June 2001 — Features
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Click, Developing an Online Professional Development Program for Teachers
Imagine the seemingly insurmountable task of training 3,000 teachers within a year and a half. That is one of the challenges that Indianapolis Public School’s Telecommunication and Instructional Media team, directed by Dorothy Crenshaw, was facing approximately one year ago. Numerous training initiatives had already been implemented, focusing on training teachers on the use of various software packages. However, the teachers were ready to move to the implementation stage. They were ready to learn about integration techniques for technology. So instead of bringing 3,000 teachers to a specific location on Saturdays or weeknights, the team decided to implement the training online.
In 1999, the Indianapolis Public Schools, under the direction of Superintendent Dr. D.N. Pat Pritchett, wrote a comprehensive technology plan for the school district. A significant portion of the grant focused on professional development. The technology plan was named CLICK (Community of Learners, Information, Communication and Knowledge), which indicated two major goals regarding the implementation of technology into the curriculum.
The planning for project CLICK began. In order to create a success story, this project incorporated an amazing array of resources.
For one cycle of the project, it took:
· About 40 staff people working on various aspects of the project
· Six semi-trailer loads of computer tables
· Warehouse facilities the size of two gymnasiums
· Anywhere from six to 12 installers working at any given time
· Coordination of product purchase and delivery up to six months ahead of first delivery date
· Two secretaries coordinating registration and most other aspects of the project
· A purchasing department in charge of getting all products in at the right time and coordinating deliveries
· About 15 dedicated instructors from IUPUI (Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis)
· Educational technology students from IUPUI working in the labs
“It has been a pleasure to be associated with such a fine and innovative project,” says John Kern, supervisor of instructional media and telecommunications. “When a plan of this magnitude is fully implemented, it really takes the teachers to a new level of technology use; thus something ‘clicks.’ It’s my vision that the online environment will begin to enrich teachers’ curriculum and release them from some of their administrative tasks.”
A K-12 and University Collaboration
At the onset of the planning process, a collaboration was formed between the Indianapolis Public School and the Office of Instructional Technology at the IUPUI School of Education. The university provided the school district with a cutting-edge online environment developed by IU’s Cyberlab (www.cyberlab.iupui.edu) called Oncourse. This software allows for collaboration where users communicate via coursemail, bulletin board discussion forums and online chats. Course information and Web sites that teachers can visit can also be posted, as well as online quizzes or surveys.
