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ALA ICONnect Online Courses
http://www.ala.org/ICONN/onlineco.html
The American Library Association offers free online courses for basic and advanced levels. Teachers and librarians register and participate in scheduled courses. Once the courses end, content continues to be available in archives via a listserv. These ALA offerings are an example of some of the valuable, free staff development courses and materials that are available through the Internet.
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Apple Learning: Professional Development
http://www.apple.com/education/professionaldevelopment/
Exciting learning environments, engaged students, and improved learning require more than computers. Teachers who understand how to integrate the technology are absolutely essential. Explore the four scenarios this site offers to see how Apple can assist you in creating a complete professional development program to address a pressing concern, or simply browse course offerings.
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Computer Learning Foundation: Teachers Teaching Teachers
http://www.computerlearning.org/CLDownld.htm
The lead article in Computer Learning 2001 features teachers teaching teachers through use of digital video. Examples are given along with instructions for creating inspiring teaching videos. Videos submitted for the Foundation's competition for teachers will be used to showcase great teaching techniques through use of technologies.
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Critical Issue: Providing Professional Development for Effective
Technology Use
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te1000.htm
The role of the classroom teacher is the crucial factor in the full
development and use of technology in the schools. A well-planned,
ongoing professional development program that is tied to the school's
curriculum goals, designed with built-in evaluation, and sustained by
adequate financial and staff support is essential if teachers are to
use technology appropriately to promote learning for all students in
the classroom. This site outlines such a program.
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Edtechnot.com
http://www.edtechnot.com/
This site might be called a meeting of ed tech leaders throughout the world. Its purpose is to bring those who are guiding technology use in schools together to discuss divergent opinions. The site includes information on plans, web logs, books, and ideas related to educational technology.
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Evolving with the Internet: Taking Technology for Granted-Finally
http://www.enc.org/topics/change/practice/cases/documents/0,
1341,FOC-000705-index,00.shtm
Colorado Middle School teacher Kristine Mueh relates the story of her evolution in use of technology in the classroom. She shows how she changed her teaching as the technology tools available to her students changed. The essay demonstrates how teachers, like Mueh, participate in their own program of staff development. They experiment and they learn; they have evolved.
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Four Directions for Lifelong Learning
http://www.oii.org/html/the_four_directions_explained.html
The Online Internet Institute offers this essay by Ferdi Serim that details four directions for lifelong learning. These include collaboration and communication, exploration and evaluation, navigation and research, and synthesis and presentation. These directions are important in use of technologies in K-12 classrooms, as well as for lifelong learning.
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From Generation X to Generation Y
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/thornburg/thornburg499.shtm
This David Thornburg "Teaching with Technology" article discusses how teachers can learn from students. It's part of the PBS TeacherSource materials and includes information on the www.Y project in which students and teachers collaborated on projects that resulted in enhancing classroom curricula. Also included are ideas about methods of teaching.
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Generation www.Y
http://www.nwrel.org/eval/genwhy/overview.html
Generation www.Y is a unique program that pairs students and teachers in learning about technologies. It is the brainchild of Olympia School District in Washington and was made possible by the Technology Challenge Grants. Students first learn the computer and teaching skills they need. Then, with their partner teacher, they create ideas and projects for lessons. After that, it's on to teaching preservice teachers, community members, and of course, inservice teachers.
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Generation www.Y: Student Follow-Up
http://www.nwrel.org/eval/genwhy/data/students/spring99/g991sf3.html
In the project Generation www.Y, individual students and teachers worked together as technology partners. The partners created collaborative projects that could be used in the teacher's lesson plans. This resource includes graphs describing student opinions of the project.
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Generation www.Y: Teacher Follow-Up
http://www.nwrel.org/eval/genwhy/data/partnerteachers/spring
99/g991ptf1.html
In the project Generation www.Y, individual students and teachers worked together as technology partners. The partners created collaborative projects that could be used in the teacher's lesson plans. This resource includes graphs describing teacher opinions of the project.
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Hooking Teachers on Technology: Finding the Right Bait
http://techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/ferrell1.htm
As her district's technology coordinator, Karen Ferrell has netted many people in her computer workshops and watched them as they took the bait. Learn how she helps participants she calls coral reefs, guppies, octopuses, salmon, and sharks, and read her concern about the issues of training and one-shot workshops and some solutions.
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In Praise of Enthrallment
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/thornburg/index.shtm
This "Teaching with Technology" article by David Thornburg is part of the PBS TeacherSource materials. It includes audio clips along with the text of Thornburg's ideas about use of technologies in the classroom. Learn how Thornburg compares the excitement of coming to school with a visit to Disneyworld. Links to other Thornburg essays are provided.
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ISTE NETS Essentials Conditions for Teacher Preparation
http://cnets.iste.org/essential.html
In order to teach teachers how to use technology effectively in the classroom, the conditions for teacher preparation must be considered. ISTE offers this essay and grid that details essential conditions. Categories covered include access, skilled educators, professional development, technological assistance, content standards and curriculum resources, student-centered learning, assessment, and community support.
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ISTE Standards for Teachers
http://cnets.iste.org/TeacherStandards.html
Performance indicators for evaluating teachers are available from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). This grid includes indicators for all teachers, general preparation performance profiles, professional preparation performance profiles, student teaching/internship performance profiles, and first year teaching performance profiles. By using the grid, information can be found that specifies what teachers should know about technology.
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Lesley College Online Readiness Survey
http://www.lesley.edu/online_learning/readiness/home.html
Lesley College offers many online courses in educational technology. Teachers, however, need to decide whether they are ready to take an online course. Although such courses may sound good, teachers may not have the equipment or background necessary for success in an online course. Therefore, Lesley offers this assessment instrument to help teachers evaluate their readiness relating to equipment, time and support, and technical skill.
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Lesley College School of Education: Technology in Education Programs
http://www.lesley.edu/soe/111tech.html#online
Lesley College offers an extensive program in Technology in Education. Many of its courses are based online; some include campus and online sessions. This resource details the educational technology-related offerings of the School of Education and provides an excellent example of professional development that can be offered both about and via technology.
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Making Technology Happen
http://www.southern.org/pubs/MTH/makingtech.shtml
Making Technology Happen: Best Practices and Policies from Exemplary K-12 Schools, published by The Southern Growth Policy Board, addresses findings on best practices in the implementation of technology in schools. This online version of the book reviews how more than 200 exemplary schools are bringing technology into their classrooms. Areas of discussion include planning, training, providing technical support, re-engineering organizations, obtaining resources and evaluating how district, state and federal policies impact the process.
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NETS Documents
http://cnets.iste.org/perfprofiles.html
For those looking for evaluation ideas related to technology, the ISTE National Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS) documents may be downloaded in pdf, ordered online, or ordered by mail. These documents detail what preservice and inservice teachers should know about technology use as it relates to teaching and learning. Included is information on essential conditions for learning as well as levels to be achieved by teachers.
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Performance Profiles for Teacher Preparation
http://cnets.iste.org/perfprofiles.html
Part of the ISTE National Education Technology Standards (NETS), this resource details standards for preservice teachers. It includes general preparation, professional preparation, student teaching/internship, and first-year teaching. Detailed standards are available in list or grid format.
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Professional Development and Training
http://www.southern.org/pubs/MTH/MT4.html
"Making Technology Happen: Best Practices and Policies from Exemplary K-12 Schools," published by The Southern Growth Policy Board, addresses their findings on best practices in the implementation of technology in schools. This online version of the book reviews how more than 200 exemplary schools are bringing technology into their classrooms. Chapter Four focuses on Professional Development and training, which are critical to the successful implementation of technologies being introduced to the classroom.
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QuickTime TV
http://www.ali.apple.com/events/aliqttv/
Professional development and video on the Internet have become exciting partners. At Apple's QuickTime TV site, teachers can watch live video or video archives streamed directly to their computers. This resource provides many videos from the US Department of Education, from convention keynote speeches, and from museums. Check the schedule for upcoming live events, but also check the archives for past staff development goodies.
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Teacher Education Mini-Cases
http://www.gse.uci.edu/cli/videocases.html
Digital videos can be excellent for use in teacher training. Through them, preservice and inservice teachers have the opportunity to observe master teachers in action. Here are some examples of how technology can used in staff development.
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Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age (2000)
http://www.aauw.org/research/girls_education/techsavvy.cfm
This description of TechSavvy Girls, a report published by the American Association of University Women, includes many of the details of the study. Statistical information such as percentages of girls taking AP and AB Computer Science tests and number of women receiving engineering degrees and computer science bachelor's degrees is offered. These facts, along with conclusions about girls and computer technology, electronic games, computer fluency, teacher education, and high tech work places are "must-knows" for professional development in the field of technology in education.
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Technology and Math Scores: Do They Compute?
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/thornburg/thornburg1298.shtm
In this article, David Thornburg discusses studies focused upon whether use of computers increases scores in mathematics. Learn what types of methods resulted in higher scores. Learn why teachers are so important when it comes to using computers in the classroom. This resource is available in both text and audio.
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The Algebra Connection
http://www.gse.uci.edu/cli/mathhtmls/math1video06big.html
Part of the PT3 grants, this Orange County resource demonstrates how video via the Internet can be used for staff development. Although this series of videos emphasizes Algebra, other videos are in the areas of language arts, science, and social studies.
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The Connected Learning Community Technology Roadmap
http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Roadmap
Planning for staff development is essential in the success of any technology inservice program. This Connected Learning Community Technology Roadmap from Microsoft includes best practices, support needs, guidelines, and more. Not offering teachers the education they need in this field would be like, according to the essay, giving cars to those who don't know how to drive and asking them to take off. It's possible they'll learn and get somewhere, but think of the problems.
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The Florida Educational Technology Corporation Conference
http://www.fetc.org
The mission of the Florida Educational Technology Corporation (FETC, Inc.) is to advocate and support the use of technology in education by providing an annual world class conference and other initiatives for the education community. Information about the conference is provided on this site.
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webTeacher
http://www.webteacher.org/macnet/indextc.html
For teachers interested in improving their knowledge of the World Wide Web, webTeacher offers an extensive array of free, online tutorials. These tutorials range from the basics of using the Web to learning to create your own videos for your own web site. webTeacher provides easy-to-schedule and easy-to-understand inservice activities that teachers can complete when convenient.
