El Gregorianismo y la consolidación del programa reformador

Professional development and training programs for instructional, as well as administrative personnel are addressed in this section. This is an expansive area in Fairfax County Public Schools and includes services from multiple departments.

SCHOOL-BASED TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS (SBTS)

School-based technology specialists provide essential ongoing staff development to all teachers at their base schools. Their work focuses on instructional technology leadership within their school and coaching and training teachers in the best use of instructional technology linked to learning outcomes. This includes modeling effective uses of instructional technology, co-teaching collaboratively planned lessons, collaboration with individual

teachers, groups of teachers and administrators, assisting with curriculum integration of software and hardware in instruction, using data to design technology-based instructional strategies, and facilitating a school based

technology team that supports the division-wide technology plan. Experienced SBTS serve in the role of mentor for new and less experienced SBTS. SBTS are the point of contact for all instructional technology related matters.

SBTS have taken on the critical role of serving as the facilitators for the FCPS eCART implementation team at their base school. This work includes training teachers in the functional use of the application, participating in data discussions with teacher teams as they use FCPS eCART data to guide their instructional practice and best utilize instructional technology. Data from the tool is used to inform and guide each school’s vision for instruction and assessment.

FCPS provides extensive training and support for SBTS. This includes centralized training on enterprise-wide technology initiatives including, but not limited to, FCPS eCART, FCPS 24-7 Learning, and Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP). Professional development opportunities related to leadership, mentoring and coaching, pedagogical best practices, the management of technology assets, and specific application training are also provided.

LIBRARY INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM

School librarians are key instructional partners in every school. They work closely with classroom teachers to provide both electronic and print resources to enhance and support curriculum. In addition, they review and select information products and seek out authoritative Internet sources for teacher and student use. School librarians instruct students how to conduct research, evaluate their sources, and help students to develop their

understanding of the ethical use of information. This includes, but is not limited to, Internet safety and digital citizenship. Librarians also select and maintain video/DVD collections to support classroom instruction and they assist teachers in the proper set-up and use of a variety of classroom equipment.

Library Information Services (LIS) negotiates and secures contracts for the provision of a multitude of database products and digital books. These databases and digital books are available to staff and students at school, at home with an Internet connection, and at community Internet access sites. FCPS provides community Internet access maps at http://www.fcps.edu/it/ciamaps/index.shtml. Currently, FCPS students have access to the following subscription-based electronic resources.

Gale: General OneFile, Expanded Academic, General Reference Center Gold, Student Edition, Junior Edition, Computer Database, Military & Intelligence Database, Academic OneFile, Educator’s Reference

Complete, Gale Virtual Reference Library, InfoTrac Newsstand, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Literature Resources from Gale, Kids InfoBits, Biography in Context, Books & Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources), Grzimek’s Animal Life, Science in Context, Student Resources in Context, Testing & Education Reference Center, Business & Company Resource Center, Health & Wellness Resource Center

ABC-CLIO: American Government, American History, Issues, US Geography, World Geography, World History: Ancient & Medieval, World History: The Modern Era

Grolier: Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, The New Book of Knowledge, the New Book of Popular Science, Lands and Peoples, Amazing Animals of the World, America the Beautiful Marshall Cavendish: America in the 20^th Century, Ancient & Medieval World, Civil War, Colonial America, Earth & Physical Sciences, Elements, Exploring Ancient Civilizations, Exploring Earth & Space Sciences, Exploring Life Sciences, Growing Up with Science, Habitats of the World, Insects & Spiders of the World, International Wildlife, Life Sciences, Supreme Court Milestones

World Book: Discover, Students, Advanced, Kids, Spanish and Early World of Learning Culture Grams: World Edition, States Edition, Kids Edition, Provinces Edition

Digital Books: New this year, LIS has added the following digital book products to support early literacy, academic and recreational reading. Tumblebooks, Tumble Readables and myOn Books from Capstone Publishers are now accessible for all FCPS families at home and at school. These products essentially have added over 1,000 books to every student’s home, school, and classroom library.

School librarians are supported by two educational specialists who provide professional development opportunities throughout the year. FCPS librarians have created 28 collaborative teams and continue to work on web 2.0 technologies, training and promotion of digital books, and best practices for library instruction. FCPS librarians continue to build resources into FCPS eCART and participate in curriculum projects in various core curricular areas as well.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND TRAINING - eLEARN IT

The Department of Information Technology provides FCPS employees with anytime, anywhere, up-to-date, online training in essential technical and business skills. eLearnIT is an web-based learning environment that offers thousands of courses, books, skill briefs, videos, simulations, job aids, mentoring tools, social tools, and technical support. This vast training resource is available free of charge to any employee of Fairfax County Public Schools.

eLearnIT also provides a range of diverse and extensive reference material through resources in Books 24x7, an online library providing access to thousands of titles and audio books. Books 24x7 includes the inGenius social learning feature, which combines the power of social media technology with the appeal of a collaborative environment to encourage ongoing informal learning, knowledge sharing and transfer, and the development of in-house subject matter experts.

inGenius allow users to:

• Follow colleagues with expertise in your interests.

• Make notes and comments to put your own context around the content.

• Follow other inGenius users in your company and build learning networks within FCPS.

• Notify users of inGenius community activities with particular relevance to their interests or learning programs.

In addition to the standard eLearnIT learning courses, Information Technology continues to offer a service for FCPS stakeholders to create custom online courses delivered through eLearnIT. These custom courses offer an

alternative to more costly methods of developing and delivering FCPS-specific course content. In 2012, 20 custom courses covering topics such as Teacher Evaluation Standards, Anaphylaxis Training for Students with Unknown Allergies, and Kindergarten Mathematics Reasoning Assessment KMRA were developed and delivered in eLearnIT.

As a result, FCPS personnel completed 51,751 standard and customized eLearnIT courses representing a 74%

increase over 2011. This significant increase is due to marketing and streamlining of products and services we provide. For more information

: http://www.fcps.edu/it/elearnIT/index.shtml

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND TRAINING - MY PLT

My PLT is an enterprise wide learning management system, or LMS. The system is an application that enables the management and delivery of learning content and resources to all FCPS employees. My PLT is web-based, which allows for anytime, anywhere access to both learning content and administration. It is hosted on our internal intranet site.

My PLT supports comprehensive professional development by providing individual employees a one-stop shop for courses, conferences, and workshops. Users can register, view training history, and review professional

development plans.

MY PLT also provides FCPS a central repository for communicating and tracking professional learning opportunities across all FCPS schools and departments.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Teachers and staff are responsible for the use of technology in the classroom and the integration of technology into the instructional program. Instructional personnel maintain a Technology Competency Record Form that identifies how each competency has been demonstrated or met. Instructional licensure holders have multiple options for demonstrating these competencies. Principals and program managers validate that individual educational personnel met the technology competencies. Beginning July 1, 2003, technology competency was required for state licensure renewal. The FCPS Department of Human Resources maintains records on teachers who have completed the technology competencies as part of the recertification process.

FCPS ACADEMY COURSE PROGRAM

FCPS has an academy course program which offers face-to-face professional development to FCPS instructional employees. The FCPS Academy Course Program is a virtual mini-university for teachers and other educational staff members. The Academy Catalog provides college/university and Academy (non-college) credit courses. Both types

of courses are paid for directly by the school system and participants receive college credit and/or recertification points. Academy courses are used for license renewal, salary scale increases, content course licensure

requirements for teachers without Masters’ degrees, meeting Virginia technology standards, or for professional growth. A catalog of Academy courses is published three times a year, fall, spring, and summer.

Each term, classes on integrating instructional technology are offered. All technology courses are designated with one of three skill levels: BASIC—entry-level courses that require no or minimal prerequisites, INT—more in-depth intermediate courses that work with selected software, and ADV—courses that require a higher degree of skill than either the basic or intermediate courses. Advanced courses cover specific topics that go beyond general information.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has developed National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS*T), which outline technology integration standards that teachers entering the profession are expected to demonstrate. Fairfax County Public Schools uses the ISTE NETS*T when developing technology integration courses to ensure teachers can access a variety of courses that meet all six ISTE NETS*T standards – (1) Technology Operations and Concepts, (2) Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences, (3) Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum, (4) Assessment and Evaluation, (5) Productivity and Professional Practice, and (6) Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues.

INTERNET SAFETY

Additionally, Fairfax County Public Schools is partnering with i-SAFE to provide Internet safety education in all K-12 schools, including professional development for faculty and staff, curriculum and leadership opportunities for students, and resources for parents and the community at large. I-SAFE Internet safety professional development is available to all FCPS staff. All instructional staff must complete the Internet safety professional development program and integrate Internet safety into the instructional program. As of May 1, 2013, 17,786 staff members have completed the i-SAFE Internet Safety Professional Development Program.

Fairfax County Public Schools has developed an Internet Safety K-6 Guidelines handbook, to be integrated with instruction in grades K-6. This handbook outlines ways to include Internet safety by aligning it to POS and SOL standards. It provides teachers with additional resources including stand-alone lessons, websites, and videos. The guidelines provide ways to seamlessly integrate Internet safety into the instructional content without adding more content to teach.

Fairfax County Public Schools has not identified specific Internet safety lessons tied to specific POS and SOL course objectives for courses in grades 7-12. Instead, every middle and high school teacher has access to i-SAFE

curriculum materials to use with their students. Schools and teachers may use these i-SAFE materials as they see fit to address Internet safety issues affecting their class and school community.

Additional resources such as the Online Safety Brochure may be found at the FCPS Internet Safety Portal, http://www.fcps.edu/is/instructionaltechnology/internetsafety/index.shtml.

NORTH TIER PARTNERSHIP

FCPS is a member of the North Technology Integration Education Region (North TIER) Partnership, a unique collaboration among 13 school systems in Northern Virginia, and Germanna Community College.

The North TIER Partnership has provided training, through the EdTech Leaders Online certificate program, to 20 FCPS instructional and technology personnel in the areas of Online Course Facilitation and Online Course Design.

As of the 2012-2013 school year, these leaders in online course development have developed twenty-five courses that focus on learning through the lens of technology. These, and courses developed by other North TIER

Partnership members, provide administrators, technology specialists and teachers with learning opportunities to assist them as they work to understand how to effectively integrate appropriate software and hardware tools into instruction, and develop and deliver technology infused lessons, units, and projects that increase student learning.

These courses promote digital learning and the focus on best practices and 21st century skills.

North TIER Partnership online courses are offered three times a year and available for Fairfax County Academy credit, as well as graduate credit through a partnership with Colorado State University. Courses, which are facilitated by certificated instructors and entirely online, increase the ability for FCPS staff to renew licenses, explore interests, and discover the impact of online learning on the educational process. Due to the unique nature of online courses, staff who might not ordinarily be available to take courses in a face to face setting are able to meet personal and professional goals. Courses include topics on using technology within the instruction of mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts, as well as using technologies such as whiteboards, digital and video cameras, and student response systems across any curriculum. Courses on using technology in blended learning, leveraging technology to enhance learning for advanced academics, using Google Earth for instruction, applying GIS and GPS data to critical thinking, and in the use of formative assessments help Fairfax County Public School staff stay on top of emerging trends in learning. Each school year over 600 staff members take an online course from the North TIER Partnership and this is projected to increase, as the number of offerings increases. In addition to online professional development courses, the North TIER Partnership provides FCPS a connection to other school divisions throughout our region to discuss critical issues in the area of technology for learning. The sharing of information and knowledge helps shape practices used throughout northern Virginia and beyond.