As technology plays a larger role in teaching and learning, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts are making high-quality professional development a key priority. Las Cruces Public Schools (Las Cruces, NM) is one such district that expects its schools to be “diverse, equitable, and provide opportunities for the development of critical thinking and democratic ideals.”
To help ensure LCPS teachers and staff have the support they need to effectively integrate technology, they work closely with EOS Education by Boxlight to personalize professional learning experiences to build confidence and skills. Recently, Larry Jacobs of Equity & Access Pre K-12 (ace-ed.org) spoke with Lisa Hufstedler and Josh Silver of LCPS and Micaela Altamirano of EOS Education about their collaboration for LCPS teachers .
Jacobs started the conversation by expressing his thoughts on the importance of educational technology, “We are always concerned about how technology is the great equalizer in education these days. He believes that teachers, or as he prefers “learning facilitators,” have a great responsibility to help students from all walks of life.
Silver, Chief Technology Officer for LCPS, shared the district’s vision for technology implementation, “Our vision for the 24,000 students we serve, particularly in educational technology, is to ensure that we put the right tool in the right hands, at the right time. »
Hufstedler, The Professional Development & Ed Tech Vision for Las Cruces Public Schools, agreed. “It’s really about supporting classroom work, and we’re supporting that by making sure teachers have the knowledge, expertise, tools and understanding they need to help students access the contents.”
Money added,”The job is not to teach a technological tool. The job is to teach an approach to learning and to consider each technological tool as part of that, but also to consider the knowledge of the teacher as part of that.
With EOS Education Consultant Altamirano, teacher support is provided through professional development training and personalized services so that LCPS teachers can confidently implement new skills and instructional strategies. using technology. Altamirano commented: “I manage to support the teachers. (LCPS) teachers walk away with so much information, so many “a-ha” moments and (and) so much excitement.
The conversation between Jacobs, Hufstedler, Silver, and Altamirano highlighted the intentional planning and delivery of professional development content that helps teachers use technology wisely. The partnership between LCPS and EOS reveals how dynamic teacher training can be, with the goal of providing students with an interactive learning experience that makes sense.
To listen to this stimulating podcast, click on here and scroll to Professional Development / Ed Tech Vision for Las Cruces, NM.
To learn more about what EOS Education by Boxlight can offer your teachers, click – Professional development for teachers.