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$7.3 MILLION GRANT TO IMPROVE ALASKA TEACHER TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Four Juneau educational organizations have received a $7.3 million dollar federal grant to raise the level of technology instruction in classrooms across Alaska. The Juneau group was one of 20 nationally to receive a grant from among the 487 who applied.
The grant has four parts: a technology internship in Ohio, Alaska immersion and support, a Summer Institute at UAS, and the creation of a self-sustaining technology consortium.
"This training is designed to expand Alaska teacher skills using technology as a catalyst for change," according to Scott Christian, director of the UAS Professional Education Center. "These teachers will become the Alaska classroom technology leaders in our state."
The five year grant was awarded to a new group, Alaska Reform in the Classroom through Technology Integration and Collaboration (ARCTIC). It is composed of the Southeast Alaska Regional Resource Center, the University of Alaska Southeast, the Professional Education Center of UAS, and the state Department of Education.
"Unlike a lot of professional development programs, ARCTIC focuses on intensive, rigorous training for a relatively small number of teachers." Christian said. "The idea is to promote leaders in educational technology. Instead of a large number of teachers receiving a little training, or surface knowledge, this group will gain in depth knowledge in the application of technology in the classroom. "
The grant calls for ten Alaska teachers each year to take part in an immersion semester at an award winning technology program in Ohio, the Tri-Rivers Education Computer Association (TRECA). After the Ohio semester, teachers return to their classrooms and will be given release time to share their new skills with other district teachers. "Professional development will continue for the teachers," Christian said, "through the ARCTIC consortium.
In addition teachers will attend a Summer Institute on the UAS Juneau campus for the following four years. "A key component to this project will be the Summer Institute," according Christian. "Teachers will receive funding from the grant to pay for tuition while working on the educational technology endorsement to their teaching credential." During the second summer 30 teachers will live in campus housing and take classes on campus. "The number will increase each summer," Christian said, "as interns return from Ohio."
The first group of Alaskans will begin their Ohio internship in 1999. The ARCTIC project coordinator will be employed by SERRC and will work with consortium counterparts at UAS, the Department of Education, and Alaska school districts.
Christian said millions of dollars have been spent nationally in building infrastructure, buying computers, setting up networks, and giving kids access to technology. "The missing piece," Christian said, "is teacher's understanding how to use it." He said when teachers were going through school 10 or 15 years ago, technology learning wasn't part of their curriculum. "So teachers are forced to learn on their own. There's this hugh gap between what schools are capable of as far as infrastructure and what can happen when teachers really understand how to use it."
This is the second major educational program coming to the UAS campus during the summer. Recently Middlebury College in Vermont designated UAS as their fourth permanent Bread Loaf campus. Up to 80 students are expected to spend six weeks each summer studying in the graduate English program.
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