Learning to Teach in the Digital Era Starts With Professional Development

Identify Your Goals

An important aspect of professional development in the digital era is granting teachers the opportunity to set goals and have an understanding of what they are trying to achieve in the classroom.

“Teachers need to first understand the purpose, the learning goals. They have to figure out why, and then how. That’s really important,” says Jean Tower, director of media and digital learning for the Needham Public Schools. “You’re not going to be successful by just putting devices in the classroom. You really need professional development and you need it early.”

Simply integrating technology in the classroom will not make teachers better instructors or students better learners. Teachers need to have the opportunity to convey their goals during professional development before any technology is implemented in the classroom. This allows teachers to understand why they are using the technology in the classroom, which can help them create adequate teaching strategies that will truly improve student learning through the use of technology.

“Districts that have successfully integrated technology have done a lot of professional development upfront. They’ve defined it from specific learning goals, they’ve targeted all of their professional development around helping teachers be successful in both using the devices in software but also in achieving those specific learning goals,” says Tower.

When professional development is focused on helping teachers and students achieve learning goals, technology is more likely to be used as a tool to help achieve those objectives. When these goals are met, school districts can feel satisfied that their investment in technology has warranted results.

Provide Adequate Training

There is no doubt that training is an important part of professional development, especially in the digital era. Teachers need to understand the actual functionality of technology in order to implement it in their classrooms. It is important to note, however, that training involves more than simply instructing teachers how to use a certain device or software. It involves providing teachers with an understanding as to how to use technology in a way that will truly transform and enhance their students’ learning experiences.