Professional+Development

What clarifications, revisions, additions, or deletions should be made to the technology committee's professional development strategy to ensure that staff knows how to use these new technologies to improve education or library services?
 * //Professional Development Strategy//**

The District is committed to providing ongoing and consistent staff development opportunities to help ensure the effective integration of technology in each school. A variety of professional development opportunities are offered during the course of the school year, including software specific training (i.e. Successmaker, Blackboard.com) networking basics, desktop publishing, digital imaging, effective use of presentation software, e-mail, web integration and more. Other opportunities, including formal in-service courses are added as teachers request additional areas of study. Additionally, from 2000 through 2003, the District received grant funding of several hundred thousand dollars from a two Goals 2000 grants and a Learning Technology Grant that which specifically targeted technology training and integration strategies. Plans for subsequent years include formal training through in-service courses, training opportunities offered on conference days, and after school workshops. Additionally, a future goal is to provide ¡§just in time¡¨ training to teachers during their preparation periods and/or common planning times. The above staff development model is based on the stated needs of our teachers, and in part on feedback from the data provided in a report from the Evaluation Consortium at Albany, specifically the following two recommendations: - The participants reported a preference for hands on applications, verbal explanations, and demonstrations when learning to use technology - The majority of participants expressed the need for more time to collaborate with their peers
 * //Current professional development strategy://**

The District also participates in the BOCES Model Schools program and teachers may attend a variety of workshops and seminars offered through that program.