District Administration - November 2009 - (Page 59)

Going Online Beyond the in-person programs at higher education institutions, online professional development is also available. At Seton Hall, for example, some of the master’s programs are blended—with coursework both in the classroom and online—and some are strictly online. Both options are designed so that students can work on their degree while on the job. At Northcentral University, all the courses are online. Teachers, counselors, assistant principals and district oﬃce staﬀ take courses part-time toward a master’s degree. Principals, assistant superintendents and department heads work for an Ed.D. or a Ph.D. in education. Northcentral oﬀers its students courses with a tight focus, such as athletic department administration, curriculum design, or educational technology. e school also oﬀers certiﬁcates of advanced graduate studies, which are earned with six courses in a speciﬁc topic. “If they want, learners can even elect to take just a course or two to sharpen their skills,” says Clinton Gardner, Northcentral’s president. Immediate Payoffs For administrators who commit to a professional development course, the payoﬀ can be immediate. Soriano discussed strategy for how his district could get the votes for a $79 million bond referendum with faculty and colleagues in the Penn program, for example, and he credits their ideas and support as a factor in its passage. “We would simulate a problem in one of our districts and think about it with theoretical lenses, then apply what we learned to the real world on Monday when we were back in the oﬃce,” says Soriano, who graduated from the program in 2007. “ ere was a vibrant exchange of ideas—it was so enriching.” Soriano gained an appreciation in creating “a culture of ongoing learning, that IT managers and principals can keep learning as well,” he says. “Whatever job title you hold, you can learn a lot when you bring together professionals with similar experience and work together to answer an organizing question.” DA Carl Vogel is a freelance writer based in Chicago. www.DistrictAdministration.com Connect toPerformance Project Tapestry is the first connected learning environment built specifically for K-12 education that enables educators to connect the dots between data, content and achievement, resulting in true personalized learning and improved student performance. Visit www.pearsontapestry.com to register for a personal, online demo, view customer videos and learn how you can Connect to Performance with Project Tapestry! Visit www.pearsontapestry.com 1.877.873.1550 pss_sales@pearson.com November/December 2009 59 pt.ad.distadmin_091029.indd 1 10/29/09 4:09:57 PM http://www.pearsontapestry.com http://www.pearsontapestry.com http://www.pearsontapestry.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - November 2009

District Administration - November 2009
Contents
Advertiser Index
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Facilities & Construction
Stimulus Monitor
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Conversations
Mobile Learning Guide
The New Writing Pedagogy
Staying Ahead in Education
Tightening the Purchasing Process
Minding Your E-mail
New Books
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Problem Solution
New Products
Professional Opinion
Crisis Response

District Administration - November 2009