Breaking Down the Isolation of New Teachers: The TLINC Model

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Breaking Down the Isolation of New Teachers The
TLINC Model

• Kathleen Fulton
• National Commission on Teaching and Americas
  Future
• Pearson National Forum
• Feb. 2009

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NCTAF Partners
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Beginning Teacher Attrition A Serious Problem

• Cumulative percent of teachers leaving teaching
  each year (approximate)

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Teacher Turnover Costs 7.3 Billion

• Cost per teacher in first 3 years from 4,300 in
  rural schools to 17,800 in large urban
  districts. (NCTAF)
• After 5 years lost teaching effectiveness could
  push the cost as high as 35,000 per teacher.
  (Milanowski Odden)
• Students lose the most high turnover schools
  rarely improve teaching effectiveness or student
  learning, because they are constantly rebuilding
  their staff. (NCTAF)
• www.nctaf.org Cost Study and Cost Calculator

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Why Do Teachers Leave?
Better in current position
Better in teaching
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Guiding Assumption

• Investments that help move novice teachers more
  quickly into effective teaching more than pay for
  themselves in reduced attrition

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Teachers Learning in Networked Communities - TLINC
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TLINC Funders and Partners

• Funders
• ATT Foundation (design)
• Microsoft (2 year pilot)
• FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary
  Education U.S. Dept. of Ed)

• Partners
• University of Colorado, Denver
• University of Memphis
• University of Washington
• SRI (TappedIn)

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TLINC Teachers Learning in Networked Communities

• What kind of Teachers?
• What kind of Learning?
• What kind of Networking?
• What kind of Communities?

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Novice teachers connect with their support groups

• During Teacher Education
• University of Memphis Student Teachers
• College of Ed with their graduates
• University of Washington Reconnect and Recharge
• Across districts in first year teaching
• Denver Public Schools new teachers

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A TLINC Tour

• Open Source Platform Tapped In
  (www.tappedin.org)
• Centralized support services and public events
  that build online skills, norms/values, and
  professional connections
• 14,000 education professionals engaged in
  professional activities
• Average visit 45-50 minutes 46,600 hours (24
  FTE years!)

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TI2 User Interface
Welcome About us Notes Files Links Discussion Whit
eboard Passageways Settings
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Real-Time Communication Window A Synchronous
Chat
Chat output Chat input
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Example of a TLINC asynchronous discussion -
Denver
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Other Programs Using Technology for Novice
Teacher Support

• Illinois New Teacher Collaborative (Online)
• Novice teacher support in Illinois
• Welcoming Interns and Novices with Guidance and
  Support Online (WINGS)
• UTexas Austin graduates

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Other Programs Using Technology for Novice
Teacher Support

• e-Mentoring for Student Success (New Teacher
  Center and NSTA)
• Supports 6th- 12th grade new science teachers in
  their first three years of teaching
• Now in multiple states
• Mathematics mentoring too

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Other Programs Using Technology for Novice
Teacher Support

• BuildingConnections toResources

• BuildingConnections toTeachers

with just-in-time,peer-reviewed,educator-gener
atedresources
with educators acrossthe state in
authenticlearning communities
Anchored to Georgia Framework for Teaching
Based on Critical Friends Group Model
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SC Teacher Village

• online social network for SC teachers
• Purpose to provide private, teachers-only
  network devoted to communication with friends and
  colleagues.
• particularly valuable for teachers located in
  isolated areas, and as a recruitment incentive.
• in line with emphasis on use of Web 2.0
  technologies by the new administration.

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Lessons Learned

• Successful communities come together around a
  common purpose/ need
• Participants should be invested in a compelling
  reason to engage in exploring that purpose
• Use the most appropriate technological tool to
  address the purpose and reason
• Participants need to feel connected to each other
  sometimes that requires face-to-face
  relationship building time

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Lessons Learned

• Technology must support pedagogy
• Busy teachers need structure. They dont always
  have time to explore online platforms
• Tools to get things done--not one more thing a
  teacher must do

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What Does It Mean for You?

• Earmark to support teachers getting on an
  online community (e.g. IT money for districts)
• Incentives for participation district level,
  schools of education, etc.
• Accept it as legitimate PD to participate in the
  community (give seat hours, or whatever your
  state uses)

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2100 M Street, NW Suite 660 Washington, DC
20037 202-429-2570
Kathleen Fulton Director, Reinventing Schools for
the 21st C kfulton_at_nctaf.org
WWW.NCTAF.ORG