Wednesday, August 1, 11:30-12:00, SUB Room 233, Theme: Students

Effective technology integration professional development for rural K-12 educators must help teachers realize the impact of effective classroom technology use, be easy to implement, be usable with limited resources, and build upon prior knowledge and experience.  By using the Danielson Framework for Teaching as a prior context, teachers may be more apt to consider using technology more broadly to support teaching and learning. In 2016 and 2017, summer STEM professional development institutes were delivered to over 500 K-12 teachers across Idaho focused on integration of technology in STEM education. Many of the participating teachers are from small, rural communities and from schools where they serve as the sole teacher of their curricular area. Teachers were instructed on use of technologies that were independent of the hardware used such that they could be utilized regardless of the resources available to them.  The relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and implementation of technology in the classroom was investigated with pre and post institute surveys. The 2016 data demonstrated that many teachers are comfortable using technology for lesson planning and delivery but less so using it for other domains. However, 2017 data suggests that by using the framework, teachers consider technology uses in all domains. The significance of this study rests in the potential of this approach for more effective technology integration professional development, particularly in rural areas. Effective in this context means consistent and persistent integration through understanding how these practices impact both teachers and students.