REFLECTION ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (1.6.4)

DEFINITIONS

1. Technology integration is the infusion of technology resources into classroom instruction, where the teacher effectively focuses learners on what needs to be learnt.
2. Professional development is a process of improving and increasing the capabilities of staff through access to education and training opportunities in the work place. Its purpose is to build and maintain staff morale. It may also be used to attract high quality staff to organizations.

Having done a technology integration professional development needs assessment for my colleagues; I can summarize them here below:

1. Need to use subject specific software for integration into lectures.
2. Need to use social media to interact and share with learners beyond the classroom. 
3. Skills to electronically communicate with their students. 
4. Need to use information accessed through CD/DVD ROMS as source materials during lecturing. 
5. Need to acquire communication and presentation software for lecturing. 
6. Need to use internet or web as a source of information during lecturing. 
7. Need to use computer to process collected data. 
8. Need to use different media to create appropriate products. 
9. Need to use computer to communicate with others (locally or globally). 
10. Skill or ability to gather information from electronic databases. 
11. Work with the computer to orientate themselves to a new subject. 
12. Need to use Word processing for production of documents

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO MEET THE ABOVE NEEDS

1.  They need to have a positive Attitude
2. They need to desire professional growth and development 
3. They need to set up personal learning goals 
4. They must collaborate with peers (participants with CCTI online course) 
5. They should seek technical and leadership support from the college and MoES
6. They must undertake ICT training to better their skills 
7. They should acquire technology devices 
8. They need to sign up to social media to expand their personal learning networks. 
9. At some point, they should record their lectures for replay and use in teaching and learning.
10. They must understand and do technology integration  in teaching-learning process. 
11. They should have faith in themselves (Self-belief). 
12. They need to get committed to training opportunities – find time to practice their skills. 
13. Finally, they should share their experiences with others.

MY STAFF DEVELOPMENT GROWTH JOURNEY

Before the commencement of this course (CCTI ONLINE), my rating with the UNESCO ICT COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHERS was low within technology literacy. I was only using technology in classroom instruction but not integrating it. 

• I could use MS Word to produce documents.
• I could use MS PowerPoint to create simple presentations.
• I could use a projector to display content o my students.
• I could use information on CD/DVD ROMs as source materials during lectures. 
• I could use a computer to process collected data e.g. drawing graphs and charts.
• I could use a computer to communicate with others locally and globally, but only through email services.  

BUT AS A RESULT OF THIS TRAINING; 

• My technical skills have improved greatly.
• I can use subject specific software from sites like YouTube for integration into lectures. I can also record and upload videos to YouTube. 
• I can use social media to interact and share with learners and friends beyond the classroom.
• I can now electronically communicate with my students using Google docs and educational blogs. 
• I can use the internet as a source of information during lecturing.
• I can use a computer to communicate with others locally and globally through many social media networks.
• I can now gather information from electronic databases anywhere.
• I can now work with the computer to orientate myself to a new subject.
• I can make more complex and interactive (multimedia) presentations that engage more of the learners’ senses resulting in active teaching and learning. 
• I can now evaluate websites, blogs and wikis for content validity and reliability.
• I have a content curation site where I’ve accumulate non-video resources for use and for sharing with my personal learning network.

SPECIFIC ACTIONS I NEED TO TAKE TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF MY COLLEAGUES 

1. Allow them to sit in my class to witness firsthand the integration of technology in the teaching-learning process. 
2. Guide them through the sign up processes to different social media sites. 
3. Teach them how to evaluate sites, blogs and wikis for valid and reliable content 
4. Share resources in my YouTube playlists and content curation site with them. 
5. Train them in how to make interactive multimedia presentations for more learner engagement.