Professional development is essential to the successful implementation of any instructional initiative. In addition to the Model Schools workshops offered through Jeff-Lewis BOCES, the district offers in-house development opportunities.

The Thousand Islands School District is committed to training its staff on how to use and integrate technology. The goals of Thousand Islands Technology Staff Development Plan include the following standards:

One: All staff will understand the role of technology as a tool in instruction and administrative tasks.

Two: All staff will utilize the technology to communicate within the buildings and throughout the district through the electronic mail and information resource systems.

Three: All staff will work successfully, independently and cooperatively, in a networked environment. Collaboration among colleagues (grade level, building, bridging across buildings) will continue to take place with the use of technology as a communication tool.

Four: All staff will navigate the Internet to connect to the world in order to communicate and exchange information.

Five: Teachers will increase their knowledge of the variety of instructional materials and equipment available to help students meet their individual needs. Teachers will be able to integrate instructional technology into the curriculum across the content areas.
 

Model Schools Staff Development Opportunities

In-House Staff Development Opportunities:

Basic Computing - This is designed to help teachers with some basic computing skills.  This is an introductory training.

• Intro to the computer
• File management
• Trouble shooting

Introduction to PowerPoint

• Creating a PowerPoint presentation
• Animations
• Inserting sounds, movies, and images
• Inserting hyperlinks
• Saving

Castle Learning

Introduction to Web Resources - This will cover some basic sites that you can use to enhance your lessons and your students experiences.  These sites will be cross-curricular.

Searching the Web with Google - This will be a comprehensive guide to searching the web using Google.com.

• Basic searching
• Advanced searching
• Special search functions
• Fun searches

Introduction to Excel - This will be a basic introduction to the use of Excel to create graphs, charts, and other spreadsheet functions.  This training will cover basic computing.

• Cells, columns, and rows
• Functions
• Charts and graphs

Introduction to Blogging - Blogging is the ability to write online for people to read and it allows students to create blogs that are related to the work they do in school.  These can be used at even the most basic level.  We will look at blogging, see how it can be used in the classroom and set you up with a blog that you can begin using the next day!

• What is blogging?
• Setting up the blog
• How to blog
• What to blog about

Data & Document Projector Set-Up:  This session will discuss and demonstrate how to set-up a Data Projector, Document Projector and how to work between the two devices.

CPS (Classroom Performance System):  is a student response system using wireless connectivity. It gives instructors and students immediate feedback from the entire class. The response pads are remotes that are durable, easy to use and engage students.  This session will discuss how to use the CPS in the classroom, set-up, and incorporate the technology into the classroom.

Smartboard Use:  This session will discus the use of the Smartboard, set-up, and how to incorporate the technology into the classroom.  This is a beginner training for those that have not used the Smartboard or are interested in gaining additional training.

Website Development:  This session will discuss how to use Frontpage or DreamWeaver, or Weebly.com to create and update your websites.  The session will address basics but we will also answer advanced questions if you have them.

Website Work Session:  This session will provide teachers with additional time to work on websites with the help of a trainer to guide them through the process and to address any issues that may arise.

Video Conferencing:  This session will address the use of video conferencing in the classroom as a way of increasing the experiences that students have as well as how to bring diverse cultures and experiences to the students.

Developing a Webquest:  This will be a two training that will provide teachers with the opportunity to create webquests that can be used to help in the instruction of students. "A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web.

Web 2.0:  is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users (Wikipedia, 2008).

Tools and services provided by Web 2.0 allow students to collaborate with their peers around the world to share their work, develop a product collaboratively, and gain feedback from others.

Home