Personalized Technology PD for Today’s Teacher

Classroom teachers are equipped with a wealth of content knowledge and strategies from several disciplines. The wealth of conferences, webinars, and workshops are innumerable. Instructional leaders are faced with the challenge of providing meaningful professional development that yields tangible results. One of Knowles’ 5 Assumptions of Adult Learners is the “Adult Learner Experience that states, ‘ as a person matures he/she accumulates a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning’.” As teachers gain more experience, they gain more supply for learning. This foundation is a combination of mistakes, college education, and solved problems. The most important factor to consider when educating adults is making the topics relevant.

Strategies for Personalizing Technology PD for Adults

Consider the Experience Level

A teacher with 5 years of experience is vastly different from someone with 20 years of experience. Content knowledge is similar, but strategies will differ greatly. The level of experience will affect how new strategies are delivered and implemented. Although novice teachers adapt to technology quickly, there is a need for the veteran experience. It is important to relate traditional tasks to new technology. For example:  journals have been assigned to students for years, but technology has created several different opportunities that build on this traditional task.

Emphasize Ease of Use

It’s important to inform teachers of the benefits of the topic being taught. How will what’s being taught make life easier? Does it simplify traditional tasks? Has the implementation process been streamlined? With tasks ranging from attendance to duty, it’s important to consider the learning curve and ease of implementation.

Identify Points of Proficiency

Outline the skills teachers should learn during professional development. Having a list of objectives helps teachers gauge relevance and identify training goals/objectives they may want to learn more about. This also gives participants a sense of proficiency once the training/workshop is completed. Badging is also an option so that teachers can show off the new skills they’ve learned.

Provide Hands-on Options

Instead of offering blanket topics, provide teachers with a comprehensive list of topics to choose from. The list should range in skill level while providing diverse offerings to peak interest. Students appreciate choices and teachers do too. In addition to providing different skill levels, offer hands on activities so that participants can practice the skills being taught.

Professional development is best received when planned and implemented for success.