Technology and Professional Mentoring
The use of online collaborative tools has allowed us to build capacity through mentoring teachers. The MSD of Wayne has partnered with IUPUI to deliver an online Master’s Degree program for Wayne teachers in Curriculum and Technology. All courses are taught through the Angel online learning management system. Teachers in the cohorts receive many resources and best practices which are implemented directly in their classrooms and shared with other staff members. New teachers to Wayne are required to take 30 hours of courses as required by board policy (GCL). This allows incoming teachers to understand the “Wayne ways” and help them to integrate our digital learning focus and understand other aspects of our learning culture. Facilitators allow participating teachers to view videos of instructional best practices and then foster collaboration and discussion through group comments in a video shareing social network based product called Teacher Studio. This allows the facilitators to provide a mentoring component to teachers outside of class. Curriculum mapping is done through online resources and help define online courses. This process allows teachers to share practices with each other through curriculum maps.
