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A Cost-Effective and "Learning-Effective" Model for K-12 Internet Teacher Training

Mary Fran YAFCHAK <maryfran@nysernet.org>
NYSERNet, Inc.
USA

Abstract

The NYNEX-NYSERNet Train-the-Trainer K-12 Pilot Program (http://nysernet.org/projects/nynex-k12) materialized from the realization that although more and more K-12 institutions are becoming connected to the Internet, it appears that a frighteningly small percentage of those schools are prepared to integrate that connection with actual classroom use or even make it readily available among their teachers as a tool for collaboration, research, and classroom preparation.

In June 1996, NYSERNet sought and received funding from the NYNEX Corporation to investigate a particular model for Internet teacher training that could help remedy this situation -- a model that seemed to be cost-effective as well as "learning effective." It was proposed that Internet-aware teachers could act as Internet trainers themselves and conduct training throughout their own districts and schools.

The program was conducted over the 1996-97 school year within the following districts and schools in Central New York (USA): Binghamton City School District, Binghamton; Ithaca City School District, Ithaca; Liverpool City School District, Liverpool; Syracuse City School District, Liverpool; Ed Smith Elementary School, Syracuse; Rome Free Academy, Rome; and Whitesboro Middle School, Whitesboro.

Each participating district/school was at a different point in terms of its level and current use of Internet connectivity as well as the amount of training its teachers had already received.

The schools and districts involved selected their own teachers to participate in the Train-the-Trainer program. Each participant received three days of hands-on Internet instruction, instruction in how to teach similar courses at their own schools, and materials to support their on-site instruction. Support for the on-site implementations was available throughout the project via telephone, e-mail list, and optional site visits. As a critical part of the assessment of the Train-the-Trainer concept, trainers were allowed to adapt both the materials and the delivery where necessary to meet the needs of their particular schools as well as the very real constraints of the K-12 environment.

At the end of the project, participant feedback was solicited to provide insights into the effectiveness of the proposed model. Notable findings include the following:

  • In all cases, teacher-trainers made their own decisions about the degree of emphasis that topics proposed in the prototype training workshops would receive in their more tailored offerings to their specific districts or schools. Though this tailoring varied with each individual teacher-trainer, several trends emerged that could be used to design a more flexible and useful program.
  • All but one site compressed the 21 hours of original material to fit into available training time. Remaining sites found they could not allocate the full 21 hours due to scheduling and staffing constraints common within K-12 environment: cost of substitute teachers for sessions during the school day; issues of compensation for sessions outside the school day; and lack of computing facilities and concentrated time spans available when teachers are available.
  • As material was compressed to fit into practical schedules, teacher-trainers universally sought ways to compensate for the reduction in time and material, including creation of additional handouts, addition of practice assignments, and offering personal one-on-one support outside class.
  • Even as teacher-trainers were compressing materials, most also actually added material of their own with the goal of further customizing sessions and improving relevance to their specific group. Even with time at a premium, this customization prevailed.

By the end of June 1996, 357 teachers out of an admittedly ambitious goal of 500 had been trained, representing all participating districts and schools. For this reason alone, the program could be declared a success. However, along with this simple but important statistic, the project produced other valuable results:

  • All of the organizations that worked together to bring about the Train-the-Trainer program received valuable input as to how well this model worked and what changes could be made to make it even more effective. With the publication of the final report, the knowledge gained and lessons learned can be shared beyond the boundaries of the project.
  • The program served to jump-start initiatives, both formal and informal, at many of the participating schools. These ranged from the scheduling of additional training and justification for additional funding to the less concrete but incredibly valuable fostering of enthusiasm among teachers and staff.
  • Some hard, but very important, lessons were learned (or perhaps re-emphasized) about how well schools could and could not integrate the training model. These included the we-can't-say-it-enough adage of "there is no substitute for time"; the importance of adequately functioning and accessible technology; and the need for heightened sensitivity to the particulars of the K-12 environment.

The final conclusion of this project is that the Train-the-Trainer model for Internet training is particularly appropriate for the K-12 environment. We also conclude that the implementation of a local tailored offering is not as easy as it might appear even given a prescribed training program. Teacher-trainers faced a wide variety of issues when trying to plan, schedule, and implement locally, most of which involved the management of time -- their own time for planning and teaching; training participants' time for attending; and everyone's time for practice and classroom integration. Additionally, there are different educational priorities and Internet foci across localities that create a need for customization, customization that again requires time.

While we can't make the above issues go away, we should be able reduce the toll they take on the training effort. Increased flexibility and modularity at all points seem necessary. Perhaps the easiest target for this is the pilot training program itself. A second generation of workshops and materials that take into account the feedback from this project would be a logical next step. Other targets -- support for a training program implementation, working within constraints of active teacher schedules, access to technology -- are not as easy to hit. They are complex by their nature and more difficult to recommend solutions for. With the publishing and presentation of project results, we hope to provide some insights, guidance, and perhaps even inspiration to anyone endeavoring to resolve these problems and help effective use of the Internet in the K-12 classroom become a reality.

Contents

A serious need and an "educated guess"

The NYNEX-NYSERNet Train-the-Trainer K-12 Pilot Program (http://nysernet.org/projects/nynex-k12) materialized from the realization that although more and more K-12 institutions were becoming connected to the Internet, it appeared that a frighteningly small percentage of those schools were prepared to integrate their connection with actual classroom use or even make it readily available among their teachers as a tool for collaboration, research, and classroom preparation.

In July of 1996, NYSERNet (http://nysernet.org) sought and received funding from NYNEX to investigate a particular model for Internet teacher training that could help remedy this situation -- a model that seemed to be cost-effective as well as "learning effective." It was proposed that, given initial hands-on training sessions as well as follow-up materials for use back at their schools, Internet-aware teachers could act as Internet trainers themselves and conduct training throughout their own districts and schools.

To develop and implement the "Train-the-Trainer" project, NYSERNet leveraged its own expertise in the area of project management (http://nysernet.org/projects/current.html; http://nysernet.org/projects/past.html) and integrated it with the instructional product expertise of AppliedKnowledge Services, part of NYSERNet's professional affiliate, AppliedTheory Communications, Inc. This collaboration produced the final training structure and pilot program -- a first and "best guess" effort at meeting the critical need for cost-effective, reproducible instruction that would support K-12 teachers in their integration of Internet technologies into the classroom.

An educated guess in motion...

The NYNEX-NYSERNet "Train-the-Trainer" K-12 Pilot program was conducted over the 1996-97 school year within four districts and three schools in New York State. Each participating district/school already had a leased line connection to the Internet but each differed in how far that connection reached into the facilities. Additionally, some were just beginning to introduce the Internet to their staff and students whereas others had used the Internet over multiple school years, but not necessarily to the extent where practical daily or even weekly classroom use was common. Districts/schools also differed in the range of formal Internet teacher training that may have been done prior to the start of this program.

School districts involved in the program were allowed to choose three teachers to be trained as teachers-trainers; individual schools were allowed to choose one. Each participant was provided with the following:

  • Three days of hands-on Internet instruction designed for teacher-trainers. Courses included "Internet Basic Training," "Search Tools & Strategies," and "Integrating the Internet into the Classroom."
  • Instructional materials which included electronic presentations, bookmark files, resource lists, and instructor and student manuals
  • Support (via telephone, e-mail, listserv, and optional site visits) for planning, implementation, and Internet usage throughout the project

All materials used were designed with these three goals in mind:

  1. To increase awareness of issues, trends, and capabilities impacting integration of the Internet into the K-12 classroom
  2. To enhance skills in the use of specific network tools and resources for communication and information acquisition
  3. To promote the integration of Internet resources into innovative, fun, and effective educational products and lesson plans

From this foundation, trainers were allowed to adapt both the materials and delivery where necessary to meet the needs of their particular schools as well as the very real constraints of the K-12 environment.

How they did it

The following section provides detail as to the actual numbers of teachers trained and how this training was conducted across participating sites.

Numbers trained and general approach to training

The initial program called for participating districts to train up to 100 teachers and participating schools to train up to 33 within the implementation period (December 1996 - June 1997). This would result in a total of 500 teachers trained through the pilot project, an admittedly ambitious goal in light of the fact that the initial Train-the-Trainer workshop series was offered in the fall semester (October 24 and 31 and November 8), prerequisite training plans for conducting on-site training were due December 1, and the entire project ended with the school year in June. However, participating teacher-trainers rose to the challenge, putting considerable amounts of their own time and energy into scheduling, planning, and conducting the sessions. By the end of June 1997, a total of 350 teachers had been trained by the NYNEX-NYSERNet teacher-trainers, representing all participating districts and schools.

Participant-trainer profile

Of the 15 teachers who began the program and participated in the initial training that was provided, 13 remained active throughout and completed a survey at the end. The survey, coupled with an informal interview with NYSERNet's Project Coordinator, provides a clearer picture of how each conducted his or her training sessions and the feelings each had about the usefulness of the pilot as provided.

The breakdown of actual job titles among participants was

  • 5 classroom teachers
  • 2 technology integration teachers, regularly teaching staff
  • 3 librarian/media specialists
  • 1 school psychologist
  • 1 computer lab assistant
  • 1 Assistant Director of the Teacher Center

When asked about their actual role in their school/district, three responded that their primary responsibility was classroom teaching; three responded that it was staff development; three felt their role included both classroom teaching and staff development; and four described their primary responsibilities as "other."

Participants' self-described Internet usage prior to the program included four who described themselves as regular e-mail/WWW users proficient at using a WWW browser to locate and retrieve specific information. Of the remaining nine, six described themselves as regular e-mail/WWW users; one was an infrequent user of e-mail/WWW; two said that they were not users of the Internet at all prior to the program.

On-site training rollout

Only one school district was able to include all 21 hours of original material in its local workshops. All remaining schools/districts found they could not allocate the full 21 hours due to scheduling and staffing constraints common within the K-12 environment. Variations on the compressed session offerings were numerous. Total training time for compressed sessions ranged from a low of 5.5 hours to a high of 12 hours, with about an even split between workshops held during school and those held immediately after school.

As material was compressed to fit into practical schedules, teacher-trainers universally sought ways to compensate for the reduction in material. Methods for doing this included

  • Creation of overview handouts that condensed concepts
  • Creation of "For More Information" handouts that could be reviewed independently
  • The addition of homework and practice assignments to reinforce critical concepts or introduce others
  • Ample opportunity for personal one-on-one assistance (before class, after class, weekdays via e-mail and/or phone)

In all cases, teacher-trainers made their own decisions about the degree of emphasis that topics covered in the initial workshops would receive in the more "tailored" offerings to their own districts and schools. The following survey results show how various topics (shown in italics below; also Figure 1 and Figure 2) were covered by the teacher-trainers. Survey choices were "none," "little," "some," or "much."


Figure 1
  • WWW, Search Engine Details, and Search Strategies were emphasized "much" by all trainers. Clearly, general use of the WWW and the ability to find information within the WWW were viewed as critical and relevant components of successful K-12 Internet training.


    Techniques & Strategies
    Figure 2

  • Several other areas were emphasized "much" to "some" by over 3/4 of the trainers: Project Planning (92%), E-mail (85%), Internet Hunt (85%), Sample Classroom Project (85%), Levels of Classroom Integration (77%), and Electronic Discussion Lists (77%). The fact that a significant majority of teacher-trainers emphasized these topics "some" or "much" argues strongly for their inclusion in the program. However, the fact that other trainers did not include them at all seems to indicate the need for modularity -- a "buffet-approach" to content inclusion -- or other means of creating a more universally useful training package.
  • The widest distribution of emphasis occurred across the following subject areas: gopher, ftp, telnet. There was an even split between those emphasizing gopher "none" or little" and those emphasizing it "some" or "much." About twice as many trainers (62%) emphasized ftp "some" or "much" rather than "none" or "little" (38%). The opposite was true of telnet, with about twice as many trainers (62%) emphasizing "little" or "none" as "some" or "much" (38%). The variance seen here may be symptomatic of a more general disagreement on the Internet today concerning the value of pre-WWW technologies. In all cases within this project, teacher-trainers had very specific reasons for including older technologies when they did. For example, one school has a predominance of text-based Internet access so telnet knowledge was critical. Another felt that ftp should be taught as a necessary skill to move from merely "browsing" the Internet to actually incorporating materials and tools found on the Internet into daily classroom use.
  • A majority of trainers (69%) emphasized newsgroups "little" or "none"; a more substantial majority of trainers (85%) placed similar emphasis on video conferencing and chat rooms. Upon initial analysis, this may seem to indicate that newsgroups, video conferencing, and chat are not necessary components of a vital training program. However, further analysis will find it notable that 15 - 23% of trainers felt strongly enough about these subjects to emphasize them either "some" (newsgroups, videoconferencing) or even "much" (chat rooms). This would again argue for increased modularity of subject area offerings within a "train-the-trainer" program so that less "mainstream" topics can be included in cases where they are clearly valued.

As noted above, decisions to emphasize and de-emphasize particular topics were influenced by the need to compress the material given. However, even as many teacher-trainers were compressing materials, they were also adding material of their own with the goal of further customizing the sessions and improving relevance to their group. Examples of topics that were covered in greater depth than the original materials are as follows:

  • Multimedia resources
  • Research vs. Communication
  • Netscape (or other software) options
  • Locating your own resources
  • Interpretation of search engine results
  • How the Internet can help student learning
  • Particular K-12 mailing lists or newsgroups
  • Specific resources (i.e., AskERIC, lesson plan archives)
  • Internet terminology
  • School Web pages
  • Evaluating Internet resources
  • Staying current on the Internet

Examples of topics that were included in addition to those in the original materials include the following:

  • Appropriate use and acceptable use policies
  • Publication/design of classroom materials using Internet resources
  • Getting information from the Internet to other applications/media
  • Use of school-specific technology resources (e.g., scanners, servers)
  • Citing Internet resources
  • Classroom management suggestions
  • Disadvantages of using the Internet
  • Computer ethics

A final point at which customization occurred was in whether or not the teacher-trainer used the electronic presentations (PowerPoint slideshows) which were provided for the first two classes ("Internet Basic Training" and "Search Tools & Strategies"). Overall, the presentations were well received, with nine of the thirteen (69%) teacher-trainers using all or part of them within their training. Those who used the complete presentations indicated most often that they thought it helped with organization or provided necessary structure ("Had to do mostly lecture/demo due to lack of equipment, so slideshows were very needed to organize the presentation and focus attention"; "I thought it worked well and kept me on track"). Those who skipped over parts were mostly responding to tight schedules that enforced stricter relevancy ("Did not have time enough to do everything"; "Intro. to Search Tools & Strategies (ST&S) was less relevant and not immediately useful so it was eliminated"). Those who elected not to use the presentations at all cited too little time or a mismatch with teaching styles ("Had to change timeframe and would have been too choppy to skip slides"; "Teaching style and equipment/room setup in the school are not conducive to lecture-mode teaching/presentation").

A successful pilot

As the project end date of June 1997 approached, training was still in progress in many of the schools. In others, a first round of training sessions was being reviewed and evaluated with analysis directed at improving the effectiveness of a second round of training. With all of this energy and work still in progress, it was difficult to declare that the project was actually coming to a close. Officially, however, it was and final input about the program was solicited from both the teacher-trainers and their superintendents in the form of interviews and final reports. When the "reporting dust" cleared, it was evident that the NYNEX-NYSERNet K-12 "Train-the-Trainer" Pilot Program could be declared a success:

  • A total of 350 teachers were trained on use of the Internet in the classroom as part of this program. Two hundred and twelve teachers were trained in sessions based directly on the original materials, format, and concepts. An additional 138 teachers were trained in programs that incorporated NYNEX-NYSERNet K-12 "Train-the-Trainer" materials to a lesser degree but were developed by teacher-trainers who participated in the project and offered in the spirit of the program. Additional training was already being planned for the summer or the fall in 5 of the 7 participating districts/schools.
  • All of the organizations that worked together to bring about the "Train-the-Trainer" program (NYNEX, NYSERNet, AppliedTheory, and participating districts and schools) shared valuable input as to how this model worked and what changes could be made to make it even more effective. (For additional details, see Appendix A: Survey results specific to "Train-the-Trainer" as an educational product, http://nysernet.org/projects/nynex-k12/final/appendix_A.html) With the publication of the final project report and its inclusion on NYSERNet's Web site, the knowledge gained and lessons learned are being shared beyond the boundaries of the project. As interested organizations move forward with their own activities focused on enhancing Internet use within the K-12 community, the results of this program will hopefully fuel other initiatives like it -- efforts at providing cost-effective training for teachers to more broadly integrate the Internet into the teaching and learning process.
  • The program served to jump-start initiatives, both formal and informal, at many of the participating schools, as evidenced by the following select comments:

    Although the formal training ended with the third session, teacher enthusiasm continues. Training materials are carefully guarded by each teacher for future reference. The informal training continues in the form of questions through phone calls or visits to the computer lab for assistance in developing lesson plans, finding the right sources, etc. It will never end, and I love it. Their enthusiasm is contagious. (Whitesboro Middle School, Whitesboro, New York, USA)

    One school is actively planning direct follow-up to the activities of this program through their Teacher Center. Issues being addressed include the following: how the training that was received might be implemented in the classroom, what additional training might be required, and how the Teacher Center can assist in making the Internet a part of their teaching repertoire. In particular, the Teacher Center intends to help these participants ... implement classroom projects that were designed as part of the required training/course work. (Rome Free Academy, Rome, New York, USA)

    As an indirect outcome of your training, our district applied for and received a grant to build an Internet training lab at our school ... The commitment to train 100 people for the NYNEX-NYSERNet Pilot Program created an impetus for the implementation of a district-wide computer training center. The pilot program then provided the opportunity to see how the district might train the remainder of its staff regarding the use of the Internet. (Binghamton City School District, Binghamton, New York, USA)

And some basics revisited...

In addition to the more obvious success of the NYNEX K-12 "Train-the-Trainer" Pilot Program, some hard but important lessons were revisited. These lessons are not new to those familiar with the K-12 environment nor are they unique to this project. They are included here as realistic and serious reminders of a few basic tenets. NYSERNet will consider it part of its success if their impact is recognized and accounted for by those planning similar training implementations.

  1. There is no substitute for time. All participating schools and districts sought to reduce the amount of time that Internet training would consume. However, the overwhelming majority of workshop evaluations emphasized the need for more time and more hands-on time in particular. As experienced educators, all teacher-trainers recognized the value of hands-on instruction and integrated it into their sessions as much as possible. Still, extended practice and repetition were rarely included as part of in-class Internet training. The pressure to compress prevailed and participants were largely left to arrange necessary practice on their own.
  2. Successful technology training requires access to technology. The lack of an adequate number of Internet-connected computers within a readily available learning space impacted the pilot program on two levels. Lack of resources to support the immediate sessions caused dissatisfaction with the training itself:

    The course was the best it could be due to the teaching circumstances, no fault of the instructor. [The school] wasn't ready to go.

    The anticipated lack of post-training resources available for teachers' use as well as classroom use undermined participants' confidence and faith that they were learning something they would be able to use:

    Question: What do you foresee will be the impact of this workshop on your teaching and/or students' learning?

    Answer: None, do not have use of computers. Not having a computer in the classroom, [training is] like asking to cook a meal in someone else's kitchen.

    Another answer: Most see themselves using [the Internet] vs. direct student use because of the lack of access in the classroom.

  3. Successful K-12 training implementations require increased sensitivity to scheduling issues, both "time of day" and "time of year." Scheduling of all resources involved (rooms, trainers, trainees) combined with the typical flow of a school year made it very difficult for many participants to rollout a project of this scope in the timeframe given. All schools were able to get started on a training program but most ended in June with plans of using the summer break to regroup and set up additional training for the fall. The pilot began "training the trainers" near the middle of the fall semester; it might be better to attempt such training during the summer to give teacher-trainers time to absorb the new knowledge and also to plan their workshops within the schedule of the upcoming school year. Training during the school day is by far the simplest solution in terms of teacher compensation, but it is prohibitively expensive if substitute teachers are required to replace those attending training.
  4. Practical experience or understanding of the K-12 environment is necessary background for producing practical K-12 products. Key areas of understanding include
    • The scheduling and staffing issues described above
    • The actual costs associated with K-12 in-service training. The original proposal called for 33 teachers to be trained for three full days; it's almost a financial impossibility in this day and age for any school district to pay for 99 days of substitute pay.
    • How teachers are, or expect to be, compensated for attending training. Most districts had to find a way to pay teachers for their time. This varied across the program and was sometimes done with continuing education credits and sometimes with actual pay. There are pros and cons to each form of compensation but it is safe to say that
      • Compensation expectations existed everywhere.
      • Expectations of what compensation would be varied.
      • Preferred compensation is influenced by (1) the district (i.e., pay is a one-time expense; continuing education credits raise the teacher's pay on an ongoing basis); (2) the teachers (some are more willing to absorb some cost for their own staff development than others); and (3) teacher unions.
      • Deciding on and implementing compensation creates additional planning overhead.
    • What other training has already been done in the school/district or what other training is being planned. One school indicated strongly that the program should have been arranged in conjunction with the Teacher Center in its district since most training is offered through the Teacher Center and coordinated by it. There are likely to be variances in Teacher Center presence and activity across districts. Information is needed regarding local structure and politics for the most successful training implementation in any given school or district. The most effective as well as frugal training programs will be those that find ways to complement the work of previous as well as existing programs.

Conclusion

The final conclusion of this project is that the "Train-the-Trainer" model for Internet training is particularly appropriate for the K-12 environment. Support for this position was expressed in several of the final reports submitted by the participating sites:

I do believe that the train-a-trainer concept is one that NYSERNet should pursue. It provides a cost-effective way to train a large number of teachers as well as establishing a resource person who can be available for additional training, one-to-one needs, future projects, etc.

The [Train-the-Trainer] concept is a valid one. It enables Internet users/trainers to learn new skills as well as to update/upgrade their abilities and share with one another "tricks of the trade," etc. Ideas are generated then for training within the home district/building.

The program was insightful and meaningful to the participating teachers and staff. It was an innovative tool for promoting self-directed learning for all who received training. This form of technological instruction provided a user-friendly relationship between faculty and technology.

Although your target was to train 100 staff members this year, we will be utilizing the experience of our three district trainers to provide training for all staff and students.

Through the initial workshops, the model supports development of Internet expertise that will remain within the school or district, increasing the pool of peer-to-peer assistance. More importantly, however, the teacher-trainer returns to his or her school prepared to offer formal Internet classes and armed with Internet-specific teaching tips, presentation materials, instructor manuals, and student manuals. These can be used to duplicate the original workshops but in a way that is tailored to fit the schedule, focus, and expertise of the local audience.

Another important finding is that implementation of a local tailored offering is not as easy as it might appear given a prescribed training program. Teacher-trainers faced a wide variety of issues when trying to plan, schedule, and implement locally, most of which involved the management of time -- their own time for planning and teaching; training participants' time for attending; and everyone's time for practice and classroom integration. Additionally, there were different educational priorities and Internet foci across localities that created a need for customization -- customization that, again, required time.

While we can't make these issues go away, we should be able reduce the toll they take on the training effort. Increased flexibility and modularity at all points seem necessary. Perhaps the easiest target for this is the initial training program itself. A second generation of workshops and materials that take into account the feedback from this project is a logical next step and information from the pilot program is being provided to the original program developers at AppliedTheory Communications for further development and enhancement. Other targets for improvement -- i.e., support for a training program implementation, working within constraints of active teacher schedules, access to technology -- are not as easy to affect. They are complex by their nature and more difficult to recommend solutions for. With the publishing of this report, NYSERNet hopes it has provided some insights, guidance, and perhaps even inspiration to anyone endeavoring to resolve these problems and help effective use of the Internet in the K-12 classroom become a reality.

[INET'98] [ Up ][Prev][Next]