Empowering Educators: Practitioner-Directed Professional Development Approach for Technology Integration

This qualitative historical single-case study examines how a practitioner-directed approach to professional development for teachers resulted in successful technology integration in a newly unified school district in California's Central Valley. The study details the process of creating and implementing a professional development plan for newly hired teachers at a newly built high school in the district. This plan was not initially based on any specific theory or model, but emerged from the practical experiences and insights of the practitioners involved. The study analyzes the effectiveness of this approach in empowering teachers to embrace technological change and pedagogical innovation. It also explores how the approach evolved to incorporate research-validated practices and methods, creating a symbiotic relationship between practitioner knowledge and empirical evidence. The study is structured around four distinct temporal phases, each representing a pivotal juncture in the process: "Initiation," "Hiring and Training," "Implementation and Iteration," and "Ongoing Professional Development." Through an analysis of these phases, the study identifies five categories of awareness that emerged from the process: the imperative of sympathetic leadership, the power of shared values, the strategic recruitment of change agents, the necessity of flexibility and iteration, and the value of ongoing, job-embedded professional development. The study concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for educational leaders seeking to navigate the complexities of technology integration and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]