NEW YORK—More than 60 K-12 Bronx teachers will spend the next nine months immersed in educational technology in an effort to improve student performance. The training is being funded by a $3.4 million state grant awarded to the Regional Educational Technology Center (RETC) at Fordham University and Region 2 in the Bronx, as part of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, targeting under-performing schools. More than 400 Region 2 teachers will receive similar training over the next 18 months.
The first group of teachers began their training August 26 at Fordham University’s RETC and will continue for the remainder of the school year with a combination of weekly on-site training at the RETC and in-class sessions during which RETC trainers will work with teachers and their students in their classrooms.
Teachers too often receive technology training in short bursts, learning to use a computer or software program but never learning how to apply the technology in the classroom, according to Kathy King, Ph.D., Ed.D., the director of RETC and a professor in the Graduate School of Education at Fordham. King has trained more than 2,000 teachers on ways to incorporate technology into teaching and learning.
The grant may grow into a three-year, $11.5 million award based on the progress of the RETC/Region 2 partnership.
“This grant will help us bring 21st-century technology into the development of class lessons for both literacy and math to improve student performance,” said Region 2 superintendent Laura Rodriguez.
The RETC is dedicated to serving and researching the professional development needs of educators striving to improve student and teacher performance. The center’s award-winning programs serve educators across grade levels and contexts, providing in-class and distance learning opportunities. These efforts span K-12, adult education and higher education settings.
