Professional development for technology-enhanced learning leaders: summary report

Abstract

The focus of Thematic Working Group (TWG) 3 was professional development for learning leaders with an emphasis on how to provide effective technology enhanced instruction from the perspective of a culture of learning. Learning technologies should support curriculum in ways that are not otherwise possible. Rather than focusing on the technology, learning activities should meet instructional goals and involve technology when it enhances learning. Often educators may conceptualize integration as technological rather than primarily as curricular (Hutchison & Reinking, 2011). However, the focus should be on the learning and the curriculum, not the technology. The success
or failure of the effective use of technology for learning in schools can be linked to beliefs and ideas of instructional leaders (Chang, 2012; Hughes & Zachariah, 2001). This paper focuses on the role learning leaders have in the effective use of technology in the learning environment and how to provide professional development for these leaders.