I spent a large part of today trying to map out a PD plan for implementing Sketchpad into math class. It's a long-term hybrid PD with face-to-face and online components. The idea of course is to support a slow implementation process for the teachers, with lots of support, collaboration, etc. as this is really important if you want change or implement new things so they actually become a part of instructional practice. The school district I am working with is doing it right - giving teachers the time to slowly change their practice. Let's face it...there's a lot of great technology out in the schools that never gets used because it is just so overwhelming, and the expectations to use it come usually with little support or training.
Since this was foremost on my mind today, I was pretty excited when I ran across this article in my daily perusal of blogs and education news. Adam Bellow (@adambellow on Twitter) gives a really nice synopsis of how to support technology integration in the classroom, so just passing this article along to anyone who is immersed in trying to integrate or is planning for integrating technology. My personal favorite, and the one I recommend first to teachers I work with, happens to be Adam's number 1 in the article, which is to Start Small. I like to tell teachers pick one thing, just one, that you are going to change/add using technology. So maybe your warm-up, or your launch or your review. The idea being to get comfortable and then add more to your repertoire slowly till it becomes a habit. Don't they say it takes 2 weeks to create or break a habit? Anyway, Adam sums my thinking up perfectly, so no need to reinvent the wheel!
Since this was foremost on my mind today, I was pretty excited when I ran across this article in my daily perusal of blogs and education news. Adam Bellow (@adambellow on Twitter) gives a really nice synopsis of how to support technology integration in the classroom, so just passing this article along to anyone who is immersed in trying to integrate or is planning for integrating technology. My personal favorite, and the one I recommend first to teachers I work with, happens to be Adam's number 1 in the article, which is to Start Small. I like to tell teachers pick one thing, just one, that you are going to change/add using technology. So maybe your warm-up, or your launch or your review. The idea being to get comfortable and then add more to your repertoire slowly till it becomes a habit. Don't they say it takes 2 weeks to create or break a habit? Anyway, Adam sums my thinking up perfectly, so no need to reinvent the wheel!
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