This course was a bit of a surprise to me in that it felt like it should have come at the beginning of our Masters program rather than as the final class with weekly meetings. The timing of the topics seemed as if it would have been super helpful to learn about these when we were beginning to decide what we wanted to pursue for our project. For example, learning more about data and privacy for students or social annotation and how that can be applied to the K-12 context.

I was having hard time relating these topics to where I am with my project. I think I’m so focused on my current context that these topics felt really out of reach. My project is on teacher professional development (PD) which focuses on developing the digital literacy skills of teachers. I was able to make some connections to EDCI 568, like the student data privacy in terms of incorporating it into my course as a major topic at the beginning. Also, the discussion around accessibility proved to be interesting and would also be a good topic to include in my PD outline. In addition to the personalized learning and establishing a learning network with your colleagues.

As an elementary school teacher, I did find that some of these topics were stretches for me even though I teach upper elementary. I suppose it’s a case of take what’s applicable and leave the rest. For me and my teaching context, we need to roll it way back. Many of the teachers who work at my school do not use tech at all in their teaching. I’ve learned through discussions with them, that there’s a variety of reasons (ie. grade level, lack of knowledge, frustration that it constantly changes, lack of support, etc). One surprising reason I learned was that some of them had a healthy fear of introducing technology into their pedagogy and I’m concerned some of the topics covered in EDCI 568 would reaffirm their beliefs that technology shouldn’t be used in education.

I understand my colleagues fear, they are concerned about students losing the basic skills of communicating face to face with a person. I’m not advocating for a 1:1 student to tech ratio where the students are on tech all day at school. What I’m advocating for is that technology (both hardware and software) needs to come with adequate training and support to eliminate the misconceptions and misinformation before they become an insurmountable barrier. This person’s concerns just makes it really evident that any professional development program that I create needs to consider the different entry points of the educators who attend and ensure there are multiple pathways built into the program.

This leads me to consider: what makes PD effective? Specifically, when PD is created to target teacher needs, like digital literacy skills, what does that look like?

What Makes PD Effective? Grounding it in Research

One of the most significant learning experiences in this Masters program was engaging with research on best practices in teacher professional development. As a teacher who attends every single PD day, I often walk away thinking about how that learning experience could have gone better. What was missing from the workshop? Were my needs as a learner met? What about the other attendees, were their needs met? In my research, I came across key frameworks and meta-analyses that consistently emphasized:

  • Active learning and participation (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017)
  • Sustained, ongoing learning over time (Ertmer et al., 2012)
  • Collaborative learning communities (Wenger, 1998)
  • Clear connections to classroom practice (Sánchez-Cruzado et al., 2021)
  • Opportunities for reflection and feedback (Cojorn & Sonsupap, 2024)

These are just some of the authors who contributed to these ideas, there are many more which have reiterated that these tenets are absolutely necessary.

Reframing Professional Learning: Accessibility, Personalization, and Connection

Thinking about the various skills levels of my colleagues, a key takeaway from EDCI 568 was the importance of designing learning that is not only accessible, but also personalized and connected to broader professional communities. These concepts pushed me to think beyond content delivery and ask: How can professional development be meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable for every teacher?

When thinking about accessibility, I began to consider both technical and pedagogical barriers. This meant re-evaluating how digital tools and content are presented in the PD course I’m designing. I will be working to incorporate universal design principles—ensuring that materials are readable, captioned, and offered in multiple formats, and that learning tasks can be approached in different ways. Accessibility is no longer an afterthought; it’s built into the foundation of the course.

We also explored personalized learning, specifically the idea of personalized learning with Artificial Intelligence (a good idea, but maybe beyond my current context) which helped me realize that PD shouldn’t be “one size fits all.” Just as students benefit from choice and flexibility, so do educators. In my course, I will be including choice pathways—teachers can select different tools or topics based on their needs and comfort level with technology. This allows participants to take ownership of their learning, which is critical for adult learners.

Lastly, the idea of a Personal Learning Network (PLN) really resonated with me. PD shouldn’t be an isolated event—it should be part of a teacher’s ongoing professional journey. Inspired by our class discussions and readings, I will be embedding opportunities in the course for teachers to connect through discussion forums, shared Padlets, or collaborative reflections. These networks can extend far beyond the course itself, helping participants remain engaged and supported.

The idea of teacher agency became central. I want participants to feel empowered to shape their learning—not just comply with it.

Critical Question: What does it look like to design PD that meets teachers where they are—while also helping them imagine where they could go?

Digital Literacy as More Than Tools

While the course focuses on digital literacy, EDCI 568 helped me deepen my understanding of what that term really means. Digital literacy isn’t just about knowing how to use Google Drive or evaluate websites—it’s about:

  • Understanding data privacy, equity, and access
  • Critically analyzing digital content
  • Engaging ethically and responsibly in digital spaces

These themes emerged across guest speakers and class discussions, and I’ve worked to ensure my PD course addresses these deeper layers of digital literacy—not just the “how” but the “why” and “so what.”

Critical Question: How can we support teachers in developing the kind of digital literacy that empowers both them and their students to be thoughtful, ethical participants in digital spaces?

Looking back, I really see the value in exploring these topics and having the chance to engage in meaningful conversations around them. I just can’t help but wonder how different things might have looked if we had encountered these ideas earlier in the program—it might have opened up even more possibilities for our Master’s projects. Still, I’m grateful to be ending the program with this new perspective and excited to carry it forward in my work.

References

Cojorn, K., & Sonsupap, K. (2024). A collaborative professional development and its impact on teachers’ ability to foster higher order thinking. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 18(2), 561–569. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v18i2.21182

Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/122.311

Ehlert, M., & Souvignier, E. (2023). Effective professional development in implementation processes – the teachers’ view. Teaching and Teacher Education, 134, 104329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104329

Ertmer, P., Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., & Tondeur, J. (2015). Teachers’ Beliefs and Uses of Technology to Support 21st-century Teaching and Learning. In H. Fives & M. Gregoire Gill (Eds.), International Handbook of Research on Teachers’ Beliefs (1st ed., pp. 403–418). Taylor & Francis-Rutledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203108437-33

Sánchez-Cruzado, C., Santiago Campión, R., & Sánchez-Compaña, M. T. (2021). Teacher Digital Literacy: The Indisputable Challenge after COVID-19. Sustainability, 13(4), 1858. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041858

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.