Fostering Meaningful Teaching and Learning with Technology: Characteristics of Effective Professional Development

Hi Classroom 2.0-rs!
I just finished a 3-part blog post about a chapter in a great book called Meaningful Learning Using Technology: What Educators Need to Know And Do edited by Elizabeth Alexander Ashburn, Robert E. Floden. This is on my GenYES blog:

• Part 1 is about the book in general and especially a chapter called, Fostering Meaningful Teaching and Learning with Technology: Characteristics of Effective Professional Development. In this chapter, the authors use research to define 4 key factors found in effective technology professional development, and explore 4 effective models that have these factors. (One of these is my own GenYES model)
• Part 2 is a more detailed exploration of the 4 factors.
• Part 3 is a detailed description of all four PD models, the similarities and differences between them, and how to blend them for maximum effectiveness.

Just a warning, these are 3 long posts, but it's an important subject. Lots of educators who find that technology rekindles their passion for teaching wonder why they can't explain it to others. Many times we hear that professional development is to blame, or we need "more" professional development, but don't question whether it actually works to change how teachers use technology. By looking at strengths and weakness of models, it can help to create a blend of different approaches that support different needs.

It's tough to slog through textbooks when you have left grad school behind, but I think we do need to read through research every once in a while and see if the assumptions we make are validated by others.

Hope you find it interesting!