Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference

Too often schools launch new technology without a plan for supporting and coaching teachers through the process of using new technology effectively in their classrooms. One key to launching and supporting is increasing the opportunity to support teachers and help them raise student achievement. Today's students' needs vary as they are growing up in the digital learning age. Knowing how to integrate existing tech with today's instructional best practices and strategies engages students to maximize learning. Supporting educators on this journey is a critical step. Just like with teaching, we need to differentiate instruction/support to meet the needs of the teachers. There is no "one size fits all" approach. The support is also not one time, it is a cycle of support. This cycle generally consists of: setting goals, co-planning lessons, observation, and debrief after the lesson. Each step is done collaboratively with the teacher and the integration specialist. Forming professional relationships and connections with teachers can be the foundation of a great coaching cycle. A teacher may not always reach out to integrate, we as specialists may need to reach out to them. The initial phase of a coaching cycle is routed in the "WHY" for integrating EdTech and Curriculum. This session will focus on the why of coaching and then support and increase opportunities. Participants will learn Elements of EdTech Coaching from active coaches sharing experience and ideas. (Presenter(s): Matthew Joseph, Director of Innovation & Digital Learning, Milford Public Schools)