Technology & Learning November 2007 - (Page 28) at FLVS says, “Professional development at FLVS is multifaceted. After a face-to-face training, follow-up sessions include shadowing another teacher, phone calls, online and offline materials, peer coaching, Webinars, podcasting, and access to a variety of workshops, sessions, and just-in-time learning through chats, videoconferencing, and other means.” The BITES program (Beneficial Instructor and Non Instructor Training to Engage Students) addresses needs as they come up, at the introductory as well as more advanced levels. For example, topics might include: How do you manage your monthly calls? How do you operate to fullest potential? How do you turn the discussion area into an engaging environment? At FLVS, both instructional and noninstructional staff are included in professional development. When noninstructional staff understand the goals and practices of the school, they can better support the teachers to the benefit of students. Mitchell recalls, “Professional development has changed— when we were small, we didn’t really know what our needs were. Now we know and we evaluate our programs each year and make changes accordingly.” Claire Schooley, senior industry analyst at Forrester Research, a technology and market research company, explains how the corporate world’s early acceptance of virtual learning helped pave the way for schools. Early on, corporations saw the need for deepening and extending the training they were doing. “They needed to get their people as smart as they could, with learning aligned to the objectives and goals of the company because it’s directly tied to the bottom line.” Corporations have come a long way in developing “blended learning” experiences, where synchronous and asynchronous sessions occur, with the opportunity for reviewing archived sessions at will. These courses have embraced Web 2.0 tools—such as blogs, wikis, podcasting, videoconferencing, Webbased conferencing, and teleconferencing—that encourage interaction and participation. And business organizations must be responsive to the needs of their people to survive. Schooley tells the story of a real estate organization that tried asynchronous sessions, and found that its realtors—naturally gregarious folks—didn’t like them, but loved the sessions where they could share with others. They also appreciate access to training on-thefly with such tools as podcasts that might list the top five points of a new Access to experts in remote locations is one big advantage to virtual learning. product, for example, that they can listen to as they drive to see a client. Learning communities unlimited by distance, time zones, and schedules can be very powerful. And learning within the context of a group is motivating, with shared ideas and support making the difference in really understanding and applying what is learned. Barbara Bray, president of My eCoach, an online learning community powered by both face-toface and e-coaching, insists that the power of online learning environments for teachers (and others) cannot be denied, but that the environment must be a safe place in which ideas can be shared. Privacy issues must be addressed—and having a facilitator or coach provides a depth to the learning not found when you go through a pre-packaged course on your own. “This is the reason I developed My eCoach—there had to be a place for confidentiality, to put proprietary materials, and a public place to share,” Bray declares. More and more for-profit and open source companies are offering a range of products that focus on learning management, content management, virtual learning environments, or a combination of these. Consumers will of course review each offering in view of their own goals and the characteristics they are looking for to meet the needs of their clients. Happily, the emphasis on collaboration in online learning is increasing, and more products include a variety of ways for sharing and working together to occur. An early effort in online learning environments for teachers, the NSFfunded Online Internet Institute continues to provide workshops and presentations that help educators and students “combine content and con- 28 | www.techlearning.com PHOTO © COMSTOCK http://www.techlearning.com
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