SREB Educational Technology Cooperative Professional Development and Learning Resources Task Group

1
SREB Educational Technology CooperativeProfession
al Development and Learning Resources Task Group

• Barbara Treacy
• Education Development Center
• April 20, 2004

2
Todays Presentation

• Background to Bell South grant
• Overview to EDC EdTech Leaders Online (ETLO)
• Implementation and results of ETLO training
• Lessons learned about online professional
  development (OPD)

3
BellSouth Grant Overview and Goals

• Extend prior years ETLO OPD training for DoE
  technology staff
• Provide OPD training for 2 curriculum/instruction
  staff per state
• Enable DoE staff to explore potential of online
  learning for their curricular programs
• Enable DoEs to pilot online workshops within
  local programs
• Enable DoE content specialists to connect via the
  online course

4
EdTech Leaders Online Facilitator Program

• Based at Education Development Center (EDC) since
  Fall 2000
• Goal Build organizational capacity to use online
  learning to address teacher professional
  development
• Semester-long online training experience online
  learning as a learner first!
• 23 online workshops project-based,
  subject/grade-level specific
• Ongoing planning and implementation support
• National forum for online instructors and
  designers
• Graduate Credit through Antioch University
• Other programs Online Course Design and Virtual
  Schools programs

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ETLO Facilitator Course Learning Community
Model

• Session structure Goals, readings, activities,
  online discussion
• Course content
• Overview to online teaching and learning
• Exploration of online professional development
  workshops
• Universal design, access issues, digital divide
• Facilitation strategies
• Technical issues
• Evaluation
• Hands-on Activities
• Facilitation techniques, strategies and
  challenges
• Developing specific materials to be used when
  facilitating
• Experimentation course
• Course focal point Online discussion building
  a learning community
• Course product preliminary local OPD workshop
  implementation plan

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EdTech Leaders Online Workshops

• Workshops for Teachers of All Grade Levels and
  Content Areas
• Finding the Best Educational Resources on the Web
• Approaches and Tools for Developing Web-enhanced
  Lessons
• Using Technology to Support Research and
  Presentation
• Special Students in Regular Classrooms (with
  CAST)
• Transforming the Classroom with Project-Based
  Learning
• Designing a Virtual Tour
• Using Hand-Held Computers in the Classroom
• Classroom Assessment Enhanced by Technology
• Differentiating Instruction
• Workshops for Elementary Teachers
• Using New Technologies to Support Literacy in
  Upper Elementary Classrooms
• Using New Technologies to Support Literacy in
  Primary-level Classrooms
• Reading First Supporting Early Reading
  Instruction with Technology
• Using Technology in the Elementary Math Classroom

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EdTech Leaders Online Workshops, contd

• Workshops for Middle School and High School
  Teachers
• Using Technology to Support the Writing Process
• Technology Tools to Support Inquiry in the
  Science Classroom
• Using Technology in the Social Studies Classroom
• Using Technology to Model and Analyze Real Data
  in the Math Classroom
• Getting Ready for Algebra with Virtual
  Manipulatives
• Workshops for School and District Leaders
• Special Students in Regular Classrooms
  Technology, Teaching and Universal Design for
  Administrators
• Planning for Curriculum Integration of Technology
  
• Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse
• Smart Budgeting for Technology An Introduction
  to TCO
• Data-Based School Reform

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Facilitation Techniques

• Email 2X/week to group announcing session and
  mid-session
• Private email
• Phone
• Session summaries
• Announcements
• Clear participation requirements Discussion
  board 2 - 3 X/week
• Participation checklist 2X /course
• Discussion board guidelines http//www.edtechlead
  ers.org/documents/tipsandtricks.htm
• Participant surveys pre- and post-course
• Face-to-face meetings where appropriate

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Facilitation Strategies

• Model good online behavior and encourage
  participants to be reflective about it
• Listen to and learn from participants
• Be positive!
• Use whole group and individual participant
  strategies
• Be sensitive to netiquette issues, dominating
  voices, writing style, etc.
• Be flexible adjust content and schedule to meet
  learning goals and needs of group

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• So what does it feel like to be an OPD
  Instructor?

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Sometimes it feels like this
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But usually, it feels like this

• WOW!
• Session One Discussion (February 4-10)  
• Use the online discussion to respond to the
  followingFrom the point of view of your
  district, state or organization, what is the
  single biggest opportunity online professional
  development offers? What is the biggest
  challenge? Make sure to post reflective
  responses to at least one other message in the
  online discussion.  103 Messages  All read 
   

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And a Participant View Learning Community Model

• as we have all seen in this OPD workshop the
  benefits and pay offs are huge. Take a look at
  the number of postings in our 8 previous
  discussions. Each one has increased in the number
  of postings, the length of these postings, and
  the quality of information being posted for
  sharing! I think it is also interesting to note
  how much content has been shared that is over and
  above the content and activities originally
  created for this OPD. This clearly demonstrates
  the incredible power of online PD.
• -Discussion posting, Bob Fortney, Kentucky

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Workshop Delivery Plan Highlights Common Themes

• Provide state recertification and/or graduate
  credits
• Register via state online systems/websites
• Offer incentives for participation including
  stipends, books, knowledge and skills, etc.
• Collaborate with state consortia, regional
  service centers, teacher, administrator and/or
  content organizations, to recruit participants
• Share workshop products materials on state
  websites
• Use multiple methods of evaluation
• Hold f2f kick-off meeting and/or post-workshop
  follow-up

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Workshop Delivery Plan Highlights - Specific
Ideas

• Create virtual learning community of foreign
  language teachers (OK)
• Train school leaders to use data develop
  improvement plans (SC)
• Reach underserved content areas with OPD (SC)
• Use videoconferencing for f2f workshop meetings
  (FL)
• Partnership for Minority for Student Achievement
  to recruit parts (KY)
• Enlist Reading Directors to recruit for Reading
  First workshop (MD)
• Establish listserv continue conversation after
  workshop ends (MD)
• Organize post-workshop f2f meeting at state tech.
  conference (VA)
• Launch UDL workshop at Spec. Ed. Coop. Summer
  Institute (KY)
• Provide needed PD in math literacy for upper
  grades, where its currently limited (Ark)
• Recruit diverse teams (spec. ed, regular and
  gifted) through Inclusive Schools Program (DE)

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Lessons Learned Elements of Successful OPD
programs

• Assess on local needs
• Connect with other ongoing, face-to-face
  professional development activities
• Carefully select OPD Specialist team
• Establish strong local coordination and
  leadership
• Develop incentives for facilitators, designers
  and participants
• Involve local stakeholders
• Provide readily accessible technology and
  technology
• Foster a rich, interactive online learning
  community
• Integrate online workshops with face-to-face
  meetings
• Evaluate program
• (Elements included EDC training and planning
  template)

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Opportunities for OPD in SREB states some
responses

• .. for assessment, we do FTF professional
  development attended by only 1 or 2
  representatives from each school district. These
  are quick, one-day overviews without follow-up. I
  would like to envision online PD to accompany
  this in some way.
• OPD for KDE staff orientation for new
  employees
• Working across the state of Oklahoma, this
  gives me a way to provide continuous professional
  development without the cost of travel, stipends
  and substitutes.
• There are so many opportunities to use online
  professional development here in Maryland. I hope
  we will start by creating workshops on
  scientifically based reading research...

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Opportunities for OPD in SREB State DoEs cont.

• I see it as reaching those small districts in
  the state who do not have the staff or expertise
  or funds to provide all the training needed...
• Reading First requires that the PD be scaled
  up. On-line can do that.
• I see online PD as an affordable and equitable
  to work with teachers across my state.
• Title I district contacts could use this as a
  strategy to stay current on regulations and
  issues, as well as submit reports.
• I think it will grow in West Virginia. It
  helps us overcome our geographical challenges.

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Final Participant comment

• Ages ago I had the pleasure to attend a retreat
  that SREB sponsored in Blue Lake Virginia. Other
  SREB member states brought their state Tech
  Directors and state department consultants to
  work alone as state teams and then together with
  other teams. It was magical to discover folks
  doing my job in other states to talk, share, and
  dream, with. I really look forward to the day
  when Bill has a cadre of OPD professionals
  networked together. It is really no fun working
  alone in isolation!

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Thank you!

• Barbara Treacy
• btreacy_at_edc.org
• EdTech Leaders Online
• http//www.edtechleaders.org
• Education Development Center
• http//www.edc.org
• EDC Course URL
• http//edc.blackboard.com