Professional Development
TLP 2016-2017
TLP Session December 2014
The Teacher Leadership Project met in December 2014 for a full-day collaboration session to highlight all the great technology projects going on throughout the district as well as to learn new 21st century educational practices.
We began with a teacher sharing session in which 5 participants shared some technology enhanced lessons with the group.
The meeting continued with several breakout sessions including Gaming and Comic Creation. Martha Walsh and Kari Packard demonstrated how to use comic creation to retell stories and assist with story creation. They highlighted software on both computers and iPads. Kyle Dunbar and Bobby Ofterdinger demonstrated some of the educational games available to ACPS students such as DimensionU and MinecraftEDU.
After breaking for lunch, the TLP cohort continued their day of learning by celebrating Computer Science Education Week through participating in the Hour of Code initiative. We reflected on the importance of providing our students with opportunities to learn 21st century skills. After spending time learning the basics of coding, it was clear that coding could provide students with opportunities to develop problem-solving skills and foster creativity.
We concluded the day with our final breakout sessions. Participants had the opportunity to learn more about coding, the benefits of using Skype to have students communicate with authors, and how to build their Professional Learning Network using social media and blogs.
TCW’s 2015 Technology Cohorts
In an effort to better support and encourage teachers to effectively incorporate educational technology and best practices at TC and MH, the Technology Integration Specialists have created a new program based on month-long thematic cohorts. Each month will provide teachers the opportunity to collaborate with the TIS’s and their fellow educators to expand their use of instructional technology by understanding its effective uses in regards to the ISTE Standards and the ACPS Classroom in Focus guidelines. Learn more on the TC TIS Blog: http://blogs.acpsk12.org/tctis/technology-cohorts/
Long story short: Meet with the TIS and teachers, learn, do awesome things,and get recertification points.
You will work with a tight-knit cohort during one planning period a week for four weeks. The TIS will organize and run each session, as well as be available to work with you individually for co-teaching and other projects.
Discover new ways to engage students in content, as well as how to leverage all of the tools available to you. Explore the ISTE Standards for Teachers and how they can expand your understanding of educational technology use.
Develop new activities, and revamp old ones. Build lessons and units that reflect the work and collaborative process you take on in the cohort. Co-teach, reflect, and take chances.
Receive up to 20 recertification points for the cohort. Different strands of participation earn you different levels of points. Choose the strand that best fits your availability and desire for a challenge.
TIE
The Technology Integration Education (TIE) course is a seven week blended course designed to teach ACPS personnel how to integrate technology tools and software available in our school division into the classroom curriculum. In this course, Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) personnel will ascertain the needed knowledge and skills to fulfill the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP). Featured learning modules include Utilizing Data to drive instruction and Multimedia and the Flipped Classroom to meet the needs of a diverse population of students.
Visit this page for more information.
Teacher Leadership Project-C (TLP-C)
The professional development strand in ACPS called Teacher Leadership Program – Collaborate (TLP-C) is an opportunity to build and continue a community of practice collaborating, modeling and implementing relevant, engaging and innovative technologies in the classroom. There will be one online session offered each month. Each online session will be co-facilitated by ACPS teachers through Blackboard Collaborate, an online collaboration platform. Teachers will present virtually on digital topics based on teaching and learning in their classrooms. Teachers will share digital tools and resources, effective strategies and student work. There will be time during each session for discussion, exploration and collaboration. This blog is a venue for continuing the conversation and learning beyond the live, online sessions.
All teachers are welcome to participate in TLP-C. Levels of participation are Drop-in and Committed Participants. Drop-ins will attend sessions as they are able or can listen to recorded sessions posted on this blog. Committed Participants must be active participants in at least 6 of the 8 live sessions (active participants will be engaged in chatting, raising hands, active in polling, etc) and be present for the entire live session. Committed Participants will also complete 3 reflections throughout the year and provide evidence of the implementation of the tools and strategies presented in the sessions.
For more information and to view recordings from past sessions, check out our TLP-C blog!
If you would like to be a Developer for the 2014-2015 school year, please indicate your interest here: Developer Interest Form
If you would like to be a Committed Participant for the 2014-2015 school year, please indicate your interest here: Committed Participants Interest Form
Teacher Leadership Project
Teacher Leadership Project is a cohort of classroom teachers interested in research, sustained new learning and collaboration on how to engage students in project-based learning using technology. Participating teachers will attend 3 full day workshops in the summer, 3 full day workshops during the school year and 3 after-school meetings. Benefits of this cohort include 120 hours of re-certification credit, necessary equipment to facilitate teaching and learning in your classroom and a $300 stipend.
Teachers spend the year implementing new technology-infused projects into their classroom. Teachers then present their projects at the ACPS Technology Gallery Walk each Spring. In addition to presenting their projects face-to-face, teachers also create an online portfolio explaining their project and sharing student work. Check out past projects here: ACPS Teacher Leadership Project.
Interested in applying to be part of the 2014-2015 cohort? Apply here ACPS TLP Application. Applications are due April 11, 2014.
NETS*T
NETS*T Certification is an internationally recognized certification program that engages teachers in a deeply reflective, intensive process to determine if their instructional technology practices meet the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers standards set forth by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
This certification program offered by ACPS is a hybrid course using both face-to-face meetings and online communications to assist teachers through the rigorous submission of 20 teaching artifacts and reflections over an 12 month period.
Teachers who complete the process and become certified will earn 100 recertification points, 3 graduate credits from James Madison University and will be given a choice of pre-selected technology tools for ACPS instructional use. In the past teachers have received an iPad, 3 iPod Touches, or 6 digital voice recorders.
This opportunity is for self-directed learners, confident in their use of technology, and eager to measure their use of technology in the classroom against an international standard.
2014-2015 Information:
Applicants must attend one mandatory Informational Meeting:
Face-to-Face: May 1, 2014, 4-5pm at George Washington Middle School, Room B104
Virtual: May 7, 2014, 7-8pm (Email facilitators for instructions and links)
Applications due: May 16, 2014
Application available: http://tinyurl.com/NETST2014
Participants notified: May 23, 2014
Participants should plan on attending:
NETS-T Jump Start Day: June 24, 2014, 9am—1pm
Plus, monthly meetings on Thursdays throughout the school year