Teacher Learning Online Tools

Types of Online Tools that Support Teacher Learning

1. Online communication “spaces”

Example: Tapped In 2 (http://ti2.sri.com/tappedin/)
Tapped In is an online workplace and meeting place for communities of educational professionals. It employs a “place” metaphor with a central Tapped In building and “tenant” buildings designed for partner districts and universities. It is used for online teaching and learning as well as coordination of research teams and educational organizations.

2. Find-a-mentor services

Example: WINGS Online Telementoring (http://wings.utexas.org/telementoring/)
New teachers select an online mentor from a database of information forms completed by same-state, experienced teachers. Communication is one-to-one and done primarily via email and telephone.

3. Collaborative curriculum design/lesson study

Example: Education with New Technologies: Networked Learning Community (http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/home/index.cfm)
Education with New Technologies is a networked community designed to help educators design learning experiences for students through the effective integration of new technologies. The goal of this “village” is to support teams of teachers in integrating new educational technologies into teaching with guidance from established design principles--specifically those found in Teaching for Understanding.

4. Question-and-answer services

Example: WINGS Online Information-on-Demand (http://wings.utexas.org/info_on_demand.html)
New teachers’ requests for specific pedagogical and curriculum content information are answered in summary form and with high-quality Web site recommendations. All questions and corresponding responses are added to a growing and searchable database that is publicly accessible.

5. Inquiry-based video case studies of teaching

Example: Inquiry Learning Forum (http://ilf.crlt.indiana.edu/)
The Inquiry Learning Forum is also a virtual place, but in this case the place is the school and we are going to (virtually) visit the classrooms. There is a full video of a lesson and lots of resources here to help you think about and discuss lessons as they were taught in real classrooms. (See also our case study compilation.)

6. Interactive electronic portfolios

Example: Open Portfolio
(http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/teachered/projects/openportfolio/password.php) Server-based tool that helps teachers to create and maintain their professional portfolios online. Collaborative reflection by colleagues and supervisors based upon the artifacts included in the portfolios can be invited by the portfolio’s owner.

Contact us if you would like to receive assistance from EDC to help you plan your approach, evaluate the technology options, and develop capacity within your project to design and manage online professional development.