The document discusses empowering teachers as technology leaders through professional development opportunities focused on 21st century literacy skills. It outlines the goals of promoting teacher communication and engagement with technology. Teachers participate in workshops on using tools like digital cameras, PowerPoint, iMovie and websites to enhance student learning. Feedback from teachers indicates they are more collaborative, incorporating technology into lessons and having students create interactive projects.
The Shrewsbury Public Schools strongly believes technology plays a vital role in teaching and learning. They have invested time, budget funding and professional development training to increase the level of teacher technology proficiency. Implementing a program that promotes teachers as leaders in their school and district along with a continuous PD (graduate courses for Excel, Instructional Technology, and Web 2.0 Tools) identifies Shrewsbury as a unique school district. Strength of district technology coordinator, Bob Cornacchioli, is bringing new technologies to the district and promoting training in the use of the technology. Examples: eGov for web pages, Moodle for teacher collaboration, TTL for school leadership, Powerschool for student information systems. Important points to make: 1. Technology for every teacher 2. Initiatives that promote PD using technology 3. School leadership in technology
21 st Century Workforce Commission made a statement concerning the importance of our educators to prepare students for the future, even though we do not know what it will be like. Trilling and Fadel reinforces that concern with their book 21 st Century Skills. The book is a guide to strategies for change based on research. Here is a video of a student very much like the students in our classrooms who have “grown up” with technology.
Understanding the importance of learning about, with, through a variety of technology tools, Shrewsbury is a leader in many ways. The mission statement of the technology teacher leadership group drives home the theme for preparing students for world that continually changes as new technologies and ways of using existing technologies are developed.
Nature trail recordings with iPhoto Parent presentation with Powerpoint Community communication with webpages Extra curricular studies with Scratch Newsletters with Word Data analysis with Excel Email functions with Entourage
What we learned about encouraging teachers to participate: Offer technology that they will have at their finger tips and will be easy to use. Offer workshops during inservice days when they have the time to participate Offer workshops convenient to their schedule, before and/or after school Offer workshops that help reduce the amount of work they do (Excel to simplify recording) Offer workshops that promote motivated student learning
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