Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.        ~Will Rogers
	Professional Development

The professional development portion of my project consists of four major sections:

• Prep Talks
• Early Release Days
• Classroom Support
• Online Resource

The prep talks take place during the school day and are scheduled for every Wednesday. The sessions last for 30 minutes and are designed to introduce a topic and allow for professional discussion and hands-on practice.

Early Release Days are held on Friday afternoons. Every 5 day week, students are released early at 1:40 PM and teachers meet from 2 - 3:30.  During 2006-07, our district curriculum staff introduced a differentiated learning session. Teachers who volunteer offer professional development on a topic during a semester for a total of 5 meetings.

Most teachers implement the technology ideas and strategies in the PHS Library lab which is adjacent to the library I manage. In addition, the computer teachers' labs are also in the same building section. As a result, I am available to support the teachers as they try new technologies, strategies, and ideas. Teachers who feel insecure about implementing for the first time can ask me to lead a class and allow them to participate in the students' role. This extra support usually increases reluctant teachers willingness to try new technologies in their lessons. After teachers feel secure about the new technology or strategy, I am only called upon when a teacher hits a snag and needs a little extra assistance.

The fourth area of my professional development section includes helpful links, samples of activities, and descriptions of the professional development sessions I offered relative to my multiple intelligences and instructional technologies project. Teachers can use this online resource to further investigate session topics. In addition, if teachers have to miss a session, they can use this site to help catch up. Finally, it provides new teachers with an opportunity to review the kinds of professional development offered at our school.

National Staff Development Council's Staff Development Standards
The following standards were met through the professional development provided above.

Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• orgaizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district.
• requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional imporvement.
• requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration.
• uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact.
• applies knowledge about human learning and change.
• provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate.
• deepens educators' content knowledge, provides them with reserch-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rogorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately.