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.
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