Peer Coaching in Washington


Sponsored by Microsoft, the goal of the Peer Coaching Program is to develop the skills in teacher leaders to serve as peer coaches for colleagues in their K-12 schools. In the coaching role, these teachers help their peers identify ways to enhance standards-based instruction and to offer their students engaging, technology-rich, learning activities. As they do so, peer coaches increase the ability of their colleagues to develop the required technology skills and instructional strategies to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning.

The nine Educational Technology Support Centers in Washington State are the conduit for professional development of the coaches. The expert staff at each Educational Technology Support Center follows the Peer Coaching curriculum, and enhances it with training on the use of various technology solutions and web tools. For more information on the goals and features of the Microsoft Peer Coaching program, please go to Microsoft’s Peer Coaching web site

For more information about how the Microsoft Peer Coaching program is implemented in Washington State, please go to OSPI’s web site: http://www.k12.wa.us/EdTech/peercoaching.aspx

A Featured Teacher

The Wax Museum

The Wax Museum

At Lewis and Clark Middle School in Yakima, WA several teachers met six years ago and decided that they would like to have a culminating project for 8th grade social studies classes. Thus the wax museum project was born. Eric Franz, a special education teacher and participant in the Peer Coaching program, has been the leader of this project since its inception.

Eric Franz
Yakima School District

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