Building a T4PD Community, Part 2

Last week’s blog, “Building a T4PD Community: Part 1,” described a new strategy for professional development that has helped one school transform into a 21^st century learning center. Working one-on-one or in small groups, teachers come together to share their expertise in a supportive environment. This week, learn how you can institute the T4PD model in your school.

Getting Started with T4PD
Building a T4PD technology integration model in your school is easy – but it does take time. For two years our staff has been working to transform our classrooms with instructional technology, and we still have a ways to go to achieve full implementation.

Within the T4PD model, each member of the staff assumes one or more of the roles described below. While the process appears to result in a hierarchy, the foundation is based on a community of teachers assisting one another in a casual setting for the better implementation of instructional technology. Furthermore, teachers who take part in a T4PD model may actually fill several roles as the process continues and their ability to use technology in the classroom grows.

 Building a T4PD Community, Part 1

In November of 1986, a provocative article appeared in the New York Times with the simple title, “Debating Classroom Technology.” The article posed many intriguing questions about the future of technology in the classroom, at a time when educational technology was still in its infancy. Schools and teachers across the country were struggling to determine whether classroom technology might someday impact student learning: Could technology actually reform the way knowledge is transmitted? What is so compelling about this article, almost 30 years later, is that educators are still searching for the answer to that question.

Tablets and Smartphones and Laptops – Oh, My!

There are so many devices to choose from for your classrooms. Sometimes it is really hard to know what makes one a better choice than others. And by “better,” I mean a better fit for your educators’ and students’ needs, because that’s really what will determine what is the right device for you. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring the top reasons why you might want to choose one type of device over another. In this post we’ll focus on Chromebooks.

Getting Up and Running on Classroom Technology Doesn’t Have to Break the Budget

Professional development is an integral part of a successful ed-tech implementation in any classroom. Teachers must know how to use these technologies so that they can engage their students effectively. Many companies and websites offer webinars, workshops, and online or in-class courses to help train teachers to be proficient with educational technologies, but many of these training sessions come at a steep price. With a little searching, it’s possible to find a plethora of groups and websites offering free training resources. To save you time, we have compiled a list of some of the best of these free resources.

The 15 tech training resources below can get you off to a great start supporting your teachers’ ongoing professional development activities.

How to Find and Get the Most Out of Your Next Ed-Tech Conference

When you hear the word “conferences,” you probably think of parents waiting outside your classroom to discuss their child’s progress, report card, and perhaps behavior or academic issues. Now think bigger. 

Find the Conference That's Right for You
The education technology conference business encompasses local, regional, and national shows, and it’s alive and well. Attending these shows is a great way to pump up your skill set, connect with new colleagues and experts, and recharge your batteries. This graphic on 2015-16 ed-tech conferences and its two-page printout show you when and where you can find a conference. With so many on the list, chances are you can find at least one that’s convenient for you. 

Ideas worth spreading about education, technology, and more

The nonprofit Technology, Entertainment and Design (known as TED) is “devoted to spreading ideas,” according to its mission statement. How does it do that? By recording and posting online thousands of talks on many topics, given by experts in different fields.

TED began its work in 1984, but it has lately seen an explosion in popularity. Currently it has a worldwide following.

TED offers a wide range of talks devoted exclusively to education, and many of these talks deal specifically with education technology, including how best to integrate technological innovations in schools to engage students everywhere. All of these talks are available online.

Get to Know Some of the Top Ed-Tech Bloggers

We’re always looking for new resources to inspire and inform us about teaching, education trends, and technology. Today we’d like to share the following extensive list of sites and bloggers, where you will find informed opinions, reviews, and forums on all things educational.

1. 21st Century Educational Technology and Learning
   http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com
   Blogger Michael Gorman oversees a one-to-one laptop program and digital professional development for Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mike maintains this blog along with his own 21century ed-tech wiki, and also posts articles at Tech and Learning magazine and November Learning.
   
   
2. The Answer Sheet
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet
   Blogger Valerie Strauss writes for both parents and teachers of pre-K through graduate school students. She discusses educational, developmental, social, psychological, and other pertinent issues.
   
   

As we gear up for another great year at one of the largest education technology conferences in the U.S., everyone’s wondering what the 2015 ISTE Conference & Expo has in store. ISTE offers many opportunities to get inspired, meet colleagues, and learn about some of the most interesting trends in the educational technology industry. This year, the conference and expo will be held in the “City of Brotherly Love” – Philadelphia. From the sights of the city to the booths and workshops at the conference, here are ten things you surely won’t want to miss.  Take note to enjoy the full experience of ISTE 2015:

The following blog comes to us courtesy of Eric Sheninger, a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) and Scholastic Achievement Partners (SAP). It originally appeared on Eric’s blogspot column, “A Principal’s Reflections.” Eric also serves as the K-12 Director of Technology and Innovation in the Spotswood School District (NJ). He was previously an award-winning principal at New Milford High School, which became a globally recognized model for innovative practices under his leadership. His latest book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times, focuses on leading and learning in the digital age as a model for moving schools and districts forward.

Digital Learning Prospers with the Right Culture

As of late I have been doing a great deal of work with schools and districts on how to effectively implement digital learning across the curriculum. When it comes to technology in general, the overall goal is to support learning, not drive instruction. Where digital learning initiatives miss the point is a focus on how technology actually accomplishes this.