Facilitation and Support
CyberSmart!® employs a four-point approach for ongoing learner support:
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Online CyberSmarty Facilitator
A dedicated online workshop facilitator, who we fondly call the CyberSmarty, is assigned to facilitate each cohort section of 25 participants. Each CyberSmarty is an educational professional who has received training to facilitate CyberSmart! workshops. The facilitator's role is to encourage participants' active involvement, motivate and stimulate online collaboration, answer questions, and make sure that all educators' successfully progress through the workshop to its completion.
CyberSmart! facilitiators receive ongoing support through the CyberSmarties Care Program which offers;
- a database of best responses, inquiries etc.
- online discussion board moderated by chief CyberSmarties
- routine offline guidance.
CyberSmart! also allows district and school leaders to distribute leadership to interested teachers and other staff with the “CyberSmarties” facilitator-training program.
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Face-to-face CyberSmarty Discussion Leader
The guidance from my facilitator and the other participants really helped. The collaboration aspect was exceptional.
Classroom Teacher, OregonOptional face-to-face training: Your staff may choose to implement two additional 45-minute trainings to generate continuing discussion on topics covered in the online workshop. CyberSmart! provides a suggested outline and questions for discussion for schools leading these sessions—all at no additional charge.
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Peer-to-Peer Support
CyberSmart! Online Professional Development workshops are carefully structured so that all participants learn from one another and contribute significantly to the collective knowledge of the group. For example, participants have the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas with their workshop peers, add value to each other's work, and post and read comments. Individual participants may also choose to communicate separately from the group with the CyberSmart! workshop management system.
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Ongoing Community of Support
For one year following workshop completion, CyberSmart! provides workshop graduates with continuing free access to:
- the Be CyberSmart! Knowledgebase; and
- the CyberSmart! Toolbar, a simple and powerful desktop research tool that provides fast access to key information resources for all K-12 educators.