Lessons Learned From TLCF 2001 On-Site Professional Development and Technology Integration at Mt. Juliet High School
(Wilson County, TN)

• Providing technology resources along with curriculum support and just-in-time technical assistance are vital to the process of change. Providing resources alone will not cause change.

· Technology does not cause change; technology supports change. Technology integration is a s-l-o-w process. Systemic change takes a great deal of time (3 to 5 years).

• A school needs easy access to educators with expertise in using technology to improve teaching and learning. It should be someone who is experienced in the classroom serving as a mentor or coach to others.

• You must know where you are going and have a plan to get there! Have a balance between structure and flexibility as you seek to meet program goals. Changes will need to be made as you progress.

• Effective use of technology requires changes in teaching. There will be resistance by some teachers. Creating an excitement for training will foster enthusiasm among the faculty. Coaching teachers toward change and holding them accountable for implementation will produce desired results.

• Match the level of instruction for teachers to the readiness they have to learn the content. Possibly begin with small group instruction but individualize as much as possible. Providing time for teachers to learn and collaborate is essential. The more that can be done without adding other duties (i.e., substitute planning, bus duty, etc.) the more effective the training will be.

• Give teachers choices in how and what they choose to do in the classroom but be always mindful of Tennessee curriculum standards to be taught in a given subject matter.

• Find out what a teacher would like to be able to do to bring excitement to learning in their classroom and show how technology can do that. Approach training for the teacher with that goal in mind and a teacher will likely enjoy their own training much more. Teachers must take ownership and responsibility for their methods and will do so if they find benefit in their training.

• Provide adequate time for learning as well as incentives both personally and professionally. Consider time as a valuable resource in your professional development program and prioritize it for maximum results.

• Address the goals of your program in a multifaceted approach and coordinate them to work cooperatively. Example: Teaching strategies, curriculum standards, project-based learning, wireless laptop computing, rubrics, etc.

• Utilize technology to address a multidisciplinary approach to learning. Incorporate science in English, math in social studies, etc. Focus on student-centered learning and project-based activities that maximize student interests. Concentrate on collaboration among students to promote higher-order thinking.

• Focus not on getting the latest and best in technology but how teaching and learning can be enhanced by available technology resources or improved by newer technology. Resist newer technology until you can identify its use to support teaching and learning. Be fired up and not just wired up!

• It is extremely important to provide opportunities for the faculty to reflect on what works and what doesn’t and share that learning. Create the notion that risk taking is important and an occasional failure may be the best learning experience. However, pay particular attention to teacher competency in using technology in the teaching and learning process and build on successes.

• Help teachers find ways to apply technology to teaching and learning that cause their classes to be energized. A teacher must see the need for a change in their teaching before they are motivated to continue seeking new ways to apply technology to student learning. Establish high expectations with the support to achieve them.

· Identify examples of “Best Practices.” These products give substance to building blocks for improving the use of technology. Teachers view the teachers who created them as role models and raise the bar for their own creations.

• Longer block periods of time are more ideally suited for technology integration due to activities associated with project-based learning.

• Many, many possibilities exist in productivity software such as word processing, spreadsheet, multimedia, and data bases used for different aspects of a planned project. It may not necessary to concentrate on purchasing a specific program.

• Technology integration in the classroom is more successful than going down the hall to the “computer lab.” Students and teachers like the familiarity of their own surroundings and access to all available resources.