Many of the programs funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute provide support for teacher development activities. Increasingly, these activities center on computer training and integrating instructional use of technology with curriculum. Teacher Indira Pooran of the New York Hall of Science argued that the success of educational technology will depend on teacher training. Technology promoters must understand the constraints under which most teachers work.
Technology provides a new challenge.
And the time and resource limitations that affect teachers have not been lost on software developers. One of the most valuable tools provided to teachers by computers is the ability to communicate with other educators. A recent Genentech Corporation study found that 90 percent of biology teachers felt isolated from their peers. Other programs use the Internet to maintain teacher connections established in summer or in-service activities. Teachers must learn to trust program leaders and should develop a sense of ownership of the program so that they can advocate for technology in the classroom.