New Tech Network Trains More than 500 Teachers around the Country

Download PDF »

Napa, California – October 19, 2011 – New Tech Network (NTN) today announced it is hosting Meeting of the Minds (MoM) professional development training across the country. Open to educators from 16 states who teach in a New Tech school, these regional training workshops are occurring in Michigan, Indiana, Texas, New York, Louisiana and California during October 2011.

MoM professional development training provides opportunities for teachers who use project- based learning (PBL) to access resources, best practices and the NTN learning management system, Echo, to explore new ways to improve teaching strategies.

NTN President Lydia Dobyns said, “Teachers want access to resources for developing rigorous projects for their students. Our school coaches provide support throughout the year, and New Tech teachers come together to share best practices with other teachers. The professional collaboration that takes place at Meeting of the Minds is unparalleled and one of the key benefits to schools in our Network.”

MoM participants attend workshops that are subject specific and tailored to meet the immediate needs of teachers. In these workshops, teachers develop project ideas and strategies, and take part in training exercises that result in meaningful and efficient communication, collaboration and problem solving.

New math and literacy strategies are deeply integrated in MoM training and are part of a multi-year NTN initiative aligned with the new Common Core standards adopted by 44 states.

MoM training in math, for example, begins with teachers sharing successes in problem-based learning and the benefits of approaching math with a focus on integration with other skills. Math problems are tied to real or relevant situations that keep the students engaged while tying to literacy and state standards.

Geoff Krall, Math Coach for New Tech Network, helped to lead a recent MoM training and said, “After training, teachers have a much better handle on what inquiry based problem solving looks like in the classroom. It’s great to see them embrace different math strategies and figure out how to work them seamlessly into an open-ended problem. One teacher remarked that the result is students who are excited to be in math class and eager for more instruction.”

A key aspect of MoM is the networking that takes place across districts, states and even regions. Cathi Cox, Principal of New Tech @ Ruston in Ruston, Louisiana, hosted several of the meetings. “Teachers are able to take a step back from day-to-day business and truly reflect on their practice and skills,” she said.

In addition, teachers are able to view their efforts through the perspective of a colleague from a different area of the country. “Teachers from various states and regions work collectively on the same issues while bringing their own unique point of reference to the table,” continued Cox. “As the host, I was able to watch these passionate educators tackle each piece of the puzzle together. It’s then you realize that if true collaboration was supported at every level, it could completely change the landscape of education as well as its outcomes.”

Extending the reach of the regional MoM trainings, NTN will host the first virtual Meeting of the Minds, where teachers can learn in a blended learning environment by accessing the course through the web. Online learning, when coupled with hands-on, in-person activities and virtual podcasts, provides teachers with an extensive range of resources.

Through the virtual MoM sessions, teachers who are unable to travel for budgetary or other reasons will be able to connect with their peers across the country. The course will reside in Echo, NTN’s online learning management system, which has capabilities for project and problem sharing regarding literacy tasks.

Self-paced learning modules to support different topics related to project-based learning, culture and the use of technology will also be available. In addition, NTN will host virtual round tables to enable teachers to delve deeply into questions or discuss specific issues.

Dobyns said, “NTN empowers teachers, and, in turn, empowers students. MoM enables teachers to learn what they want, when they want to learn it, and to harness the power and knowledge of the entire Network.”

About the New Tech Network

New Tech Network, www.newtechnetwork.org, is a non-profit school development organization that supports the start-up and implementation of innovative high schools marked by project-based learning in a technology-rich environment. The first New Tech High School – Napa New Tech – opened in 1996. Today there are 86 New Tech schools nationwide in 16 states. New Tech schools are established in rural, urban and suburban communities and operate either as stand-alone institutions or on shared campuses. Locations include schools in Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Washington and Texas. NTN is a subsidiary of KnowledgeWorks Foundation of Cincinnati, Ohio.

For a full list of New Tech schools, visit our website at:
http://www.nettechnetwork.org/newtech_schools

For a full list of New Tech schools, visit our website at:
http://www.newtechnetwork.org/newtech_schools