Papers and Presentations
- Asia Pacific Innovative Teachers Forum 2007
If you invite educators to a World Heritage site, you have an obligation to explore and utilize the educational opportunities that site provides. Microsoft convened the Asia Pacific Innovative Teachers Forum in Siem Reap, Cambodia as part of its Partners in Learning initiative in late February 2007. Siem Reap is in the midst of a World Heritage site, the temples and palaces of Angkor. Two hundred and thirty innovative educators from 24 countries gathered in the shadows of the ancient temples of Angkor to celebrate their successes and to work in international teams to create new learning activities that linked issues that faced the residents of Angkor ten centuries ago and real world problems students face in their home towns. The result were some truly challenging, innovative classroom projects.
- Innovative Teachers: Understanding, Developing and Managing Innovation
What are the characteristics of an innovative teacher? What are the traits of innovative learning activities? What conditions or circumstances have to be present in the school environment to promote innovation? This report on Microsoft’s 2006 World-Wide Innovative Teachers Forum outlines the activities of the Forum and focuses on the ways the innovative teachers gathered at this forum answered these questions. In addition to developing the some of the activities that shaped this conference and writing a summary of the work completed by these innovative teachers, the Puget Sound Center staff also summarized some of the international research on innovation.
- Peer Coaching: Changing Classroom Practice and Enhancing Student Achievement
A growing consensus in the educational field supports a new model of professional development that includes peer coaching. This Puget Sound Center article summarizes current research on effective professional development and impact new methodologies, like peer coaching, has on changing teachers’ classroom practices and academic achievement.
- Technology and Academic Achievement
Over the last fifteen years American schools have dramatically increased spending on classroom technology to more than $5 billion annually. This article, which was created by Puget Sound Center staff provides evidence that under the right circumstances technology can play a positive role in improving academic achievement.
- Peer Coaching: Unleash the Potential of Collaboration
Shelee King George, Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Abbey Alessi, Seattle Public Schools
Deborah Gallaher, Cleveland High School
When teachers work collaboratively to design engaging, rigorous learning experiences, classroom practices change, students develop critical 21st Century skills, and learning communities grow. This presentation, shared at theNational Staff Development Council's 2007 Summer Conference, tells how participants in Microsoft’s Peer Coaching Program collaborate to promote best practices in lesson design and technology infusion. Participants learned about available resources to cultivate the growth of learning communities with a Peer Coaching Program that develops coaching skills, builds teacher leaders, and adds value to existing school programs.
- School Library Journal Article
Microsoft has teamed up the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology as part of the $35 million US Partners in Learning project. Together, they provide a national model for training teachers to become coaches who help their colleagues strengthen the teaching and learning process through skilled use of technology. In the October 2004 issue of School Library Journal, Kathy Ishizuka shares how this powerful professional development model evolved and how “peers help turn tech challenged educators into wizards.”
- Peer Coaching and Technology Integration: One School's Story
Les Foltos, Teacher, Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology and Co-Presenters: Maria Muzzo, Lori Soderberg, Kyle Kinoshita, Connie Capelle, Amy Daughery.
This school team shares how teachers, coaches, and a principal from Meadowdale Elementary School have embraced the Peer Coaching program sponsored by Microsoft. Peer Coaching has encouraged technology integration and influenced learning at their school. Participants will learn how this powerful model of school-based professional development prepares coaches and encourages systemic integration of technology to support learning standards in Washington’s schools. Presentation was shared at the 2004 NECC Conference in New Orleans and the 2004 Northwest Council for Computers in Education (NCCE) Conference in Spokane, Washington.
- Peer Coaching and Collaboration for Library Media Specialists
Vicky Ragan delivered this presentation at the 2004 Northwest Council for Computers in Education (NCCE) Conference in Spokane, Washington. Library Media Specialists are in a unique position to work with teachers to effectively integrate technology into standards-based activities. This session explores the concepts of using a peer coaching model of LMS and teacher collaboration to promote the integration of technology to enhance student learning.
- One Small School’s Story: Collaboration, Training and Technology
Restructuring high schools to become small schools is labor intensive requiring collaboration and training. See how technology and coaching can leverage the restructuring process. Presented by Shelee King George at the NECC 2005 Conference in Philadelphia.
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