4. Teachers as Learners
• A computer for each teacher
• iPD - Individualized Professional
Development
• NTLB - No Teacher Left Behind
• Instructional Technology
Specialists - ongoing,
differentiated support
6. Enthusiasm Wins!
Laptops for Learning PD
• Overcome anxiety with excitement - Kickoff at
Apple Computer
• Summer PD -
• New software tools
• Internet resources
• Lesson planning
• Discussions of logistical issues
• Internet safety curriculum
• Care and handling
• Professional development during the school year -
• Share and regroup
• Learn and plan
• Individual conferencing
• Skype to promote collaboration among students
and teachers
• Program manager co-planning and co-teaching
When I took on the role of manager of our one to one program the first project I began working on was professional development because it is really the support structure for the whole program. It had the potential to greatly enhance the ways teachers would integrate the laptops into their teaching and would therefore have a serious impact on learning.\n
When I took on the role of manager of our one to one program the first project I began working on was professional development because it is really the support structure for the whole program. It had the potential to greatly enhance the ways teachers would integrate the laptops into their teaching and would therefore have a serious impact on learning.\n
When I took on the role of manager of our one to one program the first project I began working on was professional development because it is really the support structure for the whole program. It had the potential to greatly enhance the ways teachers would integrate the laptops into their teaching and would therefore have a serious impact on learning.\n
District 96 has had a strong commitment to professional development in the area of technology for many years and we have had some creative solutions to this challenge. For several years all teachers have had their own laptops and this has certainly provided the best means to building strong technology skills for teachers. It is an important first step to having a staff that is comfortable enough with the technology to integrate it into teaching and learning. We have also had some creative approaches to professional development. iPD was a program in which teachers formed groups around areas of interest like wikis, web 2.0, iLife and many other topics. Each group had a teacher leader and the response from teachers was extremely positive.\nThen we moved on to NTLB, No Teacher Left Behind, in an effort to ensure that all of teachers would embrace technology as a tool in their classrooms.\nWe are very fortunate to have instructional technology specialists who work alongside our teachers providing more individualized professional development. We coplan lessons and units and in the process can lead our teachers to use tools they amay not be familiar with yet. We cannot send out entire staff to large local and national conferences but our instructional technology specialists can bring back and share new resources and tools. \nWhen it is time to implement new tools and resource in the classrooms the tech specialists can be there to either model or support teachers and students. It has been a very effective way for us to bring new technologies to our schools. The instructional process can also \nThe technology specialists have also supported teachers of younger students and this has helped students develop skills that make the transition to using their own laptop in fifth grade less challenging.\n
Many of us felt reluctant to be part of a one to one laptop initiative but this was mainly because we weren’t sure how we would make best use of the tools we would now have. For teachers this is an investment of instructional minutes. One way to help overcome reluctance is to build excitement and enthusiasm for the possibilities this type of tool offers. We did that by kicking off our program with a day at Apple Computer downtown. It was a wonderful day that helped teachers understand some of the possibilities and created the enthusiasm so that teachers were ready to take on this challenge. It also gave teachers more confidence to know that we could co-teach lessons.\nThe first summer before the program began we met in June after school was out and again in August before school began. This time was devoted to learning tools, Internet resources, discussions of logistics, preparation for the Internet Safety lessonsWe have come to realize that the August work was more beneficial and have now gone to more days in August and eliminated the June days. These are full days that are filled with learning new tools and discussing ways to implement those tools into teaching and learning. \nDuring the first year of the program we met for five or six 1/2 days. We worked through logistical issues as they arose, shared successes, continued to learn new tools and co-planned units and lessons. These days were very successful and especially helpful for teachers who teach in our smaller school where they are the only one to one teacher in the building. \nI also conferenced with the 5th grade teachers one on one fairly early in the year to discuss any additional needs they had and addressed their particular issues. Principals also stopped in during these meetings to offer support.\nWe further supported the teachers who were more isolated by using Skype to allow those teachers to “meet” after school a couple of times a month. Teachers discussed projects and shared what was happening in their classrooms.\n
It is important to provide some time during professional development to involve teachers in logistical planning. The technology support team may know about technology but we don’t always understand the flow of students around the building and in the classroom. \nGoing forward we are planning to have teams of teachers work out logistical issues before each grade of laptops is rolled out. If teachers have designed the logistics when things are a little rough and adjustments need to be made they will be more flexible. Followup meetings within a couple of weeks after the laptop rollout are also important so that teachers can make adjustments and the technology team can provide necessary support. \n
It is important to provide some time during professional development to involve teachers in logistical planning. The technology support team may know about technology but we don’t always understand the flow of students around the building and in the classroom. \nGoing forward we are planning to have teams of teachers work out logistical issues before each grade of laptops is rolled out. If teachers have designed the logistics when things are a little rough and adjustments need to be made they will be more flexible. Followup meetings within a couple of weeks after the laptop rollout are also important so that teachers can make adjustments and the technology team can provide necessary support. \n
Teachers can learn so much from each other and successful projects can be replicated in other classrooms. As best practices are created other teachers can adopt them. Strong teachers lead teachers who are more tentative.\n
Fortunately for those of us who are responsible for professional development in the area of educational technology there are great resources available for continued training for us. Apple Computer offers many opportunities for training and the ISTE and ICE conferences also \n\ncan be very challenging because the software and hardware change rapidly and resources on the Internet are so vast it is almost impossible to keep abreast of important developments. Professional development for district personel involved in training others\nAs Technology continues to change quickly and the number of resources available on the Internet is growing so rapidly that trainers and professional development leaders need opportunities to There are excellent opportunities for us to access technology in education leaders and resources at conferences as well as through Apple Computer.\n
