and Assessment
help teachers target higher-order thinking
with rigor, relevance, and rubrics.
t he coaching office at Hampton High School is a busy place. One full-time instruction- al coach and two part-time interns from
Duquesne University’s School of Education are
crammed into a 12' x 20' “office,” along with various
projectors, cameras, iPod carts, cases of student response devices and various other instructional technologies. The room acts as command
central for instructional technology support
in our building, with a constant flow of teachers
in and out, buzzing with questions, such as “What do you think
about…?,” “Is there a way we could…?,” and “How can I get students to…?” There’s a whiteboard on the wall where we keep
a list of current projects, and this year we have scribbled as
many as 20 simultaneous ventures on it in different-colored
markers. In a building with around 70 teachers, this whiteboard is a clear indication that business is booming!
Over the past four years, our district has made tremendous
strides in technology integration. While we continue to strive
to improve instructional practice, a full-time instructional
coach and a buildingwide focus on assessment are helping
us move forward with embedded professional support and a
common vision.
