Journal # 4

"Technology Incentives: Motivating Teachers to Attend Professional Development Training" by Virginia Richard
September/October 2007 for Learning & Leading with Technology

Virginia Richard makes the point that technology must be available in the classroom, but everyone involved at school must work together to make it happen. She first addresses the issue of how to get teachers interested in learning the new technologies that are available. She mentions that in the Polk County School District in Florida, teachers are rewarded technology gifts like flash drives, LCD projectors, scanners, micro testers and the like for each technology proficieny they obtain. The Polk County schools are working with the State Bureau of Instruction and Innovation which has guidelines like those posted on ISTE's website for teachers. If a teacher passes the first level testing called ITTS (Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills), then Polk County teachers get a free flash drive with 1GB of memory. Teachers can move up the technology proficiency ladder winning more tech prizes as they read about and tech test-drive websites and software programs developed for educators, like sites regarding copyright issues and plagiarism. The program is a success not only because the teachers are behind it but also the administrators. The administrators at Polk County have taken in active interest in making this a priority. They have applied for grants which provide funds for the new technology. Also, administrators have employed technology mentors which show the teachers how to use the new technology. In addition, Polk County has broken its classes into levels, so everyone can feel comfortable picking at class at their level. That is why the ITTS was created in Florida. Polk County has gone even further by creating "Five Star Groups" which travel from school to school within the district to help set up the training programs at the schools. The five key technology members coordinate the setting up a mini-tech program at each school passing their knowledge to others at the school who will run the tech departments after the Five Star group leaves. However, Richard makes a sage point that "word of mouth" among peer teachers is often the best seller of new tech tools in the classroom.

How else can a school sell the idea of incorporating technology in the classroom?
Teachers would feel more comfortable about test-driving the new technology if there was someone or a team always available on campus. I wouldn't be happy with the traveling technology team, but my own stay-on-campus team. As a teacher, I had very limited time, and would appreciate appointments with my "teach advisor" during my free period. It would a planned class time for me. Also, I think that having lesson plan ideas which use technology for would a great sell to any teacher, especially if it makes a teacher's life easier.

How could teachers "sell" administrators to write the grants which get the money to buy the equipment?
At any school, there are competitions between rival schools within the same district, statewide, or in the U.S. Administrators needed a push to do more work to research the grants available, and how to get them. Teachers could remind administrators to take a field trip to their local university and ask officials there, "What kind of programs do you have for high schoolers or other gifted youth?" Most likely, technology will be part of the curriculum. The high school principal could then create a "joint college-hs elective class" which would be a great selling point to hyper-achievement-oriented-parents. This would create the reason to write the grant.