Professional Development, to most it means online training courses, seminars, and conferences. However, there is much more to professional development and what it entails. Generally speaking, professional development is the process of staying informed in the new trends, expanding your skills set, and developing a curriculum that supports student success (WGU, 2021). It is an important part of learning as a professional and becoming a better educator and leader in your field.
Understanding how to implement new ideas and technologies into the classroom is never as easy as it sounds. Every single faculty member comes from a different background with varying levels of capabilities. Being able to maximize instructional technologies for the benefits of students takes time, energy, and money. Administrators must strive to improve professional development in all areas of their institutions to better serve the student population (SREB, 2013).
The need for professional development has become a key priority for academic institutions. According to the 2009 report by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SEDTA) states that integrating instructional technologies into the classroom led to "positive results and increased technology literacy" (Hanover Research, 2014). Federal, state, and local funds that are directed into professional development have shown to make an impact in the classroom. However, development opportunities should not be seen as a one time event, but more of an ongoing support system. As student populations grow and more non-traditional students enter in academia, one of the areas of improvement is digital accessibility.
Digital Accessibility ensures that those individuals who have hearing, visual, cognitive, and/or motor skill impairments have access to resources an par with those that do not. This means designing websites, tools, and other resources that contain assistive technologies such as screen readers, closed captioning, and various styles of input (SREB, 2017). One of the key developments for digital accessibility was the creation of Universal Design in Learning (UDL). Universal Design of Learning is the idea that digital resources should be designed from the start with accessibility and access as a core principle. This means online and digital content should meet the needs of all students from the start. UDL is a framework that contains key ideas - flexibility in the way information is presented, the reduction of barriers, needed accommodations, and maintains rigor for all students (SREB, 2017). Various policies have been enacted to help push these items into the forefront of academia.
Policy as a process creates a framework for educational technologies and its integration into curriculum. It establishes relevant standards, strong accountability systems, and equitable access to education (SREB, 2018). Similar to professional development, policies need to adjust their guidelines and expectations as not to hinder progression and improved student success. Furthermore, policies need to be enforced by all levels to be effective with National, Regional, and local agencies coming together to oversee the implementation new policies and accountability. If done properly, policy become a tool of success for both students, instructors, and institutions as a whole.
Policy and professional development are part of my day to day career and job obligations. From a practical standpoint, trainings and required development seem to be a waste of time, especially being forced to complete a quiz on fire safety on campus while I work from home. I understand that it needs to be completed due to state regulations and institutional compliance. Better understanding of policy processes, regulations, and development of professional development is something I will need to become more acquainted with.
Future Resources: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/pandemic-must-bring-faculty-development-fore
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Works Cited:
Hanover Research. June 2014. Professional Development for Technology Integration. Improves professional Development so that Instructors, Administrators, and Agency Staff are up to date on Educational Technologies and can Maximize their Benefits to Students.
Southern Regional Education Board. February 2013. 10 Issues in Educational Technology.
Southern Regional Education Board. February 2018. 10 Issues in Educational Technology.
Southern Regional Education Board. March, 2017. Expanding Accessibility to Digital Spaces Through Improved Policy and Practice.
Western Governors University. (2021, March 8). What is professional development in education? Western Governors University. Retrieved September 15, 2022, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/professional-development-education2102.html
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