Teachers+Are+Lifelong+Learners

=Teachers are always striving to improve their skills= and perfect their game, particularly in the ever-changing area of technology. A teacher who first crossed the threshold of the Uniondale School District ten years ago finds a very different school environment now. SASI, eChalk, e-mail, online databases, Follett Destiny, Pearson Inform and Benchmark, video streaming, [|WebQuests], Internet research, [|PowerPoint], School Island, videoconferencing are just some examples of online tools and resources with which teachers have become familiar in order to master the demands of the classroom. Uniondale is committed to help teachers become adept users of technology. One way the district accomplishes this is through inservice course offerings. This year, teachers will take advantage of a variety of inservice courses with a focus on technology—Engaging Tech Fair Projects for All Levels, Strategies and Tools to Create a Technologically-Infused Curriculum, and Using Microsoft Office for Instructional Productivity are some examples. In addition, new teachers are scheduled for small-group training to introduce them to the myriad resources and strategies available to them in Uniondale. Susan West, the district technology trainer, will be visiting schools across the district to work with teachers as they develop meaningful activities that challenge our students to be creative thinkers and utilize technology on their way. The district also has forged a partnership with the Intercounty Teacher Resource Center which promises to be a terrific resource for technology learning. This summer, two of our teachers took a course, “Teaching Thinking with Technology,” and will turnkey train at least 20 teachers in this exciting model. Podcasting made its debut in the high school this year, and master teacher and podcaster Henry Chu will be introducing the whys and wherefores to occupational education teachers and librarians at our first staff development workshop this fall. In addition, Northern Parkway Librarian Deirdre Doherty attended a two-day workshop in podcasting this summer and is eager to share what she learned with district staff members.

Resources abound for teachers who want to supplement their learning with independent effort. A collection of links in all subject areas is available at http://www.backflip.com/members/uhslibrary. Click on “Sites for Educators” for specific websites to support teaching, and "Integrating Technology" to drill down even further. In addition, teachers and students are invited to visit Atomic Learning at [|http://www.atomiclearning.com] to explore online tutorials that explains the ins and outs of various software programs. See your library media specialist for a username and password.