LiveBinders – Staff Development
Target Group: Social Studies Teams (USS10, European, USS11, AP Psych, AP History, etc.)
These are teacher teams that I meet with regularly. They are very welcoming of my requests to attend their meetings and generally are willing to allow me time to demonstrate tools I think will benefit them. One teacher will already have used this resource with his classes prior to my contacting the department and assuming that is a positive experience, his colleagues will be eager to see what the tool offers.
Implementation Focus: My introduction will demonstrate range of uses for LiveBinder encompassing a curricular integration focus. This will include its potential as an organizational tool for students to use in gathering resources. It will also include the teachers’ ability to use it as a collection point for materials for student use and sharing via the teacher’s webpage. Finally, we will discuss methods the IMC staff can use for supporting student research using LiveBinder as a collection point for potential resources. (This may actually be first because I will have an example of how I have done this for the Government classes.)
Goal for LiveBinders:
By introducing this tool to the Social Studies teachers, I hope to provide them with a user-friendly tool from which they will immediately benefit. This tool is easy to use and allows for sharing and collaboration. It can provide both teachers and students with a means of organizing valuable resources. If successful, teachers will not only see the value in this tool for themselves but for their students as well. This will increase the opportunities to share this and other tools in the future. They will also be reminded of the role that I am able to play in helping them locate tools to streamline their instruction and make it more engaging for students.
Demonstration: The initial and only formal training being provided will include a quick overview of the tool followed by a look at how it was used for our Government classes and perhaps an example of how I have used it for my own professional work.
I will outline how I believe it could benefit teachers and students for specific assignments that we have collaborated on in the past. I will then offer them continued brainstorming and support on a less formal basis as they work to implement the tool.
Timeline and Expenses:
Because this tool requires no upgrades or additional equipment and because I will provide the training during the school day, there are no expenses attached to this training.
I will schedule meetings with the European and AP History teams before the end of 1st semester as they still have major projects on the horizon that allow me to highlight the benefits of the tool. I will set up meetings with the USS10 and USS11 teams early in 2nd semester as they have major research projects that come up early in the 3rd quarter.
Outcomes/Evaluation:
I already have one teacher willing to use this tool through the IMC webpage as a gathering point for resources for his students. This help get the other teachers excited. Its value will be further clarified as teachers work with it. I will collect information on aspects that give teachers trouble or that are unclear as well as those that they are pleased with.
My ultimate goal will be for many teachers in all departments to begin using this tool. I am counting on the enthusiasm and sharing of my Social Studies teachers to assist in building use to that point.