Web-Based Tool Simplifies Professional Development
About Learning Inc.'s 4MATION LiveText seeks to simplify lesson planning and the professional growth of teachers by providing a Web-based networking system that combines the simplicity of the Internet with the functionality of a local network. The system centers around a suite of lesson-development applications that put an advanced learning theory on the desktop of every teacher. Using their own lesson models, or one of five templates, teachers can create and refine high-performance lessons from any Web-enabled computer at any time. Onboard tutorials expose teachers to a variety of strategies involving student motivation, creativity and mastery of facts, providing what amounts to a running seminar on instructional technique. Once developed, teachers can store lessons and organize them by categories.
Incorporating state standards into each lesson is also made easier with the aid of LiveText's dynamic library of standards. Teachers can reference standards throughout lessons, allowing administrators to track compliance daily. LiveText also offers supplementary applications for ongoing coaching and peer development, including online portfolios and lesson reviews. About Learning Inc., Wauconda, IL, (800) 822-4628, www.aboutlearning.com.
This article originally appeared in the 02/01/2002 issue of THE Journal.