The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and its Texas state affiliate chapter, The Texas K-12 CTO Council, are honored to support the work of current and aspiring superintendents and district leadership teams in leading all aspects of digital learning transformations.
Last month we focused on the top five reasons why schools and districts must make cybersecurity a priority when leveraging technology to maximize student learning. This month we turn our attention to Professional Learning: The Secret Sauce for Successful Technology Integration.
Despite decades of existing research, school district professional development programs often fail to demonstrate any measurable improvement in teacher and student classroom practice. This issue is magnified when it comes to helping teachers leverage technology tools for learning, which often necessitates teachers having to learn new skills combined with a change in traditional instructional strategies and practices.
One of the most critical keys to an effective, well-designed, professional development program is a coordinated leadership strategy for planning and delivering professional learning experiences within a school district. CoSN’s one-page guide for school leaders on effective professional development offers school leaders three critical guidelines for professional learning that improve classroom practice and also presents an overview of the essential factors school leaders must consider when planning for and evaluating professional learning.
CoSN, in partnership with edWeb.net, hosts The EmpowerED Superintendent monthly webinar series on topics that are essential for all educators engaged in leading digital transformations. The focus of the December 9, 2019, webinar (4 p.m. CT) is on how to create effective professional learning opportunities within a school district.
Members of Connecticut’s Meriden Public Schools district leadership team – including the superintendent, the director of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, and the supervisor of Blended Learning – share the planning, collaboration and implementation strategies they use to assure that their district’s professional learning programs are effective and have the desired impactful results.
Learn more and register for this free webinar as well as access recordings of previously broadcast CoSN/edWeb webinars at https://home.edweb.net/supers/
If your school or district would like more information about joining CoSN or getting more involved with CoSN and/or Texas K-12 CTO Council, please contact Dr. Alice Owen, Executive Director, Texas K-12 CTO Council at exdir@texask12ctocouncil.org or call 855.458.9286.
