Chapter 3: Teacher Supervision and Professional Development EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN TECHNOLOGY: PREPARING SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FOR A DIGITAL AGE BY VIRGINIA E. GARLAND AND CHESTER TADEJA Chapter 3: Teacher Supervision and Professional Development

CHAPTER 3: SYNOPSIS NETP Goal 3: “Teaching: Prepare and Connect” Professional development Teachers Administrators Parents Connected teaching Online learning communities Teacher supervision with technology Leader survey for Chapter 3 skill sets Discussion questions

CHAPTER 3: LEADER REFLECTION Key points in this case study from a dean of students in a Maine high school: Advantages of one laptop per student state initiative Professional development to implement an online student management system for teachers Workshops for parents to learn technology skills Embedding technology in learning is a “cultural change”

CHAPTER 3: INTRODUCTION Explanation of NETP Goal 3 Collaborative practices in professional development for administrators, teachers, students, and parents Emerging technologies in teacher supervision Connected teaching models including the use of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) Connected learning opportunities for professional development Technology-enhanced participatory decision-making

NETP GOAL 3: “TEACHING: PREPARE AND CONNECT” School principals, technology coordinators, and central office administrators have a key role in providing meaningful technology in-service activities in order to train, retain, and reduce the isolation of teachers and other student-support staff members Effective professional development: Out-dated and ineffective past practices are “top-down,” “one-shot,” “sit-and-get” workshops performed by outside experts Effective professional development is collaborative, with in-house support and training in emerging technologies In their own professional development efforts, administrators themselves need to learn the technology that best applies to their profession

NETP GOAL 3: “TEACHING: PREPARE AND CONNECT” (CONTINUED) Connected teaching models: Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) enhance the collaboration between school principals and teachers in improving student learning with technology-enhanced instruction School leaders and teacher trainers must “leverage social networking” technology tools in order to enhance professional practice: Digital natives and digital immigrants Net generation Online communities of educators Online learning opportunities for underserved populations

NETP GOAL 3: “TEACHING: PREPARE AND CONNECT” (CONTINUED) 1. Good teaching matters. The design of quality learning activities is important for all delivery methods. Each medium has its own aesthetic; therefore, professional design is important. 2. There is no “super-technology.” Each has its strengths and weaknesses. An integrated mix of technologies is most effective. In addition to new media-rich technologies, these four media should still be available for teachers and learners: print, audio, television, and computers with high speed Internet access. 3. Balance variety with economy. Using many technologies makes design more complex and expensive. New technologies are not necessarily better than old ones. Limit the range of technologies in any given learning activity.

NETP GOAL 3: “TEACHING: PREPARE AND CONNECT” (CONTINUED) 4. Teamwork and student interaction are essential in traditional and virtual learning situations. Not one person has all the skills to develop and deliver effective distance learning. Subject matter experts, instructional designers, and media specialists are key to online course success. 5. Teachers need training to use technology effectively. Professional development is critical. The choice of medium will depend greatly on the number of learners reached over the life of a course. 6. How and what learners learn is the goal of instruction and technology. Learning is essential, but so is the thinking process. Technology, if used wisely, enhances students’ cognitive development and problem-solving skills.

CHAPTER 3: TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY Self-scoring survey Based on National Education Technology Plan (NETP) Goal 3 (NETP 3.0 to 3.5) Ratings of 1 or 2 indicate areas of needed professional growth Assessment can also be used to create an individualized e-portfolio

CHAPTER 3: TIPS FOR LEADERS 1. Vary the types of professional development opportunities; they can be in-service days, workshops, conferences, and online Professional Learning Communities.   2. Consider technology training for parents of students in your school district, especially if you have a one-on-one laptop initiative. 3. Try such emerging technologies as “bug-in-the-ear” for teacher supervision and Ether-pad for conducting interactive staff meetings. 4. For greater teacher participation in decision-making, use sites such as Poll Everywhere.

CHAPTER 3: TIPS FOR LEADERS 5. Use emerging technologies for more effective observations of instruction, such as new “apps” on the iPad, or new data collection programs, such as Teachscape Walk.   6. Use five minutes in faculty meetings to have those who use Web 2.0 tools explain how they can engage the iGeneration of learners. 7. Be aware of the differing needs of both “digital immigrant” veteran teachers and administrators, and the more “digital native” younger teachers or administrators. 8. Provide professional development opportunities with technology-enhanced environments, including online or blended online/offline courses and online professional learning.

CHAPTER 3: TIPS FOR LEADERS 9. Encourage teachers to assign user-generated content in which students apply blogs, wikis, and other social networking tools in learning activities.   10. Give your mathematics teachers professional development with online mentoring programs, such as Math Forum, in order to improve student learning in one of the key science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject areas. 11. Determine if your state has standards for the teaching of online courses and if you should encourage the teachers of hybrid or online classes in your school district to complete any certification programs that meet those state standards. 12. Model the effective use of emerging technologies in your own practice by using such digital-age tools as managerial “apps” on your Smartphone or new presentation and communication tools on your laptop. 13. Use real-time collaboration technologies, such as iEther Pad, in teacher teams to create and refine lessons online.

CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. In the leader reflection piece for this chapter, Andrew Korman, dean of students at Maine’s Noble High School, concludes: “While the cultural change is never smooth and simple, there will be bumps, seen and unseen, along the way, there must also be a dedication and perseverance to the utilization of technology within the school in order for it to succeed.” Explain how you might successfully meet the challenges ahead in the “cultural change” to the use of digital-age tools in your school or district.   2. The authors give several examples of the use of emerging technologies for conducting classroom observations, ranging from the use of customized applications on Smartphones to the implementation of Teachscape Walk and “bug-in-the-ear” devices. Discuss how you would compare these classroom data collection techniques with the ones you are currently using in your supervisory practices. 3. How might you improve the professional development opportunities in the use of emerging technologies for teachers and administrators in your school or district? Describe the circumstances in which you might encourage teachers or administrators to participate in online mentoring programs or networked Professional Learning Communities.

CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 4. What are the challenges in teaching online or hybrid online courses? Does your state have certification requirements distance-learning teachers? If so, how effective are the programs that certify those teachers? Analyze how specific obstacles to “cyber classes” can be met, such as student isolation or the lack of face-to-face interactions. 5. How do you model the effective use of emerging technologies in your own practice, such as in conducting staff meetings or in communicating with teachers and parents?   6. Based on your responses to the self-assessment for Chapter 3, what are the next steps you might take in more effective teacher observations or greater professional development opportunities in your school or district? What technology resources would you need in your own professional e-portfolio in order to assist you in achieving your goals?

CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS continued