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Tuesday, 13 July 2004: 4:15 PM-5:00 PM | |||
Australia 3 (Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel) | |||
E-2: Any Time, Any Place: On-Demand Staff Development | |||
| Detailed Description: | As time and funding constraints increase, staff development providers must meet the challenges faced by school districts. Region 14 Education Service Center utilizes WebCT to offer staff development sessions for administrators and educators that are accessible at any time from any computer that has Internet access. This session will provide an overview of the components of a staff development course and how courses can be designed to meet specific K-12 district staff development needs. | ||
| Presentation Format: | Showcase | ||
| Topic: | Empowering educators: Professional development models and methods | ||
| Target Audience: | K-12 Educational Staff | ||
| Appropriate Audience Level: | Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users | ||
| Abstract Text: | Teachers in rural areas often become isolated due to time restrictions, economic restraints, and distance to staff development offerings. Although opportunities for onsite staff development are limited, teachers still must obtain required staff development in their respective fields. Web-based staff development can help build teacher expertise using technologies already available. Region XIV Education Service Center is the staff development provider for 43 districts in West Central Texas. An extensive research study was conducted to determine the most effective means of providing online staff development. The results of that study led to the decision to work with WebCT to provide courses for administrators and educators to meet staff development requirements. WebCT courses allow teachers to learn specific skills and provide a means for teachers to network with others within their district, region, state, country, or even worldwide. Teachers can work together via the Internet to develop lesson plans and share with each other through on-demand training when it is needed most. Region XIV ESC is conducting a study as to the effectiveness of the online courses. The study utilizes two groups of attendees who receive the same instruction and course materials – online vs. onsite. Preliminary results indicate that training provided through WebCT-based courses is just as effective as training provided on-site. The educational reform initiatives set forth in "No Child Left Behind" require that highly qualified professionals teach students. If districts are not able to send teachers to training, how will this mandate be met? On-line staff development utilizing a format such as WebCT provides options to rural areas that otherwise would be unavailable. Through Region XIV ESC, districts throughout the state, and even beyond, are able to access the staff development courses as needed without having to send administrators and educators out of district. | ||
| Session Leader: | Tammy J. Newman Region XIV Education Service Center | ||
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