Office of Curriculum, Technology, & Assessment

Description:

Chris Dede, Wirth Professor of Learning Technologies and Chair, Learning & Technology Area in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University, discusses “How Virtual Environments Enhance Real Learning.”  Among the topics explored by Chris are pedagogical capabilities of learning technologies, shared virtual environments, MUVE, interface components, why should teachers care, and evolving toward distributed learning.

NSDC Standards for Staff Development

Context Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district. (Learning Communities)
• Requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement. (Leadership)

Process Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact. (Evaluation)
• Prepares educators to apply research to decision making. (Research-Based)
• Uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal. (Design)
• Applies knowledge about human learning and change. (Learning)
• Provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate. (Collaboration)

Content Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement. (Equity)
• Deepens educators' content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately. (Quality Teaching)

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