The
goal of this program of Online Teacher Professional Development (oTPD) is to ultimately improve student scores on standardized
mathematics tests through the use of technology (interactive white boards) and teacher education in mathematics. Enhancing teacher practice will also create a “shared language” (Dede, 2006, p. 19) among teachers. This comprehensive program of oTPD will strive to change “…teacher’s
thinking and practice in their instruction of students toward what could broadly be described as a more constructivist approach”
(Dede, 2006, p. 17). To attain this goal, teachers must first participate in
oTPD offered online by PBS TeacherLine in mathematics in the areas of: teaching;
gender equity; numbers and operations; data analysis and probability; geometry; and algebra.
The courses will be paid for by the school district and the planned program is endorsed by the local teacher union.
The
proposed program targets teachers employed by a technologically sophisticated school district that has computers available
for teachers, high speed Internet access in the schools, interactive white boards installed in the elementary classrooms,
and possibly audio enhancement available to amplify teacher voice and Internet video clips.
It is assumed that teachers have skills in using PowerPoint, the Internet, and online learning.
The
proposed program will include: a sample webpage of what the oTPD interface looks
like; a discussion of the PBS TeacherLine programs; discussion of various interactive white boards and samples of lessons;
a teacher assignment to develop a new lesson plan utilizing an interactive white board and new teaching skills learned from
TeacherLine. The final assessment will be described as submitting the new lesson
plan for peer review online in the community of practice that has also been developed in the enclosed school district online
environment for this special initiative.
