Have you ever considered how helpful it would be to have a personal coach pop up just when you need one, to have that expert there just when your will is flagging or a critical question arises? Do you imagine that teachers feel this way as they work to prepare standards-based units and lessons? Measured Progress has formed a partnership that provides just such a resource to teachers.
Our partner, the Educator Performance Institute of the University of West Florida, has developed a Web-based software product called iBINDER that leads teachers through the process of developing units and lessons, using state standards as a starting point. Unlike software that offers a blank template for teachers and to fill in, iBINDER facilitates the development process by asking research-based questions. The answer to each question establishes components of the unit or lesson and thereby helps a teacher to create a tightly structured document. In addition, iBINDER provides several levels of embedded help (here’s the personal coach part) from quick suggestions to in-depth explanations of the why and how. The combination of leading questions and embedded help makes using iBINDER as close as one can get to having an expert on hand.
iBINDER also allows teachers to collaborate in the development of lessons and, because the program is Web-based, the collaborators need not be in the same location. Teachers can publish their units to an electronic Open Response to be shared with their colleagues and can download units developed by others. Another feature allows teachers to reflect on how the unit worked in the classroom, which is helpful as teachers seek to improve units and lessons for future use or publication.
To give iBINDER a try, go to demo.ibinder.org and log in. See for yourself whether a 24/7 personal coach is what you need!
—Your Teachers’ 24/7 Personal Coach 
