THE Journal — Professional Development
Digital Arts Alliance Gets Boost from NEA, FIE, E3
The Digital Arts Alliance, which promotes digital arts in K-12 education, is expanding its membership with the addition of three education-focused organizations, including the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation, the Foundation for Investor Education, and Employers For Education Excellence (E3). The Digital Arts Alliance also announced new initiatives for schools for the coming year.
(7/1/2008)
Teachscape XL Offers Modular, Customizable Professional Development Tools
Teachscape has announced the upcoming release of its Teachscape XL platform, delivering customizable professional development resources, online.
(6/30/2008)
The Future of Instruction: Teacher as 'Co-Learner'
The expectations of students and the demands of the education community are changing radically in the 21st century. Necessarily, the role of the teacher is changing along with those. But what will that role be? The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is attempting to answer that question with the release this week of the long-anticipated update to its National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) framework.
(6/30/2008)
Kerry Intros Education Portal Legislation
United States Senator John Kerry Tuesday introduced new legislation aimed at funding state education portals. The legislation, dubbed the "Empowering Teaching and Learning through Education Portals Act," is designed to support teacher professional development, improve teacher retention, and offer online support for teachers and administrators.
(6/24/2008)
Wilkes U and Discovery Education Collaborate on Online Master's in Instructional Media
This fall Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA and Discovery Education, which produces digital media-based learning, are launching a new online master's degree program in instructional media. The 30-credit instructional media program will prepare teachers to engage today's students in learning through digital media. Courses will focus on topics such as digital storytelling, using digital media in the classroom, using technology to support creativity and applying brain-based theories of how students process information to technology integration.
(6/20/2008)
Classroom Technology 'Woefully Inadequate,' Study Finds
Educators are, in large part, bullish on the role technology can play in improving student outcomes. But too large a percentage of them aren't receiving adequate training in the areas that matter most: instructional software, technology integration, learning outcomes management, and designing individual lesson plans. This according to a study released last week by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, which also described access to classroom technology as "woefully inadequate" in most schools.
(6/16/2008)
Loudoun, Garland Adopt 'On-Demand' Professional Development
Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia and Garland Independent School District in Texas have signed on with School Improvement Network for its PD 360, an online, "on-demand" professional development system that provides about instructional video content for teachers, administrators, and other staff.
(6/13/2008)
NSTA Teacher Site Bolstered by $3 Million Grant
The National Science Teachers Association this week announced that it's received a two-year, $3 million grant from the GE Foundation to support the NSTA Learning Center.
(5/14/2008)
Pearson 'Academies' Bring Online Professional Development to Smaller Districts
Pearson this week launched a new online teacher professional development service. Dubbed Pearson Professional Growth Academies, the service is designed to bring instructional content from accredited universities to smaller districts by providing courses that don't require minimum enrollment.
(5/9/2008)
TeachersFirst Brings Web 2.0 Tools to Educators
Non-profit TeachersFirst has partnered with Web technology provider TRintuition to launch the Building Learners Project, a service that allows educators to develop online collaborative learning projects using Web 2.0 technologies.
(5/5/2008)
Blackboard Sets BbWorld '08 Agenda
Blackboard Thursday announced details for its upcoming BbWorld '08 conference, which will be held July 15 through 17 in Las Vegas. The show will feature about 140 sessions covering education technology strategies and issues, as well as keynote addresses from Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak (largely credited for inventing the first practical personal computer) and U Miami President Donna Shalala.
(5/2/2008)
21st Century Teaching and Learning: Assessing New Knowledge
As technology continues to change and affect how students think and process information, instructors must realize that there is an opportunity now to capture and assess in ways not formerly possible. Research continues to enforce the importance of learning as a process, student engagement, and learning outcomes in the process of learning. Technology does not change this reality, but it can provide new ways to evaluate learning.
(5/1/2008)
Pennsylvania Rolls Out Interactive Technologies to 231 Districts
Technology provider CDW Government reported this week that it's completed implementation of technology programs for some 231 school districts across Pennsylvania as part of the state's Classrooms for the Future program. As part of the initiative, nearly 82,000 laptops and more than 4,000 interactive whiteboards have been deployed in 257 schools over the last two years.
(5/1/2008)
Colorado Adopts Tuition Reimbursement for Professional Development
To provide more professional development opportunities for teachers and paraprofessionals, and to assist them in achieving highly qualified status, the Colorado Department of Education, Office of Standards and Support, has teamed up with PBS TeacherLine to offer online courses to educators in the state.
(4/24/2008)
21st Century Teaching and Learning, Part 1
Cognitive psychologists have told us for some time that people process information differently and that meditative and transmittive technologies have affected thinking and perception, which in turn has affected learning. Therefore, instructors have had to become instructional designers conscious of how technology works and what it can offer to the teaching and learning process. Current mobile technology challenges that design even further as it demands a totally different approach to instructional design and also teaching methodology. It requires a fluidity never before seen and new skills from both teacher and student. In fact, I would argue that while we focus on the skills needed for students in the 21st century, we must discuss more and learn more about the skills required of teachers in the 21st century.
(4/24/2008)
Consulting Firm Launches Training To Show Educators How To Defuse Hostility
Anzen, an Alexandria, VA company that provides personal security training for public and corporate organizations, announced a new program to address safety in educational institutions. Called USA Safe Schools, the initiative provides schools with tools and training to reduce hostile threats to teachers and students.
(4/8/2008)
Technology Immersion Turns Around Texas Middle School
Take a Title I urban school with fewer than 50 computers for some 850 students and a staff that wasn't strong in technology. Add an ambitious plan to roll out a new technology program that gave a laptop to every teacher and student. Sound like a recipe for problems? Actually, it wasn't.
(3/20/2008)
Blackboard Debuts Educator Central Professional Development System
Blackboard has launched Educator Central, a new solution for K-12 teacher professional development. It's a hosted system for building education communities and managing professional development programs, as well as delivering and evaluating these programs.
(3/18/2008)
PBS Launches Professional Development for PreK Literacy
PBS Teacherline and PBS Kids have combined forces to launch a new preschool literacy professional development program. Dubbed "Raising Readers: Preparing Preschoolers for Success," the program includes one asynchronous online course, available now, with two more courses slated to roll out later in the year.
(3/4/2008)
Brief: Teacher Forum Spotlights Classroom Technologies
Audio-visual tech provider AVerMedia Technologies this week launched a new forum for educators focusing specifically on classroom technologies. The site, called Teacher Forum, includes general teacher resources, discussions, and links to promotions and events.
(2/28/2008)
South Carolina Implements Web-Based Training for Teachers, Students
The South Carolina Department of Education, through its Office of eLearning, has partnered with Atomic Learning to deploy a Web-based instruction system for teacher training and online instruction for students. Through the partnership, Atomic will deliver training in various software applications, along with lesson plans and other technology-based support systems.
(2/25/2008)
North Dakota To Roll Out Special Ed Management System
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) has signed on with Maximus for a $1 million state-wide implementation of TIENET, a special education case management system.
(2/22/2008)
CPS Renews SchoolNet for Instructional Management
The Chicago Public School system has renewed its contract with Schoolnet, according to information released by the company this week. Schoolnet provides data, assessment, and curriculum management services and technologies through its Schoolnet Instructional Management Solution. The new deal renews Schoolnet's contract as the provider of the district's curriculum and instructional management system for three more years.
(2/13/2008)
HP, Microsoft Debut 'Teacher Experience Exchange'
HP and Microsoft are launching a new online center targeted specifically toward K-12 teachers in schools that have standardized on the Windows platform. Dubbed the "Teacher Experience Exchange," the service is designed to provide forums for discussion and sharing, as well as content for helping teachers prepare for using technology in instruction.
(2/1/2008)
Teachscape Expands Professional Development for Instructional Leaders
Professional development provider Teachscape has launched a new "Adolescent Literacy" program and also launched its new Instructional Decision Making and Planning Institute, a service focusing on developing approaches for instructional leaders to enhance student learning. Both announcements were made last week at the FETC 2008 conference in Florida.
(1/31/2008)
