Sustained and ongoing communications to supplement face-to-face professional development opportunities

Introduction Sustained and ongoing communication Variety of PD Connections between mentors and teachers Links to learning communities

As the NSDC Standards for Staff Development state, the most powerful forms of staff development occur in ongoing teams. For a variety of reasons, including funding challenges, geographic dispersion, and time constraints, it is often logistically difficult to create opportunities for ongoing communication.

Online technologies can facilitate sustained communications between face-to-face opportunities. All of these tools can be used alone or in combinations.

Tools and Strategies

Individual email or moderated email list
Discussion board - an electronic message center that allows you to asynchronously read and respond to messages posted by others. These can be either open or password protected areas. Often discussion boards (sometimes called Forums) are moderated by a facilitator who not only helps to move the discussion forward, but also monitors for inappropriate messages.
Teleconferencing - high speed network connections allow users to have audio or video conferences where groups can share computer applications and work collaboratively on a whiteboard or document.
Synchronous Online Communications - applications such as instant messaging or chat rooms where groups can meet in real time and exchange text-based communication.
MUVES (Multi-User Virtual Environments)/MUDs (Multi-user Dimension)/MOOS (Multi-user Object Oriented System) - a collaborative learning community where users can interact synchronously and asynchronously. These environments have a spatial organization and users simulate "real life" actions like speaking, picking objects up, or exploring.

Successful Practices

Milwaukee Public Schools
http://www.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/pages/MPS/Teachers_Staff/Tech_Tools/Portal
The Milwuakee Public Schools use a number of these tools including synchronous online communications via TappedIn and videoconferencing to supplement face-to-face support efforts of their new teacher induction and retention program.