This one-year design study focuses on the use of information and communications
technologies to enhance both pre-service education and in-service professional
development programs within the MSPs. The project's five key tasks are
to: (1) develop resources to inform the MSPs about approaches to online
professional development, online enhancements for site-based professional
development, and online tools and techniques to support professional learning
communities; (2) provide consultation services for a set of MSP projects
that decide to use online technologies in their teaching enhancement programs;
(3) offer a capacity-building program that will enable MSPs to develop
the capacity to incorporate effective online professional development
within their projects; (4) collaborate with the evaluators of the MSPs
that use online technologies to inform future practices of those projects,
other MSPs, and the field of professional development in general; and,
(5) assess the use and potential use of online supports for improving
teacher quality across the MSP projects, to inform a possible follow-up
proposal to expand technical assistance, evaluation, and research in this
area, within the MSP Learning Network.
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