Abstract
Conventional wisdom attributes the lack of effective technology use in classrooms to a shortage of professional development or poorly run professional development. At the same time, logo-like learning environments require teachers to develop more expertise not only in technology but also in pedagogy. This paper proposes that the perceived lack of technology professional development is a myth and that traditional professional development is ill-suited to teaching teachers how to create logo-like learning environments. Furthermore, it proposes models of student-centered, student-led support for teachers that support classroom practice aligned with the attributes of logo-like learning environments. These models situate teacher learning about technology in their own classroom, reinforce constructivist teaching practices, provide support for technology use in the classroom, and enrich learning environments for students.
Highlights
Logo-like learning is characterized by learning by doing, experimentation, authentic work, student agency, serendipity, reflection, collaboration, and community expertise. It requires teachers with intellectual curiosity, creativity, ongoing personal learning habits, and the ability to collaborate with students while maintaining a classroom that has both purpose and freedom. Such teachers are able to create learning environments that are distinguished by intellectual challenge, wonder, social interaction, and student engagement (Harvey, 1993; Papert, 1992; Stager, 2005)
Technology enables logo-like learning, it requires substantially more technical and intellectual fluency from a teacher than the typical computer application courses found in many schools
Regardless of its merits, logo-like learning has proven difficult to sustain in traditional schools
Summary
The speculation that the primary barrier to effective technology use in schools is the result of insufficient professional development goes unquestioned and has become a myth used to excuse the lack of progress. Most teachers indicated that professional development activities were available to them on a number of topics, including the use of computers and basic computer training, training on software applications, and the use of the Internet (ranging from 96 percent to 87 percent). Among teachers reporting these activities available, participation was relatively high (ranging from 83 to 75 percent), with more experienced teachers generally more likely to participate than less experienced teachers (NCES, 2000). In a 2003 study of teachers in the Chicago Public Schools, a large majority of teachers confirmed that lack of professional development was not a great barrier to technology use (CCSR, 2003) (Fig. 1)
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