An MPS PT3 Catalyst Project December 1999-August 2002

Fact Sheet

Situation Analysis:

Efforts are needed to improve the availability of technology for teacher preparation, technology skills of existing teachers and integration of technology into day-to-day classroom learning.

Situation Update:

Milwaukee Public School's Empowering 21st Century Teachers Consortium was recently awarded a $1.9 million Catalyst Grant for the Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers for Using Technology (PT3) project (U.S. Department of Education) to assist in the development of activities designed to solve the aforementioned problem.

Project Goals:

• Increase national and state collaboration around the integration of technology in teacher preparation.
• Improve the technology integration skills of colleges' and universities' teacher training faculty.
• Increase the number of graduates of teacher training colleges/universities who have technology integration skills.
• Decrease the existing educational gaps between standards, assessments, and the day-to-day classroom lessons using effective practices and technology based mechanisms.
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Project Activities:

• Creation of a National Advisory board to increase access to national expertise on integrative technology practices in education.
• Train schools/departments of education faculties on tools which effectively bridge the gap between classroom practices in education.
• Train schools/departments of education faculties on tools which effectively bridge the gap between classroom practices, state and local standards, and assessments.
• Provide interactive video distance learning to facilitate collaboration K-16.
• Develop and distribute videotapes of effective technology use in K-12 classrooms for the use in teacher education.
• Provide in-service training for teacher preparation faculty.