Instructional Technology & Distance Education

 

Mission

 

The mission of the Office of Instructional Technology & Distance Education Program is to employ transformative uses of technology that promote higher levels of student learning to ensure college and career readiness and global citizenship.
 

 

 

Vision

 

The CNMI Public School System will create opportunities for robust collaboration with all stakeholders to plan, execute and integrate technology across its curricula to 1) advance learning for students and professionals alike 2) bridge geographical divides and connect our students and teachers to the world. 3) Inspire our community to meaningfully contribute to solving local and global issues.
 

 

Goals

 

• To improve student academic achievement by enhancing the accessibility and innovative uses of high-quality digital tools and resources that support curriculum and instruction.

• To use technology in innovative and effective ways to enhance professional learning and practices across the district.

 

 

Functions of Instructional Technology

 

Distance/Remote Learning is a major branch of the Instructional Technology Program, providing online learning opportunities for student and professionals using the Blackboard Learn management system.

• Student Portal: The Student eLearning Gateway is an auxiliary online learning program that serves students, offering a range of core curricular and elective high school courses. Students seeking advancement in both public and private secondary schools are eligible to participate. The courses are taught by Highly Qualified Personnel of the Public School System using Blackboard Learn. Courses are aligned with the district standards and have at least an accomplished rating on the Blackboard Exemplary Course Rubric.

• Professional Portal: The Professional eLearning Portal provides learning opportunities for professionals from both private and public institutions. Course offerings include BOE Certification and Licensure courses as well as options for professional growth and advancement. These courses are taught by certified personnel of the Public School System.

 

 

Program Support: The Instructional Technology Program offers an array of support services that provide stakeholders opportunities to contribute in the decision-making process, engage in professional learning, as well as access instructional technology resources.
 

• Ed Tech Cohort: The Ed Tech Cohort is a training program designed to bridge the gap between teachers’ knowledge and current technological skills that are essential for all 21st-century educators. The participants take 5 courses over the span of an academic year that include: Classroom Instruction that Works with Technology, Advanced Computer Applications, Google Apps for Education, Student Products, and Adobe Creative Design.
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• Professional Development: The Instructional Technology program aims to offer professional development opportunities for educators to develop the knowledge and skills needed to support student learning in the 21st-century. In collaboration with the Human Resources Office along with instructional leaders, the program supports both statewide and school level professional development. Listed below are some of instructional technology workshops offered through the program:

  • Best Tech Tools for Formative Assessments
  • Instructional Tech Tools for Educators using Google Add-ons and iPad Apps
  • Technology Tools & Applications for Librarians
  • Tools for Blended Learning
  • eTeacher Training
  • Improving Engagement Across the Curricula
  • Online Content Creation & Course Facilitation
  
   

• Distance Learning Center & eLearning Satellites: The Instructional Technology Program oversees the district's Distance Learning Center and eLearning Satellites. The center and satellites are equipped with 21st-century instructional tech resources that both support Distance Education and serve as venues for state and school level training. Additionally, the center and satellite serve as Future Ready model classroom.
   

• Professional Learning Network: The Sustainable eLearning Community is a platform for professional engagement among educators whose focus is to improve practice and provide innovative perspectives on the the Instructional Technology Program. The members are eTeacher leaders who have a significant voice in driving program initiatives and policies.
   

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Partnering Offices: The CNMI Public School System is rich network of departments that are interconnected, collaborating to advance the district’s mission and vision. The offices listed below are integral partners in ensuring that the goals of the Instructional Technology Program are executed.

• Curriculum & Instruction: The Instructional Technology Program collaborate closely with the Office of Curriculum and Instruction. In order to prepare students to be college and career ready in the 21st-century and be productive global citizens, technology should be integrated to expand the curricula as well as enhance instructional practices. Student use technology tools and resources to communicate, collaborate, and produce student products as they tackle real-world problems as well as build local and global communities across multiple disciplines.
   

• Administrative Services: The Instructional Technology Program works in tandem with the Office of Administrative Services, Tech Support and Media, to ensure that the district’s technology infrastructure and resources are current, accessible and reliable in supporting the instructional technology needs schools and programs.
   

• Human Resources & Certification: The Human Resources and Certification Offices are major partners of the Instructional Technology Program. Together they support the program’s staffing needs, emphasizing the district’s commitment to providing the highest quality of education for all students of the district. The Instructional Technology Program is committed to upholding the highest Standards of Professionalism, Effective Communication and Teamwork, and Retention of its Highly Qualified Personnel.
   

• Accountability, Research, and Evaluation: The Instructional Technology Program collaborates with the Office of Accountability, Research, and Evaluation to uphold the AdvancED Accreditation Standards, ensure technology literacy assessment are in place to gather data and use such to provide support, contribute to school improvement and innovation by integrating researched-based tech tools and resources to improve academic achievement, and determine and improve the program’s health through evaluation and strategic planning.
   

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Program Initiatives: The Instructional Technology Program supports both district and and school initiatives that align with the program’s mission and vision. Partnering on relevant activities are essential to a system’s approach to achieving district-wide success to advanced technology as a means to enhance learning.
 

• Instructional Technology Coaches: The purpose of the Instructional Technology Coach is to support teachers with effective ways to integrate technology into their instructional practices. Instructional Technology Coaches are specialists who focus on teacher professional development, assisting educators as they incorporate technology to enhance learning in the classroom.
   

• Future Ready Schools: Future Ready Schools helps district leaders plan and implement personalized, research-based digital learning strategies so all students can achieve their full potential. We believe every student deserves a rigorous, personalized learning environment filled with caring adults and student agency. District leaders must recognize the potential of digital tools and align necessary technologies with instructional goals to support teaching and learning.
   

• 21st-century Classrooms & Libraries: The 21st-century Classrooms & Libraries initiative aims to fully leverage to equip classrooms and libraries and learning centers with interactive LED display panels, multimedia document cameras, collaborative teaching software, and other technological resources to support instruction. To maximize the impact of these 21st-century Classroom tools, the Instructional Technology Program will facilitate job-embedded professional learning on the new tools and resources. We will target not only utilization, but how to ensure the tools and resources lend themselves to increased critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration (4 C’s).
   

• STEM Education: The Instructional Technology Program will collaborate with schools to provide the needed curricular and technological resources and training that will successfully promote the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.