Stay current with changes that have taken place, or are on the horizon for Thinkfinity Professional Development.
 
 

Thinkfinity is gearing up for some exciting changes to the professional development program changes that will streamline training procedures, clarify training objectives, provide additional consistency for participants of Thinkfinity workshops and more! These changes are scheduled to launch at various points throughout the fall and we want to provide as much information as possible in advance to support a smooth transition for all. Updates are listed by date and headline below, to help you quickly locate the information you need.

Information is also being emailed to Thinkfinity Field Trainers, Certified Trainers, Certified Trainer Candidates, and Training Administrators. If you are in one of these roles, and have not received this communication, we recommend that you check your profile (from the Thinkfinity homepage) to make sure that all your information is correct, including your preferred email address. Also check back here often for updates and upcoming changes!

If you have any questions about the updates listed here,please go to the Contact Us page and send us your comments or questions. The Thinkfinity team is committed to supporting trainers as changes take place, and we are happy to help in any way.

 

June 21-22, 2008 - Thinkfinity Training Database Out-of-Service

Posted June 13, 2008

Thinkfinity's Professional Development Management Database, also/previously known as Rusticello, will be temporarily unavailable as it undergoes an upgrade the weekend of June 21-22, 2008. Therefore, trainers will not be able to register sessions or complete Follow-up Forms on those days, and attendees will not be able to roster in to sessions or take the training survey. In addition, the Trainer Toolbox will not be accessible on those days.

Due to these restrictions, Certified Trainers will not be able to conduct TRN sessions on June 21-22.

We also recommend Field Trainers and Certified Trainers not schedule any TCH or Awareness sessions on these dates, however, if a TCH or Awareness session on June 21-22 cannot be rescheduled, please use the following work-arounds:

  1. Register the session ahead of time for the correct date.
  2. "Quick roster" participants after June 22nd.
    NOTE: You will need to collect a name, e-mail address, and an identifying city and state for each attendee in your session.
    NOTE: Directions for "quick rostering" will be available from the Training Materials area of the Trainer Toolbox after June 22nd. Look for a document named "Four Step Process How-To's."
  3. Once your attendees have been rostered into the session, they will be sent an email with a link to the training survey.
    NOTE: Training surveys are only accepted for 2 weeks after the session has taken place. It is vital that you quick roster your attendees as soon as possible beginning on June 23rd.
  4. 4. Make sure that all training materials needed for your session are downloaded and saved on your personal computer prior to June 21st.

When the new PD Management Database launches on June 23, 2008, the look will be significantly different from the current Rusticello. While all of the Training Materials currently available in the Trainer Toolbox may not be updated to reflect the new system by the 23rd, an updated Users Guide will be available as soon as possible after the new system launches, as well as an updated version of the Four Steps PPT, used to walk trainers and participants through the process of registering, rostering, surveying and reporting on training sessions.

If you have any additional questions, please use the Contact Us link from the Thinkfinity homepage.

Science NetLinks Scheduled Outage

Posted June 11, 2008

Science NetLinks has an outage scheduled for Friday, August 15th - Sunday, August 17th, 2008.

We highly encourage you to schedule any TCH-C, TRN, or science-specific training sessions around this outage.

ReadWriteThink Re-Launches Summer Activities Page

Posted May 1, 2008

ReadWriteThink is proud to announce the relaunch of Learning Beyond the Classroom, which was designed to help children continue to build on their literacy learning outside of school. Please visit the site by clicking on the logo on the ReadWriteThink homepage (http://www.readwritethink.org) or directly at http://www.readwritethink.org/beyondtheclassroom/summer/.

Here you will find a collection of 50 summer activities for children and teens. New activities have been added since last summer as well as podcasts and videos, which can be accessed at http://www.readwritethink.org/beyondtheclassroom/summer/podcastsvideos/index.asp.

A flyer about the Summer Activities page explaining the importance of summer learning and a link to the site is available for download - great for those who want to share this site with others! http://www.readwritethink.org/beyondtheclassroom/summer/research/index.asp

New Site Redesign Launches in February!

Posted January 23, 2007

As part of our Program enhancements, Thinkfinity will launch a new and improved Thinkfinity.org Web site in early February! The high-quality content (lesson plans, interactives, resources, etc.) you have come to know and love will not change, however the look, feel, and functionality of the site will be greatly improved and will feature:

  • Additional content the redesigned site will include the addition of 21st Century Skills, as well as content and resources for students, parents, and afterschool programs.
  • An updated "look and feel" user-friendly and intuitive navigation will allow users to get where they want to go more quickly and simply. Fewer text pages and additional graphics will provide more information in a cleaner format.
  • An enhanced search engine an improved user interface will add the ability to see related content more easily. The search results will be improved with easier-to-read information, including clearly defined grade level and resource type information, as well as an icon-based view to see other types of related assets.
  • Integration of resources resources from the Thinkfinity Literacy Network will be seamlessly integrated into all areas.

Due to this redesign of the Thinkfinity.org site that will launch in early February:

  • We are recommending that you postpone any Thinkfinity sessions that you have scheduled for late January and early February to the last week of February or later, as appropriate. However, you will be able to deliver training during the redesign period, so feel free to make the professional decision to continue with scheduled training if you feel the redesign will not negatively impact your session. In March we will be posting a link to a self-guided tour of the redesigned site that will familiarize youe with the new navigation and features.
    • Certified Trainers can edit training session dates by e-mailing your training administrator, requesting the change
    • Field Trainers can edit training session dates in Rusticello
      http://rusticello.mped.org/PDS/pds_login.asp
  • Bridge Training will be revised and updated. If you are registered for Bridge Training:
    • Section 3 (Jan. 16, 2008) You MAY withdraw from the Jan. 16 section and re-register for a later section of Bridge Training that will be revised to include components from the new and improved Thinkfinity Web site. You MAY stay in the Bridge Training 3 section, if you wish, but please be aware that it will not reflect the Web site redesign changes.
    • Section 4 & 5 (Jan. 30 and Feb. 13, 2008) please re-register for a later section of Bridge Training as these two sections have been cancelled.

In March, we will post a link to a video tour of the redesigned site that will familiarize you with the new navigation and features.

We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause you and hope that you are able to make any changes that work best for your schedule and training needs.

If you have any further questions, please use the Contact Us link from the Thinkfinity homepage.

Bridge Training for Field Trainers - Now Open for Registration

Posted December 11, 2007

Throughout 2007, the Verizon Foundation has been leading the charge to transition MarcoPolo to the new and improved Thinkfinity paradigm! This online course, Bridge Training for Field Trainers, will guide you through all of the changes and upgrades to Thinkfinity content and the Professional Development Program, and provide you with information that will help you effectively train end users. By completing this course, you will retain your Field Trainer status and "cross the bridge" from being a MarcoPolo Field Trainer to being a Thinkfinity Field Trainer. All Field Trainers interested in retaining trainer status will be required to participate in Bridge Training prior to April 1, 2008.

The online course Bridge Training for Field Trainers is now accepting registrations.

To register for Bridge Training:

  1. Click on FREE Training from the Thinkfinity home page.
  2. Locate the Bridge Training for Field Trainers course and click on the link to register.
  3. You will then be asked to log in. Please use your Field Trainer login (e-mail address).

NOTE: If you dont remember your password, first try the Forgot Password link. If you are still unable to log in, click on contact us at the top of the page, and select Technical Support from the drop down list.

This course is self-paced and self-moderated. Each course section is open for two weeks and participants can expect to spend 5-15 hours to complete the course. Questions? Contact thinkfinitytraining@verizon.com

Thinkfinity Trainer and State Administrator Logins

Posted October 25, 2007

Effective Friday, October 26, 2007, a Thinkfinity trainer and/or state administrator login will be required to access our Trainer Resource Center. To access the Trainer Resource Center from the Thinkfinity.org homepage, please click on the Trainer Resource Center!

As we re-launch our Professional Development program, we are excited about providing a trainer/administrator-only section to our Web site. This new section of our site is aimed at providing trainers and administrators with the most current training materials and information. The newest items in our Trainer Resource Center include flyers to announce your training sessions, a Thinkfinity Awareness Session PowerPoint and Facilitator Guide (for conducting 15, 30, or 45 minute awareness sessions), and a revised PowerPoint containing our registration, roster, survey and follow-up procedures. In the upcoming months, we will continue to add new worksheets, PowerPoint presentations, instructional Flash-based tutorials and more! We hope you will enjoy this newly revised trainer/administrator-only section and continually check back in to see what has been added!

Specific Trainers for Specific Audiences

Posted August 1, 2007

One change on the horizon will affect Field Trainers eligibility to train various audiences. Starting October 1, 2007, Field Trainers will be eligible to conduct Field Training of end users only. Field Trainers will no longer be eligible to train other Field Trainers. However, Certified Trainers and Certified Trainer Candidates will be eligible to train both end users (TCH) and Field Trainers (TRN).

We feel that this change will streamline the role of Field Trainers and that the content and quality of training that Field Trainers receive will be much more consistent across the board. This change will ensure that all end users receive a high quality training experience from Field Trainers who are best equipped to deliver Thinkfinity training.

If any Certified Trainers or Certified Trainer Candidates have planned to conduct any Field Trainer training (TRN) this summer or fall, we ask that you please communicate to your attendees that they will be eligible to train end users only, and that you make revisions to your training agenda, as appropriate, to reflect this change.

Crossing the Bridge

Posted August 1, 2007

In late fall, you will receive additional communication, regarding the launch of the new Thinkfinity training curriculum, including new content, site redesign and Rusticello redesign. At that time, Field Trainers who are interested in continuing as Thinkfinity Field Trainers of end users, will have the opportunity to take "Bridge Training" which will provide all the necessary updates for Field Trainers to "cross the bridge" from training using the old curriculum and MarcoPolo site to using the new curriculum with the Thinkfinity.org site. This Bridge Training will be free of charge and will be delivered in a self-paced online format.

Similarly, Certified Trainers and Certified Trainer Candidates will be asked to take "Bridge Training", to receive updates on both end user curriculum (TCH) and Field Trainer training (TRN).

More specific information about Bridge Training will be provided as late fall approaches.

  
 
 

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