A Distance Learning Approach to Enhancing Technology Use in Rural Schools

Jim Barber Wallace Hannum

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Situation

• Large state with considerable rural population

• Challenges of NCLB• Concerns about AYP in rural areas• Difficult for rural teachers to get

professional development• Want to improve instruction in rural

areas through technology use

Guiding Questions

• How do we build their capacity to use technology to support learning?

• How can we use distance learning to offer courses rural students would not otherwise have?

Our solution

1. Graduate class via interactive video

2. Certification program to teach online

3. Distributed support for professional development

1. Graduate class

• Taught via interactive video

• Professor teaching in a studio

• Students at various sites across state

Two-way interactive video

• Program originates in studio

• Four sites connected via fiber optics

• Video & audio in all directions

• Lecture/discussion

• Project-based

Outcomes

• Teachers became more capable of using technology for teaching & learning

• Teachers & administrators in rural areas completed a graduate class they otherwise would not have completed

• Teachers got to see what others were doing & learn from each other

2. Certification program

• Need– improve quality of online instruction– enable regular classroom teachers to teach online – create several high-quality online courses

• Solution– create inservice program for teachers who want to

teach online– accept only teachers with basic technology skills

Organization

• Sequence of 5 courses

• 18 months to complete

Practicum

Pedagogy for Online Learning

Tools for Online Learning

Models for Online Learning

Overview of Online Learning

Teaching methods

• Program completely online• Model what we preach• Summer workshop/collaboration• Stress interaction and collaboration• Emphasis on developing skills, not just

acquisition of knowledge

Technology used

• Course management– Content– Discussion forums– Document sharing

• Email– One-to-one contact– Individual feedback– Coaching

• Telephone

Outcomes

• Better knowledge of online teaching & learning

• Enhanced skill in teaching online• More online courses developed• More opportunities for high school

students to take online courses

Outcomes

• Stronger pedagogy built into courses• Cadre of online teachers able to offer

more courses & help other teachers• Peer-to-peer support network

for teaching online

3. Distributed support for teaching

Statewide network of educators using the power

of the Internet to improve K-12 education.

LEARN NCLEARN NC

Teachers helping teachers

• The Teachers’ Network: a LEARN NC trained coordinator in each of the 115 school systems and many individual schools

• Local system coordinators conduct professional development workshops; provide ongoing feedback on resources

Teachers helping teachers

• Contributing editors offer best practices and proven resources.

• Last year, the LEARN NC website experienced nearly 10,000 visitors a day!

www.learnnc.org

Teacher feedbackguided organization ofeducational resources

Ongoing collaboration with educational partners

generates content and opportunities

A guided search makesIt easier to locate what you need based on yourrole as teacher, student,or parent.

Search results offer a variety of resources aligned to the

NC Standard Course of Study

Access to the entire curriculum and

associated lesson plans is only a few clicks away

Display of curriculum goals clearly displays

curriculum and associated resources.

Access resources at the

objective level

LEARN’s Curriculum Consultants review lessons from NC teachers and from around the world and

align them to the SCoS

Lessons are aligned to the Standard Course of Study and reviewed as curricula are revised.

Access other lessons addressing the same objective from within

each lesson

Educators statewide contribute best

practices articles on a range of topics

Quality websites are reviewed and annotated

to create a “safe-surfing” environment for online research

Grade-level interfaces create age-level

appropriate research centers for

K-12 students

Take a look at Grade 2

NC teachers provided guidance in developing age-level appropriate

media centers

Quality sites are chosen to support the SCoS which are written at a

reading level appropriate for each grade level

Students search within the LEARN NC

database, avoiding inappropriate websites

Each Media Center features a custom-

written research guide for learning how to use the web as a resource

for research.

High School students access tools and

resources appropriate for their needs

A collection of professional resources supports the challenges of beginning teachers.

Resources are designed to support teaching in N.C.

Teachers engage in professional development at a time most convenient for their schedules with

LEARN’s Online Courses

LEARN also prepares educatorsto teach online and to develop

online courses.

Featured resources include interactive tools like writing exemplars

for preparing teachers to improve writing skills.

Educational jargon is defined with examples with the Education

Reference section

Each entry goes beyond a simple definition to offer

examples and related terms

Presentation summary

• Attempting to support teachers & administrators in underserved rural areas make better use of technology.

• Three programs– Graduate course via distance learning– Certification program for teaching online– Ongoing support for professional

development

Emphasis

• Building capacity of teachers to use technology for teaching & learning

• Better instructional use of technology

• Appropriate pedagogy

• Improved student achievement

How

• Improve capacity to use technology for teaching and learning

• Use technology in support of capacity building

• Use distance learning to provide anytime, anyplace learning

• Model effective teaching & learning practices

Why?