Effective PD and Effective Administrators

According to the articles that I read, there are several factors that influence effective professional development that lead to teacher growth and sustainability in technology. These factors enable professional development that guides teachers to successfully integrate technology to enhance student learning. They are the following:

1. Experiences that are not random and isolated, but rather put in a "situated context". Instead of just showing teachers a certain program or tool, they must be instructed on ideas of where these technologies can be integrated into the curriculum. Teachers can then extend these tools past the initial contexts once proficient in their usage.
2. Ongoing development is important. One session in training is not enough to sustain and impact growth for teachers. Usage of these technologies must be reinforced and coached over time.
3. Availability of tools and support are pertinent. Teachers need to feel comfortable with technology and require support to do so. Technology can often fail; teachers need a resource to call on for trouble shooting. Otherwise, growth and sustainability in professional development will be hindered.
4. Finally, teachers need collegial support groups to truly develop professionally. These professional learning communities can help teachers develop their changing beliefs about technology and provide forums for support and brainstorming. These PLC's can help teachers increase their Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, and Pedagogical Content Knowledge.

Effective administrators are those that can create, support, and encourage the above factors. They can provide the physical resources of technology and the personnel to teach teachers how to use them. They set up ongoing professional development opportunities through in-service days and after school sessions. Finally, they facilitate Professional Learning Communities by helping to organize them and creating time in the schedule for them to meet.