Mentor Public Schools is sending its teachers back to class.
When it's completed in August, the district's new Paradigm Center will focus on professional development for teachers who want to better utilize technology in the classroom. It will be open to instructors from the Mentor and Kirtland districts this year and will eventually welcome teachers from throughout Northeast Ohio.
Area educators will show how it's possible to use traditional methods, such as writing lessons on a whiteboard at the front of a classroom, while students receive information streamed to iPads, says Mentor superintendent Matthew Miller. Teachers will also learn how to create lesson plans and communicate with students electronically using software tools such as Schoology.
Paradigm differs from other professional development programs, which use third-party companies for expertise. "Teachers are an untapped resource," says Miller. "All of us in education need to build upon best practices by utilizing our in-house talent."
