Team+4+-+Prof.+Development


 * __ TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT __**

** Technology Professional Development Goals and Objectives: **
The state Required Goals are covered in our existing District Technology Goal 2 with its measurable objectives that are aligned to 21st Century Teaching and Learning: NETS and P21 Framework, local School Improvement goals, 3Rs and 4Cs :
 * ** Required Goal: ** Improve the capacity of teachers to integrate technology effectively into the curriculum and instruction.
 * ** Required Goal: ** Encourage effective integration of technology through teacher training and curriculum development to establish replicable best practices.
 * ** Required Goal ** : Improve the capacity of classified staff to effectively use technology to fulfill their duties.
 * Goal 2: ** All staff will have the skills and assistance necessary to integrate technology so that students meet high academic standards and district exit outcomes.
 * Objective 2.1: The district will provide quality professional development opportunities for instruction based on the annual needs assessment, best teaching practices and the research-based National Education Technology Standards for teachers from [|ISTE]
 * Objective 2.2: Teachers will develop assignments, projects, and/or units of study that allow students to demonstrate transfer and application of technology and information literacy to all areas of the curriculum. [|NETS for Students] standards and [|21st Century Skills Standards] will be part of the assessment of student performance.
 * Objective 2.3: Teachers will serve as models for becoming effective lifelong learners, meaningful communicators, problem solvers, quality contributors, and healthy citizens through personal professional development, professional learning communities, mentoring, and collaboration.
 * Objective 2.4: The district will support a culture of responsible risk-taking that promotes instructional innovation through integration of technology. ([|3Rs] and [|4Cs] at the end of this section)
 * Objective 2.5: The district will conduct quantitative staff technology skills assessments twice each year using one or more of the following assessment tools:
 * 1) [|LoTi] - Levels of Technology Implementation Framework online assessment
 * 2) [|Atomic Learning] Tech Skills Assessment online assessment based on ISTE NETS-S
 * 3) [|Quia] surveys - Locally developed print and online surveys that may be accessed via links form our district website, email, and are available for both pick up and return at community partner locations

** Technology Professional Development Narrative: **
District 325 is committed to its vision of our schools as student-centered, technology-rich learning environments where learning is facilitated by staff with high levels of professional support and training. Schools where technology will be integrated K-12 in all curricular areas, enabling all members of the learning community to become effective lifelong learners, meaningful communicators, problem solvers, quality contributors, and healthy citizens.

We recognize that the learning community includes our staff and to that end will maintain staff development strategies that are research-based, are proven effective based on district assessments, and allow teachers to model the lifelong learning skills we want our students to master.

We expect to see teachers energized and learners engaged. We subscribe to the theory expressed by our higher education representative [|Cyndi Danner-Kuhn] that “Technology is opening minds with a new set of keys.”


 * What evidence would you see that teachers and staff technology integrate technology into a wide array of tasks designed to address district goals and objectives (21st Century Teaching and Learning: NETS and P21 Framework, 3Rs and 4Cs) and local school improvement goals in reading, writing, math, social studies and communications skills across the curriculum? **

Teachers incorporate a variety of hardware, software and media (PowerPoint, Keynote, and Learn 360 video; ceiling mounted projectors, interactive whiteboards, iPads, Apple TV and response systems) into their lesson design, content delivery and performance assessments. They use Kaned resources, KERC, netTrekker, Promethean Planet, Wikis, Web tools, social and personal learning networks to access standards and locate field tested units of instruction to use or modify for use as student projects.

Teachers use project and challenge based assignments with appropriate authentic assessments to increase student academic achievement through the use of technology.

Teachers update grades weekly in PowerTeacher so that students and parents or guardians can access current grades online with secure authentication generated in PowerSchool, our web-based student information system. Teachers model use of email and social networking to foster awareness of Cyber bullying/Internet Safety/Digital Citizenship.

Teachers are aware of and integrate the technology curriculum scope and sequence into projects and assignments within their content area ensuring that students are technology literate by the end of 8th grade and meet district technology benchmarks by end of senior year. Teachers’ lessons build in ongoing references to and use of student Responsible Use Policies that address Cyber bullying/Internet Safety/Digital Citizenship.

Secretaries, counselors and administrators enroll, schedule, transfer, track attendance, route and request e-transcripts, and prepare grade cards and other reports to improve communication with parents and assorted government agencies and partners. USD 325 provides a wide range of professional development activities to To assist teachers in meeting the goals and objectives the district will provide professional development opportunities for staff at multiple levels both in-house and out-of-district that will include:
 * Improve the capacity of teachers to integrate technology effectively into the curriculum and instruction.
 * Encourage effective integration of technology through teacher training and curriculum development to establish replicable best practices.
 * Improve the capacity of classified staff to effectively use technology to fulfill their duties.


 * 1) Introductory training for all staff focusing on the general capabilities of district technology
 * 2) Digital Citizenship Training that addresses appropriate, ethical, social, and legal uses of technology in school and real life settings
 * 3) BYOL (Bring Your Own Laptop) - Skill specific training related to the needs identified by staff on post training surveys (Kan-Ed Empowered Desktop, iLife, iWork, Office, and email, Airliner) and on the LoTi survey (location and identification of resources, project based-learning, authentic assessment and integration)
 * 4) Apple Professional Development focused on integration needs identified on the LoTi survey (location and identification of resources, project based-learning, authentic assessment and integration)
 * 5) Professional Learning Networks to explore and encourage the use of emerging technologies (Google document and resource sharing, Wikis, Blogs, Twitter, Ning, iChat, Skype…)
 * 6) MyLearningPlan Training to explore and encourage the development of digital Professional Development Portfolios for demonstration of professional growth in integrated instruction
 * 7) Content Area/Grade Level training to use and explore applications specific to subject and grade level instruction and learning
 * 8) TIE (Teacher Integration Exchange) sessions to share integration success strategies
 * 9) Courses and Workshop access via Regional Service Center, Institutions of Higher Learning, and/or local district Intel Teacher To The Future program.

** Evaluating Technology Professional Development **
As a result of its commitment to a shared vision and mission, the action steps taken to provide technology resources and access, and its aligned goals and objectives for learning and instruction, the district will know that the current professional development offerings have an impact in the classroom as indicated by data collected from:
 * 1) SimpleAssessment for students (online assessment with pre- and post-test options all based on ISTE – NETS-S)
 * 2) Atomic Learning Tech Skills Assessment (online assessment based on ISTE NETS-S)
 * 3) Quia surveys (Locally developed surveys)
 * 4) Kansas Computerized Assessments, BAIP, AIMSweb, PALS, and Accelerated Reader and Math
 * 5) Teacher Assessment of student performance proficiency on technology curriculum benchmarks

USD 325 will use multiple assessments for professional development that are designed to assess professional development offerings and are aligned with instructional goals and objectives. The district will know that knowledge/skills from professional development opportunities have been transferred to classroom practice as indicated by data collected from:
 * 1) Direct classroom observations via Administrator’s walk-throughs, IT Staff observations and walk-throughs, and formal administrative evaluations conducted monthly
 * 2) LoTi (Levels of Technology Implementation Framework online assessment)
 * 3) Atomic Learning Tech Skills Assessment
 * 4) Quia annual progress surveys

Staff members will provide further evidence of the results and impact of professional development activities in the classroom by completing the Results Based Evaluation form in MyLearningPlan. They can supplement this by uploading documentation, projects and media files to their individual File Library within MyLearningPlan.

The Professional Development Council will use the evidence in MyLearningPlan to determine the type and number of points to award for professional development activities. The council may also make recommendations for repeated or new activities based on overall staff evaluation of activities.