Elearning Focus Groups So Memo 5 7

Office of eLearning Services eLearning Focus Group Memorandum TO:

SSO CEOs

FROM:

Troy Fischer, Director of eLearning Services

SUBJECT:eLearning LMS Focus Group DATE:

5 May 2009

Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce that the newly created Office of eLearning Services will host focus group sessions that will assist in shaping the launch of its virtual professional development presence. To provide a brief overview, eLearning Services is a 21st century approach to differentiating learning experiences for school support organizations, networks, schools, teachers, students and parents. A strong focus of eLearning Services is to leverage existing and emerging technologies that deliver services to a wide range of constituents without the logistical confines of 20th century training and professional development. In an effort to reach citywide impact, eLearning services will employ virtual and adaptive professional development solutions to reach the entire DOE community. With this in mind, eLearning Services is extending an invitation to curriculum specialists and /or SSO designees within each SSO to serve as part of an eLearning professional development focus group. The purpose of this focus group is to introduce participants further to the vision, goals, objectives, and the current work of eLearning Services; identify the instructional needs of SSOs and how they can best be met in an online environment; and assist in the planning/creation of SSO specific instructional programs that fall within the following three core areas:

1. Capacity Building for the Teaching and Learning Community to Deliver On-Line Learning Course 2. Creation of Virtual Learning Environments 3. The Development of Online Curriculum Tools and Supports To this end, the Office of eLearning Services will be visiting interested SSOs during the week of May 18th. We are asking that you please email two possible dates, inclusive of time and location, to Jacquii Leveine at [email protected] by May 14th 2009. Our discussion should last no longer than an hour on either date provided. If possible, we would like interested attendees to complete our preliminary online registration survey by clicking on (or copying and pasting) the following link: http://tinyurl.com/elearningfocusgroup. This survey will facilitate our efforts to collect data before our visit and allow for a personalized discussion. Once email invitations are received, the Office of eLearning Services will forward ProTraxx registration information and an introductory focus group packet. If you should have any questions regarding this memo, please feel free to contact Troy Fischer at [email protected] (212) 374-5342. In the interim, we thank you in advance for your interest and cooperation, and look forward to working with you.

52 Chamber Street, Room 208, New York, NY 10007

TEL. (212) 374-5342 FAX (212) 374-5901