A trained teaching staff with the competence and comfort to integrate a wide range of technology into their regular classes is a basic requirement for integrating technology into the classroom.

Surveys show that:

• Businesses spend 60% of technology expenditures for staff training.
• Schools allocate 4% of technology expenditures for staff training.

Most teachers have not had the opportunity to learn and use technology in ways that they find personally useful. Economical, effective technology training is now available. The first step is identifying what is needed.

Assessment and Profile

Effective technology planning is impossible without knowing staff capabilities. FUTUREKIDS assessment quickly identifies current staff technology skill levels in ten key areas and applications. It provides you with a technological capability profile that can be used as the basis for your training plans.

Often, this assessment can be provided free of charge. If this would be helpful, please contact us (see sidebar) and request information on the staff assessment and profile.

Training Overview

FUTUREKIDS Teacher Technology Training teaches the basic useful fundamentals of computer literacy. This training is the result of years of evaluation and research that have culminated in a curriculum tuned to meet the specific needs of professional educators.

Activities in Teacher Technology Training allow teachers to quickly become productive technology users. Teachers learn a variety of software while working on projects that include creating databases, using telecommunications as a research tool, creating student handouts, producing classroom newsletters and generating electronic grade books and multimedia presentations for their classrooms.

We teach teachers how to:

• Easily infuse technology into their classrooms as an effective, exciting teaching tool.
• Improve personal productivity, making their job easier and more enjoyable.
• Improve teaching and learning.
• Comfortably pass this new knowledge to their students.

Location and Class Size

Small class sizes and an informal setting create a learning environment that is educationally stimulating, technologically advanced, academically focused, and enjoyable to the professional educator. Classes are taught in your school and are scheduled to accommodate your staffing demands. Teachers learn to use all of these applications in their classrooms. In most cases, staff can be trained in all ten technology areas for about $500 to $700 per teacher. Variables such as location and number of teachers can cause the actual costs to be a bit more or less than this general estimate. Along with small training class sizes, the program is technologically advanced, informative, and enjoyable to professional educators. Schedules of classes are adjusted to meet the staff's time restraints and are held at their school.

Professional Development Training for High School Teachers

FUTUREKIDS also offers professional development training for high school teachers. Training is conducted in small groups (no more than 12 participants) with an emphasis on personalized instruction. Classes are engaging and challenging. Teachers, regardless of skill level, can quickly acquire basic computer skills in the same ten technology areas incorporated into the Technology Essentials curriculum. With these skills, teachers are equipped to discover new, innovative ways to enhance lesson plans, making the learning process more exciting for themselves and their students.

Teacher Development Content

FUTUREKIDS recognizes the need of having educators that understand today's technology and how to present it is vital in the learning environment. Through our training program, teachers will become proficient in the fundamentals of computer literacy, which in turn allows students to learn efficiently and comfortably. Since all teachers are at different technological skill levels, the current level of knowledge is assessed in order to tailor the training curriculum accordingly. After a technology skill profile is created, a custom program can be developed that includes the subject areas of:

• Basic Computer Operations
• Word-processing
• Operating Systems
• Telecommunications
• Introductory Databases
• Developing Useful Databases
• Graphics in the GUI Environment
• Desktop Publishing
• Multimedia and Computers in the Classroom
• Introductory and Advanced Spreadsheets
• Technology Integration
• Classroom Projects

FUTUREKIDS professional development program is designed to train educators in the basic fundamentals of computer literacy, creating the foundation for successful technology integration into academic curriculum. Our program is the culmination of years of evaluation and research that has resulted in a curriculum attuned to the specific needs of professional educators.

Activities of this nature allow teachers to understand the value of technology and to experience the software and learning strategies connected with each skill. From these activities, teachers have opportunities to make correlations for themselves on how to use technology in their classrooms. Immediately, teachers are able to increase their own productivity, to improve teaching and learning and to comfortably pass this newfound knowledge on to their students.

FUTUREKIDS professional development training course is comprised of the following lessons:

• Computer Basics
• Operating Systems
• Telecommunications
• Word-processing
• Graphics
• Spreadsheets
• Advanced Spreadsheets
• Integration Models and Software Evaluation
• Desktop Publishing
• Databases
• Advanced Databases
• Multimedia
• Integrated Unit Design
• Integrated Unit Creation
• Integrated Unit Presentation

 
National Educational Technology Standards

Futurekids curriculum standards meet or exceed governmental standards in all fifty states. The curriculum linkages to NETS, ISTE standards, Illinois Learning Standards and the Missouri Show-Me Standards are shown in the following PDF files. (Note: you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files.)

• NETS - IL Link
  
  
• NETS - MO Link

If you would like to learn more about FUTUREKIDS Teacher Technology Training, please contact us and we will provide you with complete information.