Engaging K-12 Teachers in Technology Tools to Support Electronic and Mobile Learning Through an Online Professional Development Course

In 2009, NASA awarded Georgia Institute of Technology a contract to develop online professional development (PD) courses for STEM teachers. The Technology Integration Certificate consists of four courses designed to help teachers become more comfortable with technology tools and integrate them in their classrooms. Among the courses within the Technology Integration Certificate, the Engage and Educate – Podcasts In The Classroom course provides participants with examples of how podcasts can be integrated in classroom lessons to engage students in STEM disciplines. During the course, the pros and cons of podcasts are examined and participants are introduced to the tools and techniques for creating podcasts. In this study, we described our online courses and their impact on teachers’ professional development. In addition, upon completion of the podcast course, we investigated teachers use of podcast and explored how podcasts were used in the classroom setting. The principle research method employed in this study is to develop aggregate narratives. The narratives describe the effectiveness of the podcast course from the perspective of each course participant.