ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the value of communities of practice in supporting teachers who have responsibility for education technology (EdTech). The general challenges of workload, recruitment and retention in English schools have been exacerbated in the field of EdTech by the disapplication of the general Information and Communications Technology (ICT) curriculum in 2012. The replacement curriculum focused specifically on computing, and many ICT teachers found the change problematic and left the profession. Bursaries from the government to computer science graduates to train as teachers did not improve recruitment as expected. The authors of this chapter are members of two international professional organisations, the Technology, Pedagogy and Education Association (TPEA) and the MirandaNet Fellowship (MF) that were asked to advise on workload, recruitment and retention by the Department of Education (DfE), tasked by the then-UK Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds. Detailed strategies were offered grouped under three headings: reducing workload; ensuring CPD entitlement; and joining a professional community. Overall, the members’ conclusion was that joining a professional community was the best way to build resilience and to contribute to a long-term vision underpinned by the knowledge and experience of peers.
