The EWITT program aims to improve student achievement in English Language Arts by training teachers to effectively integrate technology into their ELA instruction. Nearly half of students in participating schools have failed to achieve proficiency on the ELA exam. The goal is for 80% of target students to achieve at least one year of growth on the NYS ELA exam by the end of the three-year program. Teachers will receive ongoing professional development, both in-person and online, to learn how to immerse students in online resources and have them complete multimedia projects to develop writing, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

1. NEW YORK CITY
Professional Development DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Joel I. Klein, Chancellor
The Office of Educational Technology
Middle & High School Division of Assessment and Achievement Resources
P Credit Course ( Six Saturdays)
Dates to be determined.
P– Credit After-School Program (12)
Dates to be determined
Two days a week for 2.5 hours per session Enhancing Education Through
for a total of 12 sessions. Technology (EETT) Title IID
funded Program
Pull Out Professional Development Enhancing Writing
Days to be determined
Instruction Through
Technology (EWITT)
September 2009– December 2012
Contact:
Queens
Office of Educational Technology
82-01 Rockaway Boulevard
Ozone Park, NY 11416
Winnie Bracco
Elementary Schools
Six Saturdays Technology Innovation Manager
To be determined Wbracco@schools.nyc.gov
Pull Out Professional Development
Days to be determined
Michelle Lloyd Bey
The Office of Educational Technology Community Superintendent CSD 27
(OET) provides innovative solutions to
transform teaching, learning, and leading
Jeannette Reed
Community Superintendent CSD 29
through customized support and services.
HTTP://www.oitqueens.com
http://oitqblogs.com

2. ENHANCING WRITING INSTRUCTION
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Enhancing Writing Instruction Through Tech- Goal
nology (EWITT) - is an intensive professional de-
The ultimate goal of the EWITT Program is to improve
velopment program that will focus on improving stu- academic performance in ELA by enhancing teachers’
dent achievement in ELA by integrating technology abilities to effectively infuse technology into their Eng-
into the English Language Arts curriculum. EWITT lish Language Arts Instruction . Nearly half of the Level
serves the goals of the Enhancing Education Through 1 and Level 2 students in the participating schools —  be immersed in online resources such as Think-
Technology theme, “Technology Infusion into Instruc- including ELL and Special Needs students — have failed finity, NYS Virtual Learning Space, and Web 2.0
tion through Professional Development,” by empow- to achieve proficiency on the ELA exam. Based on this tools
ering educators to engage students in interdisciplinary data, the EWITT Program will use a technologically
infused, project-based ELA curriculum to engage and  receive training on the software necessary to
projects that develop writing, critical thinking, and
focus students on an essential ELA skill — writing. complete movies, comics, and public presen-
problem solving skills. The EWITT program aims to tations
Throughout the three-year cycle, the EWITT Program
train teachers to use technology as both an instruc-
will introduce a multi-layered and sustained program of
tional tool to teach the writing process and as a way professional development to best serve the needs of  incorporate the project-based learning process
to reinforce fundamental ELA skills. the teachers and school staff. For each consecutive within their content area and use technology to
year of the program, it is proposed that 80% of target enhance research and writing skills
students will achieve at least one year of growth on
their scale score of the NYS ELA exam.  develop an online environment to host all stu-
dent work for a broader audience
 collaborate within ARIS Connect as well as use
District 27 a variety of virtual community tools, such as
email, blogs, wikis, the web portal and synchro-
PS 42, IS 53, IS 137, PS 197, MS 202, IS 210, PS 223, nous communications
PS/IS 225, IS 226, Beach Channel HS,
Far Rockaway HS, John Adams HS, Support
August Martin HS, Richmond Hill HS
Teachers and school leaders will receive on-going pro-
District 29 fessional development — face to face and online and in-
school mentoring support. Workshops will take place
IS 109, PS/IS 116, IS 192, IS 238 throughout the year to allow for teacher experimenta-
Business Computer Application HS tion and online collaboration using recently learned
content between sessions. Professional learning com-
Non-Public Schools munities among teachers and administrators will be
Devine Mercy Catholic Academy Elementary and Mid- formed. Participants will work with a cohort of teach-
dle School, Al-Ihsan Academy, St. Rose of Lima School, ers in their own school and with a larger cohort of
St. Francis De Sales, Sts. Joachim and Anne, Grace teachers from participating schools. By the end of the
Lutheran Day School, St. Joseph Parish Day School, project, the school community will have trained a cadre
Christ Lutheran School of teachers who will continue to serve as mentors to
colleagues after the funding period is over.