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OCR for page 17
Teachers receive teaching profession is proceeding far too
slowly. The great majority of teachers will
“When it comes to technology
less technical support not be able to take full advantage of tech-
in education, you can nology that is now available without tech-
than does any other nical support. And society cannot wait for
create it, you can design
group of professionals. a new generation of teachers more famil-
it, you can produce it, you iar with information technologies to enter
Computers occupy the desk- can legislate it, you can the schools.
tops of most professionals in the The professional development of teach-
order it, restructure it,
United States, but not in classrooms; ers has often been an afterthought in
give it standards, and write
there, computers are often used ex- American schools. When budgets get tight,
outcomes for it. But the
clusively by students. The average worker career development is often one of the
in America can take advantage of $50,000 first things to go. But if teachers are to
bottom line is that if it is
worth of capital invested in that job; the become comfortable with the technologies
going to happen, teachers
comparable figure for teachers is $1,000. that will reshape schools, they must receive
have to make it happen.”
Most teachers do not even have immedi- both preservice training during their col-
—JACQUELINE GOODLOE,
ate access to a telephone. lege years and inservice training during
Despite these obstacles, a small but their careers. They need after-school work-
WASHINGTON , D.C., T EACHER
rapidly growing number of teachers has shops, summer sessions, and time off from
discovered the power and scope of infor- their classes to learn how technology is
mation technologies—often with comput- being used elsewhere. They need to be
ers they have at home. They are using able to observe their colleagues’ class-
computers and telecommunications to rooms and talk with them so that they can
form networks of teachers, comparing unlearn old practices and build new ones.
experiences and exchanging ideas. They In the long run, for technology to succeed,
are acquiring curricula and other instruc- as much time and money must be invested
tional information over educational net- in teachers as is invested in the actual
works. They are using computers to hardware and software.
reduce administrative drudgery and to Teachers and admin-
track and guide student development. In istrators—shown here
the process, they are using technology not in North Carolina
only to reinvent schools but to reinvent (top) and Tennessee
their own roles as teachers. (bottom)—must be
But the natural dif- given the opportuni-
fusion of computer ties and resources
expertise needed to use tech-
through the nology in the class-
room, integrate it
INVESTING IN into the curriculum,
and manage and
18
TEACHERS monitor its use.
Sources of Training for Teachers Who Are Familiar with Computers
PERCENTAGE OF TEACHERS IN SURVEY
10
COURSES OFFERED OVER NETWORK
26
STATE OR COUNTY COURSES
30
SPOUSE AND.OR FRIEND
32
ON-SITE CONSULTANTS
37
UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE TRAINING
40
COURSES AT SCHOOL
45
DISTRICT COURSES
51
INSTRUCTION FROM COLLEGES
55
LOCAL COLLEGE COURSES
72
CONFERENCE OR WORKSHOP
96
S ELF TAUGHT
OCR for page 18
A
There are many ways to promote the tists, English teachers with writers, social
successful union of
familiarity of teachers with technology. studies teachers with historians and muse-
information technol-
One possibility is to tie pay scales not to um curators. Teachers involved in these
ogy and systemic
the advanced degrees teachers acquire but partnerships can then act as resource
to the completion of courses teachers for their colleagues.
reform of K-12 edu-
designed explicitly to As American education
upgrade professional skills. “Good teaching will never cation requires a
begins to move toward a
be replaced. The right sug- renewed commit-
Another possibility is to new model of school, the
create a new kind of educa- education of teachers must
gestion at just the right ment to teachers
tional professional skilled in undergo a fundamental
moment, the congratulatory in the nation’s
educational technologies. shift—toward a model that
pat, the admiring mentor— schools. If teachers are to
Such a person could work treats the lifelong education
with individual teachers to of teachers with the same
these will all continue to be become the students’
integrate technology into importance as the education
essential to the processes empowered managers and
classrooms and fully use its of students. Teachers must
of education, no matter how be given time to travel to resource guides for the
interactive and networking
capabilities. meetings and share informa-
entertaining and high-tech broader world of information
One of the most powerful tion with colleagues. They
our instructional media available through networks,
methods of professional must have the authority to
become.” they must have opportunities
development is to establish structure their classrooms in
explicit links between teach- —S AMUEL G IBBON , J R ., ways that allow them to meet
for professional development
ers and organizations outside high standards and simulta-
ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION neously address the individ- to take on this new role.
schools such as corporations,
Investment in teachers
universities, nonprofit insti- ual needs of their students.
tutions, and federal laboratories. For And as true professionals, they deserve the
today for all forms of profes-
example, teachers can be paired with cor- technological support that professionals
sional development is woe-
responding professionals in the broader need to do their jobs.
fully inadequate. While their
community: science teachers with scien-
access to technology in the
classroom and at home is
growing, it is at far too slow a
pace and at a level of finan-
Kathleen Martinelli-
cial commitment too low to
Zaun teaches 6th
address the needs. Nor can
grade at Dorcey
Middle School in
this shortfall be met by rely-
Fox Chapel, PA.:
ing on a new generation of
“Radio Shack started
younger teachers that are
offering free classes
to educators. Those
more computer literate than
classes gave me
their predecessors. That
some basic skills.
strategy is not consistent
Later, I took two
different computer
with systemic reform.
workshops that I
Teachers must be offered
heard about through
opportunities for coursework
my college alumni
newsletter. One
in information technology and
workshop gave me
the opportunity to engage in
the opportunity
building links in their commu-
to see how other
teachers were
nities where experience with
“There can be infinite uses of using technology.”
technology is already in place.
the computer and of new
Students must be brought into
age technology, but if the
the reform strategy as they
teachers themselves are not
are experienced mentors in
able to bring it into the
the emergent world of cyber-
classroom and make it work,
space. School systems that
then it fails.”
want to change must promote
—NANCY KASSEBAUM ,
professional development of
U.S. SENATOR
teachers with the same com-
mitment they make to hard-
ware and software availability
and network access.
