Educational PD for the IT?

An integral part of professional development in districts today involves teaching teachers about technology. A great deal of time, money, and effort is put into getting all teachers to use technology in their classrooms. Should districts likewise get IT and other technology staff familiar with teaching and the classroom? Technology professionals hired by districts generally don't have teaching experience. Should they be encouraged to get to know the classroom better in order to better implement technology programs and learning?

Tags: pd, professional development

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Permalink Reply by Paul Spencer on July 11, 2007 at 1:20pm

Hi,

Things seem very different on the other side of the pond.

While we have technicians to keep the kit going most ICT teachers manage the technicians but are at the front of using ICT to teach and it is to the ICT teachers that other teachers look for help and advice.

Even the district consultants are education first rather than technologists.

Best wishes
Paul

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Hudiburg on January 1, 2008 at 6:06pm

WOW! I know this was started AGES ago, but what a great question to pose. I think IT professionals working in a school district should most definitely be encouraged to get to know the classroom more. Being familiar with who you are working with would make the IT job that much easier. The needs of a teacher in a kindergarten classroom are so much different than an executive in a board room. Thanks for posting a question that let's teachers realize that some IT people really don want to help us achieve our technology dreams.