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| (l to r) UVA Curry School of Education Research Scientist Sharon Deal; BCP Academic Coach Sue Lattimore; and Wolfe Street Staff Developer Rosemary Byron |
The Baltimore Curriculum Project is participating in Project CYCLE; a project focused on the engagement of teachers and mentors in the cycle of development through the use of innovative technology and research-based mentoring/coaching methods.
On Monday Wolfe Street Staff Developer Rosemary Byron and BCP Academic Coach Sue Lattimore met with Sharon Deal, a Research Scientist from the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education and one of the coordinators of Project CYCLE, for their initial round of mentor/coach training.
Project CYCLE is sponsored by the Baltimore City Schools Office of Teacher Support & Development and is being implemented with the support of thereNow, PD360, and the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education.
Baltimore City Schools has procured a small number of thereNow’s LiveView cameras and the IRIS Connect online platform, which allow instructional coaches to observe teachers remotely. The iris LiveView camera enables an instructional coach to see and hear at a level of detail that even an in-person observation couldn't provide.
iris LiveView gives a remote observer full control of the camera from anywhere in the world, in real-time. That means that with only a computer and an internet connection, an instructional coach can see every corner of a room and hear high definition audio.
These tools will allow participating teachers and mentors to more fully engage in the cycle of development through video capture, review, reflection, and feedback on classroom instruction.
In concert with the thereNow’s LiveView camera and IRIS Connect online platform, participating teachers will engage in the University Of Virginia Curry School Of Education’s My Teaching Partner (MTP) coaching cycle. This component of the project will guide mentors in the use of prompts, protocols, and action plans as they provide meaningful feedback to teachers.
Finally, teachers will also have the opportunity to share their video through PD360, an online platform for sharing video with other teachers in the district.
Together these supports are designed to improve teaching and learning in the district; including, but not limited to, improved instruction, classroom management, teacher retention, mentoring, and student outcomes.