching styles and approaches.

We are marked by the outstanding and incompetent teachers we experienced from our first days in Kindergarten through our time now in graduate school.  I think we would find that most of the time, the extraordinary teachers are bred from both hard work and constant reflection of their teaching styles, successes, and the caring and effort that goes in to such improvement.  "Bad" teachers do not come from malicious or ill-intentioned backgrounds, but are a product of ignorance and the inability to grow.

As educators, we inherently should have developed a lifelong love of and relationship with learning.  From technology shifts to new developments in neuroscience, we are consistently finding new ways to reach learners and new things to learn ourselves.  Teachers must be allowed the time and the encouragement to understand and reflect upon those new methods, as well as share their experiences with other educators, to improve the classroom experience for themselves and their students.