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TELUS Learning Connection Workplan

Peace Wapiti School Division #76

2008/2009

Prepared by:

            Kathy Anderson

            Joan Coy

            Ed Hildebrand

            Don Mitchell

            Collette Simpson

            Memorese Walter

1.  Stakeholders

The initial stakeholders in this project are the project developers, which include the ATA, Alberta Learning, CASS, University of Alberta (Education) and TELUS Bright Future. To make the project work in this jurisdiction, stakeholders include the Peace Wapiti School Division, administrators, teachers, parents and students.

2.  Vision

The 2Learn team will work with teachers to engage Peace Wapiti students by using SMART Boards and Video Conferencing technology to enhance instruction.

3.  Objectives:

To bring to Peace Wapiti School Division teachers the opportunity for integration of Internet technology to their classroom teaching skill set.

1.         Assist teachers with the use of multimedia tools (i.e.: video, Smartboard, Video Conferencing)

2.         Continue the TLC project and the opportunities it presents to all teachers.

3.         Assist teachers in developing the necessary skills to integrate technology into their courses

4.         Assist teachers with ideas for integration of technology in their courses.

5.         Assist teachers in collaboration with other teachers and students using appropriate technology.

4.  Current Realities in the Peace Wapiti School Division

A.  All schools are equipped with computers with access to the Internet.  By the end of the current school year all schools will have at least one SMART Board.  All high schools (except PAVE and Eaglesham) have a video conferencing suite set up.

B.  Technology and skill concerns:

5.  Keys to Success

A.  Time support for

             teachers to be in-serviced

             collaboration in integration of technology into curriculum delivery

B.  Technical support for

            equipment, maintaining profiles, and software

C.  Communication with

            central office and administration

            IT

            the board

6.  Communications

The 2Learn team will continue to work together in presentation planning and coordination of mentoring activities.  Communication will mainly be via email and telephone with team meetings as appropriate.  We currently have a website for the Peace Wapiti 2Learn sessions but will look into transferring it to Moodle or Sharepoint in the near future.

7.  Deliverables

1. The Teacher-Leaders (T-Ls) will collect speaker names and sessions ideas and present them to the Mighty Peace Teachers’ Convention board as possible session topics.

1. Thomburg Center’s Ted McCain (meeting kids with the technology that they are using)

2. CTS Comm Tech (Media and Visual Design presenter from Vulcan 

2. The T-Ls will create a simple needs analysis survey (check list with comments) to be presented by Joan to the PD reps at the September 24^th meeting; of which they will take back to their school and present at the October 6^th staff meeting.  The completed survey will be returned to Memorese by October 8^th for compilation.  Results will be presented by Memorese at the October 14^th admin meeting along with a sign up area for their schools to participate in the possible training sessions.

3. The T-L’s will develop workshops together to present to the teachers of Peace Wapiti based on requests from teachers and schools and keeping in mind the current realities: 

SMART Board sessions will be offered in three levels utilizing Peace Wapiti’s certified trainers (Ed Hildebrand, Don Mitchell and as needed Marian Logan, Jonathan Konrad and Mike McKay):

a.    1/2 day introduction (SMART Board basics), after which they would be given 2 to 3 weeks to use the SMART Board

b.    follow up full-day session on how to use SMART Notebook software to take their use to the next level, optionally followed by

c.    individual/small group sessions or mentoring on effective integration and lesson planning

d.    Senteo training will be offered in conjunction with SMART Board training where applicable

4. T-L’s will support teachers in the use of video conferencing.

5. T-L’s will be available and able to answer teachers’ questions and address their concerns regarding integration of technology into the curriculum and collaboration. T-Ls will be available for school visits to work with teachers in their locations. The T-Ls will follow up their visits by contacting participants and providing ongoing mentoring.

6. T-L’s will communicate and work with Peace Wapiti’s IT department through Darcy and Don.  This communication will allow the T-L’s to fully support the schools that already have SMART Boards and VC suites and to engage schools in possible training as soon as their technology has been installed. 

T-Ls will follow the installation schedule provided by IT in planning sessions for schools.  IT will communicate when a new SMART Board and/or VC suite has been installed. When VC suites are being used T-L’s will work where requested to integrate the learning elements of the curriculums.

8.  Outcomes

1. The ICT outcomes are set out by Alberta Education.  These outcomes are being implemented by the teachers of Peace Wapiti, especially in new curriculum where the ICTs are infused into the program of studies.

2. The teachers will also need to address their particular grade or subject’s curricular outcomes based on their students’ needs.

9.  Responsibilities

A.  The Teacher-Leaders will be available and able to answer teachers’ questions regarding integration of technology.

B.  The T-L’s will develop workshops together to present to the teachers of Peace Wapiti as requested by schools.

C.  The T-L’s will follow up their workshops by contacting participants and working with them as much as possible to support continued use of technology by participants.

D.  The T-L’s will maintain a web page (or Moodle site or SharePoint) for the use of the participants and others.

E.  The T-L’s will present to the Mighty Peace Teachers’ Convention board possible speakers and will draft a letter to the provincial technology specialist council recommending partnership with core subject yearly conferences on a rotating basis to fully integrate technology into core subjects.

F.  One T-L (Joan) will be the TLC representative on the Peace Wapiti School Division #76 Technology Committee.  This will entail approximately 2 or 3 meetings.

10.  Sequence

The sequence of tasks that the T-L’s will follow is laid out in section 7 of this work plan.  We will follow these up by contacting participants and working with them as much as possible to support continued integration of technology into curriculum delivery.

11.  Resources and Budgetary Considerations

Resources and budget are specified under the 2Learn portion of the Peace Wapiti Professional Development budget.        

12.  Evaluation of Teacher Leaders

Specific feedback will take place in the following ways:

A.     Participants will evaluate each workshop

B.     Self-evaluation: determining ourselves how information was given and how the process could be improved.

C.    Informal evaluation from Central Administrators as they work with us and sit in on different sessions presented to the board’s teaching staff.

13.  Evaluation of the Project

Evaluation will take place in the following manner:

A. Participant tracking workshops that are presented by the Teacher Leaders.

B. Participant completed evaluation.

14.  Reports to Superintendent or designate

Based on the level of good communication already established between the team and board administration, communication will take place in the following way:

A.     In the fall of each year, a planning meeting is to be held with all team members and Central Administrators. The objective will be to complete the work plan and set the direction for the year.

B.     We feel that there do not need to be regularly scheduled meetings as we have already established a habit of meeting/communication as need arises.