Rural students are spending a lot of time on computers when they go home and use their computers, they go on the Internet when they get home from school and are logging upwards of 60-100 hours on MSN, Facebook, Second Life, etc... How can we use these strengths and interests to engage them in curriculum?
Web resources are powerful tools, but it is difficult to discern what are of value.
Current policies do not allow for software subscriptions to be paid for by budgets. ***
****Comment from anonymous... To correct the comment about subscriptions,that only applies to use of funds in the Credit Allocation for Authorized Learning Resources which are mostly acquired through the Nova Scotia School Book Bureau. One concern is that on-going subscriptions could consume much of the funding allocation while displacing planned purchases of textbooks, software and other learning resources in future years.Schools, School Boards and the Department of Education use other funds to acquire annual subscriptions to a variety of print and electronic resources. *****
More Professional development is needed and Internet-based PD, may be a way to assist rural teachers in remote areas who struggle with issues of substitutes for workshops.
The Iniutq website is an example of how geographic and cultural areas may use the Internet to bridge existing divides.
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To correct the comment about subscriptions,that only applies to use of funds in the Credit Allocation for Authorized Learning Resources which are mostly acquired through the Nova Scotia School Book Bureau. One concern is that on-going subscriptions could consume much of the funding allocation while displacing planned purchases of textbooks, software and other learning resources in future years.
Schools, School Boards and the Department of Education use other funds to acquire annual subscriptions to a variety of print and electronic resources.
The recently adopted provincial platform for online learning provides the synchronous (live web-based video) and asynchronous conferencing infrastructure to support a variety of professional development for teachers. The platforms can help to support a networked professional learning community which responds to teacher needs "just in time" and in units of time available by teachers during and after school. Sessions can be formal and informal and avoid the time consumed with travel to a central face-to-face workshop.
The need for the provincial platform for teacher PD is acute. We are in a time of restraint (dare I say 'clawback'?), with respect to professional development offered by our Department.
One example is the roll-out of grade 9 literacy assessment this spring. A PD day for all teachers directly involved has been pulled back. Now our Assessment Branch is promising E-PD - which is amounting to a nothing more than a website. The distance delivery tools would be MOST appropriate but this would need to be licked into action very quickly. 'Just in time'; would be an understatement!
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