Technology andProfessional

Development
PHILIP HUBBARD

Framing theIssue

Training in the use of technology for language teaching is a growing part of teacher
education programs. A number of popular methodology textbooks now include
chapters on technology use or integrate technology in places throughout (Arnold,
2013). However, what about teachers trained in programs that did not include a
required technology component (Kessler, 2006)? How does such a teacher make
up for the lack of a foundation in computer-assisted language learning (CALL)?
And how do those who did receive some training make up for their gaps?
In the general field of TESOL, professional development can happen in a num-
ber of ways. School systems may require a certain number of hours of continuing
education in order to maintain certification. Teachers may be provided with incen-
tives (monetary and/or release time) to engage in and document such professional
education. Professional development may occur indirectly when teachers are
faced with a change of textbook or mandated shift in curriculum. In each of these
cases the motivator is primarily external, but teachers may engage in professional
development for personal reasons as well: a desire to be up-to-date, to be accepted
as a professional by their colleagues, and of course to provide better education to
their students.
These same processes can be found at work when technology is involved, but
there are two primary differences. The first is that many currently practicing teach-
ers did not experience the integration of technology in their language classes as
students. Thus, they do not bring the depth of experience that they have with
paper texts, black (and white) boards, and other elements of the traditional lan-
guage classroom. The second is that unlike previous learning technologies, the
digital domain changes with great rapidity. Smartphones and tablets along with
concepts like social networks, flipped classrooms, mobile learning, gaming, and
immersive environments are still relatively new in language education. At the
time of this writing, wearable computers (especially smart watches) are beginning
to appearwho knows what is next? CALL education is no longer possible simply

The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching. Edited by John I. Liontas.

2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
DOI: 10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0426
2 Technology andProfessional Development

at the preservice stage. Teachers need to be prepared to constantly learnand

relearnas devices and applications evolve. This changes the question that ended
the opening paragraph of this section. It should be this: How does a teacher, with
or without a formal background in CALL, prepare for a teaching culture of con-
stant change? The answer involves two aspects: developing an appropriate knowl-
edge and skills foundation and refining and expanding that foundation through
personally relevant projects. In the remainder of this entry, the focus will be on the
individual teacher pursuing professional development on his or her own. However,
the information should be of value to other stakeholders, notably administrators
and teacher educators, in setting up conditions that facilitate such individual
initiatives.

Making theCase

There is obviously value in improving ones knowledge and skill with technology
for English teaching and learning. So what gets in the way? Hubbard (2008,
pp. 1778) outlines seven reasons for why CALL has not been adequately inte-
grated into teacher certificate and degree programs:
1. Inertia
2. Ignorance
3. Insufficient time
4. Insufficient infrastructure
5. Insufficient standards
6. Lack of established methodology
7. Lack of experienced, knowledgeable educators.
Although that article targeted teacher education programs and teacher educators,
many of these reasons apply to individual professional development as well. Inertia
for most can be the biggest obstacle. Often, this ties in with some of the other reasons.
For instance, having not experienced the potential value of technology firsthand a
teacher may be ignorant of its transformative potential for both the teacher and the
students (Kolaitis, Mahoney, Pomann, & Hubbard, 2006; Slaouti & Motteram, 2006).
For many teachers insufficient time to embark on a self-learning voyage, coupled
with insufficient infrastructure can also lead to allowing inertia to prevail.
The remaining three points above have undergone movements in a positive
direction, beginning with standards, where the TESOL Technology Standards
(TESOL, 2008) have provided targets for teachers looking to put some order into
their professional development. Methodology has improved, with courses more
likely to be driven by processes involving reflection, situated learning, portfolios
and projects rather than technical instruction only. As we see below, finding expe-
rienced, knowledgeable educators is no longer limited to formal classrooms or face-to-
face workshops. Communities of practice (CoPs), massive online open courses
(MOOCs), and other online resources are now readily available to those who are
interested and aware of them.
 Technology andProfessional Development 3

Son (2014) adds to our understanding of these barriers with a report on a survey
of 77 teachers who had taken a CALL course in Australia during their language
teacher training and were now engaged in practice. The results show that despite
their training, some did not use CALL in their classrooms. The most common rea-
son offered was lack of confidence (76%) followed by lack of time (64%). Son also
noted that only 13% indicated they participated in a CoP and recommends that
more teachers should explore this route (see below for examples).
Finally, although professional development most commonly focuses on simply
being a competent instructor and continuing to improve in that role, some teachers
may have higher aspirations. Expertise is a continuum. Teachers who become rec-
ognized as experts within their own institution or who share the outcome of
their professional development in CALL through conference presentations, publi-
cations, or taking a lead in communities of practice may legitimately be considered
what Hubbard and Levy (2006) label CALL specialists or professionals. TESOL
(2008) recognizes this enhanced role through a subset of expert descriptors in
the performance indicators of the Technology Standards for Teachers.
The next section provides some suggestions for how to address that challenge.
However, it must be kept in mind that professional development in a dynamic
area such as CALL is dependent on several factors: the individual teachers back-
ground and attitudes with respect to educational technology, the students he or
she is teaching, and the physical and administrative environment where the lan-
guage instruction is taking place. It is important to create a professional develop-
ment plan that takes these into account realistically to avoid frustration and
disappointment.

Pedagogical Implications

This section provides guidance in proceeding with professional development

projects along with information regarding resources to support professional

development.

Building a foundation. The primary objective of professional development is to be

able to teach better with technology. Studies have shown that teachers who are
more comfortable with technology are more likely to transfer what they learn in
professional development courses and workshops into their classroom (Egbert,
Paulus, & Nakamichi, 2002; Wong & Bensen, 2006). The TESOL Technology
Standards noted above include both general statements (the standards) and spe-
cific targets (performance indicators) to demonstrate a basic level of relevant
technology proficiency. This is a particularly useful place to start as it provides
a basis for setting professional development objectives. The Technology Standards
Framework (TESOL, 2008), a 48-page ebook, is available for free from TESOL
(TESOL, 2008).
Making a plan. Although any activity that supports building and maintaining tech-
nology skills is helpful, a useful step in professional development is planning
4 Technology andProfessional Development

and commitment to the plan. This does not mean laying out in detail a fixed
series of steps over a period of months or years, but it does mean setting one or
more short-term objectives with a connection to a longer-term goal. This objec-
tive could be exploration, education, or a project for example. Project-based
learning is particularly powerful here (see Debski, 2006, for an example) both
because of the depth of learning it entails and because of the motivational ele-
ment of producing something of educational value for the teacher to bring into
his or her classroom. The process of learning through a project should involve
considering why and how to do it, doing it, and reflecting both along the way
and at the end. To this end, it is useful to keep a journal (and why not make it a
digital one), to record thoughts and experiences to document the journey. If for-
malized, this material can become part of a professional digital portfolio (van
Olphen, 2007).
Processes. As noted in the previous section there are a number of ways to proceed
in professional development. These can be accomplished through formal classes,
workshops, or self-directed individual or collaborative learning. Reflective
learning, often with a nod to constructivist principles, is an important part of
any of these processes (Slaouti & Motteram, 2006), especially when supported
by journals or portfolios. When the learning is situated (Egbert, 2006), preferably
in the teachers own classroom setting, it is more likely to be relevant and
retained.
Professional Journals. Academic journals provide a means to sustain a general
knowledge base in CALL as well as to gather support for development of
specialized skills in the field. Three are of note because of their accessibility.
Language Learning & Technology, the most highly ranked journal in the field,
is freely available online at llt.msu.edu. The CALL Electronic Journal (callej.
org) similarly has all issues available for free. Current issues of the CALICO
Journal are open only to subscribers, but articles over three years old are
available free online at http://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/index.php/
CALICO.
Web sites. A number of Web sites exist to provide support for particular areas in
CALL. For those looking for a general overview of the field, the Foundations
of CALL Web site, updated annually, provides a useful source at http://web.
stanford.edu/efs/callcourse2. A collaborative Web site offering a wide range
of tagged resources is the TESOL CALL Interest Sections Virtual Software
Library at https://www.diigo.com/user/Call_is_vsl.
Formal study. Besides the CALL-oriented courses found within degree programs,
there are other opportunities for formal study to be found. TESOL offers a cer-
tificate in the principles and practices of online teaching (http://www.tesol.
org/attend-and-learn), and www.theconsultants-e.com has a range of both
standalone and certificate programs. In these and similar cases, there is the
advantage of using the online environment to experience online learning
firsthand.
CoPs. Professional organizations along with special interest groups (SIGs) offer
CoPs, allowing support from peers and more knowledgeable colleagues. For
 Technology andProfessional Development 5

English language teaching, these include TESOLs interest sections for Computer-
Assisted Language Learning (www.call-is.org) and Video and Digital Media
(http://www.tesol.org/connect/interest-sections/video-and-digital-media) as
well as affiliate organizations such as California TESOLs Technology Enhanced
Language Learning interest group (https://tellig.wordpress.com/). IATEFL
has the Learning Technologies SIG (ltsig.org.uk). Other professional groups spe-
cializing in language learning and technology offer opportunities for further
learning as well. CALICO (www.calico.org), IALLT (www.iallt.org), EUROCALL
(www.eurocall-languages.org), PacCALL (www.paccall.org), and APACALL
(www.apacall.org) are examples of international and regional organizations
bringing together teachers, developers, and researchers through discussion lists,
workshops, and conferences. Outside the structure of professional organiza-
tions, there are informal groups such as learning2gether.net. Learning2gether is
particularly useful because the presentations and discussions have been archived
at http://learning2gether.net/page/9/ for those unable to attend when the
online sessions are streaming live.
TESOL Electronic Village. Every year at the TESOL convention, the CALL inter-
est section operates the Electronic Village, supporting workshops, demon-
strations, and discussions for professional development as well as drop in
opportunities for those interested in learning more about the field. The
schedule of events is typically available at www.call-is.org prior to the
conference.
TESOL Electronic Village Online (EVO). A more lengthy learning experience, and
one free to anyone interested regardless of TESOL Membership, EVO offers a
series of online workshops each lasting five weeks in January and February
every year. Unlike traditional online classes, these tend to be more collaborative
ventures guided by groups of volunteer moderators. Thirteen were offered in
2015: see http://evosessions.pbworks.com/w/page/10708567/FrontPage or
www.call-is.org for more details.
MOOCs. MOOCs are educational and professional development opportunities
typically offered for free at no charge. Of interest here are those that involve
ESOL and technology. Examples include one for multiliteracies, MultiMOOC,
offered regularly as an EVO session at https://plus.google.com/communities/
104523567430842485789.

This is just a small sample of the processes and resources for professional devel-
opment available at the time this is written. We know that new resources, tools,
and devices appear frequently, and it is important for 21st century teachers and
those who educate and support them to get used to this culture of constant
change. As stated in the TESOL Technology Standards (Goal 1, Standard 3),
Language teachers actively strive to expand their skill and knowledge base to
evaluate, adopt, and adapt emerging technologies throughout their careers
(TESOL, 2008, 29).

SEE ALSO: Teacher Preparation for Using Technology

6 Technology andProfessional Development

References

Arnold, N. (2013). The role of methods textbooks in providing early training for teaching
with technology in the classroom. Foreign Language Annals, 42 (2), 23045.
Debski, R. (2006). Theory and practice in teaching project-oriented CALL. In P. Hubbard &
M. Levy (Eds.), Teacher Education in CALL (pp. 99116). Amsterdam, Netherlands: John
Benjamins.
Egbert, J. (2006). Learning in context: Situating language teacher learning in CALL. In
P. Hubbard & M. Levy (Eds.), Teacher Education in CALL (pp. 167181). Amsterdam,
Netherlands: John Benjamins.
Egbert, J., Paulus, T., & Nakamichi, Y. (2002). The impact of CALL instruction on classroom
computer use: A foundation for rethinking technology in teacher education. Language
Learning and Technology, 6(3), 10826.
Hubbard, P. (2008). CALL and the future of language teacher education. CALICO Journal,
25(2), 17588.
Hubbard, P., & Levy, M. (2006). The scope of CALL education. In P. Hubbard & M. Levy
(Eds.), Teacher education in CALL (pp. 320). Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins.
Kessler, G. (2006). Assessing CALL teacher training: What are we doing and what could we
do better? In P. Hubbard & M. Levy (Eds.), Teacher education in CALL (pp. 2342).
Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins.
Kolaitis, M., Mahoney, M., Pomann, H., & Hubbard, P. (2006). Training ourselves to train
our students for CALL. In P. Hubbard & M. Levy (Eds.), Teacher education in CALL
(pp.31732). Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins.
Slaouti, D., & Motteram, G. (2006). Reconstructing practice: Language teacher education
and ICT. In P. Hubbard & M. Levy (Eds.), Teacher education in CALL (pp. 8197).
Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins.
Son, J. B. (2014). Moving beyond basics: From CALL coursework to classroom practice and
professional development. In J. B. Son (Ed.), Computer-assisted language learning: learners,
teachers, and tools (pp. 12249). Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars
Publishing.
TESOL (2008). TESOL Technology Standards Framework. Alexandria, VA: TESOL. Available at
http://www.tesol.org/docs/books/bk_technologystandards_framework_721.pdf.
Van Olphen, K. (2007). Digital portfolios: Balancing the academic and professional needs of
world language teacher candidates. In M. Peters, K. Murphy-Judy, R. Lavine, & M.A.
Kassen (Eds.), Preparing and developing technology-proficient L2 teachers (pp. 26594). San
Marcos, TX: CALICO.
Wong, L., & Bensen, P. (2006). In-service CALL education: What happens after the course is
over? In P. Hubbard & M. Levy (Eds.), Teacher education in CALL (pp. 25064). Amsterdam,
Netherlands: John Benjamins.

Suggested Readings

Healey, D., Hanson-Smith, E., Hubbard, P., Ioannou-Georgiou, S., Kessler, G., & Ware, P.
(2011). TESOL Technology Standards: Description, implementation, integration. Alexandria,
VA: TESOL.
 Technology andProfessional Development 7

Hubbard, P. (2007). Critical issues: Professional development. In J. Egbert & E. Hanson-

Smith (Eds.) CALL environments: Research, practice, and critical issues (pp. 27692).
Alexandria, VA: TESOL.
Peters, M., Murphy-Judy, K., Lavine, R., & Kassen, M. A. (Eds.). (2007). Preparing and
developing technology-proficient L2 teachers. San Marcos, TX: CALICO.
Stockwell, G. (2009). Teacher education in CALL: Teaching teachers to educate themselves.
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 3(1), 99112.