WEEK 5 BLOG POSTBLOG POST PROMPT
What does a teacher leader need to do to support the growth of other teachers in using technology? First, the teacher leader needs to know the vision of the principal and the goals of the school. Also, the teacher leader needs to know each teacher in relation to his or her individual strengths, weaknesses and concerns in using technology. Finally, the teacher leader needs to know what resources are available to the teachers he or she is leading. With these things in mind, the teacher leader can begin to build an individualized plan for each of his or her teachers. The more quality professional development (PD) and teacher “buy-in” the better chances for success. Slow but steady progress is the best practice, always recognizing the individual anxiety levels of your teachers. At our school all teachers do use technology and we have a fair amount of resources to assist the teachers on this mission. However, as we move to blended learning, there have been many concerns. These concerns are real and need to be addressed by the teacher leader to help lead the school forward. So many of these concerns can be addressed through information provided within well-prepared and regular PD. In addition to professional development, the teacher leader should offer opportunities for teachers to observe other teachers using specific technologies or programs that have been previously identified and explained by prior PD. They should offer opportunities where the teacher leader would be invited into the teacher’s classroom to assist with the implementation of a new resource or to observe and give constructive feedback to teachers. It is important to form a good peer relationship in order for this to work. There should be no anxiety that information from such an observation would be shared with administration. Finally, I think that giving teachers a site where resources can be easily shared is an important part of support. For example, you could set up a web site that provides links and information to support teacher education. Additionally, you should offer an email or phone number for teachers with specific concerns and questions that they do not wish to address at an all staff professional development meeting. In short, you need to give your teachers the vision of the principal then provide the PD necessary and coach them while they build up their confidence level to implement the changes required to meet those goals. Teachers should be given support that recognizes that change can be stressful and teacher buy-in is necessary to reduce anxiety levels.
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