i nAction
P rofessional Development
a t Your Fingertips
J eff Woodbury, program director for Education Leadership,
d iscusses online opportunities for educators
It is not hard to recall the excitement and energy I felt in San
Antonio during NECC 2008. e
venue, the people, the ideas, and the
exchanges brought sparks of insight
and admiration.
e heady environment of NECC
recharged us with the positive message and knowledge gleaned from
all we experienced at the conference. Part of that excitement and
exhilaration as I returned home
was wondering what I could do to
stay current with developments in
educational technology and how
it could most e ectively transform
teaching and learning. ISTE is working to respond to this question by
developing an online professional
development environment geared to
the needs of educators.
Professional development is vital to our long-term professional
welfare: It enhances our individual
work, our workplace, and our professional communities. We increasingly recognize that online professional development is a practical
way of remaining current with the
manifold aspects of our professional
lives. Our exposure to exemplary
concepts and techniques for teaching and learning can be greatly
enriched through e ective online
professional development.
It is not uncommon to hear how
the Internet dissolves the constraints of time and place by offering a seemingly endless choice of
options anytime, anywhere. However, the overwhelming number
of choices raises the question of
what makes an online professional
program or resource worthwhile.
ISTE’s answer is to provide learning
modules created by educators who
are leaders in their fields and deeply
familiar with the National Educational Technology Standards.
e theory and objectives of the
NETS guide the creation of the
practical information and objectives contained in these new learning
modules. In fact, both experience and
advice from educators tell us that a
practical approach is needed in online professional development, thus
ISTE’s online professional development will present modules to inspire
classroom instruction by embodying
the NETS.
In early January 2009, ISTE will
release its rst series of learning
modules dealing with Web 2.0 learning environments. e goal of these
modules will be to o er educators the
necessary skills to identify and support e ective use of technology as a
tool for teaching and learning.
Professional development threads
will include:
• Digital age learning environments
• Technology standards and essential
conditions
• Creative approaches to instruction
• How teachers learn to use technology
ISTE will initially offer its online
professional development as self-paced modules. In mid-2009, ISTE
will release its mentored professional development courses. This
will expand the scope of ISTE’s
professional development services
from its signature webinars and
institutes to a broad range of resources and services that respond
to the needs of today’s educators.
Our goal is to continue ISTE’s commitment to leadership, professionalism, and community in an online
venue throughout the year.
We look forward to seeing you
online in 2009! Look for us on ISTE’s
Web site under Professional Development. What better way to stay
connected, energized, and ready for
ISTE’s 30th anniversary in Washington, D.C., June 28–July 1, 2009.
