Louisiana Takes Instructional Support Online with Peer Connection

The Office of the Governor of Louisiana has chosen PBS TeacherLine's Peer Connection to provide ongoing support for professional development education operated by the state. PBS made the announcement Thursday at FETC 2010 in Orlando, FL.

Peer Connection is TeacherLine's online suite of tools and strategies for education leaders who provide professional development as part of teachers' daily routine. Many teachers struggle to find the extra hours in the week for to pursue their own ongoing knowledge in order to become better, more effective educators. The subscription-based resource contains standards-aligned materials for preK-12 math, reading, instructional strategies, and instructional technology that allow coaches and mentors to optimize the professional growth of such teachers.

The Governor's Office also said it expects its decision to join Peer Connection to benefit the Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development Program (NSECD), which the state created in order to serve at-risk students. NSECD is training its own specialists to use the site and expects to implement its widespread use in the 2010-2011 school year.

"Our monitors will be able to build resource networks for teachers and their principals to ensure a supportive learning community no matter where they are located," said Petrouchka Moise, director of NSECD. "Peer Connection provides quick access to a wealth of information that is well-organized and presented in a user-friendly way, so it's easy for busy teachers to find high-quality resources they need."

In addition to the Governor's Office initiative, several Louisiana school districts have also signed with Peer Connection for their own professional development programs.

About the Author

Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs Off on AI Content Safeguard Laws

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills into law, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • glowing AI brain composed of geometric lines and nodes, encased within a protective shield of circuit patterns

    NIST's U.S. AI Safety Institute to Collaborate with Anthropic and OpenAI on AI Research

    The U.S. AI Safety Institute, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is partnering with AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI to collaborate on AI safety research, testing, and evaluation.

  • abstract, minimalist illustration of an educator interacting with geometric shapes and lines representing AI tools in a classroom setting

    5 Lessons Learned from an AI Early Adopter

    A 6th grade ELA teacher offers best practices based on his experience using AI tools and features in the classroom.

  • a glowing gaming controller, a digital tree structure, and an open book

    Report: Use of Game Engines Is Expanding Beyond Gaming

    Game development technology is being utilized beyond its traditional gaming roots, according to the recently released annual "State of Game Development" report from development and DevOps solutions provider Perforce Software.