Printer Friendly
The Free Library
14,716,324 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

Internet staff development essentials: here are tips for doing teacher training right. (the online edge).


With a 10-year national investment of $37.8 billion in education technology, a report released recently by the CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board.  Forum on Education and Technology, www.ceoforum. org, claims that schools are too focused on installing hardware and not looking at how it can be used to help students learn. Hardware and online connectivity account for about 63 percent of school technology spending; only 17 percent is devoted to teacher training. The forum recommends cutting hardware buying back to 45 percent and beefing up staff development to 30 percent of the yearly budget.

While it may seem expensive to do Internet staff development well, it costs more in the long run to do it poorly, and even more to skip it altogether. So whether you do your own staff development or hire outside consultants, the following are key elements I have gleaned from doing countless programs:

FOCUS ON SKILL DEVELOPMENT "Inspirational in·spi·ra·tion·al  
adj.
1. Of or relating to inspiration.

2. Providing or intended to convey inspiration.

3. Resulting from inspiration.
" presentations certainly have their place, but participants will benefit far more if they acquire specific useable content and practical techniques they can apply educationally. Examples include learning to do targeted Web searches, how to sign up for online discussion groups and how to propose collaborative projects.

TAILOR PROGRAMS TO LOCAL REALITIES Teachers will justifiably jus·ti·fi·a·ble  
adj.
Having sufficient grounds for justification; possible to justify: justifiable resentment.



jus
 feel frustrated frus·trate  
tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates
1.
a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart:
 if the content presented cannot be applied because the needed technology is not available. Similarly, the skills and examples that are introduced should be appropriate for the teaching levels, content specialties and technology experience of the participants.

USE HUMOR humor, according to ancient theory, any of four bodily fluids that determined man's health and temperament. Hippocrates postulated that an imbalance among the humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) resulted in pain and disease, and that good health was  WITH A PURPOSE Humor can be used effectively to add interest, but is more valuable if it relates to concepts in the presentation. For example, I share the term "dinosaur dinosaur (dī`nəsôr) [Gr., = terrible lizard], extinct land reptile of the Mesozoic era. The dinosaurs, which were egg-laying animals, ranged in length from 2 1-2 ft (91 cm) to about 127 ft (39 m).  point" when glazed glaze  
n.
1. A thin smooth shiny coating.

2. A thin glassy coating of ice.

3.
a. A coating of colored, opaque, or transparent material applied to ceramics before firing.

b.
 looks of participants tell me it is time to move on to a new activity. That concept came from a student's book report on dinosaurs <onlyinclude> This list of dinosaurs is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the superorder Dinosauria, excluding class Aves (birds, both living and those known only from fossils) and purely vernacular terms.  that concluded: "This book told me more about dinosaurs than I cared to know!"

ENCOURAGE NOTE-TAKING When participants "act" on presented information by keeping notes in their own words, they will always be better equipped to apply the content after the program has ended. I almost always provide participants with overview handouts they can use in following along each presentation, and encourage taking notes.

CITE GENUINE TEACHING EXAMPLES While there is no lack of hypothetical examples for using online resources to enhance, extend and transform the curriculum, it is far more valuable to show how real teachers and real students use online content for specific educational purposes. Drawing on the expertise of local school experts can be particularly motivating.

IDENTIFY MAJOR CURRICULUM SOURCE SITES Distributed lists of applications can soon become obsolete, since individual addresses can suddenly change, move or disappear. While examples are important, it is more effective to identify the "source sites" where applications can be found, since these locations are relatively stable (see "Curriculum Hot Spots hot spots

acute moist dermatitis.
 on the Web 2002," CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATOR, September, 2001).

SCHEDULE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES Presentations should ideally include live online demonstrations that can also model what to do if problems arise. However, it is important for participants to try the procedures themselves as soon as possible. I therefore prefer to break long presentations into shorter blocks of time, each followed by online labs.

RECOMMEND SUPPORTING RESOURCES Staff development should also provide or recommend additional materials to help teachers apply what they have learned when they go it alone. These can include background articles, step-by-step instructions, copies of presentation slides, and optional activities.

PRESENT A VARIETY OF OPTIONS The best staff development programs continue throughout the year, and provide different types of experiences including large-group presentations, small-group presentations, curriculum- or level-specific workshops, and sessions with individuals. It is also important to announce related staff development experiences such as area conferences, workshops and online opportunities.

Odvard Egil Dyrli, dyrli@uconn.edu, is senior editor and emeritus e·mer·i·tus  
adj.
Retired but retaining an honorary title corresponding to that held immediately before retirement: a professor emeritus.

n. pl.
 professor of education at the University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut is the State of Connecticut's land-grant university. It was founded in 1881 and serves more than 27,000 students on its six campuses, including more than 9,000 graduate students in multiple programs.

UConn's main campus is in Storrs, Connecticut.
.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Professional Media Group LLC
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Author:Dyrli, Odvard Egil
Publication:District Administration
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Oct 1, 2001
Words:641
Previous Article:Open your test booklets: why standardized testing is still a pencil-and-paper event. (21st century assessment).
Next Article:What are they shooting at? Making sense of the math wars. (speaking out).
Topics:



Related Articles
Learning from teachers: applying education principles to camp.
The InterNet Academy and Beyond.(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
Information Technology and Staff Development: Issues and Problems Related to New Skills and Competence Acquisition.(professionals involved in the...
Professional Development in Technology: Catalyst for School Reform.
Combining web-based training and mentorship to improve technology integration in the K-12 classroom.
It takes time: twenty tips for making professional development a priority in your district. (Focus: professional development).
The art of online learning: it's effective, efficient, and there's new money to fund it. Adopting these tips for online staff development can ensure...
Teachers learning to use instructional technology.
Tapping the potential of service agencies: new demands bring new relationships among rural school systems and intermediate districts.
Rural creativity: a study of district mandated online professional development.

Terms of use | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles