[About the Institute]
[List of participants]
[March 1998 curriculum]
June 1998 curriculum]
[June Photos]
[Evaluation of the June Workshop]
[October 1998 curriculum]
[Photos of the October Workshop]
[More Photos of the October Photos]
[Internet Presentations by Participants]
[Online Resources]
Evaluation of the June Workshop
by Sandra Hughes
Strengths of the Institute
Design
- By designing the institute to include teams from a school/school system
and from across the state, relationships are being developed and strengthened
within schools and a professional network is being created across the
state.
- Institute models what we know about successful professional development:
focuses on concrete classroom applications; exposes teachers to actual
practice rather than to descriptions of practice; involves opportunities for
group support and collaboration; involves opportunities for critique and
reflection.
- Institute demonstrates the benefits of collaborative teaching. The
mix of instructors allows participants to see that expertise rests with
many different individuals: university professors and instructors,
personnel from the state department of instruction, school district
staff, and building-level staff (teachers, library-media specialists,
and school technologists).
Instruction
- Instructors are knowledgeable and able to communicate information in a
clear and understandable way; you are successfully demystifying the
technical aspects of web page design and networking.
- The mix of presentation formats keeps the institute interesting and allows
the participants to learn about different aspects of internet use:
technical information, application in the school setting, and broader
issues like access and ethics.
- Instruction demonstrates good teaching practice: takes place within
the participants' comfort zones yet pushes their thinking; relates to
their needs and interest; builds on prior knowledge; provides opportunity
for hands-on practice; provides opportunity for reflection; focuses on the specific,
yet is careful to relate the specific to the whole--sets a context for
the learning.
- The fact that each of the primary instructors (Evelyn, Scott, and Kristin)
attends the seesions being taught by the other instructors shows respect
fot the knowledge and expertise of the others and models for the participants
the need to support their colleagues. It also shows the participants
that regardless of your area of expertise or your level of knowledge,
you can always learn from others within the learning community.
Materials
- The written materials and URL addresses you are providing are not only
helpful to the participants during the institute, but will also be useful
to them as they begin to work with county decision-makers, teachers,
and students.
Needs Expressed by Partipants
- Written guidelines for setting up a network.
- More information on web servers; how you post the web page to a
server.
- More information on issues such as internet access and ethics,
policies, and procedures.
- More instruction on search engines and search strategies.
- More information on designing interdisciplinary projects.
- Time to think about "next steps."
General Recommendations
- Provide them with information on evaluating the web pages they have
designed (rubric format would be helpful). Perhaps give them the
criteria the first day of the next session and have them apply the
criteria to the web page they have developed.
- Point out the IConnect Web Site: good place for them to continue
their professional growth; addresses their need for more instruction
on search engines and search strategies, information on designing
interdisciplinary projects. The site can also be used for professional
development with teachers.
- Have them develop an action plan: think concretely about how they will
use the information they have learned during this institute.
- If possible, arrange for them to meet as a group at the North Carolina
School Librarians Association meeting in the fall. This would provide
an opportunity to continue the network.
- Give them an opportunity at the next meeting to share with the
group how they have used what they have learned at the Institute.
- Have them bring a list of the questions they still have to the
next session of the Institute (or email them and ask them to send
their questions to you prior to the session). Allow time to discuss these
questions.
[About the Institute]
[List of participants]
[March 1998 curriculum]
June 1998 curriculum]
[June Photos]
[Evaluation of the June Workshop]
[October 1998 curriculum]
[Photos of the October Workshop]
[More Photos of the October Photos]
[Internet Presentations by Participants]
[Online Resources]
Page maintained by:Elaine Cameron and Ashley Larsen (willa@ils.unc.edu)
Last updated: 8/7/98