Title: SREB Educational Technology Cooperative Professional Development and Learning Resources Task Group
1SREB Educational Technology CooperativeProfession
al Development and Learning Resources Task Group
- Barbara Treacy
- Education Development Center
- April 20, 2004
2Todays 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)
3BellSouth 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
4EdTech 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
5ETLO 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
6EdTech 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
7EdTech 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
8Facilitation 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
9Facilitation 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
10- So what does it feel like to be an OPD
Instructor?
11Sometimes it feels like this
12But 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
13And 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
14Workshop 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
15Workshop 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)
16Lessons 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)
17Opportunities 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...
18Opportunities 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.
19Final 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!
20Thank 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