Content

In addition to becoming more comfortable with the technology we already have available, teachers need to be able to use that information in planning and instruction. We will use the TPACK Framework as a practical way of thoughtfully integrating technology to enhance learning.

The professional development will be structured around a series of 45-minute workshops every other week featuring a short mini lesson followed by a hands-on workshop and closed by a reflection/discussion component. Teachers will be expected to do some practical tasks outside of the sessions related to their content area, such as “trying something new” and sharing about it, but “homework” will not be a featured component of the content.

Possible workshop topics include:

  • TPACK framework for planning and integrating tech
  • Google Docs for sharing/collaborating/folders and sharing resources with students
  • ManageBac – unit planning, organizing resources and sharing across year groups, assessment and commenting
  • Gmail – filters/labels/contacts
  • Google Sites
  • Calendar – shared calendars, appointment slots, reserving rooms
  • ISB Student blog program – goals as a portfolio space, reflection space, etc. How to comment on their blogs.
  • Teacher blogs – introduce idea of a class blog and discuss potential of it in the classroom

Some risks and challenges associated with the content include:

  • Overloading teachers with a new conceptual framework (TPACK) while they are still learning the IB’s curricular frameworks. One way this will be addressed is by clearly connecting TPACK to the MYP and DP unit planners and help teachers see how the two can work together.
  • Varying tech abilities leading to insecurity for some teachers and boredom for others. Differentiated tasks customized around the teachers’ own content areas and ability levels will mitigate some aspects of this issue.

Challenging concepts associated with the content include:

  • Technology is not just a tool. It is an integral part of the teaching process and can have big affects on the outcomes.
  • Decisions about technology must be made in concert with decisions about content and pedagogy.
  • Technology is not always “easier” and may involve some front-loading, but use of any technology should be “worth it.”
  • Problems and challenges will arise when trying new things, but that does not mean the attempt was a complete “failure.”
  • Technology does not just mean computers. Technology can mean paper and pencil.

We will be working toward a more transparent culture of sharing and discussion among the teachers, which will give ample opportunity to address some of these concepts. In addition to sharing the TPACK framework and the technologies, I will share my own experiences with these tools. I will use my own failures and successes as examples so that the examples are not far removed from our context. Teachers need to feel like they are not alone in their frustrations or uncertainties and this strategy should put me more in a place of facilitator/colleague rather than tech expert.