Professional Development

Teacher’s Technology Professional Development

The professional development will be in three rooms Flex Lab, Media Center, and Technology Room.  This professional development will occur throughout the first semester.  These staff developments are designed to help incorporate technology use in the classroom.  Grade levels will rotate through the three stations. 

1^st Staff Development Scheduled for September13

·         6^th grade teachers with band, chorus and art will begin in the Technology Room at 3:00

·         7^th grade teachers with PE Department will begin in the Media Center at 3:00

·         8^th grade teachers with technology and Life will begin in the Flex Lab at 3:00

You will be learning about different ways to incorporate technology within your classroom.  The professional develop should help your students become more engaged within the classroom.  We hope you take this opportunity to gather meaningful and useful resources to help with classroom Technology instruction.  The professional development will also help your student obtain twenty –first century skills while engaging in technology. In conclusion of the professional development you will fill out a survey rating the resources obtained during this time on the program Quia. 

v  Technology Room (Lead Teacher): How to incorporate wiki’s in the classroom?

o   How to create projects lesson

o   Creating your own wiki for your class

o   Benefits of having a wiki designed for your class

v  Media Center (Media Specialist): How blogs enhances learning within the classroom?

o   How to use Images, links, and video in a blog

o   How to use critical thinking and current event lessons

o   Benefits of using Blogs to meet twenty-first century learning skills

v  Flex Lab (Assistant Principal): Different ways to use Nettreker in the classroom. 

o   How to use the Resources on Nettreker

o   Web Quest lessons

o   How to use Nettreker  for research in the classroom

One to One

                                                                 Dear Faculty,

We are receiving laptops for our students next year which help promote a One to One initiative.  This is a great opportunity to make our students more globally competitive in the future.  This measure will also create many opportunities for students to learn within our classrooms and at home.  These learning tools will help our children develop twenty-first century skills which will prepare them for our workforce.  Our students will be able to enrich their knowledge in global awareness with interactive lessons taught in the classroom.  Our classrooms can be the gateway to the world.  This tool should help bridge the achievement gap in all students within our classrooms.  One to One initiative can help students develop problem solving skills as well as critical thinking skills.  This will help promote higher achievement within the classroom.  Teachers will also benefit from this technology.  You will be able to grade through PowerPoint’s, excel spread sheets, and other software instead of using paper.  This opportunity will help you expand your visual aids as well content to every student within your classroom.  This technology will drive content enrichment for all students.  Teachers will be able to engage into the student’s everyday life such as twitter.  Students will be able to tweet or IM you during class to ask a question.  This will help students ask tough question in the classroom without embarrassment.  These are just some of the positive avenues for these laptops.  Teachers will also engage in professional development to learn new software and instruments.  Teachers will learn about Edmodo, wiki, and blogging sites.  This professional development will enhance teacher and student learning in the future and develop twenty-first century skills.  We hope you embrace this opportunity for our community, school, staff, and students. 

SmartBoard's in the Classroom

Dear Faculty,

Our county has recently purchased SmartBoards for every classroom for our school.   We are thankful for this opportunity to bring technology into the classroom for our teachers and students to use on a daily basis.  SmartBoards will help our students develop the twenty-first century skills needed for the future.  The technology will help our teachers prepare more engaging lessons for their classrooms. The technology will also help bring the real world to your classroom by providing global awareness for our students.   Teachers will be able to use hands-on learning while providing visual effects for students while teaching a lesson.  This technology will make teaching easier within the classroom and provide manyresources for classroom.  The SmartBoards will also have document cameras which will help with overhead lessons, but teachers will be able to make these lessons more interactive for the students.  SmartBoards will help meet all diverse learners’ needs within the classroom.  We want all teachers within the school to embrace this opportunity given by our county.  This opportunity will help improve instruction and give more meaning to our lessons which help us drive student achievement.  Our school will provide professional development for teachers to help prepare their lessons.   We want everyone to feel comfortable while using this technology in your classrooms.   We will provide workshops and staff development for SmartBoards throughout the year to help teachers become more comfortable with the new technology.  This measure will also help you build new skills needed for the twenty-first century school and the new teacher evaluation system.  Our mission is to provide meaningful lessons through technology and real world experiences to help develop twenty-first century skills.  I look forward to sharing this experience with you throughout the year.