Building an Instructional Technology Program in Tough Economic Times Melissa K. Jackson Instructional Technology Coordinator ~Newton County Schools~

Newton County Technology Support Teams

Professional Development of the Past Instructional Technology Specialist BOE Teachers take BOE Technology Specialist train teachers All teachers “InTech” Certified ▫ActivBoard training, iPad training, etc. No Lesson Plan Development No Collaboration No Follow- up Sound Familiar?

Growing Need for PD Student Achievement: ▫Teacher PD greatly affects student achievement. ▫Collaboration often allows teachers to share ideas, troubleshoot problems on their own, and enables them to become more innovative. “[when] teachers aren’t trained to teach differently with the help of [computer] equipment, all too often they end up forfeiting its latent benefit and allowing students to play games or roam the Web” (Bennett, 1999). (Borthwick, 2008)

Growing Need for PD One Size Fits All PD ▫All teachers gathered together ▫Training delivered to whole group ▫No hands-on training ▫No curriculum specific application ▫No follow up support (U.S. Congress, 1995)

Growing Need for PD One size fits all- Not effective ▫Need follow up ▫Teachers need on going support through continued PD ▫Need hands-on learning & collaboration ▫Successful districts implement weekly & even daily technology training and support (Cunningham, 2013)

NCSS Model – Technology Teacher Leaders Began in 2009 TTL- Technology Teacher Leader ▫One in each of the 23 schools ▫Chosen by Administrator ▫Reports to Administrator & Director of Technology  2013 added Instructional Technology Coordinator

NCSS Model – Technology Teacher Leaders TTL- Technology Teacher Leader  TTL Roles & Responsibilities TTL Roles & Responsibilities ▫Strong working relationship amongst all involved

NCSS Model- Technology Support Teams Technology Teacher Leader works w/ Administration to choose a Technology Support Team ▫Includes:  TTL  Media Center Specialists  School Technology Assistant  School Technology Specialists  One teacher per grade level  One teacher per subject area  Student Tech Teams Student Tech Teams

NCSS Model – Training Methods Coordinator collaborates with TTLs & TSTs ▫Meet monthly as TTLs ▫TTL Leadership Team Coordinator works with TSTs ▫TSTs redeliver to schools  Tech Coordinator serves 23 schools – availability intermittent  TSTs = school level experts always available

NCSS Model – Training Methods Tech Team Training ▫Coordinator works with Teams  Smaller group setting  Hands on training  Individualized instruction based on school needs  Longer training periods - more effective ▫Teams redeliver  Team Tuesdays / WoW Wednesdays  Lunch and Learns  PLCs

NCSS Model – Training Methods New Initiatives: ▫Teams are trained by Coordinator  AM Trainings MS  PM Trainings HS / ES  No Subs needed ▫Teams Redeliver

NCSS Next Step Mentoring ▫Technology Coordinator works with Technology Teacher Leader  Observe Classrooms  Examine the use of technology  Coach TTLs to mentor teachers in the effective use of embedding technology

NCSS Model – Technology Conference ▫Tech Tuesdays  Training  Lesson Plan Development / Collaboration ▫Summer Technology Conference  Tech Teams Present  Vendors Welcome  All Teachers Welcome

We hope you enjoyed this GaETC session. Please give your feedback at

Contact Melissa K. Jackson, Ed.S ~Instructional Technology Dr. Gary Shattuck ~Director of Technology & Media

Resources Borthwick, A., & Pierson, M. (2008). Transforming classroom practice: Professional development strategies in educational technology. International Society for Technology in Education. Cunningham, J. (2013). Between technology and teacher effectiveness: Professional development. Tech & Learning, Retrieved from development/0017/between-technology-and- teacher-effectiveness-professional- development/41214 U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection, OTA-EHR-616 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1995).