• The primary goal is to support elementary and secondary schools in effectively using technology to improve students’ academic achievement.
• To promote initiatives that provide teachers, principals, and administrators with the capacity to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction that are aligned with challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards, through professional development programs.
• To encourage the effective integration of technology resources and systems with teacher training and curriculum development to establish research based instructional methods that can be implemented as best practices by State educational agencies.

The Curriculum and Staff Development Center is looking for schools to participate in the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) grant for school year 2008 - 2009.  This is a federal grant designed to implement the technology initiative as outlined in No Child Left Behind of 2001.  The broad program goals for EETT are to:

• Improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in elementary and secondary schools.
• Assist all students in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade.
• Encourage the effective integration of technology resources and systems through teacher training, curriculum development, and by incorporating successful research-based instructional methods that can be widely implemented as best practices.
• A new requirement of EETT is to support the Florida’s reading initiative.  It states that, “Training in the use and application of technology to support reading instruction is another primary way that projects will support Florida’s broad-based reading improvement initiatives.”

The Intel Teach to the Future model was chosen to meet the requirements as outlined in EETT.  Intel® Teach to the Future is a worldwide effort to help teachers integrate technology into instruction and enhance student learning.  It was designed to prepare today’s teachers and students for tomorrow’s demands.  Participating teachers receive extensive training and resources to promote effective technology use in the classroom.  When teachers participate in Intel Teach to the Future, they learn how to integrate technology into their favorite lessons and units.  They design new enhanced instructional units that incorporate software tools and the Internet to implement in their classrooms.  They are instructed on how best to create assessment tools and align lesson plans with state and national standards.  The program incorporates hands-on use of the Internet, Web page design, and multimedia software.  The emphasis of this course is on enhancing teaching and learning through the use of technology.  Teachers taking the course need to have basic computer skills.  The training consists of hands-on instruction delivered in 8 curricular modules.  The Intel Teach to the Future curriculum supports:

• Hands-on learning while creating curricular national, state and district standards
• Effective use of technology in the classroom
• Research, communication, and productivity
• Problem solving and working in teams

Teachers receive 32 hours of classroom training and 20 hours of take-home activities supplement the training.  Training times and dates will be agreed upon by the School Principal and Coordinator for Instructional Technology.

In addition to the Intel training, workshops can be created especially for your school’s training needs. Workshops can be taught for all office products, digital cameras and web tools for the classroom.

Please contact Lynne Coris at 335-1494 or email her at lynnebc@leeschools.net for more information.

Individual Professional Development Plans
Need an idea for that IPDP?  Check out this link for some ideas!

(The following link is to a third-party Web site that is neither hosted nor endorsed by The School District of Lee County.)
Are you looking to access tools for use in technology?
Lots of interactive websites to use with students are listed here at Tech Tools for Interactive Learning!

Upcoming Trainings
FCAT Explorer Parent Night - December 1, 2008, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. @ Mariner High School

Microsoft Outlook for Calendar Process - December 4, 2008 - 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. @ Lee County public Education Center, Lab C

Untangling the Web - December 8, 2008 - 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Lee County Public Education Center, Lab C

Geocoaching and PhotoStory - December 28, 2008 - 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. @ Caloosa Elementary

PhotoStory - January 8, 2009 - 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. @ Diplomat Elementary

Please log into PDMS using the link to the right to register for these professional development opportunities!