Professional+Development

  > > Staff development will be focused on district and school‐site curriculum goals, and guided by current research in the field. Research has shown that with computer‐aided instruction, student academic achievement improves. J. Underwood and J. Brown (1997) have shown a correlation between computer‐based instruction and student motivation for learning. The ease of error correction, a semi‐private environment, active control, and ability to work at one’s own pace all increase student motivation. Cotton (1992) adds, “Computer‐assisted instruction resulted in improved student attitudes in a variety of areas. These areas included improved attitudes towards themselves as learners, the use of computers in education, course subject matter, quality of instruction, and school in general.” In addition, several sources agree that a critical component is providing appropriate teacher training in ways to effectively integrate technology into the curriculum, focusing on meaningful education goals and improving student learning. (Glennan and Melmed, 1996, Silverstein et al, 2000, Reksten, 2000, Coley, 1997, Pamuel b, Golan, Means, B and Korbak, c. 2000.)
 * PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT **
 * Summary of teachers’ and administrators’ current technology skills and needs for professional development **
 * Technology is integrated into the teaching and learning skills of our staff and students.
 * Training addresses how teachers can integrate technology into their classroom instruction to improve the academic achievement of all students.
 * Professional development programs in technology are comprehensive and coordinated with other district academic goals.

The Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services and the Director of Technology and Student Assessment will coordinate efforts to monitor training that is sustained and effective, and they will coordinate the plan implementation between the district and the individual school communities. To establish the current level of teachers’ and administrators’ skills and their technology use in the instructional setting a variety of assessments such as the EdTechProfile survey will be used. The EdTechProfile survey provides a measure of teacher knowledge and expertise in several areas of educational technology. These results identify computer skills needed for teachers. On‐going professional development activities are based on those identified weaknesses, as well as needs identified by teachers and school administrators. 

Teacher Technology Proficiencies ** 

This school year we are re‐assessing teachers with the EdTechProfile, and we expect to see consistent growth in all areas.

The three strongest areas for teachers are Internet, Email and Word Processing Skills and General Computer Knowledge all with an average of 80% of the teachers scoring at the intermediate or proficient levels. The weakest areas for teachers were in presentation, spreadsheet and database software where only an average of 41% of the teachers scored at the intermediate or proficient levels. Teacher expertise using database software was by far the lowest category with only 31% scoring themselves intermediate or proficient. Administrator expertise is strong in 5 of the 6 competency areas – most likely because they use these tools on a daily basis in their jobs.

With the introduction of the //Promethean// ACTIVboard into 50% of the classrooms during 2007‐2008, we are seeing a renewed sense of excitement and engagement on the part of teachers for integrating technology tools into their classroom. We will support that energy and momentum with ongoing opportunities for professional growth. We are planning another full day training session for all //Promethean// teachers, and we are supporting regular Users Groups that meet for teachers to share knowledge and ideas with each other.


 * Coaching
 * Modeling
 * Substitutes for released time
 * After Contract‐Hour Training
 * Paid College Classes
 * Demonstrations
 * Forums for sharing best practices

 Develop a list of recommended providers of on‐line training offerings for schools and individual teachers to select from. One resource that the District will use is the //TechSETS// program offered by the New York State Department of Education.  • Proficient‐level teachers can mentor small groups of introductory‐level teachers at their site. They can shepherd the group through developing the skills outlined for the //EdTechProfile// categories, such as e‐mail use, report building, and webpage creation.  • The Director of Technology and Student Assessment will meet with all principals and relevant technology staff to review //EdTechProfile// school surveys and develop a list of needs for training.  • Mini‐sessions could include short classes taught after school, evenings, or on weekends. These sessions would be sponsored by the District and held at various locations using a wireless, mobile lab. These sessions should be directed toward the topics recommended in minimum proficiency requirements for teachers noted above.  • Special technology in‐services can be developed to cover broader technology issues. These may cover use of the network and trouble‐shooting issues or the use of the Internet in the classroom. These sessions should be directed towards the topics identified by the needs assessment, and assisting teachers to reach the minimum technology proficiency level. Outside presenters should be considered a resource for these events. In‐services should use Site Days for maximum participation. <span style="color: black; font-size: 8pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 130%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">• The District’s resources for technology training will always be limited. Therefore, training two or three teachers and then having them train others within the school will always be an effective way to ensure that the needed technological knowledge is shared throughout the District. Out‐sourcing the initial training of trainers is recommended.

Reference: National School District: Technology Plan []