Rules of Thumb for Professional Development

David (1994) promotes the following rules of thumb for professional development in technology:

• "Invest at least as much in professional development as in technology. If funds are limited, use what is available for professional development and seek other funding sources, including grants and business partnerships, for acquiring technology.

• Focus on ensuring teacher access to and comfort with technology for their own uses before expecting extensive use with students.

• Invest in developing principals as leaders of change, supporters of teacher development, and modelers of technology use.

• Maximize the leverage of professional development by investing in lead cadres of teachers--one or more from each school--who are supported to share expertise with colleagues, and in other trainer-of-trainers models.

• Give school faculties (as a whole, as teams, and as individuals) the flexibility to select the kinds of training and other development opportunities appropriate to their needs and preferences."

References