The Rural Mountain Organization for Technological Enhancement, RMOTE, is designed to serve teachers and students within six school districts in the rural and remote area of southwestern Colorado. The primary focus of this grant is to provide on-site (within classrooms) and on-going staff development in technology integration in five curricular areas: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Languages.

The innovation in this grant is addressed through the method of delivery of the staff development. Instead of removing teachers from their buildings, RMOTE will deliver staff development to the teachers. A Technology Staff Development Trainer will provide teachers training at the building level. The new knowledge will immediately be infused into the teachers’ classrooms with the trainer present to assist as necessary. Teachers will have multiple training sessions throughout the year and will have access to the trainer for on-going support.

The training will be conducted over a five-year period. Each year a different content area will be the focus of the training. The trained teachers comprising the teams will form cadres that will continue to provide mentoring for other teachers in their buildings and districts.

The teachers will meet as a team two weeks prior to the beginning of the school year to receive common training based on a needs assessment already completed by the educational community. This team will set up protocols for communication – the sharing of Units of Practice (based on Apple research), ideas, challenges, and victories. They will continue to communicate throughout the year.

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