Technology Professional Development Best Practice Continuum

Middle Cities Education Association
Creating Opportunities for the Urban Learner

Technology Professional Development Best Practice Continuum

(Entry level standards "a" through "g" below have been approved by the SBE in August 1998)
The descriptors in italics were developed by Middle Cities Education Association for a technology conference in April 1998.
An ability to use information technology to enhance learning and to enhance personal and professional productivity.

a. design, develop, and implement student learning activities that integrate information technology for a variety of student grouping strategies and diverse student populations.
Am aware of research on impact of technology integration on student skills, abilities, and relation to needs	Create management techniques that match the structuring of students' experiences and needs	Use ITAC for planning lessons with appropriate technologies	Collect data that reflect effectiveness of activities on specific groups and individual student learning	Incorporate students in thinking, planning, and using technologies to reach learning goals Discuss and collaborate with study teams
b. identify and apply resources for staying current in applications of information technology in education.
Read journals, etc. regarding new programs	Plan time to review new applications	Use Internet to connect with new technologies and individuals who use them	Use a student review process to get feedback on software	Review new applications in study groups, department meetings, etc. Have written reviews of applications to share with colleagues
c. demonstrate knowledge of uses of multi-media, hyper-media, telecommunications, and distance learning to support teaching/learning.
Have attended sessions where the above applications were demonstrated in a teaching/learning context	Established a learning schedule to become proficient at using the above technologies	Integrated format/ application into lessons at least once per month	Developed problem based learning units for students with technologies integrated into process and product with rubrics for success	Developed communication system with parents and community to share student success in projects and incorporate family issues and community projects
d. demonstrate knowledge about instructional management resources that assist in such activities as writing and updating curriculum; creating lesson plans and tests; and promoting, reinforcing, and organizing data regarding student performance.
Understand curriculum alignment and its significance to teaching and learning	Use technologies to keep a record of curriculum/ instruction/ and assessments for self Use technology to find curriculum, lessons, and assessments on the WWW	Use curriculum management applications networked in the district	Can use curriculum management software data to keep track of individual and group student success. Provide means for student electronic portfolio	Use data to inform school wide school improvement goals Share lessons and assessments electronically with grade or course mates.
e. use information technologies to support problem solving, data collection, information management, communications, presentations, and decision making including word processing, database management, spreadsheets, and graphic utilities.
Am aware of connections between work tasks and technologies	Am exploring the use of technologies in the workplace and the relationship to curriculum in the schools i.e. school-to-work	Am incorporating these productivity applications into the problem based learning workplace activities for students and basing them in local business situations	Am measuring student skills in use of technology in work place related application (with a rubric)	Using applications in school and district problem solving projects and teams
f. demonstrate knowledge of equitable, ethical, legal, social, physical, and psychological issues concerning use of information technology.
Awareness of issues related to each area Awareness of needs of diverse populations	Register all software or am sure that the district has the appropriate licensing	Communicate with district tech team to keep current on the security issues and keep problems to a minimum Aggressively provide access to all subgroups of students. Aggressively involve minority staff as role models for students	Use information technologies to identify achievement gaps in subgroups	Consistently discuss and connect issues in decision-making to information technology
g. use information technology to enhance continuing professional development as an educator.
Am aware of opportunities for professional development related to information technology	Have clearly identified personal skill needs in relation to technology	Have access to information technology at school and at home	Have incorporated learnings about technology into teaching Developed a way to measure personal learning in using technologies with students	Use email and other electronic messaging to maintain an Internet study group on instruction Discuss the connection of student and professional learning and technology with colleagues, parents and community.