Teacher's Share Experience
by Lana Reinhart
September 12, 2007
Teachers in U.S.D. 239 will now have the opportunity to formally share their expertise in areas of technology by conducting training sessions for other district teachers and staff members. Sessions are held once a month at 7:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., with the first training sessions held on September 5. Two sessions were offered on ProStar training (the district's gradebook) and two sessions were offered on computer drives and creating folders. Other sessions available this school year include: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, working with digital images, Podcasting, Inspiration, and more.
"The first four sessions were very well attended," according to Lana Reinhart, district Business and Technology Teacher. "The staff who attended the sessions felt they came away with additional knowledge from the presenters, as well as great ideas and shortcuts that other staff members shared in the sessions." Deb Pounds, district Business and Technology Teacher, said, "We feel it is beneficial to the district to utilize the resources we have available to us internally, rather than hire outside consultants and trainers."
Staff members who attend the training sessions will receive district "Tech Bucks" that can be redeemed to purchase software and technology equipment to enhance the teacher's curriculum. With district money in short supply, teachers are not always able to obtain new technology that would benefit their students. The training sessions offer a way for a teacher to be able to "earn" new equipment, as well as learning new information that can be passed on to the students. Teachers decide at the beginning of the school year how many sessions they would like to attend during the year and how many "Tech Bucks" they plan to earn. This gives the district an idea of the needs of the teachers, as the budget is being planned for the coming school year.
