Certification for areas of technology support in schools/districts
The two main points brought out of the workshops:
1. The technology must work, always and seamlessly
2. There has to be enough technology for everyone to do what they need to do.
That said, we heard that these two criteria can only be met if a wide range of support is provided. But we also heard that in some schools, more people are necessary, and in others (often smaller schools), fewer can be just as effective. But all of the necessary skills have to be available, no matter how many people hold them. So we have come up with our own idea for how this might be made available (although we are using some of the data you all provided!). We’d like your feedback on how you think this might work, and if you have better ideas, or different ideas, or ideas that fit into this idea, please, SHARE!
(In other blog topics, we’ll ask about skills that each person should have, where and how they should get them, what the job descriptions for each of these should look like, what other educational roles should change to include some technology changes and what other types of changes should occur.)
Our idea:
We’d like to see several “smaller” certification areas. They’d look like the following.
Teacher support – the person who holds this certificate would be able to teach teachers how to use technology, how to troubleshoot problems.
Curriculum Integration – this person would be an expert at integrating technology into instruction, redesigning instruction so that students would better learn the content because the technology is used.
Teacher training for changes in teaching – this person helps teachers to adapt their teaching methods to address 21st century learning. Although this may seem to become less necessary over time, it is likely that as technology in learning becomes more ubiquitous, more research regarding teaching and learning is likely, and this person can be involved in helping teachers to incorporate this information.
Hardware and software support – This person would be an expert at making sure that the hardware and software work, and would be able to help educators identify ways to make sure that the hardware and software will work they way they expect in their curriculum.
Network support – someone has to make the connections work.
Technical support – someone who has both of the others, and has some budgeting , planning and leadership skills.
Technology for Assessment – someone who can use appropriate technology to evaluate and gather data for data driven decision making
We envision each of these being a few college credits, maybe 12. One person could certainly have more than one.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I am currently a Computer Tech teacher and have done this for many years. I hold a BS in Business Education, MS in Business Education, and an MS in Instructional Technology. I have 22 1/2 years of teaching experience. I already do the following tasks from your "Mini Certification" in my district: Teacher Support, Curriculum Integration, and Teacher Training. Why should I have to get certified for something I already do on a daily basis? Will professionals who already posses these skills be required to complete these classes? Seems like we should have a "grandfather" clause in place.
That's an important idea to consider. Thanks for bringing it up.
As a former classroom teacher (32 years)and Instructional Media Specialist, I was always using new technology in my teaching. Most of the time, my training in this area (beyond my IMS certification) was done on my own. I had to seek out our district technology person or a techno-phile colleague to show me how to operate and manage whatever technology I was interested in. Some were even self-taught.
The mini-certification idea is a good one in several respects. However, in my current job as a Professional Development Trainer/Consultant, I am finding that my educational (classroom) background is really essential in training and supporting my clients. Being knowledgeable in a particular (or several) of these certification areas is important, but without actual classroom experience, I can envision some difficulties in the process of implementation.
We should consider whether these are required as additional certificated areas or as recommended job roles for a school and/or district.
As a previous comment indicates, many of these roles are already being provided by computer teachers, district level professional development staff, or the technology support staff. Such roles should be strongly encouraged in schools and districts without them; the job descriptions and qualifications can be very helpful in determining who in the district should fulfill each role and what additional training they may require.
Too often formal certification requirements depend on formal courses that probably are not currently offered by our universities, and practicum requirements when, again, universities may not have staff qualified to evaluate these candidates.
This type of training and coaching is more effectively accomplished in the classroom, hands-on, with ongoing professional development at the district, school, and individual teacher level.
Districts can more efficiently increase the effective use of technologies in the classroom by partnering with local, trusted consultants and professional development providers.
Dale Roades
Education Consultant
Point Click Learn
Eight years ago my district paid for me to study and take my A+ Certification so that I would be able to assist in district technology. Since I received my certification, I've only sent one computer out of my lab. The tech company couldn't fix it either! =) The other two main labs in the school have $4,000/year contracts with service providers.
Technology integration must be handled this same way. You've got to spend money to save money. I wouldn't dream of giving my mom a PDA, but educators how are just as technophobic as her have the technology thrown at them. If we had some minimum requirements, we could have measures in place to see where our efforts need to be focused. Without this assessment, we lose focus. I've put together a rough outline of a mini certification concept for my district's use of emerging technologies. This is only an example and not meant to be a roadmap. I'm stopping at every other gas station myself.
21st Century Skills Certification – Emerging Technologies
• The audience would include educators and administrators.
• The program would run a total of 24 lessons.
• The curriculum might cover the following with included outcomes of learning.
o Lesson 1 – Discover Wikis- students are guided through what a Wiki is and where to find them.
o Lesson 2 – Search Wikis- students must find 3-5 significant wikis and share how they might be used.
o Lesson 3 – Students will create a wiki and report later in the course how others have used their wiki.
o Lesson 4 – Discover Podcast- students are guided through what a Podcast is and where to find them.
o Lesson 5 – Search Podcasts- students must find 3-5 significant podcasts and share how they might be used.
o Lesson 6 – Students will create a podcast and report later in the course how they might utilize their podcast.
o Lesson 7 – Web Searching- students will be guided in what a web search is and how a variety of search engines might be used.
o Lesson 8 – Scavenger Hunt – Students are given a variety of topics, events and people to find information about. They must report on both the information found and the process by which the information was retrieved.
o Lesson 9 – Wiki and Podcast reflection- Students will share how their wikis and podcasts have been used and how they might be retooled.
o Lesson 10 – Discover Blogs- students are guided through what a blog is and where to find them.
o Lesson 11 – Search Blogs- students must find 3-5 significant wikis and share how they might be used.
o Lesson 12 – Students will create a blog and report later in the course how others have used their blog.
o Lesson 13 – Discover Online Games- students are guided through what online games are available.
o Lesson 14 – Search Online Games- students must find 3-5 significant education online game sites and share how they might be used.
o Lesson 15 – Open Discussion on Policy and Procedures for Wikis, Podcasts, Web Search, Blogs and Online Games.
o Lesson 16 – Discover Web 2.0- students are guided through what Web 2.0 is and examples of the technologies it offers.
o Lesson 17 – Search Web 2.0- students must find 3-5 significant Web 2.0 tools and share how they might be used.
o Lesson 18 – Community Discussion on Web 2.0- What tools are out there? What tools need to be created?
o Lesson 19 – Discover Webinars- students are guided through what a webinar is and how it might be used.
o Lesson 20 – Virtual Classroom Training- students will go through a brief training session on how to use a virtual classroom.
o Lesson 21 – Utilizing a Virtual Classroom- students will take turns running a virtual classroom and discussing how this technology might build a bigger learning network.
o Lesson 22 – Discover Web Creation – students are guided through how to create a basic website.
o Lesson 23 – Web Creation – students will build a website that includes links to all the content collected and created by the student.
o Lesson 24 – Technology Vision – Each student will post a blog entry to their blog detailing what their vision of technology is.
• This is still a rough draft idea and has lots of room to grow.
• The training videos, audios and pdf files can easily be distributed through one easy to access podcast link. The end user clicks the link and all the materials are automatically downloaded to their computer.
• Training CD/DVDs could also be created. This could be distributed at a small cost. Some people aren’t ready for podcasts, but they’ll learn from CD/DVDs
• Training Flash files could be created to be easily embedded into any website. This would allow districts to gain ownership of the training. We could also use PDFs to link to this content from podcasts. Interactive Flash files are easy to create using Adobe Captivate and they work REALLY well when you need to do asynchronous hands-on activities.
• This idea focuses on three things: awareness, creation and communication.
• Although copyright is not directly mentioned in this rough draft, it could be worked into the later drafts. Short videos or audios could easily do this.
• Each episode is a mini lesson that can be easily removed, retooled and replaced. This would allow the certification to grow with time and wisdom. Each episode could have audio, video and handouts to go with it.
Hello All - my name is Ron Reyer and I serve as the director of technology services for the Bethel Park School District
Technology certification for teachers and other staff is a great idea and a positive development but before we start thinking that certified people can make all the difference we need to consider whether or not there should be a technology certification for school districts. Technology that can't do what it should be able to do in the year 2007 can not increase in capacity or capability just because a more skilled individual is at the controls. School districts should strive for an ISO quality certificaiton for technology in order to assure teachers, students, perspective parents and other school districts, that we are making a committment towards quality technology infrastructure and can provide a base level of functionality so that individuals with training and certification can actually practice what they have learned.
Ultimately, school districts that assure technology quality through an independent testing process become a more attractive target for students, new community members, businesses and perspective employees.
Ron
I don't like the idea of more bureaucracy and certifications. Those we do have are meaningless. When you have folks graduating with Certifications in Instructional Technology who don't know what a ZIP file is, or what a PALM is, or what a WIKI is, then another certification isn't the answer. This sounds like you're creating certifications that are doing what the EXISTING certifications SHOULD be doing and are not.
I have taught a media/tech course for future science teachers in the Teacher Education Department of the University of the Sciences in Phialdelphia. Each of my students has to show a hands on compency in using myriad software programs-- such as Inspiration,United Streaming, Nettrekker DI, all sorts of presentation equipment including doc cams, various data projects, Smartbaords, tablet PC's, PDA's, classroom response systems,doing a live videoconference, and and can't list all else. I think these current students are better prepared for any technology they may face in the classroom than many teachers who have been in the system for years. The sad part is that my student teachers will probably lose their excitement over using these neat technologies when they get to a school that is still rolling one data projector from room to room on a cart.
I agree that support is needed, that the technology needs to work, and there needs to be enough of it. However, I disagree that additional certification is needed to do so. Are Elementary teachers required to have certifications in all of the subject areas they teach? I am an elementary certified teacher with a masters in reading. I have been 'integrating technology' seamlessly for years in my elementary classroom. I have conducted professional development--summer workshops, I have presented at a local and a state level. I am often called on as a teacher representative in curriculum committees to develop technology integrated lessons. Will a piece of paper or more coursework (in a college where many professors are far removed from the classroom) make me qualified to support teachers, do training or curriculum work?
Post a Comment