TRAINING



Perhaps the most critical component of a smoothly- functioning network is a well-trained staff. All staff members should be taught to use the network. The more widely-trained your community inside and outside the school walls, the better use it will make of the network. In this section you will discuss components of an effective training program and some examples of instructional projects which can be conducted over the Internet.

Meeting Conducted by: Steering Subcommittee Member
Meeting Attended by: Technology Planning Committee, Training Subcommittee


Sample Agenda (Estimated Time Required: 1 hour)
Suggested "Training Issues" Meeting Preparations (Steering Subcommittee)

Proposed Action Items (Technology Planning Committee)

Proposed Action Items (Training Subcommittee)



Helpful Resources



Online Resources:

OVERVIEW

(Slide 1)

During the last session you discussed the roles and responsibilities of the support staff. Ongoing maintenance is a critical part of a well-functioning network infrastructure. You provided the Ongoing Support Subcommittee with input as to what you believe are appropriate policies for security and acceptable use.

In this session you will discuss another ongoing operational cost associated with networks: training. In order to fully realize the benefits of any technology - especially network technology - it is imperative that all members of the staff be trained.


TRAINING THE USERS

(Slide 2)

1. Ensuring effective network use: Training is necessary to ensure that the network is used as widely and effectively as possible. The more people that use the technology to its fullest potential, the greater the advantages to all involved and the greater the return on your time-and-money investment.

2. Training should include everyone: "Everyone" means teaching staff, librarians, aides, administrators, students, and, ideally, parents and other community members. Extending training beyond school walls ensures that the whole community understands the importance of networked information in today's classrooms; if you are going to truly provide an Information Age education, you must be committed to providing students with an Information Age environment in which to learn.


EXEMPLARY TRAINING MODELS

(Slide 3)

1. Hands-on training: Network technologies and the associated concepts can be difficult for many people to grasp, but good training can make them much more accessible. It is important that you go beyond simply exposing your staff to networks in a formal classroom setting. You must work with them until they understand how they personally can benefit from the technology and until have the know-how to do so.

The most effective means of getting users off to a solid start is by offering hands-on training. This allows them to learn, make mistakes, and share successes as they go along. An ideal situation for hands-on training would have no more than four or five learners for every instructor or helper. This will facilitate quick resolution of small problems and help prevent learners from becoming frustrated. If possible, users should practice on the machines they will be using on a day-to-day basis. This means that ideally training will begin after the technology is installed and ready to use. Learners should also be given time to practice between training sessions to allow them to bring questions and obstacles to the next training session. This way new users always know when their problems will be addressed.

Another effective way to enhance users' expertise between training sessions, or once classes have ended, is to provide scheduled drop-in sessions designed to answer any questions that users may have. Student assistants can also be assigned to help teachers and administrative staff become familiar with the technology.

2. Training resources: There are also less resource-intensive ways to follow up on the initial training. Providing customized documentation, and taped training sessions are excellent ways to give users an opportunity to proceed at their own pace. Users who may be intimidated by technology can use the documentation and training tapes to familiarize themselves with it, without feeling embarrassed in front of others who learn more quickly.

3. Shared resources: You may also help increase the effectiveness of your training programs by providing local sites with a district or county consultant who can assist them with developing customized training programs and teaching methods. This resource can offer assistance in recommending various training models based on the site's current level of technology use and attitude toward adoption.

4. Incentives: Finally, it may help to spread the use of networks more rapidly by providing some form of incentive for early adopters. This can take the form of providing stipends, time-off, or home computers for these teachers and administrators. Giving incentives can demonstrate the school's commitment to the technology. It will also encourage early adopters to work as team players with the support and training staff to ensure that the services being provided are in line with what the larger staff will ultimately require.


CURRICULUM COACHING

(Slide 4)

1. Integrating technology into curriculum: Beyond training on the use of Internet tools, teachers may need additional assistance in integrating networked resources into their curriculum. Networks introduce a tremendous amount of information into the classroom and yet provide no easy way for teachers to use or even find information. Probably one of the most effective methods for assisting teachers with curriculum integration will be to offer dial-in access from their homes. This way teachers can explore the Internet and plan for more creative uses of the information once they are back in the classroom.

2. Mentoring: Mentoring is also an effective tool. By sharing thoughts and practices with more experienced network colleagues, teachers can get new ideas for their own classrooms. This one-to-one interaction can be very effective as the teacher learns by observing. A teacher sees examples of what to expect from the dynamic nature of network-based projects and how obstacles are overcome.

As teachers and students integrate the information and communication resources on the Internet into the classroom, topics of interest, learning styles, and ownership of information will likely become more personalized by and for children. Student projects can be more self-directed, allowing teachers to guide students and allowing students a more active role in their own education.


INTERNET-BASED CURRICULUM PROJECTS

(Slide 5)

These are a few examples of instructional projects conducted over the Internet or that use the network as a primary resource.

1. FOSTER Online: FOSTER (Flight Opportunities for Science Teacher EnRichment) Online was a project conducted by NASA Ames Research Center. The project allowed teachers and students to exchange electronic mail with the crew of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The Observatory is an infrared telescope mounted in an airplane which conducts research at 41,000 feet, avoiding interference introduced by the Earth's atmosphere. The project included daily reports from the scientists, an online discussion group for teachers to share ideas, email access to the scientists, online background material, and satellite transmission of related video documentaries. Students were able to bring their thoughts and questions to the scientists, and the scientists' experiences were brought into the classroom.

2. NETAGE: NETAGE is a project managed by two education foundations which are in turn sponsored by two high-tech corporations. The project involves connecting two schools located only eight miles apart, yet with highly different school populations, one wealthy and the other underprivileged. Through the network they plan and participate in joint, thematic classroom projects and conduct research on many different topics. The two school communities provide each other with positive role models and help to lessen preconceived notions and prejudices.

3. Characters Online: "Characters Online" is an example of an impersonation project in which participants communicate with each other "in character." The project is sponsored by the Nebraska State Department of Education and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The undergraduate pre-service teachers used electronic mail to impersonate the main characters from books that students in elementary classes in eastern Nebraska were reading with their teachers.

4. TeleOlympics: TeleOlympics is a project run by Academy One, a part of the National Public Telecommunications Network (NPTN). NPTN has supported the efforts of many community-based networks, or Freenets. Academy One is an educational component of these projects in which classrooms all over the world participate. TeleOlympics involves the coordination of athletic events which are conducted according to preset rules and measurements. The events are conducted during a specified school day, and the results are posted and compared with scores gathered from all over the world.



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This NASA K-12 Internet Initiative Web page was last updated on May 30, 1996.