California Educator

September 2015

Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/569858

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Teachers at George McParland School in Manteca meet in the morning for coffee and professional development. In Manteca, technological professional development is served "à la carte" to teachers first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee and pastries. In Beverly Hills High School, teachers schmooze during "Appy Hour" to share refreshments and the latest tech tips. By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Photography by Scott Buschman Or are teachers left to their own devices? And in other districts, teachers remain hungry for tech training. For example, San Marcos Unified School District invested in new electronic devices, but some staffers aren't quite sure how to incorporate them into their classrooms. As education evolves, some school sites offer profes- sional development that's teacher-driven, innovative and enjoyable. In others, it may be one-size-fits-all, inadequate or nonexistent. The issue has taken on a new urgency, especially for those teaching core subjects, now that computers are used for standardized tests and tied to Common Core implementation. Half of pre-K–12 teachers nationwide in a 2013 PBS LearningMedia survey said they are "comfortable" exper- imenting with new technology, while 38 percent agreed with the statement: "I like new technology, but wish I had more direction on how to use it." Here are ways some educators are being helped to implement technology into teaching, while others are hindered and sometimes left to their own devices. TECH SUPPORT 24 cta.org Feature

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