Now what?

Since this is the last blog post for this class and for the book, I'm going to allow myself to travel beyond the book a little farther than normal. Truth be told, I'm scared. I'm looking forward to but am greatly humbled by the prospect of actually entering a classroom. Whether I enter as a teacher or a technology coordinator, both positions have almost equal responsibility.

There were way too many good points made and conclusions drawn in this final chapter to mention here. What I want to focus on is the idea of expert teachers. This idea fits a lot of what i have been saying much of the semester. These are the teachers who really get it, and who use the vast knowledge they have in order to design the best learning environments. One of the best conclusions made in this chapter was the conclusion that stated that an expert teacher not only has vast subject-matter knowledge, but also has a vast knowledge of teaching methods and learning styles. Even in addition to that, expert teachers also understand learning barriers and know how to use their vast knowledge to create learning environments that are unaffected by these barriers.

And so, I find myself right back at the beginning. We need teachers. We really need expert teachers. But, HOW do we train them? I figure it has to start right from the college level. I've recently read articles about educational systems in Europe. Students are already collaborating with other students all across the globe in online environments. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for the magical research study to be released that proves that teacher training is what is lacking the most. I think it is time for higher education to take a look at all the extra - even including general education requirements - course requirements they have and evaluate which ones are really crucial and make room for more opportunities for teaching students to be in the classroom with expert teachers observing, learning, and teaching a few lessons here and there. Require additional technology courses so instead of an overview of technology they will encounter, they will receive in depth training not only in proper operation of technology but also in learning how to design learning environments in which technology can be successfully integrated and learning can flourish.

And then I thought of one more major question. How will I, as a technology director, train all the teachers in a school district - especially those who have been in the system for decades? I can't be sure of exactly how I will train until I am actually at a specific institution. But what I can say is that I will keep working toward becoming an expert teacher myself. I expect myself to actively research and learn about emerging technology to stay on the cutting edge which will keep my subject-matter knowledge fresh and comprehensive. In addition, I will employ techniques such as many the book has explained and we have discussed in class. My goal will be to design a learning environment for teachers where they are trained effectively, efficiently, and are fully supported before, during, and after implementation of new technology initiatives.

I just hope the national education system is ready to entertain serious educational reform. That scares me too.

** this post runs 551 words, I apologize, though I tried, I honestly couldn't shorten it this time. I really wanted to make the points I made and discuss the future.