1. Technology Training In Your District
How to get the most proliferation for your money and time.
Brian Pool, National Trail LSD

2. #1 Ensure teachers have the tools they need.
Permanent Placement of Technology Tools give teachers a feeling of purpose in their training.
Prioritize your equipment and get it for everyone that asks.
Order of Installation
Overhead Mounted LCDs
Interactive Whiteboards

3. #2 Train Train Train
Any technology without proper training borders on criminal!
Technology skills are neither included nor inherent in most teachers prior educational training and experience.
Don’t treat teachers like they are dumb!
Treat them like they are experienced educators in a new environment.
We tech weenies are less intimidated than most people and are frequently slow to help and quick to judge.

4. How to Train #1 Setup a time for training on an ongoing basis.
Be predictable and allow teachers time to build their schedules accordingly.
We do weekly “Tech Tuesday” classes at 2:45 and 3:45 after school.
You may need to rotate buildings and do it more or less frequently.
Schedule

5. How to Train
#2 Build a list of core competent teachers to help with day to day problems.
By building, grade level, or department.
Give them extra attention to raise competency.
Give them priority (in the beginning) for additional Technology Skills Training
SOITA Conferences
Etech Ohio

6. Building up Your Staff
Take as many teachers as you can to technology conferences.
Rotate them to “spread the wealth”
We only bring teachers if they agree to teach classes when they return.
Most teachers understand and are more than willing to tell other teachers about what they learned…some would rather eat glass.

7. Build a list of potential tech classes
By attending conferences with a large groups of interested teachers, you can build a great list of classes.
Don’t be afraid to ask for their materials and PowerPoints!
Teachers that attend will quickly become teacher leaders.

8. …and Most Importantly
Get a full day In-service dedicated to Technology Training!
Organize and run it yourself.
Ask outside sources
Vendors, teachers, DA Site, SOITA to teach classes.

9. Technology Skills In-service
In the beginning it was modeled after SOITA and Etech
Morning Orientation
4 – 50 Minute Session Blocks
Get as many options as you can
Don’t be afraid to repeat some
Make sure you have all levels of training for all time periods.
All our SOITA and Etech attendees are expected to teach 2 courses they thought were the best!
20 Minutes in between sessions.
Get together at the end of the day.
Post In-service Survey.

10. Technology Skills In-service
Current Practice
Short Orientation
3 – 80 Minute Session Blocks
“Learn less – Apply More” Slogan
All our SOITA and Etech attendees are still expected to teach 2 courses they thought were the most worthwhile (can team teach.)
20 Minutes in between sessions.
Get together at the end of the day.
Post In-service Survey.

11. Technology Skills In-service
Schedule Early and Give teachers access to your program.
Year 1 we only gave 10 minutes in-between classes and got feedback.
Overall very well received!
We have done it four years now.
It is now the annual March In-service.

12. Technology Skills In-service
Include other districts in your county.
Invite ESC
Invite Guest Presenters
Invite Everyone!

13. Put Courses Online (with Moodle)
Build a site where teachers can access training at their own pace, on their schedule.
Handouts, PowerPoints, Videos
Make the site easy to navigate.
Online PD
May limit the attendance to your Tech Tuesdays!

14. Use Flip Cameras
Record InService Sessions, Tech Tuesdays, Guest Presenters…
The ability for all teachers to reach content is invaluable…if you train them on where to find it!

15. Use Smart Recorder or Windows Media Encoder
Most Techies can use PPT and Word to make handouts…but…
A video shows them how, lets them pause and rewind, and is actually much less time consuming to create.
Convert files to your Districts Flavor using FormatFactory.

16. Spreading Technology Training Throughout Your District
#1 Build up your core technology friendly staff and reward them.
#2 Build a larger group of tech savvy staff through onsite, offsite, and online training.
#3 Bring it all together with a yearly Technology Skills In-service.

17. Questions? Brian Pool National Trail Local SD 937-437-3333 x 1235