LHRIC Offers More to Districts with Updated Model Schools Service

The Lower Hudson Regional Information Center's Model Schools service released its 2012-13 professional learning catalog earlier this month highlighting its many course offerings for local educators and school district administrators and adding some exciting new opportunities for members as well.

The 42-page directory, with a focus on supporting teaching and learning in the 21^st century, includes some new additions to the Model Schools lineup of professional development opportunities. They include sessions on flipped classroom models, a form of blended instruction that uses technology to leverage learning in the classroom instead of the teacher delivering content; teaching with mobile learning devices; social media for educators; virtual coaching; and night owl ed chats (#edchat), a Twitter group that serves as a collaborative tool for educators to debate and evaluate solutions to various problems in education.

As in previous years, teachers who participate in any of the Model Schools professional development opportunities are encouraged to ask questions of facilitators and to try out the new technologies being taught. All of the sessions are intended to highlight critical elements of teaching as well as learning and assessment.

Many of the courses available to Model Schools members will be face-to-face sessions, although a variety of topics will be covered through a series of webinars.

To kick off the school year, the LHRIC will partner with NYSCATE (New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education) Sept. 28 for the Mobile Learning Summit, a daylong event designed for the K-20 education community to discuss, learn and share best practices in mobile learning. That includes information sessions on the value of teaching with iPads, using iBook Author and GPS technology to instruct.  

New also this year is the opportunity for Model Schools member districts to take advantage of keynote speakers from the Technology Leadership Institute (TLI) series by participating in afternoon breakout sessions for selected TLI events. These seats at the breakout sessions are available to Model Schools districts at no additional charge.

TLI provides school district leaders with the opportunity to engage with nationally known educational technology experts in an effort to learn, share best practices and communicate the value of technology in education.

Virtual coaching sessions are also available to Model School participants. Members can schedule between 30 and 45 sessions by logging on to the LHRIC website at http://www.lhric.org/forms.cfm?myForm=21.

The LHRIC's technology lab at 50 Executive Boulevard in Elmsford has also been updated to include a bank of mobile learning devices so that educators can learn more about the practical and instructional aspects of iPads, iPod touches, Droids and other mobile devices that are being used in the 21^st century classroom.

To register for any of the Model Schools courses, visit http://lhric.org/instructional_tech.cfm?subpage=771