TQ #1

From September 3, 2008

By far the most incredible success story, the results of this initiative are absolutely mind boggling. Over the span of 3 years, the percentage of 3rd graders that could read at grade level jumped from 7% to 80%. Those numbers are so high, it begs the question - is that even possible?

According to the reading, the eMINTS program gives teachers 200 hours of professional development and technical support as they use technology to enhance learning for their students. What is important about this program is that the teacher training and support does not focus on a software program alone, but focuses on teaching teachers how to use technology for different activities and learning tasks to enhance lessons.

I have heard about professional development before, and in every instance the importance of comprehensive and effective professional development is great. In many course projects thus far in my graduate study, I have focused on the idea of teacher training and researched its importance. This success story is the poster child for the teacher training need. According to the astounding results, the eMINTS program designed a highly effective professional development program. Teachers not only teach material are able to assign online programs based on each individual student’s progress. I wish the story would have gone into more detail about how the program was run. The program would have had to not only teach teaching strategies, but also how to use the technology tools that teachers assign students. Teachers must obviously be trained well for student achievement to be that high in such little time - simply because it is unrealistic to suggest that students had no trouble learning how to use the technology programs and/or encountered no errors.

Furthermore, the program is clearly an example to follow since the federal government is actually putting $8.4 million dollars behind its expansion. Beyond Missouri, has anyone in Pennsylvania used this program? Has anyone in local school districts even realized the true importance of offering effective professional development and teacher technology training similar to that which is offered through the eMINTS program? It seems this program is one of the most effective I’ve ever read about for sure.