“Teachers matter.” Well, duh.
I know it’s been out for awhile, but over the last few months it seems that I’m inundated with references to Marzano and his Interactive Whiteboard research (sponsored by Promethean). I have many misgivings about that research project but that’s an entirely different issue. However, one of highlights that I found in that study is that student achievement can be enhanced through the use of an IWB when used effectively by a well trained teacher (not the exact wording, but what I took from it).
Today, I was perusing the March issue of eSchool News and found an article citing new research from Boston College suggesting that “1 to 1 laptop programs are only effective as the teachers who apply them”. My response? Obviously!!
I don’t know when it happened that we thought that laptops and IWB’s were going to magically educate all of our children, but it seems as though that’s the attitude by many. I’m glad that there’s research out there to support this (I guess), but we have to realize that technology is still just a tool. It’s kind of exciting and I, personally, love to play with the toys as much as the next person, but we must remember the most important piece of this puzzle, the teachers. Giving them a tool and walking away expecting them to use it will never be the answer. The first time I received a laptop from a school district was many years ago. I remember going into a little room with boxes stacked everywhere and checking my laptop out. I was given a computer, a case and a cord and sent on my merry way. There was no training, no instruction, nothing to show me how to use it effectively with my students. I checked it out and was on my own. Luckily, I already knew my way around a computer and had been using them with students in my classroom for a number of years. This was not the case for many of my colleagues who struggled, became frustrated and walked away from it only indulging in the frustration to take attendance. While the district successfully checked out laptops, I considered the launch a failure because of a lack of support.
I have the privilege of spending every day supporting teachers in their endeavors. We work through problems and find solutions. We collaborate and explore. Most importantly, they have someone who they know will support them. I readily admit that I don’t have all the answers, but I also refuse to leave them alone to “figure it out”. There is a certain point at which professional responsibility kicks in, but for the most part, when new equipment comes in, I know that I need to make an appointment to walk through some things.
Marzano and Boston College say that teachers are the single most important factor in student achievement yet budget cuts, new initiatives and time constraints continue to impede on professional learning. Maybe these studies will bring new light to teacher needs. But in the meantime, it’s important to remember that there is support out there by way of Nings, twitter and other online professional development groups. Find a podcast in iTunes, read a blog, find an article that speaks to you and run with it. We don’t have time to wait for research studies to prove that teachers are important for student achievement, we know that. We don’t have time for federal, state and districts to see the need for professional learning, we need to act with a sense of urgency and take that learning upon ourselves and utilize these tools in spite of the obstacles, too much is at stake.
