OLD DOMINION AWARDED TECHNOLOGY TRAINING CONTRACT FOR BEACH SCHOOLS

Old Dominion University will provide a technology training program for an estimated 6,000 teachers and administrators in Virginia Beach City Public Schools over the next four years.

The program, in conjunction with Futurekids Inc., a California-based school technology program provider, consists of four professional development courses based on the Commonwealth of Virginia's Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP).

Old Dominion University and Futurekids were selected for their successful hands-on, project-based technology training experience.

The program implementation was orchestrated by Francis Puchalski, director of programs for continued learning at Old Dominion, and Carol Dowling, regional director of school technology programs for Futurekids.

Together with Paul Heine, associate dean of education at Old Dominion, and Thomas Motter, Futurekids vice president/school groups, the team designed each eight-hour TSIP course to help instructional personnel master Virginia's state technology standards.

Heine and Puchalski said the collaboration has been a win-win experience for all parties involved, especially Virginia's school divisions and instructional school personnel. Since 1995, the program has trained more than 3,000 Virginia teachers.

The TSIP overview is a self-assessment course that can help instructional personnel identify their strengths and weaknesses in areas of technology. Units concentrate on basic operations, hardware, operating systems, file management and technical procedures. Other units address professional use of the technology areas and how to teach lessons more effectively by utilizing technology.

Upon completion of the four courses, each educator will receive a certificate of completion from Old Dominion University and eight points toward teacher recertification.

Since 1983, Futurekids has worked with more than 2,000 schools in more than 70 countries worldwide to provide school technology programs aimed at helping teachers and students perform at high levels.

For more information on Futurekids, contact Jennifer Erickson at (562) 296-1111 ext. 1163, or jerickson@futurekids.com, or visit the Web site www.futurekids.com. For more information on the Old Dominion program, call James Lidington at (757) 683-4683.