One to One Laptop Initiative

Summer Professional Development

August 17-18, 2009

This summer we will be offering two full days of hands-on learning for teachers who want to utilize technology to improve teaching and learning in their classrooms. As the district transitions to more classrooms with one-to-one student to computer ratios, the opportunity to create more engaging, project-based, and student centered learning is unfolding.

These Professional Development sessions have several goals:

1. You will emerge with concrete and practical materials to use in their classrooms. These materials might be specific content area software, web-sites, projects, and/or activities that utilize technology in support of learning.

2. You will emerge with technology use strategies that support the development of 21^st Century Skills with their students. These skills include: initiative and self-direction, flexibility and adaptability, as well as collaboration.

3. You will emerge with a good understanding of the new National Educational Technology standards (NETs) for teachers, as well as for students.

4. You will be familiar with all the technical and pedagogical support structures available to you in the Port Jefferson USFD.

5. You will develop confidence in your own ability to be creative and work independent with technology.

To fulfill these goals you will have your own laptop computers and work with educational technology experts who will facilitate the sessions.

These sessions will be an opportunity to work with your colleagues to explore and discover new technology resources and approaches to your classroom curriculum.

You will spend quality time working both independently and in teams to develop new technology infused activities and projects that engage your students.

You will have time to practice, collaborate, and share.

Approach and Strategies

We want to model 21^st Century Skills:

1. Initiative, independence, and self-direction.

2. Creativity, adaptability, and flexibility

3. Collaboration

You will have ample time to explore and discover technology resources that are appropriate for your classes.

You will leave the session with at least one concrete lesson or activity that uses the technology resources you discovered during the two days.

Your awareness regarding some of the technology tools that exist in the district already and some that are under consideration for the future (ie electronic textbooks, Moodle, etc.) will be increased.

You will use existing district resources wherever possible.