Chapter 5 Review

This chapter focuses in on professional development.  Throughout my few years at Johnson that is something that was heard over and over.  Although it was talked about I had a very distant view of what it actually was.  In the beginning of this chapter it points out the downfalls to one day 'courses' in professional development that the principals require and is often done at the end of the day when teachers are tired and their attention is focused on other things even though they are physically there.  On page 101 the author makes a very bold statement, "Nothing has promised so much and has been so frustratingly wasteful as the thousands of workshops and conferences that led to no significant change in practice when the teachers returned to their classrooms."  I agree with this statement because it is hard for anyone to hear something once in a session, have no support to help them once they attempt to put it into practice, and then it is so much easier to just do what you've always done.  

On page 111 it says, "To chart a new course, administrators must agree that the use of technology is a fundamental goal, and faculty members must participate in identifying it as a shared goal."  This is important for real change to happen within a school, it is easy to do a one time course and just go about your normal teaching style because it is not seen as a common goal to enhance the use of technology.  Once again in this chapter it discusses the importance of open source things such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts to help the connect students, teachers, administrators, and parents.  By using these things that are available to everyone is a way to unite everyone involved in education with a common goal and purpose.

This chapter was interesting for me because it is easy for me to know how to use technology and feel like I am using it efficiently.  Until reading this book I was unaware or wikis, how to use podcasts, and that blogs could be so useful with so many different types to choose from for your purpose.  I know it will be easy for me to go into a school and just fall into the pattern of what other teachers are doing.  I know I will need to make a conscience effort to integrate what I have learned about technology in my classroom and be enthusiastic about it to my colleagues.