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Puget Sound ESD's Technology Services offers training in support of teaching and learning in our schools, technology support, low-cost software purchasing and online programs, K-20 Network support (video, data, and Internet), website design and development, and network-based curriculum development. For additional news and resources, visit the PSESD Technology Services page.
New! PSESD and Adobe Present Adobe Youth Voices The Adobe Corporation is continuing its support for Puget Sound area teachers and students by sponsoring an exciting new schedule of workshops. By covering the majority of the cost of offering these courses and donating the software for the PSESD lab computers, Adobe makes it possible for us to offer these classes for a much lower fee than would normally be possible. The program, which replaces the T3 (Train the Teacher) program, is called Adobe Youth Voices (AYV). This program of four modules is designed for teachers, paraeducators and teacher-librarians who are currently teaching students. One module, Tech Team Courses, is designed for teacher and student teams to explore tools and skills in digital storytelling. The classes will be tool-oriented and/or project-based, using AYV instructional materials and other online resources where appropriate. Four types of courses will be available: Beginning Tool Courses – A six-hour introductory courses that promote basic understanding of the core functions of a single software title such as Flash, Premiere Elements, and Photoshop Elements. Tech Team Courses – Six-hour courses offered to teachers and teams of 4 students. These will emphasize video productions, animation, podcasting and digital storytelling. Mini-Project Courses – Ten-hour course for teachers that have taken a Beginning course (or equivalent), this class will take participants through the process of creating a simple project such as a video production, animation, digital story, podcast or print product. The structure of the course will model for the teachers the experience of students creating and sharing their own projects. Project Courses – Thirty-hour summer intensive courses for teachers that have taken a Beginning course (or equivalent), this class will take participants through the process of creating a more complex project. Again, the structure of the course will model for the teachers the experience of students creating and sharing their own projects. Register now for upcoming Tech Team courses:
Each class is $60, the course fee will include lunch for teachers and their teams of students. Clock hours are available.
Snapshot of Online Learning Last session, the state legislature created a new Digital Learning Department at OSPI, which is charged with a variety of tasks to support the implementation of online learning. One of the first tasks was to prepare a report for the legislature on the status of online learning programs currently in place in Washington State, which was completed in December. Collecting the data had some challenges, as there haven’t been clear guidelines for breaking out online students versus students attending school in person, but overall the trends are pretty clear. There is a lot of interesting information – and some disturbing data as well. Here are some highlights (all data is for 2008-2009 school year):
The last three bullets are obviously the most troubling. There have been a number of studies recently reported that say they’ve found that online learning is as effective as face-to-face instruction – why are these results different? Probably because those reports were looking at college students, not K-12 students. We still have to do a lot of research to see how effective online learning is for younger students. There are many reasons that online learning is growing so quickly – changes in technology, improved online curriculum, the potential for greater student personalization, a broader range of classes, and more. We just need to look at data such as this and figure out what is working, what isn't, and changes we need to make in order to take advantage of this new instructional option in ways that meet our students’ needs.
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