New PD Program Planned for Teacher-Leaders in SC District
The Greenville
County Schools (GCS) in Greenville, SC will
introduce a new professional development program in 10 of its schools
later
this year.
The 10 sites in South Carolina's largest school
district will
be implemented with the help of Discovery
Education's Digital Leader Corps and
will encourage "teacher-leaders" to serve as change agents for other
teachers
as the largest school system in South Carolina begins a five-year technology plan to update and revitalize all of its professional
development programs.
Each of the 10 campuses will be equipped with learning labs in
which teachers will be able to try new teaching strategies in
conjunction with
their students, practice and adapt their skills in a classroom setting
before
sharing the techniques with their colleagues in other classrooms. In
conjunction with the activities in the learning labs, the
teacher-leaders will
consult with experts at Discovery Education who will help with planning,
communications and implementation.
At the same time, a supplementary professional
development
program with Discovery Education professionals will be implemented by
way of virtual
conferences and in-person activities.
"Engaging digital content and high quality
professional development
are critical to accelerating student achievement," said Rob Warren,
director of
partnerships for Discovery Education.
Since 2002, GCS educators and students have had
access to the
Discovery Education streaming digital library of 10,000 learning
objects, all
aligned to state and national standards. Four GCS schools have also been
using
the company's digital
Science Techbook in their science classes.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.