Instructional Technologist

Over the past month I’ve been providing professional development for teachers participating in a project called Wired Teachers/Wired Students. This grant funded by the Westford Education Foundation and the Westford Public Schools educates teachers in the use of Web 2.0 tools in curriculum areas. They have completed 6 hours of professional development and now are planning Web 2.0 projects with their classes.

I am always seeking new and exciting web-based learning opprtunities for our students. Looking beyond YouTube and pbs.org for academic resources takes time. Today I thought I’d explore lectures and available resources on iTunes U available for free in the iTunes store. I found a lecture speech by Michelle Rhee from Duke’s Sanford Institute. Not exactly a student resource (however it would make quite the discussion in a current affairs class) but a thought provoking professional development experience for me. It was well worth the very long download and the time to listen to her speech and the question and answer. Her speech dealt mostly with the problems, reform and reaction of the Washington, DC community. At one point Michelle stops and states:

We have lots and lots of teachers in our system who do heroic things every single day.  They are amazing people who go above and beyond the call of duty. The problem in our public schools is that we don’t actually recognize and reward those people. That we don’t tell the that they are doing a good job.

The best part of my job as an Instructional Technology Specialist is the opportunity  to work with such “amazing” teachers at Westford Academy and in WPS. The grant participants in particular are willing to take a risk and the time to try something new, to foster learning in a new and challenging way. They will share their thoughts on a blog, document their lessons on a wiki, and share their experiences with colleagues.

I write this to “recognize and reward those people”. Their effort and willingness to improve what they already do so well is note-worthy. I am their colleague but the recognition has to start somewhere. Ans so I am startig here. Thank you – you’re doing a great job!