AMS


 * 1st Semester Report:

In the beginning of the year, a professional development calendar was developed. Three professional development days were established for technology. This structure has helped increase the turnout for technology in-services.

The first in-service was held in October. We had the best turnout I have ever seen at AMS. We had three sessions that teachers could choose from: 1) Smartboards, 2) Web Quests, and 3) Easy Grade Pro. I heard a lot of positive feedback on these sessions.

The second in-service happened to fall on the day after the Project Excel meeting, so it was changed to a drop-in session.

Teachers using SmartBoards have informally shared ideas and lessons. SEI teachers are also sharing with each other web resources for their classes. Two teachers have had students-create media presentations, one on similes and metaphors, the other a "movie trailer" for books. Some of these have been shared on the morning announcements.

There is an emphasis in Project Excel on 21st Century skills. Teachers are exploring the web site for ideas for their Project Excel proposals. This can serve as a basis for future development of 21st century skills.**

**Implementing your Technology Professional Development Program:**
Our Goal was to increase smart board literacy, build capacity, and enhance student learning with 21st Century skills. In looking at the survey results, the survey comments, OPTIC observations and from my observation I can say that most of the teachers with smart boards are satisfied with what they have, have increased their ability to use it and to use it more effectively, and have shared their lessons with others. For those teachers without smart boards, some have used Averkeys and United Streaming clips to enhance the learning of their students, particularly our relatively large SEI population which benefits from visual cues. Most teachers at AMS are participating in Project Excel.

====**Building Capacity** In addition to a set of in-services on smart boards, Easy Grade Pro, and project based learning, teachers learned about ways they can bring in 21st Century Skills from several teachers who attended a conference. At the end of the year, we started a process where teachers can work together in department groups to bring in simple project-based learning for next year, learning that would incorporate 21st Century Skills. Teachers who are proficient with computers, such as Ms. Salamon, Ms. Melde, and Ms. Combe, have helped teachers in their pods. **Incorporating 21st Century learning skills and tools**==== A part of Project Excel is incorporating 21st Century skills. Teachers are not only learning about 21st Century Skills and beginning to implement these with their students, but collaborating and sharing ways to do this. Students' projects done in the computer labs and comments on evaluating web sites and using technology in teaching reading and math, provide evidence this is happening. Of course, this is a process we are just starting.