to move towards
a 1:1 computing
model. This
period has also
seen a major shift to cloud based computing solutions such as Google Apps for Education (GAFE) and Microsoft Office 365 which now gives students 24/7 access to their documents and the ability to work on assignments they anywhere have access to the internet.
While changes have been rapidly happening to the technology in our schools the same cannot be said for the professional development offered to the faculty in those schools. In a study of professional learning trends in 2009 it was concluded that the kind of well-designed professional development needed by the U.S. teachers is still "relatively rare" and few of the nation's teachers have access to regular opportunities for intensive learning. (Professional Learning in the learning profession. Washington, D.C: National Staff Development Council)
The traditional professional
development approach generally comes in two flavors. The first, disrict mandated PD often in the form of in-services, wavier days and presentations, is most often focused on local, state, and national policy directives. With much of the tiem set aside for PD devoted to meeting these government mandates, there is little room for technology and other types of training that improve teaching and learning. Teachers surveyed in the study in 2009 indicated they had a total of two days (16 hours) or less of PD in their subject area in a typical year. That same study showed that teachers rated this infrequent instruction much less favorably than more sustained training.
CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY 13