Professional Development of Teachers

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2001), 98 percent of U.S. schools and 77 percent of classrooms are connected to the Internet. Thus, using the Internet for literacy instruction is becoming more feasible. It also is warranted, according to Leu and Kinzer (2000), who state,

We worry that those of us who have developed our research careers around the book may be the last to respond to the fundamental changes taking place in our world. To continue to ignore these changes will severely limit our ability to support teachers and children on their important journeys. (p. 125)

Teaching practices are critical to effective use of the Internet in the classroom. All teachers involved in implementing technology can benefit from valid and reliable feedback about their approaches. Data collected by schools typically focus on teachers’ technical competence and their beliefs about technology. However, much more is needed to inform teachers’ planning for their own professional development. “If we want to develop a community of learners -- where students naturally seek feedback and critique their own work -- then it is reasonable that teachers would model this same commitment to using data systemically as it applies to their own role in the teaching and learning process” (Shepard, 2000, p. 21). Teachers who can engage in action research and acquire skills in assessment design and data analysis will be equipped to confront the challenges of integrating technology into teaching and learning (Wood & McQuarrie, 1999).

Teachers who participate in a professional learning community often engage in reflection and debate about the impact technology can have on their practices and their students’ learning (Shapiro & Levine, 1999). Online collaboration tools can encourage discussion among teachers in a professional community and facilitate curriculum design; they can also capture both dialogue and products for later analysis by community members. Electronic discussion lists, websites, and electronic newsletters represent additional ways to share information about instructional practices (Shapiro & Levine). In addition, Internet resources such as The WebQuest Page and Filamentality provide teachers with support and guidance in particular instructional uses of the World Wide Web.

Researchers’ perspectives. The researchers diverged in their views of how formal programs can help prepare teachers to use the Internet effectively. One researcher argued that universities teach preservice teachers to use technology but not how to integrate it into their classes. Instead of offering separate technology classes, one researcher recommended that preservice teacher education programs should have technology integrated into subject and methods courses. Exposure to the possible instructional uses and benefits of technology in their own learning experiences will familiarize preservice teachers with the tools and approaches they will be able to use in their future classrooms.

Another researcher, by contrast, stressed the importance of teacher candidates’ mastering basic Internet skills, such as participating in chat rooms, using e-mail, and conducting online searches. If they are exposed to these activities often enough, this researcher said, preservice teachers will gain confidence.

A third researcher was more skeptical of whether current preservice programs were the best places for candidates to learn these skills. Faculty are often not sufficiently knowledgeable or prepared to train teachers in these new areas; they are more comfortable with books than computers. This researcher argued that teachers can learn best from other teachers -- from going online and finding teachers who are doing innovative learning projects on the Internet.

One researcher interviewed cautioned that teachers should not be forced to use the Internet. Training has to happen slowly, one step at a time. Administrators should be supportive, and give teachers credit for what they are doing well. Even reluctant teachers can become interested in the technology because of their students’ enthusiasm.

Another researcher emphasized the importance of ongoing technology training for teachers. One-shot workshops, this interviewee argued, are not effective. However, establishing comprehensive training in this realm is challenging when the limited professional development time available may be geared toward meeting demands for student mastery of basic skills and strong test results.

Teachers’ perspectives. Based on the teacher and researcher interviews, classroom observations, and a literature review, we compiled a list of skills that teachers need if they are to use the Internet effectively for literacy learning activities with students. We then created two questions for the online survey (Figure 1) to gather feedback related to the list. Table 5 shows how the 56 teachers surveyed rated their own level of proficiency on the skills (findings from Question 19); Table 6 shows how the survey respondents rated the level of importance of the skills listed (findings from Question 20).