Building an Instructional Technology Program in Tough Economic Times

Melissa K. JacksonInstructional Technology Coordinator~Newton County Schools~

Newton County

Technology Support Teams

Professional Development of the Past•Instructional Technology Specialist housed @ BOE

•Teachers take PD @ BOE•Technology Specialist train teachers •All teachers “InTech” Certified

▫ActivBoard training, iPad training, etc.•No Lesson Plan Development•No Collaboration•No Follow- up

Sound Familiar?

Growing Need for PD•Student Achievement:

▫Teacher PD greatly affects student achievement.▫Collaboration often allows teachers to share

ideas, troubleshoot problems on their own, and enables them to become more innovative.

•“[when] teachers aren’t trained to teach differently with the help of [computer] equipment, all too often they end up forfeiting its latent benefit and allowing students to play games or roam the Web” (Bennett, 1999).

(Borthwick, 2008)

Growing Need for PD•One Size Fits All PD

▫All teachers gathered together▫Training delivered to whole group▫No hands-on training▫No curriculum specific application▫No follow up support

(U.S. Congress, 1995)

Growing Need for PD•One size fits all- Not effective

▫Need follow up▫Teachers need on going support through

continued PD▫Need hands-on learning & collaboration▫Successful districts implement weekly &

even daily technology training and support

(Cunningham, 2013)

NCSS Model – Technology Teacher Leaders•Began in 2009•TTL- Technology Teacher Leader

▫One in each of the 23 schools▫Chosen by Administrator▫Reports to Administrator & Director of

Technology 2013 added Instructional Technology Coordinator

NCSS Model – Technology Teacher Leaders• TTL- Technology Teacher Leader

TTL Roles & Responsibilities▫Strong working relationship amongst all

involved

NCSS Model- Technology Support Teams•Technology Teacher Leader works w/

Administration to choose a Technology Support Team▫Includes:

TTL Media Center Specialists School Technology Assistant School Technology Specialists One teacher per grade level One teacher per subject area Student Tech Teams

NCSS Model – Training Methods•Coordinator collaborates with TTLs & TSTs▫Meet monthly as TTLs▫TTL Leadership Team

•Coordinator works with TSTs ▫TSTs redeliver to schools

Tech Coordinator serves 23 schools – availability intermittent

TSTs = school level experts always available

NCSS Model – Training Methods•Tech Team Training

▫Coordinator works with Teams Smaller group setting Hands on training Individualized instruction based on school needs Longer training periods - more effective

▫Teams redeliver Team Tuesdays / WoW Wednesdays Lunch and Learns PLCs

NCSS Model – Training Methods•New Initiatives:

▫Teams are trained by Coordinator AM Trainings MS PM Trainings HS / ES

No Subs needed▫Teams Redeliver

NCSS Next Step•Mentoring

▫Technology Coordinator works with Technology Teacher Leader Observe Classrooms Examine the use of technology Coach TTLs to mentor teachers in the

effective use of embedding technology

NCSS Model – Technology Conference

▫Tech Tuesdays Training Lesson Plan Development / Collaboration

▫Summer Technology Conference Tech Teams Present Vendors Welcome All Teachers Welcome

We hope you enjoyed this GaETC session.

Please give your feedback at

www.gaetc.org/evaluate

ContactMelissa K. Jackson, Ed.S

~Instructional Technology Coordinator~@Ed_Tech_Teacher

jackson.melissa@newton.k12.ga.us

Dr. Gary Shattuck~Director of Technology & Media Services

@EdTechLeadershattuck.gary@newton.k12.ga.us

ResourcesBorthwick, A., & Pierson, M. (2008). Transforming

classroom practice: Professional development strategies in educational technology. International Society for Technology in Education.

Cunningham, J. (2013). Between technology and teacher effectiveness: Professional development. Tech & Learning, Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/professional-development/0017/between-technology-and-teacher-effectiveness-professional-development/41214

U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection, OTA-EHR-616 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1995).