Resources for Professional Development: Integrating Technology into K-12 Curriculum and Instruction

At this juncture, many see great potential in computers to dramatically improve the quality of teaching and learning of K-12 students. Lynne Schrum, immediate past president of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), calls this the "extravagant promises of technology" (Schrum, 2000). Schrum expounds on the myth

Technology will make our students smarter -- and it will do it faster and cheaper than ever before. Moreover, the promise suggests, this miracle will occur almost by osmosis. We need only place a computer in a room, stand back, and watch the magic take place.

We've entered a period when technology is no longer an intimidating fad. We're no longer terrified that computers are so fragile that they might break if we push the wrong button. Pressure from many fronts compels educators to "use technology" as if that were the end rather than merely the means to an end. If the end is quality teaching and learning, merely placing a computer or even 20 computers in a classroom is not enough to accomplish that end. For the vision of computers as a transforming teaching and learning tool to become a reality, today's K-12 teachers, not only need to become more skilled at using computer technology themselves, but also much more knowledgeable about how to incorporate computer-based materials into their curriculum.

Following are web-based resources addressing this topic:

• GirlTECH from the Center for Excellence and Equity in Education
• Bridging Research And Practice from the Math Forum
• Professional Development in Technology: Where are the teachers being trained? from Teachers Network
• Extending the professional development of teachers in technology: A partnership approach from McGill University
• Teacher Training from the Rand Report
• Professional Development: From Reality to Reports from the Educational Development Center
• Technology and Teachers from Project MEET
• A Continuum for Professional Development: Gauging Professional Competency for Technology-Supported Learning from the Milken Family Foundation
• Will New Teachers Be Prepared To Teach In A Digital Age? also from the Milken Family Foundation

Email any comments to lanius@math.rice.edu

Copyright 2000 Cynthia Lanius

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A project at the University of Houston Graduate School of Education. Ruth Taylor Georgiades, Professor

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