PBS TeacherLine® Teams Up With San Antonio Independent School District for Technology Integration Lead Teacher (TILT) Initiative

Two co-horts of San Antonio teachers completing PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone Certificate Program to learn best practices in technology integration, demonstrate mastery of ISTE NETS, were celebrated on June 30, 2008 at National Education Computing Conference (NECC) 2008 taking place in San Antonio, Texas. Presenting at the event were the following folks (in order of appearance):

• Mariachi Juventil from Irving Academy, San Antonio ISD
• Holly Custard and Chris Lucas, Co-Directors of PBS TeacherLine of Texas
• Dr. Don Knezek, ISTE Chief Executive Officer
• Malinda George, Senior Director of PBS TeacherLine
• Miguel Guhlin, Director of Instructional Technology Services, San Antonio ISD
• Betty Burks, Deputy Superintendent, San Antonio ISD
• TILT Cohort 1 Graduate Honorees - Andrea Castaneda, Stephanie Correa, Kathleen Joaquin, Nancy Rathburn, Juanita Reyes, Carole Rylander, Tom Sickmann, Laura Sisson, Adah Stock
• TILT Cohort 2 Honorees - Sarah Baxter, Rebecca Casas, Victoria Casillas, Rosanne Guillen, James Morrison, Inez Munguia, Catherine Rogers Casares, Kish Russell, Angelita Toscano, Karen Ward
• Mariachi Juventil from Irving Academy, San Antonio ISD

PBS TeacherLine®, the premier provider of online professional development courses for preK-12 educators, recently teamed up with the San Antonio Independent School District to provide technology lead teachers with online professional development opportunities. The PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone Certificate Program is a key component of the district’s Technology Integration Lead Teacher (TILT) initiative to enhance the knowledge and skills of teachers who are responsible for instructional technology leadership in their schools, and to accelerate and improve technology integration district-wide.

The goals of the TILT initiative is to develop capacity within the San Antonio school district to implement the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for Students and Teachers as articulated in the Texas School Technology and Readiness (STaR) Chart. In addition, the district aims to achieve Level 5 Technology Integration, which is the use of technology to extend learning beyond classroom walls in ways that encourage creativity and collaboration.

The PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone Certificate Program consists of a series of research-based, online facilitated courses that focus on instructional use and enable teachers to demonstrate their mastery of ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS•T). A “district coach,” who is an experienced educator with a master’s degree, and is trained in facilitating both face-to-face and online learning, leads the Capstone courses.

Since the collaboration began in the fall of 2007, two co-horts of San Antonio teachers have been nominated and enrolled in the PBS TeacherLine program as part of the initial stages of the initiative. The educator groups represent content-area teachers from the elementary, middle, high school, and academy levels The district is on track to reach its goals with 18 teachers scheduled to earn their certification this summer, and openings for 18 more who will have the opportunity to begin the Capstone program in mid-fall 2008.

"The instructional technology team of San Antonio ISD are true innovators in education,” said Holly Custard, state program director for PBS TeacherLine of Texas. “They are dedicated to teacher and student success and have a clear vision of how to make this success a reality. We are so proud to have the PBS TeacherLine ISTE Capstone program as a core part of the TILT program." PBS TeacherLine courses are offered locally to Texas educators through PBS TeacherLine of Texas, a consortium of Texas PBS member stations managed by KLRN in San Antonio and KLRU in Austin.

Special thanks is extended to the following folks for their implementation assistance of the TILT Initiative:

• Claude Ascolese, SAISD TILT Coordinator
• Greg Rodriguez, SAISD TILT/PBS Capstone Course Facilitator
• Tonya Mills, SAISD TILT/PBS Capstone Course Facilitator
• Holly Custard and Chris Lucas, PBS TeacherLine of Texas
• Malinda McCormick, Director, KLRN/PBS

As part of the TILT initiative, teachers participating in the program receive laptops, digital projectors, and software as well as an online Web log to share progress and projects. Funding for the TILT initiative comes from the state technology allotment, NCLB Title II Part D funds, and local contributions.

• Read Complete Press Release
• View Image Slide Show - available soon
• View SlideShow shared at TILT Celebration
• Listen to Podcast of Events (podcast permission was granted by attendees)

Items also available here.

Note: A clip of approximately 10 seconds of Mariachi Juventil's music was used in the podcast. No student voices or photos will be shared pending signed parent-signed release forms for student work, images, and audio.