USING TECHNOLOGY TO TRAIN TEACHERS...their time, their classrooms and their insights for the case...

www.infoDev.org

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Information for Development Program

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ICT and Education Series

USING TECHNOLOGY TO TRAIN TEACHERSAppropriate Uses of ICT for Teacher Professional Development in Developing Countries

This handbook is intended to help decision makers in developing-country governments and donor agencies in their efforts to utilize information and communication technology (ICT) to improve and expand teacher professional development (TPD) activities.

The handbook helps decision makers improve their abilities to: • Understand the complex relationships between ICT use, professional learning, the change

process, and types of TPD and classroom implementation, to aid the development of requests for proposals (RFPs) that address these issues

• Recognize best practices and essential supports in the use of ICT for TPD in order to evaluate proposals of national, regional, and local scale

• Propose types of TPD and ICT implementations that can achieve specifi c objectives in relation to educational improvement

• Identify cost considerations, potential partnerships, evaluation requirements and other factors essential to the planning of effective ICT-enabled TPD

• Communicate effectively with researchers, representatives of NGOs, policymakers, donor-agency personnel, and others about the roles played by TPD and ICT in educational reform

The handbook draws experiences and lessons learned from over 50 programs and initiatives in 25 developing countries.

Appropriate Uses of ICT for Teacher Professional Development in Developing Countries

+ MAINSTREAMING

USING TECHNOLOGY TO TRAIN TEACHERS

Appropriate Uses of ICT forTeacher Professional Development in Developing Countries

www.infoDev.org

AN infoDev PUBLICATION PREPARED BY

Edmond GaibleThe Natoma Group

Mary BurnsCenter for Online Professional Education at

the Education Development Center

ICT AND EDUCATION SERIES

SERIES EDITOR:Michael Trucano

Information for Development Program

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To cite this publication:Gaible, Edmond and Mary Burns. 2005. Using Technology to Train Teachers: Appropriate Uses of ICT for Teacher Professional Development in Developing Countries. Washington, DC: infoDev / World Bank. Available at: http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.13.html

©2005The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank1818 H Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20433U.S.A.

All rights reservedManufactured in the United States of America

The fi ndings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are entirely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily refl ect the view of infoDev, the Donors of infoDev, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank and its affi liated organizations, the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part of the World Bank any judgement of the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.

The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying or transmitting portions of this work may be a violation of applicable law. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and normally will promptly grant permission for use. For permission to copy or reprint any part of this work, please contact [email protected].

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Table of Contents . iii

Acknowledgements, References and Contributors vi Preface ICT and EFA: Why Should We Care? xi

Section 1 Overview 1 Literature Review, Case Studies and the Delphi Process 2 Th ree approaches to ICTs and TPD 2 How to Use Th is Handbook 2

Section 2 ICTs for Teacher Professional Development at a Glance 7 Computers and the Internet in TPD at a Glance 8 Radio in TPD at a Glance 9 Television in TPD at a Glance 10 Video Recording in TPD at a Glance 11 Online Distance Learning in TPD at a Glance 12

Section 3 Models and Best Practices in Teacher Professional Development 15 Guiding Questions 15 Summary 15 Understanding Professional Development 16 Building Teachers’ Computer Skills 17 Professional Development Models 19 Standardized TPD 19 Site-based TPD 21

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Using Technology to Train Teachersiv

Self-directed TPD 23 Web Resources 24

Section 4 Technologies for Teacher Professional Development— Computers and the Internet 27

Guiding Questions 27 Summary 27 Potential Uses and Benefi ts 28 Computers and the Internet in Teacher Training Colleges 29 Computers and the Internet in schools 31 Computers and the Internet in Regional Teacher Centers 33 Cost Considerations 34 Strategic Planning for Computer Support of TPD 35 Web Resources 39

Section 5 Technologies for Teacher Professional Development—Radio 41 Guiding questions 41 Summary 41 Interactive Radio Instruction 42 Web Resources 45

Section 6 Technologies for Teacher Professional Development—Television 49

Guiding questions 49 Summary 49 Television for TPD 50 Web Resource 52

Section 7 Technologies for Teacher Professional Development— Video Recording and Playback 55

Guiding Questions 55 Summary 55 Video recording and playback for TPD 56 Web Resource 58

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Table of Contents . v

Section 8 Online Distance Learning for Teacher Professional Development 61

Guiding Questions 61 Summary 61 Modes of Online TPD 61 Self-directed Online TPD 62 Online TPD Courses 63 Online TPD Communities 64 Development vs. Recurrent Costs for Online TPD 65 Web Resources 66

Section 9 Implementing ICT-supported Teacher Professional Development 69

Guiding Questions 69 Summary 69 Teacher Incentives 70 Supporting TPD in Schools 70 Infrastructural Support for TPD 73 Web Resources 73

Section 10 Eff ective Partnerships for ICT-supported Teacher Professional Development 77

Guiding Questions 77 Summary 77 Partnerships to Increase Program Strength 78 Cooperation within Government 78 Private-sector Partnerships 79 Partnerships with Civil-society Organizations 80 Partnerships with Schools 81

Section 11 Evaluation of ICT-supported Teacher Professional Development 85

Guiding questions 85 Summary 85

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Using Technology to Train Teachersvi

Key Concepts in Project Evaluation 85 Evaluation as Part of a TPD Plan 86 Creating and Conducting Evaluations 87 Key Steps in Evaluating Projects 87 Additional Suggestions 88 Web Resources 88

Postscript Making ICT Projects Work 91

Annex Using ICT to Train Teachers: Implementation Briefs 93

Glossary 117

References 123

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Acknowledgements, References and Contributors . vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSTh anks to William Wright, Robert Spielvogel, Rebecca Rhodes, Helen Boyle, Th elma Khelgati, Norma Evans and Glenn Kleiman of Education Development Center for their assistance, insight, guidance and feedback in making this handbook a reality; to Alejandra Bonifaz, of Education Development Center for her support during the conceptualization, implementation, and analysis of the Delphi Process; and to Stephanie Foerster and Kanjit Hailu of Education Development Center for sharing information about the SIEEQ project. Special thanks to educators, teachers and students in Namibia and Guinea for generously sharing their time, their classrooms and their insights for the case studies, most especially to Tamsin Bowra of the Initiative for Namibian Educational Technology (iNET) and to Katiadou Bah-Diallo of the National Institute for Pedagogical Research and Action for their logistical support and energy. Special thanks as well to Claudia L’Amoreaux for editorial support.

PROJECTS APPEARING IN THIS HANDBOOKReference is made to the following projects, with their countries and key technologies appearing in paren-theses: Active Learning with Technology (United States, Mexico, Nigeria); Applying Technology to Restructuring Learning (United States, Computers); Basic Education Project (Turkey, Computers); Basic Education Support 2 (Namibia, Computers); Confl ict-prevention Project (Rwanda, Computers); Connect-ED Project (Uganda, Computers); DEEP (South Africa, Handheld computers); Discovery Channel Global Education Foundation (Namibia, Video); Discovery Schools Project (Namibia, Video); Educational Inclusion for Disabled Students, Save the Children (Lesotho, Video); EFA Curriculum Project (Uganda, Nicaragua); Enlaces (Chile, Computers); G.S. Soeurs de la assomptión (Computers, Rwanda); EdTech Leaders Online (United States, Computers); Fundamental Quality and Equity Levels (IRI, Guinea); Initiative for Namibian Educational Technology (Namibia, Computers); Intel Teach to the Future (South Africa, Turkey, Computers); Kids on the Block, SchoolNet (Namibia, Computers); LearnLink (Namibia, Computers); New Schools Program (Egypt, Computers); Mental Arithmetic: Th e Numbers Family (Honduras, Radio); Nota 10 (Brazil, Television); Programa de Informática Educativa (Costa Rica, Computers); Relief International—Schools Online (Tajikistan, Computers); Salto para o Futuro (Brazil, Television); SIEEQ Project (Congo, Video); Uganda VSAT Rural Connectivity Project (Uganda, Computers); Telesecundaria (Mexico, Television); WIDE World (Namibia, Computers); World Links (22 countries, Computers).

THE AUTHORSEdmond Gaible, PhD, is principal in Th e Natoma Group, a consulting company providing design, manage-ment, and evaluation of projects using ICT for education and development. He has contributed curriculum development, training design, software development, and other services to projects in Bhutan, Brazil, the Gambia, India, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uganda, Zimbabwe and other countries. Mr. Gaible has worked with

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, REFERENCES AND CONTRIBUTORS

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Using Technology to Train Teachersviii

development agencies, including the World Bank, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, corporate clients including Microsoft, Apple Computer and others, NGOs such as Jiva Institute and SchoolNet Uganda, and grassroots organizations including the Zenzelele Women’s Goatkeeping and Development Club. He is on the board of directors of the Jhai Foundation.

Mary Burns is a senior technology specialist and professional development provider at Education Development Center. She designs, delivers and evaluates online and face-to-face professional development programs that utilize ICT to improve teacher quality, particularly in developing countries and in low-resource environments in the United States. Ms. Burns taught for several years in the U.S., Jamaica and Mexico; has conducted research and technical assistance in East Africa, Brazil, Pakistan and the Caribbean; and through such organizations as the US Regional Educational Laboratories, WorldLinks, Relief International/Schools Online, and the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (México), has created and strengthened Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programs involving ICT use in Asia, Africa and Latin America. She has developed ICT for TPD planning and curricula for teachers, NGOs, school districts and ministries of education in the United States, Mexico, Jordan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, and has written numerous articles and monographs on eff ective professional development using ICTs.

DELPHI PROCESS CONTRIBUTORSSpecial thanks to the education researchers and professionals who contributed signifi cant time and thought to the Delphi Process on ICT-supported Teacher Professional Development. Th eir infl uence extends throughout the handbook.

Stephen AnzaloneDirector, Center for Multichannel LearningEducation Development CenterWashington DC, USA

Margaret Chia-Watt, PhDDirector, Educational DevelopmentNanyang PolytechnicSingapore

Katherine McMillan Culp, PhDSenior Project DirectorCenter for Children and TechnologyEducation Development CenterNew York, USA

K. Victoria Dimock, PhDProgram ManagerSouthwest Educational Development LabAustin, USA

Judi Harris, PhDProfessor and Pavey Family Chair in Educational TechnologySchool of EducationCollege of William & MaryWilliamsburg, USA

Robert HawkinsSenior Education SpecialistWorld Bank InstitutePretoria, South Africa

John Henly, M.Ed.PresidentCollaborative Frameworks Inc.British Columbia, CanadaShirley M. Hord, PhD Scholar EmeritaSouthwest Educational Development LabCollege of EducationUniversity of Texas at AustinAustin, USA

Robert B. Kozma, PhDEmeritus Director and Principal ScientistCenter for Technology in LearningSRI InternationalMenlo Park, USA

M. K. Senthil KumarMember, Technology Initiatives Azim Premji FoundationBangalore, India

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Acknowledgements, References and Contributors . ix

Daniel Light, PhDSenior Research AssociateCenter for Children and TechnologyEducation Development CenterNew York, USA

Cher Ping LimAssociate Professor Learning Sciences and TechnologiesCenter for Research in Pedagogy and PracticeNational Institute of EducationSingapore

Earl MardlePrincipalKeyNet ConsultancySydney, Australia

Fred MednickPresident/FounderTeachers Without BordersMercer Island, Washington USA

Alexis MentenInternational Education Consultant(Central Asia and Middle East)New York, USA

Sean NicholsonMicrosoft Education Middle East and AfricaLondon, England

Cesar Nunes, PhDSenior ResearcherSchool of the Future University of São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil

Chris O’NealEducational Leadership ConsultantUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesburg, USA

Heba RamzyRegional Citizenship and Community Aff airs ManagerMicrosoft, Middle East & AfricaIstanbul, Turkey

Margaret Riel, PhDSenior ResearcherCenter for Technology in Learning

SRI InternationalVisiting ProfessorPepperdine UniversityMenlo Park, USA

Bernadette Robinson, PhDProfessorCentre for Comparative Education Research University of NottinghamNottingham, England

Steven RudolphEducation DirectorJiva InstituteFaridabad, IndiaSemra Seifu

Senior Program Manager – Africa and EuropeWorld LinksWashington DC, USA

Michelle Selinger, PhDEducation StrategistCorporate ResponsibilityCisco Systems, UK

J Shankar Head of Technology Initiatives Azim Premji FoundationBangalore, India

Robert SpielvogelChief Technology Offi cerEducation Development CenterNewton, USA

Chris A. SpohrSocial Sector EconomistAsian Development Bank Resident Mission People’s Republic of China

Kathryn StewartTeacherCampion CollegeKingston, Jamaica

Ronald Th orpeVice President and Director of EducationChannel Th irteen Television/WNET New York, USA

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Using Technology to Train Teachersx

Bernie Trilling, Senior DirectorOracle Education FoundationRedwood Shores, USA

Basia UrbanDirector, ICT in Education Programs (Middle East and Central Asia)Relief International Schools OnlineRamallah, West Bank

Adriana M. VilelaSenior Advisor for Education and YouthWorld LinksWashington DC, USA

Cédric WachholzChief, ICT in Education UnitUNESCO Asia and Pacifi c Regional Bureau for EducationBangkok, Th ailand

Keith YocamEducation ConsultantSan Francisco, USA

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Preface: ICT and EFA: Why Should We Care? . xi

PREFACEICT AND EFA: WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

DANIEL A. WAGNER

As the attention of the international donor community focuses more sharply on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, especially those related to Education for All (EFA), the credibility of those involved in the information and communication technology (ICT) community is increasingly treated with suspicion by many educators. Th is development should not be surprising, given the checkered results of many ICT-related investments in educational reform over the past decade, and the understandable but regrettable tendency to substitute “photo opportunities” for rigorous attention to impact and costs.

Th e power of ICTs as enablers of change—for good, as well as for bad—is undeniable. However, the use of ICTs in education in many developing countries, especially the “poorest of the poor,” is associated with high cost and potential failure. Why should we devote our energies and eff orts to investigating such uses?

Th e answer is simply put: We need to train massive numbers of teachers if EFA goals are to be met. Contrary to the overheated rhetoric and promises of some in the ICT community, ICTs are not the answer to problems affl icting the education sector in developing countries … but they can help. Indeed, how can so many teachers be reached without the aid of ICT?

When asked about the role of ICTs in the EFA process, the consensus at most development agencies seems to be: there is no role. We need to build classrooms, build schools, they say, and equip them with books and blackboards and latrines (and many other things). Fair enough, there is no disagreement here. But it is also clear that these steps will not be suffi cient.

Back in 1996, UNESCO labeled the situation of teachers around the world a “silent emergency.” A decade on, things have not improved much. As eff orts to achieve universal completion of six years of high-quality primary education have added tens of millions of new students to the school rolls, eff orts to recruit and train new teachers have not kept pace (nor have eff orts to upgrade the skills of current teachers who have received inadequate preparation). Few would argue that the student:teacher ratios in excess of 80:1, found in some African countries, are conducive to delivering high-quality education, and indeed, data show that, as school enrolments quickly increase, educational quality appears to be nose-diving in many places.

Countries struggling to meet EFA targets do not need ICTs, of course. Th ey need to better train and support their teachers, move them into the classroom quickly, and support and re-train them regularly to upgrade skills and content mastery. Th is challenge is compounded by the fact that the greatest needs are often in remote areas far from existing training facilities. It is diffi cult to see how such challenges can be met without extending the breadth and depth of pre-service and in-service teacher professional development by using ICT.

In the ICT world, current discussions emphasize serving the “next billion” (which will most likely be the emerging middle classes of China, India, Brazil and elsewhere). Given the pressing challenges related to Education for All, the focus on the “next billion” should not obscure the potential utility and relevance of extending ICTs to the “last billion” as well.

Despite current skepticism in donor agencies, policymakers and parents in many developing countries are making increasing demands for the use of ICTs in education. Th is demand can be harnessed to support

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Using Technology to Train Teachersxii

EFA-related teacher training initiatives. It is important that any potential deployment of ICTs be evaluated in terms of meeting specifi c educational challenges, and not as an end goal in itself. Computers, TV, the Internet and especially older (and currently unfashionable) technologies with proven track records of cost-eff ective deployment, such as interactive radio, can help to meet the challenges associated with training and supporting the large numbers of teachers necessary required for achieving EFA targets.

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Section 1. Overview . 1

SECTION 1OVERVIEW

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) will not make a bad teacher professional develop-ment program better. Th e use of technology can, in fact, make TPD programs worse. When refurbished computers cannot run required software applications, or poor telephone lines don’t support Internet connections, teachers and students waste time, grow frustrated, and abandon new practices to return to familiar ones. When an educational television program demonstrates new teaching methods without showing how they can work in one-teacher schools, teachers in those schools watch the program but tune out the message.

Th at said, ICTs have had tremendous impact on TPD in countries around the world. Successful projects, in combination with decades of education research on student learning, teacher development, and school change, have generated a body of relevant knowledge and best practices. Success can be achieved—but only by untangling the complex set of critical factors, and by leveraging previous successes to minimize risk and strengthen project designs.

Th is handbook is intended to help decision makers in developing-country governments and donor agencies in their eff orts to combine ICT and TPD. To the extent possible in a brief work, the handbook combines a global perspective—including information about best practices and successful projects—with attention to the challenges faced by education policymakers, teachers, and students in Less Developed Countries (LDCs) and countries attempting to meet the goals of Education for All (EFA).

Th is handbook will help decision makers improve their abilities to: Understand the complex relationships between ICT use, professional learning, types of TPD and classroom implementation so as to aid the development of requests for proposals (RFPs) Recognize best practices and essential supports in the use of ICTs for TPD in order to evaluate proposals of national, regional, and local scalePropose ways of using ICTs to support TPD that can achieve specifi c objectives in relation to educa-tional improvementIdentify cost considerations, potential partnerships, evaluation requirements and other factors essential to the planning of eff ective ICT-enabled TPDCommunicate eff ectively with researchers, representatives of NGOs, policymakers, donor-agency personnel, and others about the roles played by TPD and ICT in educational reform

To make eff ective decisions in regard to TPD, policymakers must be aware of relevant issues; know the characteristics of eff ective professional development; and understand how ICT can support those character-istics. In LDCs, policymakers must also understand the potential benefi ts and challenges of ICT-supported TPD in the context of schools that lack adequate classrooms, textbooks, and electricity, and in which teachers face fundamental challenges. When a teacher lacks mastery of the language of instruction, how can ICT help? If a teacher’s development of new skills competes with or undermines her role as a mother, or a farmer, how can TPD be eff ective?

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Using Technology to Train Teachers2

LITERATURE REVIEW, CASE STUDIES AND THE DELPHI PROCESSTh e development of this handbook has drawn on several rich sources of information:

Th e fi rst source of information is an extensive literature review of such topics as TPD and the use of ICT for TPD programs in developing and developed nations, and eff ective uses of ICT for school improvement. Th ese resources are assembled in the References section of this handbook.

Th e second source is fi eld-based case-study research specifi cally focused on the uses of ICT in relation to TPD, conducted in Guinea and Namibia. Th e focus in Namibia is on comprehensive eff orts to integrate computers and the Internet, while the focus in Guinea is on development of educational radio programs for primary students and teachers.

Additional information is based on the authors’ own expertise in the areas of international development, education, ICT planning and evaluation, TPD, and curriculum development; and their experience as teachers and trainers using ICT, within such developing country contexts as Uganda, Rwanda, Mexico, Tajikistan, and other countries.

Finally, the handbook draws on the experiences of 26 internationally renowned experts in TPD, ICTs, and development education, who participated in a Delphi process1 through which they assessed the current state of ICT use in relation to TPD and developed a rough consensus as to future challenges and opportunities. Th ese Delphi participants off ered responses to questions, critiqued statements of other Delphi participants, and ranked various predictions regarding program design, implementation, and technologies.

THREE APPROACHES TO ICTS AND TPDTh e combination of ICTs and TPD has given rise to a wide range of approaches—from radio programming that “walks” teachers through lessons alongside their students, to the use of computer-aided instruction to improve teachers’ math skills, to teachers videotaping each other in action in their classrooms.

Th e many uses of technology in relation to TPD can be grouped in three categories:A delivery system providing teachers with information to improve pedagogy and content masteryA focus of study that develops teachers’ abilities to use specifi c tools, such as computers A catalyst for new forms of teaching and learning, such as inquiry-based learning, collaborative learning, and other forms of learner-centered pedagogy

Th is handbook presents information about these approaches with the expectation that decision makers will choose “points of entry” appropriate to the capacities, resources, and weaknesses of their school systems. Concrete examples from LDCs and other developing countries, along with research-derived best practices, are presented with the hope that policymakers will choose goals that ensure that the transformation of learning in the poorest schools will become a source of opportunity for the children in their countries.

HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOKUsing Technology to Train Teachers is a reference tool and guide for decision makers with existing ICT-supported projects in education and for those decision makers who are planning new projects.

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1 For additional information about the history and characteristics of the Delphi process, refer to The Delphi Method: Techniques and applications, edited by Harold Linstone and Murray Turoff (2002, New Jersey Institute of Technology, http://www.is.njit.edu/pubs/delphibook), originally published in 1975.



Th e handbook includes the following sections: Section 1: OverviewGoals and objectives of the handbook; overview of sections; key points in the use of ICTs for TPD; schematic of ICT for TPD planning process; best practices in TPDSection 2: ICTs for Teacher Professional Development at a GlanceRoles of ICT in TPD and education; strengths, limitations, and cost considerations for key technologies used to support TPDSection 3: Models and Best Practices in Teacher Professional DevelopmentMajor models of TPD—standardized, site-based, and self-directed Section 4: Technologies for Teacher Professional Development—Computers and the InternetStrengths, limitations, and costs; profi les of successful programs; planning for large-scale implementa-tions Section 5: Technologies for Teacher Professional Development—Radio Strengths, limitations and costs; profi les of successful programsSection 6: Technologies for Teacher Professional Development—TelevisionStrengths, limitations and costs; profi les of projects in Mexico and BrazilSection 7: Technologies for Teacher Professional Development—Video Recording and PlaybackStrengths, limitations and costs of using audio and video recording tools in schools; ideas for implemen-tationSection 8: Online Distance Learning for Teacher Professional DevelopmentStrengths, limitations, and costs; online learning vs. face-to-face learning; profi les of successful programsSection 9: Implementing ICT-supported Teacher Professional DevelopmentSupporting TPD and ICT use in schools, including teacher scheduling, incentives and school leadershipSection 10: Eff ective Partnerships for ICT-supported Teacher Professional DevelopmentWays in which governmental, civil-society, and private-sector organizations can ensure the success of TPD projectsSection 11: Evaluation of ICT-supported Teacher Professional Development Essential terms and concepts in monitoring and evaluation; checklist for evaluation planningPostscript: Making ICT Projects WorkEight guidelines to increase the likelihood of success for all ICT projects in educationGlossary

Readers should adopt diff erent approaches to the information in this handbook based on whether their goals are to improve existing projects or to plan new ones.

To improve existing ICT projects in education: Read Section 3: Models and Best Practices in TPD to learn how to improve TPD initiatives and how to use TPD to strengthen educational outcomes.Refer to the sections addressing tools that are used in your project (radio, television, video, computers and the Internet, online TPD).Read Section 9: Implementing ICT-supported TPD, Section 10: Eff ective Partnerships for ICT-supported TPD, and Section 11: Evaluation of ICT-supported TPD to identify ways to increase support for your TPD project.

To plan new ICT-supported TPD Projects:Review the tables and other information in Section 2: ICTs for TPD at a Glance to determine which technologies are likely to off er eff ective support.Read Section 3: Models and Best Practices in TPD to determine the TPD methods that are most appropri-ate for your needs, objectives, and educational contextRefer to Section 9: Implementing ICT-supported TPD, Section 10: Eff ective Partnerships for ICT-supported TPD, and Section 11: Evaluation of ICT-supported TPD at appropriate points in your planning process.

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Note that the tables in Section 2: ICTs for TPD at a Glance are reproduced at the end of the sections addressing specifi c technologies. For example, the table on radio in Section 2 also appears at the send of Section 5: Technologies for Teacher Professional Development—Radio.

Section Features

As appropriate, sections include the following aids to reading, planning, and decision-making: Guiding Questions to be considered throughout your reading. Section Summaries identifying key pointsQuestions for Further Discussion that address planning and policy issues raised during profi les of specifi c projects. Consider Using [Specifi c Technology] to Support TPD When…Suggested pre-conditions for deployment, including TPD objectives, infrastructure, teachers’ capacities, and other criteria.Web Resources are provided where possible, to help policymakers obtain additional information on the topic discussed

Implementation Briefs

A set of practical detailed information are presented in a series of Implementation Briefs to help practitio-ners successfully implement ICT-embedded teacher professional development programs

Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Teaching Skills

Th roughout this handbook, discussion of appropriate TPD models and supporting technologies distin-guishes between teachers with basic, intermediate, and advanced skills as educators.

Teachers with basic skills are able to:Speak, read, write, and teach with fl uency in the national languagePerform basic arithmetic Teach basic language and arithmetic skills using traditional lectures and testing

Teachers with intermediate skills have basic skills, and are also able to:Understand and teach their subject matter at a basic level in the national languagePlan their courses to meet national or local standardsUnderstand the basics of how children learnAdopt teaching methods appropriate to their students’ abilities and learning styles

Teachers with advanced skills have intermediate skills, and are also able to:Teach their subject matter with ease and make relevant connections to other subjects and to daily lifeDevelop course outlines, lectures, and instructional materials

Identify resources to update their knowledge of the subjects they teachBuild on students’ prior knowledge and experienceTeach students how to analyze and solve problemsTeach their subject using multiple tools and resourcesUnderstand and use a variety of instructional strategies, including traditional lectures, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and collaborative activitiesUse ongoing assessment to identify and address student weaknesses

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TPD program goals must be based in part on teachers’ needs and capacities. Choosing models and technolo-gies for TPD must also refl ect these conditions. Refer to these guidelines as necessary to categorize the skill levels of specifi c groups of teachers.


Section 2. ICTs for Teacher Professional Development at a Glance . 7

SECTION 2ICTs FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT A GLANCE

Tables in this section off er overviews of the education-related characteristics of key technologies used to support TPD. Use the tables to compare tools in relation to program objectives. Refer to Figure 1 below for an overview of a planning process to be used in conjunction with this handbook.

FIGURE 1: PLANNING PROCESS FOR ICT-SUPPORTED TPD COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET IN TPD AT A GLANCE

MONITORING & EVALUATION

COST CALCULATIONS

Radio/Audio Computers Television/Video Internet

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Educational AssetsSchools

TextbooksTeachers Colleges

Ed TechGovt. radio station

Computer labs

FundingHuman ResourcesTeachersMentors

Researchers

AVAILABLE RESOURCES

INFRASTRUCTURE & RESOURCESRoads Electrical Power Policy Environment

Legal & regulatory frameworks

TechnologyMobile telephone networks

Internet backboneTelecom & tech markets

PROJECT OBJECTIVESClassroom Change

Subject mastery, certification, teaching/learning

NEEDS ASSESSMENTGaps in # of teachers, teachers’ skills, pedagogical methods

DEVELOPMENT GOALSNational plans for EFA and education, eReadiness, etc.

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Planning



CO

MPU

TERS

AN

D T

HE

INTE

RNET

IN T

PD A

T A

GLA

NC

E

Role

s in

TPD

& e

duca

tion

Stre

ngth

s Li

mita

tions

Co

st p

rofi l

e O

ther

con

side

ratio

ns

• Fl

exib

le a

nd p

ower

ful—

can

be u

sed

to

deve

lop

mat

eria

ls, a

cces

s re

sour

ces,

an

d co

mm

unic

ate

• M

ultip

le m

edia

and

pla

tform

s co

mbi

ne

text

, aud

io, v

ideo

, ani

mat

ion,

and

in

tera

ctiv

ity

• C

entra

lized

and

dec

entra

lized

com

-m

unic

atio

n su

ppor

ts di

ssem

inat

ion

of

reso

urce

s an

d es

sent

ial f

eedb

ack

from

sc

hool

s•

May

ena

ble

lear

ner-c

ente

red

and

ac-

tive-

lear

ning

ped

agog

ies

• En

able

com

mun

icat

ion

with

exp

erts—

in-

clud

ing

TPD

men

tors

, mas

ter t

each

ers,

an

d he

lp d

esks

• Im

prov

e su

bjec

t mas

tery

thro

ugh

Com

pute

r-Ass

isted

Instr

uctio

n (C

AI),

sim

ulat

ions

, and

oth

er to

ols

• Pr

ovid

e su

ppor

t for

col

labo

ratio

n—in

di-

vidu

als,

pai

rs, a

nd g

roup

s of

teac

hers

or

stu

dent

s ca

n us

e co

mpu

ters

to c

ol-

labo

rate

onl

ine

and

face

-to-fa

ce•

Supp

ort a

sses

smen

t and

reco

rdke

ep-

ing—

accr

edite

d O

DL

cour

ses,

ele

ctro

nic

portf

olio

s, e

tc.

• Po

tent

ial f

or re

visio

n an

d ne

w v

ersio

ns

supp

orts

refl e

ctio

n, s

elf-a

sses

smen

t, an

d ot

her l

earn

ing-

rela

ted

activ

ities

• C

ompl

ex to

ols

requ

ire b

oth

time

and

TPD

to b

e ef

fect

ive

• H

ardw

are,

sof

twar

e, a

nd o

pera

t-in

g-sy

stem

s ar

e fra

gile

—su

bjec

t to

dam

age

by u

sers

, viru

ses,

fl uc

tuat

ing

elec

trica

l pow

er, e

tc.

• H

ardw

are

and

softw

are

lose

val

ue

and

utili

ty a

s th

ey a

ge—

corp

orat

e an

d in

stitu

tiona

l use

rs p

lan

on 3

ye

ars

of s

ervi

ce•

Hig

hly

depe

nden

t on

infra

struc

-tu

re—

elec

trica

l, te

leco

mm

unic

atio

ns,

road

(for

repa

irs),

and

hum

an (f

or

mai

nten

ance

and

man

agem

ent)

• W

ithou

t sup

port

from

lead

ersh

ip

and

syste

m-w

ide

com

mitm

ent t

o ne

w

mod

es o

f tea

chin

g an

d le

arni

ng,

impa

ct is

lim

ited

• Pr

ovid

e pr

oduc

tivity

tool

s to

writ

e re

ports

, mak

e pr

esen

tatio

ns, c

omm

u-ni

cate

, des

ign

anim

atio

ns, b

uild

Web

sit

es, e

tc.

• Pr

ovid

e ac

cess

to g

uide

d TP

D re

sour

ces

and

colla

bora

tive

envi

ronm

ents,

and

en

able

the

crea

tion

of o

nlin

e co

mm

uni-

ties

of p

ract

ice

• En

able

acq

uisit

ion

of b

asic

com

pute

r sk

ills In

tern

et C

ompu

ter D

river

’s Lic

ense

(IC

DL),

des

ign

skills

(e.g

., W

eb p

ages

), pr

ogra

mm

ing,

and

har

dwar

e m

aint

e-na

nce

and

repa

ir •

Prov

ide

tool

s (e

.g.,

spre

adsh

eets,

da

taba

ses)

that

pro

mot

e hi

gher

-ord

er

thin

king

• Va

riabl

e pr

oduc

tion

costs

—ne

w s

oftw

are

tool

s (e

.g.,

Flas

h, D

irect

or, e

tc.)

driv

e do

wn

prod

uctio

n co

sts o

f dig

ital c

onte

nt•

Varia

ble

cont

ent-d

istrib

utio

n co

sts a

re c

ontin

gent

on

Inte

rnet

con

nect

ivity

and

re

sour

ce fo

rmat

•

Sign

ifi ca

nt in

stalla

tion,

m

aint

enan

ce, a

nd re

pair

costs

•

Tota

l Cos

t of O

wne

rshi

p (T

CO

) mod

el m

anda

tes

perio

dic

upgr

ades

• M

ay c

ontri

bute

to o

vera

ll e-

Read

i-ne

ss•

Adv

ance

s in

wire

less

, VSA

T, a

nd

othe

r com

mun

icat

ions

tool

s m

ay

incr

ease

Inte

rnet

acc

ess

• A

dvan

ces

in h

ardw

are

desig

n m

ay in

crea

se ru

gged

ness

and

de

crea

se p

ower

requ

irem

ents

• M

obile

dev

ices

(han

dhel

d co

mpu

t-er

s, p

hone

s) ha

ve p

oten

tial t

o ch

ange

TPD

-focu

sed

com

mun

ica-

tions

and

acc

ess

to re

sour

ces

• Fo

cus

on to

ols

may

dist

ract

from

cu

rricu

lum

-cen

tere

d le

arni

ng

(con

tinue

d on

nex

t pag

e)



RAD

IO A

ND

TH

E IN

TERN

ET IN

TPD

AT

A G

LAN

CE

• C

an le

ad to

impr

ovem

ents

in b

asic

ski

lls

• Pr

oven

cur

ricul

a in

bas

ic m

ath,

la

ngua

ge a

rts, h

ealth

, Ear

ly C

hild

hood

C

are

and

Dev

elop

men

t (EC

CD

)•

May

be

impl

emen

ted

with

or w

ithou

t te

xtbo

oks

and

othe

r res

ourc

es•

Pote

ntia

l to

reac

h la

rge

stude

nt p

opul

a-tio

ns•

Lack

of l

itera

cy s

kills

not

a b

arrie

r•

Add

ress

es e

quity

and

acc

ess

issue

s (g

ende

r, et

hnic

, rur

al)

• C

an c

ombi

ne h

ands

-on

deve

lopm

ent o

f te

ache

r ski

lls w

ith s

tude

nt le

arni

ng•

Aud

io le

arni

ng m

ay s

uppo

rt vi

sual

iza-

tion

and

conc

ept-b

uild

ing

by le

arne

rs•

Enab

les

instr

uctio

nal c

ontin

uity

acr

oss

grad

es a

nd s

ubje

cts

• Ra

dio

prod

uctio

n sk

ills a

re w

ides

prea

d•

Dur

able

, sur

vive

s ex

trem

e en

viro

nmen

ts an

d lo

ng-te

rm u

se w

ith m

inim

al c

are

• M

oder

ate

infra

struc

ture

requ

irem

ents

• Lo

w te

chni

cal-s

uppo

rt re

quire

men

ts

• Va

lue

of c

onte

nt m

ay d

egra

de o

ver

time—

long

-runn

ing

prog

ram

s m

ust

evol

ve w

ith s

choo

ls an

d ed

ucat

ion

syste

ms

• Br

oadc

ast a

irwav

es a

re s

ubje

ct to

po

litic

al a

nd e

cono

mic

eve

nts

• Te

nden

cy to

rein

forc

e ro

te le

arni

ng

mod

els—

inte

ract

ivity

is li

mite

d,

atte

ntio

n to

nee

ds o

f ind

ivid

ual l

earn

-er

s is

limite

d•

Fixe

d br

oadc

ast s

ched

ule

• Lin

ear,

one-

size-

fi ts-a

ll ap

proa

ch•

Risk

of s

tude

nt a

nd te

ache

r dis-

satis

fact

ion

—in

clud

ing

bore

dom

, es-

peci

ally

whe

n le

sson

s ar

e br

oadc

ast

daily

• H

ardw

are-

repl

acem

ent p

rogr

ams

are

nece

ssar

y: R

adio

s an

d ba

tterie

s m

ay

be s

tole

n or

bor

row

ed

• A

ddre

sses

sho

rtage

s of

trai

ned

teac

hers

• Ba

sic-sk

ills in

struc

tion—

mat

h, h

ealth

, la

ngua

ge-o

f-ins

truct

ion

(Eng

lish,

Fre

nch,

et

c.)

• Pr

omot

es te

ache

r dev

elop

men

t, pr

imar

-ily

via

dem

onstr

atio

n, g

uide

d an

d ha

nds-o

n cl

assr

oom

man

agem

ent,

and

build

ing

subj

ect k

now

ledg

e

• H

igh

to m

oder

ate

cont

ent-

deve

lopm

ent c

osts

• St

art-u

p in

clud

es c

ost o

f ra

dios

, cas

sette

pla

yers

, ta

pes,

bat

terie

s, m

ater

ials

deve

lopm

ent,

and

train

ing

• Pe

r-stu

dent

recu

rrent

cos

ts of

larg

e-sc

ale

prog

ram

s ar

e ve

ry lo

w•

Fund

ing

may

com

bine

con

-tri

butio

ns fr

om m

inist

ries

of

com

mun

icat

ion,

bro

adca

st au

thor

ities

, priv

ate

radi

o ne

twor

ks, p

aren

ts’ g

roup

s,

and

othe

rs•

Low

recu

rrent

cos

t has

not

en

sure

d su

stain

abili

ty

• A

dvan

ce re

sear

ch a

nd fo

rmat

ive

eval

uatio

n ar

e es

sent

ial f

or s

ucce

ss•

Impa

ct is

incr

ease

d by

teac

her

deve

lopm

ent,

prin

ted

mat

eria

ls,

scho

ol s

ite v

isits

and

othe

r mea

ns•

May

inco

rpor

ate

song

s, u

se

of re

al-w

orld

obj

ectiv

es (e

.g.,

pebb

les

or b

eans

as

mat

h m

a-ni

pula

tives

), in

-cla

ss e

xper

imen

ts,

pair-

and

gro

up-w

ork

and

othe

r ac

tive-

lear

ning

ele

men

ts•

Limite

d qu

antit

ativ

e ev

iden

ce o

f im

pact

on

teac

her d

evel

opm

ent

• C

an b

e us

ed in

com

bina

tion

with

ot

her t

echn

olog

ies,

suc

h as

vid

eo

or “

pod-

casti

ng”—

teac

hers

may

ad

opt r

adio

-del

iver

ed c

lass

room

pr

actic

es w

hen

they

see

exa

mpl

es

on v

ideo

Role

s in

TPD

& e

duca

tion

Stre

ngth

s Li

mita

tions

Co

st p

rofi l

e O

ther

con

side

ratio

ns



TELE

VISI

ON

IN T

PD A

T A

GLA

NC

E

• Is

both

pow

erfu

l (m

ovin

g im

ages

, aud

io,

etc.

) and

fam

iliar

•

Can

be

used

to “

brin

g” v

iew

ers

to th

e sit

e of

eve

nts

and

phen

omen

a •

Hel

ps te

ache

rs im

plem

ent n

ew te

ch-

niqu

es e

ffect

ivel

y by

obs

ervi

ng d

emon

-str

atio

ns o

f cla

ssro

om m

anag

emen

t and

ot

her t

each

ing

prac

tices

•

Has

the

pote

ntia

l to

reac

h la

rge

popu

la-

tions

of s

tude

nts

and

teac

hers

• A

ddre

sses

equ

ity a

nd a

cces

s iss

ues—

al-

thou

gh a

cces

s re

quire

s el

ectri

cal p

ower

•

Supp

orts

instr

uctio

nal c

ontin

uity

acr

oss

grad

es a

nd s

ubje

cts

• A

s a

visu

al m

ediu

m, d

oes

not g

uide

te

ache

r thr

ough

scr

ipte

d, h

ands

-on

clas

sroo

m a

ctiv

ities

—un

like

radi

o,

tele

visio

n pr

omot

es “

wat

ch a

nd

lear

n,”

not “

do a

nd le

arn”

• In

volve

s hi

gh d

evel

opm

ent c

osts

whi

ch m

ay li

mit

testi

ng, r

evie

w,

and

revi

sion

befo

re p

rogr

amm

ing

is la

unch

ed•

Valu

e of

con

tent

may

deg

rade

ove

r tim

e—co

sts o

f rev

ision

s an

d ne

w

prog

ram

min

g ar

e hi

gh; v

isual

im-

ages

“sh

ow th

eir a

ge”

• Br

oadc

asts

are

subj

ect t

o ex

tern

al

polit

ical

and

eco

nom

ic d

isrup

tions

• Te

levi

sion

prod

uctio

n re

quire

s so

phis-

ticat

ed s

kills

and

faci

litie

s•

Cos

ts of

pro

duct

ion

and

airti

me

may

in

fl uen

ce p

rogr

amm

ing

to re

ach

audi

ence

s ou

tside

of s

choo

ls•

Fixe

d br

oadc

ast s

ched

ule—

can

be

augm

ente

d by

tapi

ng•

Limite

d by

acc

ess

to e

lect

rical

pow

er•

Har

dwar

e co

sts fo

r rec

eptio

n (te

levi

-sio

n, s

atel

lite

dish

, cab

ling)

and

po

wer

gen

erat

ion

may

be

too

high

fo

r poo

r com

mun

ities

and

sch

ools

• A

ddre

sses

sho

rtage

s of

trai

ned

teac

hers

•

Is a

prim

ary

mea

ns o

f del

iver

ing

cont

ent

and

conc

epts

to s

tude

nts

acro

ss th

e cu

rricu

lum

•

Use

d in

dev

elop

men

t of t

each

er s

kills

an

d kn

owle

dge

• Pr

ovid

es v

iew

s of

real

cla

ssro

om p

rac-

tices

and

lear

ning

act

iviti

es•

Prov

ides

teac

hers

with

lear

ning

re

sour

ces

that

sho

w d

istan

t pla

ces,

gr

aphi

cal r

epre

sent

atio

ns o

f con

cept

s,

histo

rical

eve

nts,

etc

.

• H

igh

prod

uctio

n co

sts—

of-

ten

US$

1,00

0 pe

r min

ute

• C

omm

erci

al b

road

cast

rate

s ar

e ve

ry h

igh

• Lo

cal i

nsta

llatio

n in

clud

es

cost

of te

levi

sion,

sat

ellit

e di

sh (i

n ru

ral l

ocat

ions

) •

Per-s

tude

nt re

curre

nt c

osts

of la

rge-

scal

e pr

ogra

ms

are

low

—bu

t low

recu

rrent

co

sts h

ave

not e

nsur

ed

susta

inab

ility

• Fu

ndin

g m

ay c

ombi

ne c

on-

tribu

tions

from

min

istrie

s of

co

mm

unic

atio

n, b

road

cast

auth

oriti

es, c

omm

erci

al

broa

dcas

ters

, and

oth

ers

• La

ck o

f int

erac

tivity

can

be

addr

esse

d th

roug

h a

rang

e of

af-

ford

able

tech

nolo

gies

—fa

x, e

mai

l, te

leph

one

“cal

l-in”

form

ats

• Im

pact

is in

crea

sed

by te

ache

r de

velo

pmen

t, pr

inte

d m

ater

ials,

sc

hool

site

visi

ts an

d ot

her m

eans

• Lim

ited

quan

titat

ive

evid

ence

of

impa

ct o

n te

ache

r dev

elop

men

t

(con

tinue

d on

nex

t pag

e)

Role

s in

TPD

& e

duca

tion

Stre

ngth

s Li

mita

tions

Co

st p

rofi l

e O

ther

con

side

ratio

ns



VID

EO R

ECO

RDIN

G IN

TPD

AT

A G

LAN

CE

• Te

ache

rs b

enefi

t fro

m s

eein

g ot

her

teac

hers

in a

ctio

n•

Teac

hers

ben

efi t

from

see

ing

them

selve

s in

act

ion

• Vi

deo

reco

rdin

gs c

an b

e us

ed a

nd re

-us

ed a

ccor

ding

to te

ache

rs’ s

ched

ules

• Pl

ayba

ck c

ontro

ls (re

win

d, fr

eeze

-fram

e,

etc.

) ena

ble

clos

e an

alys

is of

spe

cifi c

ev

ents

• Vi

deo

prod

uctio

n to

ols

can

be u

sed

loca

lly—

in s

choo

ls, b

y m

inist

ries,

etc

.•

Broa

dcas

t qua

lity

vide

o is

pow

erfu

l (m

ovin

g im

ages

, aud

io, e

tc.)

and

fam

iliar

•

Effe

ctiv

e le

arni

ng re

sour

ce fo

r tea

cher

s an

d stu

dent

s—ca

n “b

ring”

vie

wer

s to

eve

nts

and

phen

omen

a to

sup

port

conc

ept b

uild

ing,

rete

ntio

n, e

tc.

• Va

lue

of c

onte

nt m

ay d

egra

de o

ver

time—

costs

of r

evisi

ons

and

new

pr

ogra

mm

ing

are

high

; visu

al im

-ag

es “

show

thei

r age

”•

Vide

o pr

oduc

ed b

y fo

reig

n in

stitu

-tio

ns m

ay b

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Stre

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Co

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ther

con

side

ratio

ns


Section 3. Models and Best Practices in Teacher Professional Development . 15

SECTION 3MODELS AND BEST PRACTICES IN TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

GUIDING QUESTIONSWhat are the needs of teachers in our country, and how will teacher professional development (TPD) address these needs? Which of the three models of TPD are most appropriate to the needs of our teachers? Which models are currently being used in our schools?How can ICTs improve and extend current or projected TPD eff orts?

SUMMARYTo be eff ective and successful, teacher professional development must be of high quality and relevant to teachers’ needs. No amount of ICT can compensate for TPD that lacks these characteristics.

TPD is the tool by which policymakers convey broad visions, disseminate critical information, and provide guidance to teachers. Eff ective TPD begins with an understanding of teachers’ needs and their work environments—schools and classrooms. TPD then combines a range of techniques to promote learning; provides teachers with the support they need; engages school leadership; and makes use of evaluation to increase its impact. Essential techniques include mentoring, teamwork, observation, refl ection and assess-ment. TPD programs should engage teachers as learners—typically involving the process of “modeling.”2

When computers are involved, TPD programs must address not only teachers’ technical skills, but also their concerns about logistics, about how to use computers with students, and about risks to their status in the classroom. Successful computer-supported or computer-focused TPD provides teachers with hands-on opportunities to build technical skills and work in teams while engaging them in activities that have substantial bearing on their classroom practices or on other aspects of the school workplace.

TPD can be divided into three broad categories: Standardized TPD Th e most centralized approach, best used to disseminate information and skills among large teacher populations

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IN THIS SECTION

Understanding Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development vs. TrainingMaking TPD EffectiveBuilding Teachers’ Computers SkillsSuccessful Approaches to Computers in TPDWhat is Technology Integration?Learner-centered TPDProfessional Development ModelsThe Cascade ModelStrengthening the Cascade Approach in TajikistanAddressing Women in TPDSite-based TPDSelf-directed TPDWeb Resources

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2 Modeling is an instructional method in which teachers experience the kinds of learning that they are expected to implement in the classroom. Design of TPD might, for example, have teachers working in pairs or teams to help build their understanding of collaborative learning.



Site-based TPDIntensive learning by groups of teachers in a school or region, promoting profound and long-term changes in instructional methodsSelf-directed TPDIndependent learning, sometimes initiated at the learner’s discretion, using available re-sources that may include computers and the Internet

Standardized TPD includes the Cascade model, frequently used in TPD programs that involve ICTs. In the Cascade model, one or two “cham-pion” teachers at a school might attend centralized workshops to build computers skills or learn about integrating computers into teaching and learning. When they return to their schools, these champion teachers provide TPD to their colleagues that also builds computer use and integration skills.

Diff erent approaches to TPD can complement each other, and can be implemented in a variety of forms, enabling TPD programs to grow to reach large numbers of teachers while supporting teachers in their eff orts to improve student learning. However, site-based TPD, since it addresses locally based needs and refl ects local conditions, should be the cornerstone of teacher development across the education system.

UNDERSTANDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTTeachers need a wide variety of ongoing opportunities to improve their skills. TPD (also known as “in service” or “teacher education”) is the instruction provided to teachers to promote their development in a certain area (e.g., technology, reading instruction, subject mastery, etc.). TPD is the tool by which policy-makers’ visions for change are disseminated and conveyed to teachers. Th ough the recipient of TPD is the teacher, the ultimate intended benefi ciary is the student. Consequently, professional development is often the most critical component of any ICT project.

Professional Development vs. Training

Professional development is much more than training, though technology training may be one part of TPD. Professional development—including the ongoing workshops, follow-up, study, refl ections, observations and assessment that comprise TPD—accommodates teachers as learners, recognizes the long-term nature of learning, and utilizes methods that are likely to lead teachers to improve their practice as professionals.

Professional development takes many forms, such as: when teachers plan activities together; when a master teacher observes a young teacher and provides feedback; and when a team of teachers observes a video lesson and refl ects on and discusses the lesson. Th ese methods of TPD are all more eff ective models of teacher learning than simple training.

Making TPD Effective

Eff ective TPD addresses the core areas of teaching—content, curriculum, assessment and instruction. Regardless of whether ICTs are involved, all TPD projects should:

Address teacher and student needs via approaches that are appropriate for conditions in schoolsBe long-term, ongoing, sequenced, and cumulative, providing teachers opportunities to gain new knowledge and skills, refl ect on changes in their teaching practice, and increase their abilities over time

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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TPD

Highly applied, practice-oriented, participatory, and iterative: TPD is often a process of step-by-step familiarization/mastery via “learning by struggling”, and TPD initiatives are too often designed to be “one-size-fi ts-all”, uni-modal (i.e., lecture-based), and overly theoretical, such that teachers never obtain a work-ing knowledge or practice new content/techniques.

Chris SpohrSocial Sector Economist, Asian Development Bank Resident Mission in the People’s Republic of China



Focus on student learning outcomes in ways that enable teachers to use their new knowledge and skillsModel learner-centered instruction so that teachers experience and refl ect on the learning activities that they will leadUse formative and summative evaluation for program improvement

BUILDING TEACHERS’ COMPUTER SKILLSMany computer-supported TPD projects focus on technical concerns, to the exclusion of all others. Underlying these projects is the assumption that learning how to use computers equals knowing how to teach with computers.

Some degree of technical knowledge is necessary—basic keyboard and mouse skills, familiarity with the operating system and with basic software applications. However, computers are not designed to be used as instructional tools and most teachers need suggestions on how to use them with students. Without those suggestions—and without sensitivity to the array of teachers’ concerns—improving teachers’ computer skills is not likely to lead to students’ use of computers as tools for learning.

Computers raise many concerns among teachers, including:Technical concerns (“How do I use the computer?”)Functional concerns (“What can computers help me do?”)Logistical concerns (“How can I use so few computers with so many students?”)Aff ective concerns (“Will these computers replace me as a teacher? Will my students lose respect if they think the computer knows more than me?”)Organizational concerns (“How do I organize my classroom to support the use of computers? How can they be used as part of what I already do in the classroom?”)Conceptual concerns (“How can I learn from and with computers?”)Instructional concerns (“How can computers help my students learn in diff erent ways? How can they support the curriculum? How can they support my teaching? How should I teach using computers?”)Evaluation concerns (“How do I assess student learning in computer-based projects? How does this new way of learning fi t with national exams?”)

Successful Approaches to Computers in TPD

To increase the likelihood of successful TPD when computers are being introduced, the TPD should be:TimelyTeachers should learn to use computers at the point in a project when they will have access to them, not before and not afterJob-relatedAll TPD, including computer-enabled TPD, should connect to teachers’ responsibilities, to their skills and knowledge, or to desired classroom learning outcomes WelcomingMany adults have anxiety about learning, or about computers; initial sessions should aim to build “computer comfort,” not high-level skillsHands-onTeachers should be asked to learn by doing, not to learn by listening

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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TPD

Any proposal that starts out by “teaching people to use comput-ers” is a dead end. What can it do for me now? How can it reduce my costs for doing things that I do already? How does that free up resources for other activities? How does this technol-ogy enable those activities?

Earl MardlePrincipal, KeyNet ConsultancySydney, Australia



Technically appropriateTeachers should learn using hardware, systems, and applications that are the same as those they will use in schools

TPD should also be appropriate to the conditions in teachers’ schools. If teachers will be using ten comput-ers with 60 students (or one computer with 60 students), TPD sessions should refl ect this reality.

Th ese strategies—far more than technology training in a computer lab—will result in greater teacher use of technology at the school level. Even when they feel minimally profi cient with ICTs, teachers will use computers if they feel some degree of comfort and confi dence, when they know how computers can improve what they do, and when they have access to functioning equipment and support.

At the point that computers are introduced into schools, head teachers should also receive TPD that builds their confi dence and skills. Head teachers should feel comfortable with their understanding of what teachers are being asked to do, how students can use computers to enhance their learning, and how they too can use computers to accomplish meaningful tasks.

Head teachers should also understand that computers are not inherently valuable. Th eir worth derives from their contribution to the attainment of measurable educational goals..

Learner-centered TPD

Whether it is intended to bring teachers to basic, intermediate or advanced levels of skill—and whether ICTs are used or not—TPD should be learner-centered, enabling teachers to experience the types of instruc-tion that they are asked to provide to their students. Activities model instructional approaches that teachers can apply in their own settings, and may range from facilitated discussions to working in small groups to project-based instruction.

Within learner-centered TPD, the voices and actions of teachers themselves, not of the TPD provider, should be the focus, and teachers should engage interactively and collaboratively in activities that refl ect their curricula. Like their students, teachers learn by doing—by collaborating with peers, refl ecting, planning classroom activities—not by sitting and listening to a facilitator or following along in directed technology instruction.

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WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION?

“Technology integration” refers to the use of computers and the Internet to support teaching and learning across the curriculum. Integrated use of technology may involve students working with computer productivity tools to complete science projects or searching the Internet to fi nd poetry—but it is always tied directly to student mastery of their school subjects.

Properly implemented, technology integration is the best means of building computer skills: Research in South African and Egyptian schools indicates that students learn computer skills better when computers are used to address their own interests rather than in formal skills train-ing.

Technology integration is not: A separate subject, a stand-alone project, a focus of study in and of itself.

Example: Students in a Computer Studies course use a word-processing program to create a newsletter. The purpose of the activity is to build skills using the software. Students’ use of the computer is separate from their study of school subjects. They are learning about computers.

Technology integration is: Using computers on a regular basis, for a purpose connected to math, science, social studies or language arts. Computer use becomes a means of learning, and learning takes place through computer use.

Example: During social studies, a teacher presents students with a task—to research and communicate to the village council fi ve strategies for keeping local water bodies clean. Students use the computer as needed to do research (perhaps with Encarta, a CD-based encyclope-dia) and to prepare fi nal reports. They are learning with computers.



Learner-centered TPD recognizes and addresses the constraints teachers face in their own schools. If teachers have no access to books, TPD should help them devise strategies to develop learning materials. If teachers have 80 students and one computer, TPD must model—not simply talk about—how teachers integrate technology given such a constraint.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODELSTh e range of models of professional development is far more diverse than standard technology-training workshops. TPD models can be placed in three broad categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Standardized TPD programsFocus on rapid dissemination of specifi c skills and content, often via a “cascade” or “train-the-trainer” approachSchool-centered TPD Focus on longer-term change processes, usually via locally facilitated activities that build on-site communities of practiceIndividual or self-directed TPDFocus on individualized, self-guided TPD with little formal structure or support

All of these TPD models can be used in very low-resource environments. All can be supported by ICT—whether this involves using radio or television to broadcast lessons, providing on-site videotaping of teachers and classrooms, or expanding a local community of practice through e-mail and the Internet.

STANDARDIZED TPDStandardized TPD typically represents a centralized approach, involving workshops, training sessions, and in many cases the Cascade model of scaled delivery.

Standardized models tend to rely on training-based approaches, in which presenters share skills and knowl-edge with large groups of educators via face-to-face, broadcast, or online means. Training-based models are frequently employed to develop ICT skills such as those covered by the International Computer Drivers License (ICDL), and sometimes to introduce the integration of computers into the curriculum—as in the Intel Teach to the Future program.

Standardized, training-based approaches should focus on the exploration of an idea and the demonstration and modeling of skills. When employed in accordance with best practices discussed in this handbook, standardized approaches can eff ectively:

Expose teachers to new ideas, new ways of doing things, and new colleaguesDisseminate knowledge and instructional methods to teachers throughout a country or regionVisibly demonstrate the commitment of a nation or vendor or project to a particular course of action

Often, however, workshops take place at one time and in one location without follow-up, and without helping teachers build the range of skills and capacities needed to use new techniques when they return to their schools. Th ese one-time sessions can certainly help introduce and build awareness about computers, learner-centered instruction, or new curricula. But trainings without support rarely result in eff ective changes in teaching and learning—or in adoption of computers at the school level.

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USING TECHNOLOGY TO TRAIN TEACHERS...their time, their classrooms and their insights for the case...

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