Osceola and Polk County School Districts, in partnership, were awarded a state grant to offer technology training to teachers in order to improve student achievement. The training content concentrated on podcasting, digital audio, digital video, digital images, digital graphic organizers, digital storytelling, copyright policies in the 21st century and digital tools for global connections. Two hundred teachers from the two counties attended camps the summer of 2007 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The participants agreed to mentor a fellow teacher during the 2007-2008 school year. Selected teachers made application and were recommended by their administrator to attend the week long event, focusing on the Florida Digital Educator and Peer Coaching models. The program is continuing during the 2008-2009 school year with training selected teachers at Denn John Middle School.
Teachers and Students Succeed
Students in the School District of Osceola County are offered every opportunity to become successful learners in this current age of technology. Hundreds of hours of instruction take place annually with continuous training offered by the Instructional Technology Department to ensure that both teachers and students benefit from this team of experts. Nearly a decade ago, faculty and staff of the Instructional Technology section created, adopted and began to implement District technology goals/benchmarks to align instruction with the Sunshine State Standards and National Technology Standards for Students developed by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). ISTE is a nonprofit professional organization with a worldwide membership of leaders and potential leaders in educational technology. It is dedicated to providing leadership and service to improve teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in K–12 education and teacher education. It provides members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of incorporating computers, the Internet, and other new technologies into their schools. The vision of Instructional Technology Department is to develop in classroom teachers the expertise to provide for students age appropriate lessons in the use of multiple technology-based tools.
Florida Digital Educator
Ever wonder...
...what else the Instructional Technology area does? Some of the "behind the scenes" activity supports the schools by providing ongoing participation in certain federal and state technology funding initiatives and grant programs to improve student technological opportunities. Under the leadership and guidance of the Florida Department of Education, these staff members develop and maintain a long-range strategic district technology plan that addresses many complex issues, which then is submitted to the state for review and approval. Eligibility to participate in seeking new grant opportunities for the School District of Osceola County is determined by the Office of Instructional Technology at the state level. The award of the Florida Digital Educator project is made possible through the work of this group.