The Southwest Virginia Partnership supports K-12 teacher and student development through a number of innovative projects. A sampling of them is listed here.
Teaching American History Grant
U.Va., U.Va.-Wise, the Southwest Virginia Public Education Consortium, and Norton City Public Schools recently teamed up to write a succesful Teaching American History proposal. The resulting grant of nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Education will be used to improve student achievement by enhancing teachers' knowledge of traditional American history through intensive, ongoing professional development in both content and research-based teaching strategies.
My Teaching Partner
My Teaching Partner is a professional development resource created by U.Va.'s Curry School of Education. It provides high-quality, evidence-based teaching tools and support for teachers' work with children. U.Va. is offering this web-based program, which includes best practice videos and expert reviews of teacher performance, to the Wise County school system at no cost.
M.Ed. Programs
U.Va. designed and implemented two Master of Education programs in SW Virginia. The M.Ed. in Instruction focuses on making good teachers better, while the M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision prepares teachers for leadership roles.
SCOPE (Statewide Communities of Practice for Excellence) Southwest
U.Va.'s School of Continuing and Professional Studies is partnering with SWVA superintendents to offer courses and seminars to ensure continued professional growth for administrators.
Foreign Language Education & Technology Integration workshop
This workshop will be based on the successful U.Va. Spanish language resource, Cine con Clase!, that uses film clips to encourage classroom discussion and enhance cultural awareness, with the goal of increased fluency in Spanish for high school students. U.Va.'s Center for the Liberal Arts will offer a one-day workshop in SWVA in April 2008 to train teachers of any foreign language how to use the latest technologcial tools and online resources.
Pathways Academy/STEM for LIFE (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for Life-Long Initiatives for Future Education)
The Pathways Academy, based in Lebanon, was made possible through a $20,000 planning grant from Governor Kaine. The Academy will provide instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to expand options for students and equip them with knowledge, skills, and credentials required for the 21st century workplace. U.Va. will assist with planning and development as well as offer U.Va. student and faculty expertise, including graduate-level courses for area middle school math teachers.
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