Staff
Development
Background
A frequent concern for teachers has been determining
how an innovation will impact the learning and teaching
process. Staff development is widely recognized as one of
the most important elements contributing to successful
implementation of new technology programs (NSBA, 1995).
This section deals with the issues of providing training
and support to teachers, staff and administrators in the
K-12 setting. Beginning staff development is a general
term, often used to indicate the structured or
unstructured process by which educators expand their
knowledge, skills, abilities or experience to further
their effectiveness (OTA, 1995). District technology
plans tend to devote considerable attention to staff
development (NSBA, 1995). Technology plans for many
Arizona school districts strongly state the need for
staff development.
Existing Standards
Research indicates the need for a new model of staff
development across the curriculum, shifting from isolated
"one shot" instruction to a model that allows
educators to see actual methods used in classrooms,
trying out new techniques and getting feedback on their
efforts, and by observing fellow teachers (OTA, 1995). To
use technology effectively, educators need more than
technical training on how to operate equipment and
software. In order to sustain the use of technology,
teachers and other staff members need hands-on learning,
time to experiment, easy access to equipment and
availability of support personnel who can help them be
effective users of technology (OTA, 1995). Staff
development also needs to take place in the context of
practice (Ringstaff & Yocam, 1994).
Issues
Educators have an important responsibility to
communicate effectively with each other, parents and
community. Providing access and training to all teachers
allows them to be efficient in their daily tasks. One
observation (Miller & Robin, 1995) points to the
widespread belief that the use of the Internet is free,
the real cost of using it lies in improving staff
development to use it.
It is important to recognize that staff development is
an on-going process, and that time is required to master
technology. Recent research suggests that staff
development may work best when schools create working
conditions that foster continuous learning and
professional growth (OTA, 1995). Also, staff development
for instructional strategies should take place in the
setting of real classrooms. Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT, 1995) observed that teachers’ approaches to
the use of classroom technology evolve through orderly
stages and over a period of time.
Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection,
(OTA, 1995) indicates that U.S. schools on average spend
15 percent of technology budgets on staff development and
training—which is half of what technology experts
recommend (Harrington-Lueker, 1996). Business models are
more effective, by providing for on-going training and
allocating monies specifically for the acquisition of new
skills and concepts. Saturn employees spend five percent
of their work time learning, for a total of 92 hours per
employee per year. If it takes 600 courses and 92 hours a
year per employee to make a better automobile, it will
take that and more to make better schools, says Al Shanker, President of the American Federation of
Teachers.
Impact on Education
New technologies are introduced daily in our schools.
School districts in Arizona have recognized the
significance of staff development in technology, not
simply as another curricular area, but as an integrated
tool in the learning process. A careful survey of the
available literature (Braun, Moursund & Zinn, 1991)
indicates:
- Students improve problem-solving skills, outscore
classmates and learn more rapidly when using
technology as compared to conventional methods of
study.
- Students find computer-based instruction to be
more motivational, less intimidating and easier
to persist with than traditional instruction.
- Students’ self-esteem was increased when
they use computers.
- Using technology encourages cooperative learning,
peer tutoring and other valuable social skills.
- Technology, combined with properly trained
teachers, offers a dramatic solution to the
dropout problem.
These are important indicators of the value of
providing educators with training in technology. Moving
toward on-going, in-depth, technology-based inservice
models can provide more meaningful learning environments
for children.
Providing training to teachers in the use of email,
Internet and other tools of electronic communication,
breaks down many of the barriers of inequitable
communication and access to information. Without training
for educators in skills to effectively use the tools of
telecommunication, students are denied the use of these
skills also.
Recommendations
The research cited above indicates that it is time for
a new paradigm in staff development, one that more
closely models what companies like Saturn and Motorola
already use. The corporate world’s positive impact
of training the work force is clear. Education can no
longer look at technology as a stand-alone item; research
clearly indicates that educators must integrate new
technology tools into a system, which will provide the
best education possible to children. An important step in
this direction will be to examine current levels of
funding available to school districts specifically for
staff development. A study by the California Department
of Education (1994) indicates that the funding of the
following incentives for staff members may encourage
participation in staff development.
- Stipends for hours spent in training
- Career ladder credit
- Release time during the work day
- Access to materials that can be used in the
classroom immediately
Staff development is no longer viewed as something
that is only necessary for teachers. Everyone who affects
student learning, from the board of education,
administrators, teachers, to the classified support staff
must continually improve their knowledge and skills in
order to ensure student learning.
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