Participant Models

What type of teacher would be interested in this Internet in Training Program?

There are two levels of participation in the Alliance's Internet Training Program. The Turnkey Teachers will be expected to conduct a similar instructional experience for six Mentee Teachers. The Mentee Teachers will be expected to develop a propensity to use this new technology in their own teaching environment.

Participants should be drawn into the program voluntarily. They should have a high level of professionalism and be well regarded by their peers. We often refer to these professionals as the "EF Hutton folks", when they talk people listen. The Turnkey Teacher should possess exceptional teaching skills and be an advocate in the use of instructional technologies. The Turnkey Teacher should have internet access through at least one and preferably more computers in his/her classroom. Upon completion of the Turnkey instruction and Mentee instruction, the Turnkey Instructor will demonstrate skills within the Ohio SchoolNet internet Scholar and Expert Proficiency Levels. The Mentee Teachers should demonstrate skills within the Practitioner and Scholar Levels of Internet Proficiency upon completion of the program.

What type of organizational support should be accorded the interested teacher?

Administrative support of the applicant is imperative. The administration must be cognizant of the energy and time entailed in this committment. It is essential that the administration provide wholehearted support for innovation and for the teachers implementing said innovation. Organizational factors found to affect innovation adoption and/or diffusion in educational settings include:

clear vision of the innovation communicated to all teachers, stakeholders, users
staff's skills & capacity to implement the inovation
compatibility of the school's organizational arrangements with the innovation (e.g. grading system, class scheduling)
taking account of the difficulties teachers may be exposed to as they begin to implement the innovation
providing mechanisms to identify and respond to problems that emerge during the implementation period

There should be a clear commitment by both administration and involved teachers, to continue resource commitments and support beyond the project's life cycle.

This page last modified 3/15/98

Mike Baker teacher/coordinator Geoff Andrews Director of Technology The Instruction, Learning & Technology Leadership Institute Polaris Career Center 7285 Old Oak Blvd. Middleburg Hts. OH 44130 (440) 891-7694 FAX (440) 826-4330