Providing effective professional development in technology for K-12 educators

All too often, traditional professional development (PD) does not connect to the classroom and teachers find PD ineffective (Salem et al., 2019). Sogunro (2022), concurs and found in a multi-year research investigation (132 participants) that a majority of teachers surveyed did not feel that PD met their needs and was a waste of time. Providing and designing effective professional development (PD) in the area of technology integration for K-12 teachers involves multiple factors that include teacher input, creating an environment for designing practical applications, and opportunities for collaboration between participants. Teachers need to be involved in the decision-making process as to what is being presented, giving them an invested interest in the PD. This paper will address these issues and offer some supportive suggestions.