Resources

Information You Can Use Today

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• The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) is the largest nonprofit professional association committed to ensuring success for all students through staff development and school improvement. Log on to www.nsdc.org and click to indicate whether you are a parent who wants to know more about school improvements or an educator with an interest in professional development. Download a free copy of Designing Powerful Professional Development for Teachers and Principals by Dennis Sparks from the NSDC Web site. A copy of the book can be found at www.nsdc.org/library/leaders/sparksbook.cfml or for more information, contact: NSDC (800) 727-7288.
• “The Power of Collaboration” is a 50-minute video showing five models of collegial professional development. For more information on how to obtain a copy, contact: Cheryl Poole, (517) 241-4546 or PooleCL@michigan.gov.
• The Assist newsletter is a publication related to the assessment of students with disabilities. The Assist is distributed to local and intermediate superintendents, directors of special education, MI-Access Coordinators, MEAP Coordinators, SEAC members, special education monitors, MDE staff, school principals, Parent Advisory Committees, and institutes of higher education. The Assist may also be downloaded from the Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services section of the MDE Web site: www.michigan.gov/mde.

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• “By Your Own Design” is a project from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse (ENC) and the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) designed to help you create and implement an individual professional learning plan. Log on to www.goenc.com to get started.
• The Blueprints CD-ROM and Web site supports effective professional development opportunities for teachers. Developed by the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Consortia and the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, Blueprints is a practical toolkit to help schools, districts, and other providers design and facilitate effective professional development. Contact (800) 356-2735 or log on to www.ncrel.org to learn more about how to obtain a copy.
• Parent Leadership Associates (PLA)—Creating Tools To Help Parents Become More Effective Advocates for Better Schools. PLA is a collaboration between the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and KSA-Plus Communications. Its mission is to improve student achievement by engaging parents to become decision-making partners in public schools through on-site consulting, technical support, workshops, conferences, and materials. Visit PLA’s Web site at www.centerforparentleadership.org, or call (859) 233-9849 or (703) 528-7100.
• Family FUNdamental Summer Literacy Activities reinforce Governor Granholm’s and the State Board of Education’s commitment to early learning, reading, and quality education. These summer activities are being distributed on a pilot basis as part of the MDE’s family FUNdamentals program and are aligned with the Michigan Curriculum Framework and the Michigan Literacy Progress Profile. Copies of the summer activities are available to download in .pdf on MDE’s Web site on the Educator or Curriculum pages at www.michigan.gov/mde. For more information, contact: Jan Ellis, (517) 373-9391.

Have You Considered Professional Development Opportunities Online?

In January 2003, Governor Jennifer Granholm announced the creation of the Governor’s Education Technology Fund—the GET Fund—a public-private partnership between the State of Michigan, Intel, and others to provide educators with online professional development opportunities through the Michigan Virtual University and school districts. Thanks to the GET Fund, hard-working teachers will be able to access best practices and continually expand their knowledge.

Michigan teachers can also embrace the information age and access online professional development opportunities in Scholastic Administr@tor magazine, January/ February 2003. The magazine offers solutions for “tech savvy” teachers, including the following tips for online learners. For a list of online professional development programs, both self-paced and instructor-led, contact Erin Earnst at earnste@tomsnyder.com or visit www.scholasticadministrator.com.

Follow These Eight Suggestions To Motivate Excellent Educators Online

• Make sure the content has value
• Make the technology invisible
• Require a considerable personal investment
• Make sure the trainer is accessible to users
• Group material into small bites
• Give minimum presentation, maximum hands-on work
• Make sure learners have enough time for training
• Give learners a chance to speak

Is Your Staff Ready for Online Learning?
Ask These Questions To Find Out

Will your staff…

• commit to learning when goals and objectives have immediate application?
  • yes | no
• see development as nonthreatening and as a way to promote a positive view of self?
• yes | no
• retain and use what they think is relevant to their personal and professional needs?
• yes | no
• see training as a way to get practical and applied learning in real or simulated settings?
• yes | no
• take some control over what, when, and where they learn?
• yes | no

Source: Scholastic Administr@tor, January/February 2003, www.scholasticadministrator.com

Bookmark these Sites

• www.free.ed.gov/ (NCLB)
• www.cenmi.org/mits (assistive and adaptive aids)
• www.nochildleftbehind.gov
• www.ed.gov/offices/
• www.michigan.gov/mde
• www.cenmi.org