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 jleveine@schools.nyc.gov 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 tfischer@schools.nyc.gov (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