Fermilab LInC Online

LInC Staff Development Plan
Braidwood Elementary School

Vision: The teachers and staff at BES will learn and update their computer literacy skills in programs offered at their job and background levels.

A cadre of technology mentors will assist in encouraging staff members in their learning endeavors.

Both formal in-service days and informal peer to peer learning will continue.

Current Situation: Our school board and administration are behind the technology movement. Every staff member has at his/her workstation, a computer with inter-building and district e-mail via a program called Snap Mail. All staff personnel, from administrators to custodians and bus drivers, make good use of this service.

There are two (2) computer labs at BES for the use of the students, staff and the community.

Each year there are four days allotted for staff development. Staff members have a choice of programs to attend. Technology always has been offered as a choice.

A tech-mentor cadre helps any staff person with tech problems, resources and ideas. Many informal sessions are held before and after school on a peer to peer or learn alike group basis.

At present each staff member is entering into a district data base, the skills he/she has mastered and his/her individual areas of growth intent.

Credit courses are taken by many and they are rewarded with lane changes on the salary schedule.

Administration/Faculty Support: Our district technology director, with the support of administration and school board, is working with the lab directors and mentor teams from each building to update and refine our technology goals and plans. We meet at least twice a month, in person, and frequently via e-mail, to refine and tune our state approved plan.

Resources Needed: As always, upgrades on existing equipment are needed. The district plan has an on-going replacement and acquisition schedule.

Outline of Goals & Activities:

Based on the technology survey database, staff members will be sorted in learn-alike groups. Programs to enrich skills will be offered on each of the in-service days for both professional and service staff.

The following chart shows the offerings available in each tier of learning. This list can be revised as needs are established.

Beginners Basic Computer Techniques *Mouse Skills *Care of Computer *File Management *Opening & quitting programs Ethics of Computing Keyboard Skills (self paced tutorial) Graphic Interface E-Mail Communication Spell Check/Thesaurus

Intermediate The Computer as an Instruction tool *Create Hand-outs *Over Head Transparencies *Clip Art Use MultiMedia: *HyperStuidio *Slide Show *Claris Impact *Power Point Media-Center Access *Intro to the Net *Search Techniques *www for Students Databases Spread Sheets Mac School Gradebook Programs

Advanced Software Outliner Multi Media Creation SpreadSheet Creations and Formulas Charts & Graphs Draw & Paint Programs Claris Inspiration Engaged Learning Research Student & Personal Web Page Creation Quick Time Videos

Teachers and staff will choose their personal path to knowledge. District offered courses, commercial programs and self directed activities will be pursued according to their needs and goals perspectives by the building administrators.

Time Line: This plan, started in 1997, is an ongoing plan. It is projected that 85% of all staff members will complete and demonstrate the skills listed under beginners on the previous chart. As new people are hired, they will be given peer to peer instruction in the beginner skills, if needed. Thirty-five % of staff will work on intermediate skills in the 1998-99 school year and proceed into the advanced skills in the following year. By demonstration and use of the data survey, about 10 % of staff members are working at the advanced level. These are the leaders and mentors. They are very interested in the engaged learning aspects of technology and anticipate learning more in that logic in the 98/99 school year.

Evaluation: Evaluation will be by product. An increase in teacher use will be seen in the types of products used in class instruction. The database survey will be updated at each semester and the progress of each teacher noted by both James Elder, Lab Director, the building principal and the assistant principal. Carolyn Dunmore will tabulate the results. Another indicator will be the number of staff requesting the mentor help and attendance of in service offerings.

Extending The Plan: This is an on-going plan where each person proceeds at his/her own rate. Some may stop at the Intermediate level while others are expected to expand beyond our expectations.