Enhancing Teacher Quality with Online

PD

One State’s Pilot Project

Jill Weber, EDC Cathy Higgins, NH jweber@edc.org chiggins@ed.state.nh.us

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NEIRTEC (neirtec.org)

Part of RTEC network (rtec.org) Online PD - ETLO, Designing for Technology

Integration Collaborative Evaluation Resources Technology Integration - Math Resources Knowledge Loom (KLOOM)

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New Hampshire Online PD Pilot

Design and implementation of project PD model - face-to-face and online

Face-to-face institute content Online “supported work environment” (course)

Results Lessons learned Next steps

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Background

NCLB Title II-D Educational Technology funding New Hampshire Local Educational Support Center

Network (LESCN) Six regional centers Technology-enhanced support/PD

http://www.nheon.org/

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Background

RFP Mini-grants - $2000 per participant Teams of two teachers Develop and deliver “effective and content-rich online

PD courses” to a statewide audience Funding priority

Emphasis on research-supported best practice tools and strategies

Specific content focus

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RFP Rubric

Specifies proposed course learning goals and what participants should know when they complete the course

Describes the performance objectives related to each goal

Outlines a variety of proposed assessment tools and techniques related to each learning objective

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RFP Rubric

Includes links to websites with at least two examples of assessment tools that might be appropriately used for the proposed course topic

Includes links to websites with at least two research references to the proposed course content

Describes a variety of teaching strategies and materials which the team expects to use to teach the course, including technology resources

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The Pilot Program

Nine two-teacher teams Four-day face-to-face summer institute Six-week “supported learning environment” -

ETLO Course design complete first semester Beta test course second semester

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The Pilot Program

NEIRTEC Partners EDC - ETLO (EdTech Leaders Online) http://www.edtechleaders.org Ed Alliance at Brown - Knowledge Loom

http://knowledgeloom.org/gmott TERC - Designing for Technology Integration

http://neirtec.terc.edu/ Learning Innovations at WestEd - Collaborative Evaluation

http://www.neirtec.org/evaluation/ Sun Associates - NEIRTEC evaluator

http://www.sun-associates.com/

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The Pilot Program

Initial survey of teachers Do you have much experience in doing PD? How would you rate yourself in overall use of technology?

(very comfortable, comfortable, not comfortable) How would you rate yourself in overall use of the Internet?

(vc, c, nc) Are you experienced with Blackboard/other course design

tools?

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The Pilot Program

Teacher Teams Master teachers Professional developers Online PD participants Online course designers Technology-savvy

Teacher Teams Willing “pioneers” Eager to apply knowledge in online course

AND classroom Ready to make an impact

Lesson

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The Pilot Program

Face-to-face learning environment

to teach online course development

for courses that would be delivered online to impact face-to-face teaching and learning

Lesson

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Face-to-Face Institute

Backward design model Elements of good professional development Good models of teaching with technology Online resources Instruction for beginning course creation

What can participants take away for their own course development from each step of the process?

Lesson

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Model Lessons - Emersion Model

“How do these lessons reflect good teaching and learning methods? Good technology integration?”

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Classroom Vignettes

How can you create the feeling of “looking into a classroom”? How can a lesson be documented?

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Online Resources

How do you evaluate a website? How do your online resources “measure up”?

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Building community

Three-legged stool model Learning content

Resources that bridge research and practice Learning tasks

Expert facilitation Peer-to-peer interaction

Face-to-face methods translated into online methods

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are needed to see this picture.

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Pedagogy of online course design and delivery Online teaching and learning

Opportunities, challenges, goals

Model courses Online course design

Key elements Developing course content Online environment - Blackboard Online assessments

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Pedagogy of online course design and delivery Online PD facilitation

Techniques Sustaining participation

Simulated online discussion “practice” Facilitation scenarios and models

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Lessons Learned

Participants Building community Planning with experts Acquiring quality resources Forming foundational knowledge on which to build course Making connections between PD they were receiving and PD

they were about to create/deliver Using model courses/lessons as a framework

Lesson

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Lessons Learned

Implementation of the Project Writing the RFP Setting participant expectations Planning - the “little things” Logistics for course offerings

Lesson

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Lessons Learned

The “Big Lessons” - what was key? Flexibility in program design Integration with other state goals/initiatives Alignment with state benchmarks Interfacing with state resources (human, tools) Building capacity

Teachers Center network State-wide PD plan

“Someone needs to be the expert. You need expertise in the leadership, and experience in the implementation, if you’re going to jump into the deep end.”

Lesson