Technology Together: Whole-School Professional Development for Capability and Confidence

Professional development for information and communications technology (ICT) can be challenging for many reasons, not the least of which are rapidly changing technologies and the varying levels of ICT competencies within a school. Renata Phelps and Anne Graham developed an ICT professional learning program, Technology Together, to address these challenges. At its core, Technology Together fosters a school-wide culture of collaboration and support while helping individual teachers to develop positive attitudes toward ICT and the confidence they need to try new technologies. It is the shift in attitudes, both schoolwide and from individual teachers, that makes the biggest difference-cultivating a desire for lifelong ICT learning and an environment where teachers support each other with technology integration. Guided by research and the results theyve seen from implementing Technology Together in schools,Phelps and Graham lead you through this holistic, flexible method from planning, implementation, and an introduction to the underlying metacognitive approach, to advice on sustainability. Professional development that aims to cultivate a digital age school that, through a supportive culture and curious, capable staff, can successfully integrate technology; a 10-step process and accompanying checklist for implementing Technology Together; a suggested schedule for structuring this program across a school year.