1	Using the Internet for Professional Learning and Reflection 2003 Annual Meeting Session: 724 Roya Salehi
2	Reflection: Invitation to Share What is your definition of professional development/learning? What activities are considered professional development/learning in your district? What are the characteristics of your current professional development/learning programs?
3	Traditional Professional Development Mandated from the top Delivered mode Brief and on-shot One-size fits all Taught by a so-called expert in the field
4	New Paradigm for PL Taking steps in planning and managing your professional growth Build a path that reflects your unique interests and goals while considering the school’s overall goals
5	Potential of the Internet
6	? How many have access to the Internet at school or home? How many have discovered and used online resources such as lesson plans? How many have communicated or collaborated with colleagues via the Internet? How many have contributed resources to the Internet community?
7	Why Online Professional Learning? Convenience: Equal access Access to resources Reflective thinking and thoughtful contribution Collaborative opportunities, outreach and synergy and overcoming isolation Modality of learning Learning alignment with the theory of Androgogy Learner center and varied learning opportunities
8	Promises of the Internet To center learning around the learners instead of the classrooms To focus on the strengths and needs of individual learners To make lifelong learning a practical reality
9	Apprehensions and Weaknesses of Online PL Techno-phobia Lack of access Isolation Fragmentation Focus on individual needs rather than school-wide need. Online learners need to be highly self-motivated and self-directed
10	Reflection: Invitation to Share How does professional learning on the internet look like? Do you know of any Internet site that offer professional development? Share with us online resources that have contributed to your professional growth.
11	PL on the Internet
12	PL on the Internet 2) Informal Dialogue Synchronous Asynchronous Resource centers Focused on content Focused on lessons Focused on tools Focused on research Interactive projects
13	PL on the Internet A. Dialogue Synchronous Asynchronous Example projects Tapped In® Teacher2Teacher
14	Tapped In^® The Teacher Professional Development Institute (Tapped-In ^®) began in 1996. Teachers can log-in to: Interact with virtual objects in an environment that resembles a campus Store and share documents Discuss an issue Create and share resources Hold workshops
15	Tapped In^®Community Statistics Active and diverse community of ~17,000 members (as of 4/2003) 65% in-service teachers (40% Elem., 30% Middle, 30% High) Average age: 43; 65% female, 35% male Average monthly usage ~ 4,000 member log-ins (~ 1,300 different members) plus ~ 1,200 guests ~ 43 minutes per visit ~ 30-40 public events hosted by community members ~ 400-500 new members join
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17	Tapped In^®
18	Tapped In^®
19	Teacher2Teacher Teacher2Teacher can be characterized as a peer-mentored, question-and-answer service that focus on answering questions from teachers and parents about math teaching and math learning. Teacher2Teacher
20	Informal PL on the Internet B. Resource centers Focused on content Internet Mathematics Library Focused on lessons Teacher Exchange Problems Library Focused on tools Math Tools Focused on research Journal for Research in Mathematics Education
21	Informal PL on the Internet Interactive projects Problems of the Week Students involvement Teacher involvement Ask Dr. Math Inquiry Learning Forum
22	Inquiry Learning Forum
23	PL Online and Face2Face Bridging Research and Practice Read math research articles Discussed a non-routine math problem Video-taped classrooms Reflected on the video-tapes Joined online discussions Collectively produced a multi-media web-based paper Involved with the readers of the paper online Product: Encouraging Mathematical Thinking: Discourse around a Rich Problem
24	Reflection: Invitation to Share What are the characteristics of online learner? What skills are needed to be successful in online learning?
25	Future Recommendations Doing research on ways that teachers can learn from the internet Establishing standards to link online teacher learning to student achievement Creating greater access to broadband connectivity Increasing technology training for teachers Increasing awareness and acceptance of online learning credit hours for staff development or in-service hours Creating more content that leverage capabilities of the Internet
26	Self Evaluation for Potential Online Learner Do you have (or willing to obtain) access to a computer and phone line at home? Are you self-motivated and self-disciplined? Are you comfortable communicating in writing? Do you posses strong reading comprehension skills? Do you think increased learning will take place through sharing your work, life, and educational experiences as part of the learning process?
27	Related Links
28	About the Presenter Roya Salehi is currently pursuing a masters degree in Instructional Leadership with a post masters certificate in Management Information Systems at Pennsylvania State University. As an associate at The Math Forum, she helps out with two projects: Teacher2Teacher and Bridging Research and Practice (BRAP). Before joining The Math Forum in 1998, Roya taught mathematics and computer science to k-12 students for eight years. Prior to her professional career as a teacher, Roya worked in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, doing research on molecular models using computer simulations. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley in pure mathematics, with a minor in computer science. Roya’s main interest lies in the area of professional development, specifically identifying effective ways of implementing on-line teacher learning. She is also interested in the use of the Internet in the classroom to enhance student’s mathematical thinking. Roya can be reached via email at Salehi@cal.berkeley.edu.