Table Of Content

By Mary Burns THe FUTUre OF What will technology-based teacher professional development look like in PrOFeSSIONAL the next few years? Teacher training curriculum designer Mary Burns presents her top picks from the LeArNING professional learning technologies now emerging around the world. \ 5 EMERGING PD TECHNOLOGIES Like every other industry, professional development (PD) is going through a lot of changes as technology continues to advance. Based on two years of research on teacher PD, 7 7 P r Education Development Center (EDC, www.edc.org) has iden- e S M/ tified technologies that are poised for more widespread adoption O C O. for teacher learning around the world. Here are the top five, pre- T O H P sented in reverse order of likelihood of widespread adoption. K C O T S I Copyright © 2013, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. 14 Learning & Leading with Technology | June/July 2013 5 Television as we know it is rapidly hybrid TV, which uses HTTP proto- changing. The experience of watching cols to deliver programming on top television is fast becoming less time of existing networks via a TV set-top and place based and more personal- box, IPTV is delivered over an IP ized and platform varied. It is also network. It combines standard- and becoming a shared social experience high-definition (HD) digital content, through the convergence of smart- broadcasting (via cable and high-reso- phones, tablets, digital television, lution television), telecommunications and apps. (See “Four Trends Lead- (ultra-high-speed internet, digital ing the Way,” page 16.) television, and two-way communi- In many countries, the rate of tele- cation), mobile devices (tablets and IPTV vision ownership is dropping as the smartphones), and social media to television experience shifts online provide on-demand and personalized via on-demand internet streaming. PD programming to teachers at home fessional development to view Though this change in how we watch or at school. at their convenience. television is occurring everywhere, In South Korea, a global leader in In addition to expanding the it is most pronounced in East Asia, the use of IPTV, teachers can order the amount of PD content and allowing where extensive broadband access and delivery of PD programming in HD it to be stored and viewed in different low prices have spawned the develop- video, instructional television, or mul- ways, IPTV allows teachers to view ment of internet protocol TV (IPTV). timedia to their TVs, gaming consoles, programming and engage in discus- In contrast to internet-enhanced tablets, or smartphones. They can even sions about it via teacher social net- and web TV, such as Apple TV, or create personalized “playlists” of pro- working sites. 4 Immersive Environments Immersive environments allow immersive environments informally version of face-to-face simulations that users to have experiences while as gamers. We see the potential of im- some school districts use to prepare “immersed” in a self-contained mersive environments to help teachers new teachers in classroom manage- artificial or simulated environment. build, enhance, and refine a particular ment—allows novice teachers to make \ Because the interface is so visual, skill or set of behaviors. mistakes in a fail-safe environment, the activities so complex, and the One example of this is the Univer- receive feedback from their education experience so engaging, users can sity of Central Florida’s TeachLivE instructors, and prepare virtually for hone their technical, creative, and program (bit.ly/Oc1ct4), which helps live interactions with real students. problem-solving skills in a safe en- preservice teachers develop classroom Though research on its impact is vironment where they don’t have management skills by teaching a vir- limited, this kind of immersive en- to worry about inevitable mistakes. tual classroom full of student avatars. vironment offers several benefits for Many professions use immersive The teacher stands in front of a screen teacher learning, including addressing environments that simulate real-life and engages the avatars, which are problems that new teachers common- worlds—airplane pilots with flight voiced by real actors who respond as ly face and providing instant feedback simulation programs, for instance— students would over an audio-video that teachers can use to improve their and many teachers interact with connection. This approach—a digital knowledge and skills. Copyright © 2013 , ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. June/July 2013 | Learning & Leading with Technology 15 3 Video One of video’s greatest (and often underused) benefits is as an in-class personalized teacher support tool. Here are two ways this can work: Video for co-teaching. In Indonesia, as part of a program to help teachers use technology, EDC used two-way video to connect teachers who were new to technology to a master teacher so the two could co-teach a technology-based lesson that the novice technology user found particularly dif- ficult. Using TeamViewer, the master and novice teachers co-planned, co-taught, and co-reflected on the lesson. Video for coaching. The University of Alabama’s Project TEACH (projectteach.ua.edu) developed a “virtual bug in the ear”—a Bluetooth-enabled earphone that teachers wear In the classroom, the in-school, novice teacher (front) prepares students to ask a question of the video-based co-teacher. to receive real-time coaching from an off-site coach who observes the classroom via Skype over an HD webcam. EDC used this approach for live in-class coaching in Indo- nesian classrooms with good internet bandwidth. Because most female teachers wear jilbabs, or traditional Indone- sian Muslim head coverings, that covered the earpieces, the devices were invisible to the students. In both of these examples, teachers receive “just-in-time” and “just-as-needed” support. These uses of video are pow- erful because they bring models of good practice and support directly into the teacher’s classroom, particularly in areas where teachers may lack access to face-to-face Using video conferencing, an offsite master teacher co-teaches expertise, support, and teacher exemplars. with a novice teacher and students in a remote Indonesian school. Four Trends Leading the Way Many factors could impede Greater Understanding Continual Developments of Teacher-Centered PD in Technology Design widespread adoption of many of these technologies, not the Major developments in technol- There is a growing consensus The technologies in this ogy have already changed the least of which are cost, techni- that optimal PD is school article reflect optimal uses PD game, including the: cal issues (especially around based, just in time, individual- of technology for teacher bandwidth), the lack of a common ized, and collaborative, and learning, as cited in the • Diversification of the web as that it models intended prac- MacArthur Foundation study a platform platform among mobile devices, tices and comes with ongoing Building the Field of Digital • Proliferation of digital content and content and design issues. in-class support. There is also Media and Learning (bit. and the devices that support However, a number of technical, an increasing understanding ly/12SI6mL): They are par- diversified web applications demographic, and educational that technology can play an ticipatory, offer multiple entry and content important role in PD because points to users, have “low • Increases in bandwidth and trends cumulatively suggest that it is easy to use and multi- barriers to expression and the processing and graphics these five technologies stand modal, has multiple entry engagement,” and offer “in- power of computing devices a good chance for widespread points, and facilitates net- formal mentorship and con- • Miniaturization and personal- adoption as teacher PD tools. working and collaboration. nections to other people.” ization of computing devices Copyright © 2013, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. 16 Learning & Leading with Technology | June/July 2013 3 2 Social Media improvement in both app development and enhancements in the utility and functionality of social media sites. For example, professional social networking sites, such as Edmo- do, mimic many of the social features of Facebook but have additional professional functionality that allows teachers to join groups, attend lectures, co-develop activities, par- Though social media are popular teacher collaboration ticipate in blogs, and more. tools, they are still often used primarily for informal While research on social media is limited, their real learning or as adjuncts to online courses. However, power—providing access to personal learning networks EDC’s research has found that social media offer greater (PLNs)—is well documented. PLNs allow teachers across differentiated and individualized learning than the stan- distances to establish and nurture strong professional re- dard, one-size-fits-all online courses delivered through a lationships as they share ideas, content, and strategies and learning management system. They are simple to use, collaborate on lessons and activities. This kind of sharing offer highly personalized content and instruction, and has the immediate benefit of bringing resources and ex- allow teachers to share ideas and collaborate with a more pertise to teachers who may lack both. This is particularly intimate group of colleagues within micro-networks or valuable for young teachers wrestling with the first year “social nicheworks.” And their often bite-sized offerings of teaching. Developing networked relationships can also allow teachers to drop in and out of learning experiences influence the effective functioning of groups engaged in as desired. knowledge-intensive work, lay the foundation for profes- The promise of social media as a mainstream teacher sional learning communities, and provide learning oppor- learning tool continues to improve as a result of ongoing tunities to teachers isolated by geographic distance. • Convergence of technology HD televisions and companies Rapid Global Growth One megabit per second is applications and platforms offer backup video services, in Affordable Access less than $0.001 in Japan and mobile services (such as pod- $0.21 in South Korea, versus For example, despite the casting and programming via Since 2000, Asian growth rates $1.10 in the United States, ac- startup difficulties of Google cell phones), easier connec- in broadband internet, cellular, cording to a 2012 Organisation TV and Apple TV and propri- tions to laptops, and and mobile coverage have far for Economic Cooperation and etary restrictions by TV manu- libraries of web apps that outpaced those in other parts Development survey. facturers, the trend toward allow users to immediately of the globe. According to a This means that the type IPTV and all versions of web- stream high-resolution video 2010 U.S. Department of Com- of rich, streaming, full-motion enabled TV is expanding glob- content to cell phones. Many merce survey, households in video and digital media that are ally. By 2016, it’s estimated consider programming such Hong Kong, South Korea, and the crux of IPTV or immersive that 400 million households as The Teaching Channel Singapore have nearly universal environments are available and will have some type of web- (www.teachingchannel.org) access to broadband internet affordable to many Asian teach- enabled television, while 1.5 to be an optimal teacher- service (99%, 97%, and 96%, ers and will be more prevalent billion people will own some learning vehicle because respectively), compared to 69% as incomes rise and costs drop. device that will connect tele- it offers personalized and access in the United States. Even in Asian countries without visions to the internet. Many differentiated learning. Their access is also cheaper: universal access to broadband Copyright © 2013 , ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. June/July 2013 | Learning & Leading with Technology 17 1 Mobile Technologies Much of the excitement surround- ing smartphones and tablets as PD tools focuses on the increasing avail- ability and variety of low-cost or free apps, which serve as distribution channels to provide educational con- The convergence of the inter- tent to teachers. Though still largely net, video, and mobile plat- geared toward student and teacher forms has redefined reading, productivity, apps can offer teach- writing, literacy—and indeed, ers increasingly robust professional all learning. All of the tech- learning opportunities as well. Many nologies mentioned in this students and teachers are even creat- article are available on mobile ing their own apps with do-it-yourself devices (cell phones, MP3 players, phones. In Zambia and Malawi, they app creating tools, such as AppMakr and tablets), the technology that ap- use MP3 players to study examples (www.appmakr.com). pears most promising for personal- of good instruction and hone their Together, smartphones and apps ized teacher PD. content skills. And in South Korea, allow teachers to capitalize on what In Asia and Africa, where most of the Korean National Open University many see as the future of the web: the world’s teachers reside, mobile de- (KNOU) has transferred all of its online “the fully mobile web,” a platform that vices are an alternative way to engage courses, including lectures, multimedia is mobile and differentiated, resides on teachers in the learning and teaching applications, and IPTV programming, a teacher’s learning device, and offers process. For example, in Niger—where to mobile devices. For approximately $2 access to a customized menu of PD teachers must instruct in, but do not per month, all KNOU students, includ- opportunities via changeable and cus- speak, French—teachers receive lan- ing preservice teachers, get a smart- tomizable apps at the time and place guage and literacy PD via their cell phone to access their online courses. of the teacher’s choosing. internet, such as Indonesia, world. Since the debut of the educational, and economic. of the globe, women are more China, and India, cellular cover- $50 Aakash tablet, India has They spend one of every seven enthusiastic users of social age is prevalent (and cheap, also become an incubator of minutes on Facebook. They media than men. in the case of India). rival low-cost, multifunctional create and share content and Given these age- and UNESCO reports that while tablets, which should inevita- are active participants in an ar- gender-influenced uses of most Asians don’t own lap- bly benefit teachers and other ray of online micronetworks. technology, it is not a stretch tops, they do own and use consumers. If we drill down further into to suggest that future teach- mobile phones at rates that the “teachers of the future” ers across the globe will want Sociotechnical Practices far outstrip the rest of the demographic, we see that in to participate in the kinds of in Key Demographics world. The two areas of the most countries, the majority technology-based learning that globe with the most acute Today’s teens will be the teach- of the teaching force—at least they already find familiar while teacher education needs are ers of tomorrow. And how at the primary school level— using the technology tools they sub-Saharan Africa and South do they learn? How do they is female. Women are greater already own. Asia, particularly India. Sub- interact with technology? They consumers of visual content Saharan Africa, despite having watch internet TV on mobile than men, and they use tech- Mary Burns an internet penetration rate devices, engage in immer- nology more for collaboration (mburns@edc. org) designs of only 12%, has the fastest sive environments and virtual and problem solving. And, technology-based cell phone subscriber growth worlds, participate in social while gaming remains a male- teacher training rate in the world. South Africa networks, and communicate dominated enterprise, women programs across is a global leader in mobile- via two-way video. They own are increasingly becoming seri- the globe for based learning initiatives. smartphones, which they see ous gamers. In some countries, Education Development Center. India, meanwhile, adds more as extensions of themselves including the United States, She authored EDC’s guide, Distance Education for Teacher cell phone subscribers per and use for a variety of pur- almost half of gamers are Training: Modes, Models, and month than any country in the poses—recreational, personal, women. Finally, in most regions Methods (go.edc.org/07xd). Copyright © 2013, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. 18 Learning & Leading with Technology | June/July 2013