Session : Teaching the Teacher

By Irčne Butor, 22 July 1998

Marianne McCarthy < marianne.mccarthy@dfrc.nasa.gov > from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA) talked about Web-Based Instruction and Learning. In 94, when she was principle of a High School, she meet someone from NASA with a proposition that sounded wonderful. It involved a collaboration between NASA and Pennsylvania State University (Barbara Grabowski < bgrabowski@psu.edu >, Tiffany Koszalka < tak10@psu.edu >). School curricula are studied and existing NASA web-based materials are used. Administrative infrastructure have a considerable impact on the successful use of the technology in the classroom. Factors concerning teachers include technical skills, attitude and motivation, perception of skills, perception of administrative support, assignment, subject area, time teaching. Curricula need to take into account guidance, support and resources. Web-based instruction shouldn't add to teachers current workload, should develop strategies for classroom, and must be acknowledged by administration. On the question : NASA's goal is usually military, what does it do with instructional material ? Marianne McCarthy answered : " NASA works on earth system sciences, from space and with airplanes, aeronautics flight, solar energy, storing the energy to flight in the night (pathfinder), without polluting the air. Using real example, you can teach children, talk about ecology (for example deforestation), teach the children based on real pictures. Give them the example of real, applied science, and they will be more motivated ".

Andy Gray < andy.gray@qed.qld.gov.au > from Education Queensland (Australia) discussed a model of professional development for teachers in schools in Queensland. There are 1'200 schools in Queensland. It involves training and development, long term access to laptop, internet access, technical and curriculum support. Expert teachers are helping teachers developing their skills. Teaching practices, attitudes and motivation, teacher’s role in class, teacher’s role at school were discussed. Teachers will accept computer and other technologies as a useful tool in class. On the question: is this model helping teachers to make programs or for doing classroom work? Andy Gray answered : " It is for the classroom. It helps teachers do what they want, like training will. We have 600 teachers in an email list. 6 groups of 100 connecting teachers (CT1 to CT6). CT1 is helping CT5 and CT6. We teach them and they do it ".

Mary Fran Yafchak < maryfran@nysernet.org > from NYSERNet, Inc. (USA) presented her model " Train-the-Trainer " ( http://nysernet.org/projects/nynex-k12 ). The project is being carried out by Bell Atlantic. The goals of " Train-the-Trainer " are to make training more affordable, increase local control and relevance, and help ensure that training happens. She proposes three days of hands-on instruction, with materials and support in the field. The topics for this workshop are centred on Internet tools (for example email), techniques and strategies (for example search engines). It is a successful pilot program with 350 teachers having received training. " Train-the-Trainer " is a workable model for cost-effective and learning-effective K-12 teacher training. Increased modularization would improve the training structure used in the project. The project will be extended by putting computers in the classroom, doing curriculum integration, and Web development by/for K-12.