by Claire Miller
Beginning this fall, kindergarten through 12th grade teachers across Georgia will begin implementing the new Common Core Georgia Performance Standards – a set of shared goals that pinpoint what knowledge and skills students should have in each subject area.
Teachers and leadership partners from K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and other organizations involved in the College of Education’s Network for Enhancing Teacher Quality (NET-Q) project recently came together to discuss the new standards and the best ways for teachers to employ them in their classrooms.
The NET-Q Summer Institute, which took place June 14 in the Loudermilk Center in Atlanta, highlighted instructional strategies and resources for teachers as they gear their curriculum toward the new standards.
Sessions covered a wide range of technological options – from PowerPoint programs and social networking sites to online resources from Georgia Public Broadcasting and electronic devices, such as iPads – to enhance instructional practices, as well as testimonies from teachers and administrators about their experiences with teaching tools that work well in their classrooms.
The institute also featured a panel of educators who gave their thoughts on the new standards and how they will impact students. Panelists included Jim Arnold, superintendent of Pelham County Schools; Bill Wraga, University of Georgia professor of educational administration and policy; and Eric Wearne, Georgia Gwinnett College assistant professor of education.
DaShaunda Patterson, NET-Q project director, said the institute was designed with input from the NET-Q project participants and intended to help attendees keep abreast of changes happening across the state.
“This institute is a testament to what successful partnerships can produce,” she said. “This gathering reflects what the pursuit of best practices looks like.”
The NET-Q project, funded by a $13.5 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Education, is a collection of programs, partnerships, initiatives and incentives designed to prepare teachers for the demands of teaching high-need subjects in high-need schools.
For more information about NET-Q and the summer institute, visit http://net-q.coe.gsu.edu.
