Brandywine School District
Learn to Earn Professional Development Program
There are two areas of need for Instructional Technology in the Brandywine School District:
1) Professional Development and
2) Teacher/Classroom access to technology.
The Learn to Earn Professional Development program marries these two areas into one
cohesive initiative.
The Learn to Earn program allows teachers to earn more technology to use in their instruction
by participating in convenient, individualized professional development in instructional
technology.
The Way It Works
The Brandywine School District develops a professional development program in instructional
technology that is aligned to the Brandywine School District Technology Expectations for
Teachers and national NETS for Teachers standards.
The Courses (The “Learn” part)
There will be many different courses in the professional development program that fulfills a need
for our teachers in the district. These courses will incorporate and be aligned to LoTI Levels
(Levels of Technology Implementation, a state-wide initiative) and the Brandywine School
District Technology Expectations for Teachers.
Examples of these courses may include:
The Many Things You Can Do with MS Word
Using Excel to Improve Student Achievement
Bring Your Classroom Alive with Smart Boards
Maximizing the use of Digital Projectors
Using Web 2.0 Tools to Engage Students
* Courses will be developed by interested district employees as teachers’
professional development needs and technology change.
Each course will be broken into three or more sessions rather than a one-time workshop. This
shows the teachers that their learning is ongoing and allows teachers the opportunity to
internalize and reflect on their practice and develop authentic learning experiences and
products.
The district will use the Delaware Backboard® system (http://delaware.blackboard.com) as a
vehicle to host the content and a means to provide common professional development in
instructional technology to all teachers in a variety of ways.
Using Delaware Blackboard will allow the district to deliver professional development in several
ways:
Face to face. Some teachers may need the support a live facilitator to help them learn the
technology and engage in classroom discussion to share ideas. Having the course content
already available ensures that every teacher receives the same content and experience no
matter who, where or when the course is delivered.
Online (Distance) Learning. Some teachers may need the flexibility and options that
online learning offers. With the Internet 2.0 and latest trends in technology, online learning
is the fastest growing type of education for adult learners. Online learning gives teachers
the flexibility to participate in way that fits their schedule and needs. This method is not for
everyone; it requires a certain level of technical skills and self discipline to be successful in
an online environment.
Independent/Self-paced Study. Some teachers who are already understand the
technology and are self-motivated may need a different approach. These courses can be
offered to teachers in a self-paced, independent study fashion. Teachers in this program
will work through the content on their own and receive the support of a facilitator as needed.
This option is ideal for a limited few teachers who possess certain characteristics.
The Incentive ( The “Earn” part)
Teachers will earn points towards purchasing technology for their instructional use. Each course
will be worth so many points, and teachers can accrue points as they complete these courses.
When they earn enough points, they can trade them in on different types of technology
equipment that are from the approved list or by special permission.
THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE. THE DETAILS ARE STILL BEING DEVELOPED
Technology Points
Digital camera 200 points
Digital projector 500 points
Ceiling mounted Digital projector 1000 points
Teacher laptop replacement of their desktop 1500 points
Elmo (must already have a projector) 500 points