Focus on Teachers

Most programs that have made the successful move to the use of digital content have given their teachers a school year’s worth of preparation or a summer full of information and activities prior to transition to digital. That seems to be an optimal amount of time to get educators comfortable using the computing devices themselves, learn how to integrate digital content into their lessons, and work with cohorts to begin restructuring lesson plans and teaching materials. Within the individual classroom teachers need to feel comfortable and encouraged to try out even a single lesson using digital content rather than traditional printed curriculum and then to share the results with their colleagues. Sometimes these efforts will not have the outcomes expected; sometimes they will fail; other times they will spark additional experimentation and re-energized teachers. The newest generation of teachers can help drive the adoption of digital content in the classroom. Some colleges of education are putting much greater emphasis in their programs on helping preservice teachers understand how to integrate subject content and teaching practices with the use of technology. While these teachers who are in their first teaching jobs are gaining valuable insights from more experienced teachers on how to manage a classroom and interact with parents, for example, they can help invigorate learning with their experiences in using digital resources.