I've always maintained that a technology department can provide equipment, and they can provide educational technology professional development. However, when it comes right down to it, only teachers can take the ball and run when it comes to becoming comfortable with using technology in the classroom day to day.
I am so happy that a group of teachers chose to work together to get their classroom web sites in order last summer. I am so happy that a current group of teachers is working together after school hours to get their classroom blogs current and useful to their students and families. I am so happy technology teachers are collaborating with content teachers to make sure students are learning the tech skills they need to use technology for content learning.
We have an all district educational technology professional development day coming up in January, and although we have a couple of outside experts coming in to help us, for which we are very thankful, the most important people of all are those teachers in the district who have agreed to go the extra mile and to do the extra work to share their educational technology expertise with their peers. I have never asked for help from a teacher when I have not either received a positive response or a referrel to someone else who could be of more help. Never.
It's not easy to find the time to use new technologies, but our teachers are dedicated to going the extra mile. I am so proud of our teachers!
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