CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY 17
or there is little follow-up. They need a resource that they can access at any time and that will expose them to different ideas and tools.
Teachers want to learn more about classroom technology, but often feel left behind or that there is no support net for them as they try new things. Professional development seems to be the most successful when it is comphensive, ongoing, and tailored to specific needs of teachers. If teachers are given
the opportunitiy to get help accoding to their perceived needs as opposed to blanket training, they will more likely find it meaningful and worthwhile. Having continuosuly evolving resource that offers tutorials and examples to visit when they have time,
instead of just a one-shot video or module will most likely encourage the teachers to seek out technology professional development. As with any "one more thing added to my plate," teachers were reluctant to get involved with my website at first. As I improved my website with more tools and resources specific to their curricular needs, I had more and more teachers willing to try something new. I was approached by several teachers about tech tools they wanted training in, and was able to develop specific lessons based on their needs. More and more teachers started to volunteer information about technology tools that were working in their own classrooom. This website is still a work in progress, but it has become a great opportunitiy for teachers here in the middle school to open up to collaboration and sharing. This is a great start, and I'm excited to see how it evolves in the future.
CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY 17