This final standard is perhaps one of the most crucial for technology leaders and facilitators as it is woven into everything we do. I found in my reading that this standard works hand in hand with Standard VII in an administrative focus, but the difference comes in how the two are carried out. Standard VIII focuses on the leadership and vision needed to bring technology education into potential. "Research suggests that current instructional models are more teacher-centered than student-centered" (Williamson and Redish, 2009, p. 179). Keeping instruction teacher-centered goes against the research and training of new teachers that instruction should be student-centered. Having a strong vision for the effective use of technology will help with this by utilizing the very tools that so many of our students thrive in outside of their school day.
I began working with this standard as a parent in my daughters' school district. Just last spring, they were reviewing the vision for the district and I volunteered to work on the technology component. Working with a variety of teachers, other parents, and educational stakeholders made it very easy to see the benefits of technology that were desired for the students in the district. We met several times throughout a one month time frame to come up with goals and strategies to further this vision. The focus of the district's vision was always on student learning, and I was able to bring in information from the different courses I had taken through that time to offer as additional research and some best practices. One of the most valuable pieces of information shared in these meetings was "students like their classes more and develop more positive attitudes when their classes include computer-based instruction" (Schacter, 1999, p.4). I kept several of the ideas brought from these meetings in mind as I worked in my own classroom this year. Just a few short weeks ago, my own principal has asked for my assistance in completing a needs assessment of technology use at my campus. I have started to build my team to help me through the process and have created a short survey to get a feel of the staff's attitude toward technology use on our campus. This will help my committee to set some goals and develop our own unique strategies for increasing technology implementation at the campus level. Teachers, like our students, "like having goals they want to reach, doing rather than listening, getting involved with the real world, ...[being asked] about their ideas and opinions, creating products that are important to them, and thinking seriously about their futures" (Prensky, 2008, p. 45). This new task will likely take me beyond my internship timeline, but the task is such a worthy one to complete for a campus where I have grown as an educator to a facilitator and hopefully leader.
I am going to continue to take the ideas and learning that I have gained through my research and participating on this committee to help me to grow into more of a leader in technology. I have stayed pretty in line with the roles of the technology facilitator at my campus, but I now wish to further challenge myself, with the help of my administrators and district technology leaders, to grow as more of a leader to be of continued service to the students and teachers. "If we don't stop and listen to the kids we serve, value their opinions, and make major changes on the basis of the valid suggestions they offer, we will be left in the 21st century with school buildings to administer - but with students who are physically or mentally somewhere else" (Prensky, 2005, p. 13).
Resources:
Prensky, M. (2005/2006, December/January). Listen to the Natives. Educational Leadership, 8-13.
Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the Lights. Educational Leadership, 40-45.
Schacter, J. (1999). The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement: What the Most Current Research Has to Say. Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Technology Facilitator Standard VII
Being in the classroom, this is an area of technology that is not seen by many, but you know it is there. I knew that a lot of time and money was allocated to bringing technology into the schools, but was not aware of the additional time and energy spent in deciding precisely which ones were best suited to the needs of the students in our district. "Without adequate infrastructure support, teachers are easily frustrated and prone to abandon technology, dismissing it as unreliable" (Sandholtz and Reilly, 2004). I have seen this happen early on in my teaching career, however not as much in recent years. Great strides have been taken by district and campus technology leaders to ensure the successful use of the technology brought into the campuses.
Due to a variety of events this year, I was able to participate in the implementation of this standard in a small way. We have had new technology come onto our campus, however much of it has been sitting in boxes due to lack of knowledge on how to use it. I have ventured out to different trainings offered by the district and played with some of this new material so that I could come back and train my staff on the products. This has been very minor compared to the work done by the district level facilitators and leaders, but I have been glad to have the opportunity to work on such a task. I have also helped my campus obtain some new technology tools that I have seen and used in other trainings, and will be working with the staff on these products also. The implementation stage of this standard is where I feel most comfortable. I love working with the teachers to troubleshoot and learn ways to bring new ideas into the classroom that can go beyond something they have complete control of. I have kept in constant communication with the district facilitators and my administrators for help in making sure I am presenting all of the material in a manner that is effective and beneficial. "Working with educators, faciliators ensure that the use of technology is aligned with the plans and policies developed at the district level" (Williamson and Redish, 2009, p. 162).
Just a couple of weeks ago, I learned that our district has made it possible for us to start working with more open source programs inside of the district. This has the potential to be great for us as it is "freely available to use and to modify, upgrade, and customize" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 134). Given the current financial worries of many school districts right now, I see this as a smart move to keep classrooms moving forward without the district pocketbooks being opened further than needed. I will be curious to see how quickly these tools catch on in the district. As of right now, there are very few in the district who know about these open source tools, and even fewer who know how to use them. I have gone ahead and started training a few others on my campus in these because I started using them in my classes through Lamar over a year ago.
Resources:
Sandholtz, J. and Reilly, B. (2004). Teachers, not technicians: rethinking technical expectations for teachers. Teachers College Record, 106, 487-512.
Solomon, G. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Due to a variety of events this year, I was able to participate in the implementation of this standard in a small way. We have had new technology come onto our campus, however much of it has been sitting in boxes due to lack of knowledge on how to use it. I have ventured out to different trainings offered by the district and played with some of this new material so that I could come back and train my staff on the products. This has been very minor compared to the work done by the district level facilitators and leaders, but I have been glad to have the opportunity to work on such a task. I have also helped my campus obtain some new technology tools that I have seen and used in other trainings, and will be working with the staff on these products also. The implementation stage of this standard is where I feel most comfortable. I love working with the teachers to troubleshoot and learn ways to bring new ideas into the classroom that can go beyond something they have complete control of. I have kept in constant communication with the district facilitators and my administrators for help in making sure I am presenting all of the material in a manner that is effective and beneficial. "Working with educators, faciliators ensure that the use of technology is aligned with the plans and policies developed at the district level" (Williamson and Redish, 2009, p. 162).
Just a couple of weeks ago, I learned that our district has made it possible for us to start working with more open source programs inside of the district. This has the potential to be great for us as it is "freely available to use and to modify, upgrade, and customize" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 134). Given the current financial worries of many school districts right now, I see this as a smart move to keep classrooms moving forward without the district pocketbooks being opened further than needed. I will be curious to see how quickly these tools catch on in the district. As of right now, there are very few in the district who know about these open source tools, and even fewer who know how to use them. I have gone ahead and started training a few others on my campus in these because I started using them in my classes through Lamar over a year ago.
Resources:
Sandholtz, J. and Reilly, B. (2004). Teachers, not technicians: rethinking technical expectations for teachers. Teachers College Record, 106, 487-512.
Solomon, G. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Web Design
This course was a plethora of new information for me and I spent a great deal of time very overwhelmed! Knowing as little as I did about creating websites and coding really made me nervous going into this. I essentially came into this course a "blank slate" and everything was new to me. I had a very brief experience in creating a web page for my college sorority that went disastrously bad, and since then I have not tried again. Throughout the course, I was surprised by how much went into creating and maintaining a website, and the policies needed in the district to keep the site running efficiently. "Web 2.0 signals a transition from isolation to interconnectedness - not just for programmers but, more important, for end users" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 13). After completing the course, I have not desires to go out and create the next great website, but I do have an appreciation for all those that do create the websites we use in our schools and the time and energy they invest in keeping them current.
I came into this class with a fairly open mind to the experience. Each of the assignments exposed me to a new way of thinking about the work that goes on in a district "behind the scenes" before a site may be launched for public viewing. In an educational setting, privacy is extremely important, so looking at a site's "privacy policy needs to explain clearly how the web site handles sensitive data, cookies, and related information" (Kaiser, S., 2006, p. 36) is a priority. I relied on the assistance of my campus Webmaster and my district technology facilitator to help with my understanding of policies related to how my district uses its websites for the district and each individual campus. The power a website has as an educational and informational tool for parents, students and district stakeholders is a driving force behind all of the research and hard work that goes into creating and maintaining a site.
With the information I gained from this course, I went into a new school year with an understanding of the need to help maintain our website's integrity and have spent this year as a liaison to the Webmaster, providing informational updates to keep the campus site current. As of this time, I really still have no desire to learn any further components of web design, but I want to continue to support and serve as best as I can to make sure that our website stays an informative site for all and meets the criteria set to make it a first class web site.
Resources:
Kaiser, S. (2006). Deliver First Class Web Sites. VIC Australia: Sitepoint.
Solomon, J. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
I came into this class with a fairly open mind to the experience. Each of the assignments exposed me to a new way of thinking about the work that goes on in a district "behind the scenes" before a site may be launched for public viewing. In an educational setting, privacy is extremely important, so looking at a site's "privacy policy needs to explain clearly how the web site handles sensitive data, cookies, and related information" (Kaiser, S., 2006, p. 36) is a priority. I relied on the assistance of my campus Webmaster and my district technology facilitator to help with my understanding of policies related to how my district uses its websites for the district and each individual campus. The power a website has as an educational and informational tool for parents, students and district stakeholders is a driving force behind all of the research and hard work that goes into creating and maintaining a site.
With the information I gained from this course, I went into a new school year with an understanding of the need to help maintain our website's integrity and have spent this year as a liaison to the Webmaster, providing informational updates to keep the campus site current. As of this time, I really still have no desire to learn any further components of web design, but I want to continue to support and serve as best as I can to make sure that our website stays an informative site for all and meets the criteria set to make it a first class web site.
Resources:
Kaiser, S. (2006). Deliver First Class Web Sites. VIC Australia: Sitepoint.
Solomon, J. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Video Technology and Multimedia
This course was extrememly valuable to me as an eduactor, wife and mom in encouraging new ways of sharing and presenting stories and information to a broader audience. Prior to this class, pretty much relied on the Web as a source for getting information. I learned here that I can now be the author of some of the information that others search for as "Web 2.0 tools change the nature of teh WEb from distributed to participatory" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p.46). I was fairly familiar with using Windows MovieMaker and had dabbled with Audacity in a couple of previous assignments in my Master's journey. Learning about and experiementing with Photo Story 3, Podcasting, ad eventually getting to work in iMovie. My work in MovieMaker has always seemed pretty straight forward, however after working in Photo Story 3 I think I was doing way more work than was needed. Photo Story 3 is extemely straight forward and great for new users to creating videos. As far as creating the podcasts, that was a pretty painless task also. Getting it online, that was another story altogether.
I remember for the most part that creating the products for each assignment was not too difficult a task. When it came time to publish each one on the Web, that is where some problems started to creep in. I approached each assignment in the manner of any teacher in America, trying to be as cost effective and least time consuming as possible. I had to search through several of the different sites offered for publishing a podcast before finding one that was easy to use and would be simple enough to show others how to use. The ultimate goal of creating a PSA to publish on the Web was a great test in team building and collaboration. My team for this project kept in close contact via e-mail and our Google doc to share ideas and compare notes for each phase of the project. This course tested our knowledge and use of the new Bloom's Taxonomy that incorporates the digital world that our students are learning in. As the students in this project, we were constantly working in the Evaluating level with "collaborating and networking, and testing" (Churches, 2008) and Creating level with " filming, animating, videocasting, podcasting, mixing and remixing, directing and producing, and publishing" (Chruches, 2008). While working with others is challenging from time to time, it is definitely more valuable to have the support of others than to go it alone. Having tried both, I defiinitely prefer to have someone to bounce ideas off of and get feedback from that knows what they are talking about.
Continuing beyond where I am currently, I have had to consider how video and multimedia tools can play a part in teaching for me and for other teachers I know. "Because technology permeates how students think, communicate, and process information, accomodating the positive attributes of their media-rich learning styles can help educators update teaching, learning, and the curriculum" (Williamson and Redish, 2009, p. 58). I think integrating ideas like these can be tremendous assets to teaching, my questions lie in how to get it in the hands of the students. I visualize helping teachers learn to use these tools first, and then carry it on into the classroom where teachers can show students how to create their own products and publish them to share. Finding the time to fit in a process like this though is very difficult to do with so much emphasis on administration making sure that the campus meets AYP each year. I worry that an endeavor such as this may seem unnecessary when so many other areas need improvement.
Resources:
Churches, A. (2008). Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally. Tech & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/8670
Solomon, G. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
I remember for the most part that creating the products for each assignment was not too difficult a task. When it came time to publish each one on the Web, that is where some problems started to creep in. I approached each assignment in the manner of any teacher in America, trying to be as cost effective and least time consuming as possible. I had to search through several of the different sites offered for publishing a podcast before finding one that was easy to use and would be simple enough to show others how to use. The ultimate goal of creating a PSA to publish on the Web was a great test in team building and collaboration. My team for this project kept in close contact via e-mail and our Google doc to share ideas and compare notes for each phase of the project. This course tested our knowledge and use of the new Bloom's Taxonomy that incorporates the digital world that our students are learning in. As the students in this project, we were constantly working in the Evaluating level with "collaborating and networking, and testing" (Churches, 2008) and Creating level with " filming, animating, videocasting, podcasting, mixing and remixing, directing and producing, and publishing" (Chruches, 2008). While working with others is challenging from time to time, it is definitely more valuable to have the support of others than to go it alone. Having tried both, I defiinitely prefer to have someone to bounce ideas off of and get feedback from that knows what they are talking about.
Continuing beyond where I am currently, I have had to consider how video and multimedia tools can play a part in teaching for me and for other teachers I know. "Because technology permeates how students think, communicate, and process information, accomodating the positive attributes of their media-rich learning styles can help educators update teaching, learning, and the curriculum" (Williamson and Redish, 2009, p. 58). I think integrating ideas like these can be tremendous assets to teaching, my questions lie in how to get it in the hands of the students. I visualize helping teachers learn to use these tools first, and then carry it on into the classroom where teachers can show students how to create their own products and publish them to share. Finding the time to fit in a process like this though is very difficult to do with so much emphasis on administration making sure that the campus meets AYP each year. I worry that an endeavor such as this may seem unnecessary when so many other areas need improvement.
Resources:
Churches, A. (2008). Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally. Tech & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/8670
Solomon, G. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Digital Graphics, Animation and Desktop Publishing
This course brought into review skills that I regularly use as a classroom teacher - creating newsletters. However in this course, I got to experience creating digital newsletters as opposed to computer-generated ones that are then printed and copied for distribution. Learning about the "CRAP" principles of basic design, that is Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity, has been very useful in creating presentations and products for my class that are engaging and appealing to my students and others. Since taking this class, I was able to get my students involved in making their own digital newsletter that we e-mail out to parents once a month. This has been a great tool that "helps students to think for themselves, to do the organizing or whatever they need to do to make sense out of the information" (Fraenkel, 1992, p. 172). I have shared this activity with other teachers and shown the benefits of this on student productivity. Not only are students creating a product to share with their peers and families, they are sharing their knowledge with me since many of the articles included in the newsletter are summaries and reflections on topics we have covered in class. Students take the template that we set up as a class and save it to their flash drives. They know which sections they are responsible for and then we cut and paste the document together. This is not as simple as creating in Google docs, but the students are working successfully with the established set-up. "Technology allows students to collaborate on projects without the constraints of time or geography" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007, p. 153).
Since there were many new concepts for me to learn in completing this course, I spent time watching and reading the tutorials offered for tools like Stykz and creating a logo. I also enlisted the help of my husband and 14 year old daughter in the critique of my work before submitting it. Building a strong support team that I could rely on for feedback has been a much needed resource for myself. "Interaction and the resulting relationships are the most important catalysts in forming community" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 105).
As I continue to move forward in technology education, I plan on taking the advice of others into account. I also want to continue in practicing the skills I have gained in digital graphics and animation, while fine tuning my skills in desktop publishing. These are skills and tools that other teachers would most definitely benefit from learning and integrating into their own teaching. Ideally, I think creating a small learning community on campus to learn, practice, and then integrate these tools would be beneficial to all. "To chart a new course, administrators must agree that the use of technology is a fundamental goal, and faculty members must participate in identifying it as a shared goal" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 111).
References:
Freankel, J. (1992, March). Hilda Taba's Contributions to Social Studies Education. Social Education. p. 172-178.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver: McREL.
Solomon, J. and Schrum, T. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Since there were many new concepts for me to learn in completing this course, I spent time watching and reading the tutorials offered for tools like Stykz and creating a logo. I also enlisted the help of my husband and 14 year old daughter in the critique of my work before submitting it. Building a strong support team that I could rely on for feedback has been a much needed resource for myself. "Interaction and the resulting relationships are the most important catalysts in forming community" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 105).
As I continue to move forward in technology education, I plan on taking the advice of others into account. I also want to continue in practicing the skills I have gained in digital graphics and animation, while fine tuning my skills in desktop publishing. These are skills and tools that other teachers would most definitely benefit from learning and integrating into their own teaching. Ideally, I think creating a small learning community on campus to learn, practice, and then integrate these tools would be beneficial to all. "To chart a new course, administrators must agree that the use of technology is a fundamental goal, and faculty members must participate in identifying it as a shared goal" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 111).
References:
Freankel, J. (1992, March). Hilda Taba's Contributions to Social Studies Education. Social Education. p. 172-178.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver: McREL.
Solomon, J. and Schrum, T. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Instructional Design
The benefits for educators who create and implement online learning reach beyond what can be accomplished in a traditional classroom. Online learning helps to close the idea that "there is too much content and not enough time, especially if the identified knowledge and skills contained in the standards are viewed as discrete and disconnected" (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005, p. 61). After taking the time to learn how to design and implement online curriculum, I better understand the expectations of learning and do not have to rely as heavily on outside sources to set the guidelines for learning. The course I made last spring was tailored to meet the needs of fourth graders preparing for the TAKS Math test, but a variety of other options are available if the time is taken to put a plan like this in action. In going back and reviewing my work for this online course, I have found many areas that could be improved, but I have also found many areas that are still applicable to the students I am currently working with.
Online learning has definite potential and I would like to integrate it into my own teaching. Current tools, like BrainPop, offer short learning experiences that are very engaging to the students at all ability levels. An area that I worked to improve on in incorporating online learning in the classroom is extending the attention span and focus of the student. "When teachers introduce multimedia into their classrooms, they must ensure that students stay focused on distinguishing trivial content from essential content...and personalizing their notes based on their learning styles" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007, p. 130). Sharing the ideas of backward design as well as this introduction to creating personalized online learning with colleagues at work helped motivate and direct what I wanted to focus on in my course assignments. I was also provided ideas that I have carried on into later course work.
Throughout this course, the most valuable tool that I still consider in my own teaching is backward design. In planning an online course, this strategy was challenging for me as I often fall into the "trap" of many educators of wanting to plan the activities first, rather than focusing on the curriculum needs of an objective. Online learning and computers "appear to be especially productive with children designated as nontraditional" (Page, 2002, p. 392). Challenges to successfully implementing online learning are as always time and resources. Time to train students and educators in such tools is always a struggle when time is always in demand, and making sure that the resources to create online learning opportunities remains available needs to be addressed so that these tools do not become blocked by the filtering system.
References:
Page, M. (2002). Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. p. 389-409.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver: McREL.
Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria: ASCD.
Online learning has definite potential and I would like to integrate it into my own teaching. Current tools, like BrainPop, offer short learning experiences that are very engaging to the students at all ability levels. An area that I worked to improve on in incorporating online learning in the classroom is extending the attention span and focus of the student. "When teachers introduce multimedia into their classrooms, they must ensure that students stay focused on distinguishing trivial content from essential content...and personalizing their notes based on their learning styles" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007, p. 130). Sharing the ideas of backward design as well as this introduction to creating personalized online learning with colleagues at work helped motivate and direct what I wanted to focus on in my course assignments. I was also provided ideas that I have carried on into later course work.
Throughout this course, the most valuable tool that I still consider in my own teaching is backward design. In planning an online course, this strategy was challenging for me as I often fall into the "trap" of many educators of wanting to plan the activities first, rather than focusing on the curriculum needs of an objective. Online learning and computers "appear to be especially productive with children designated as nontraditional" (Page, 2002, p. 392). Challenges to successfully implementing online learning are as always time and resources. Time to train students and educators in such tools is always a struggle when time is always in demand, and making sure that the resources to create online learning opportunities remains available needs to be addressed so that these tools do not become blocked by the filtering system.
References:
Page, M. (2002). Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. p. 389-409.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver: McREL.
Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria: ASCD.
Technology Facilitator Standard VI
"Education, unlike other industries of our world, has often failed to find a role for computer technology" (Page, 2002, p. 389). This quote at first may seem very harsh, however schools have for years been playing "catch up" with the rest of society in its use. I have learned that the "digital divide" we speak of doesn't always refer to those with and without access outside of the schools, but the accessibilty of technology inside of the schools can create just as much of a divide. Through studying campus and district STAR Charts, I have learned that great strides have been made in my district to make technology accessible to all students in most areas. We have gotten new and additional computers in the classrooms, and provided opportunities for teachers to learn and implement technology in many other ways with different software programs as well as web 2.0 tools, like blogs. However, with an ever changing population, "it is difficult to predict how educators and students will use new technologies and what the consequences of those uses will be" (Williamson and Redish, 2009, p. 123).
This year, and increased awareness was brought to the front in protecting our students privacy and keeping students safe online. With the rise of social networking sites, there is a clear and present need to teach students how to avoid situations that "lead to misuse of the Internet through bulk e-mail distribution and negatively toned communications" (Adelman, 2004, p. 17). As part of my internship assignment, my principal and site mentor had me address this issue with the grade levels and provide them with information to present to their students about being safe online. The teachers were very receptive and the students thoroughly enjoyed the information. Another area that we are working on with the fourth and fifth graders is the basics in copyright and citing work from other sources. Learning about the copyright laws is exhausting, but a very worthwhile endeavor if we expect our students to reference other sources in their work as they grow and learn. Our district has provided a Moodle for information related to cyber safety and copyright that all of the teachers have access to, so they are not creating multiple activities to teach the same goal. My role at the campus level has been to pass this information on and monitor its use by others, to answer questions that arise and make sure that the information is used correctly.
I have learned quite a bit about the ethical nature of what we should be teaching with technology and want to have better ideas as to how to teach students to be ethical and honest in what they do both at school and home on the computer. With my class blog, I have trained my students to use a special screen name and I closely monitor their comments before posting them for everyone to see. I want them to transfer this to other areas beyond the classroom, but often find myself wondering how possible this is.
References:
Adelman, H. (2004, March). Teaching Online Safety. Voices from the Middle. p. 17-22.
Page, M. (2002). Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. p. 389-409.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitator and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
This year, and increased awareness was brought to the front in protecting our students privacy and keeping students safe online. With the rise of social networking sites, there is a clear and present need to teach students how to avoid situations that "lead to misuse of the Internet through bulk e-mail distribution and negatively toned communications" (Adelman, 2004, p. 17). As part of my internship assignment, my principal and site mentor had me address this issue with the grade levels and provide them with information to present to their students about being safe online. The teachers were very receptive and the students thoroughly enjoyed the information. Another area that we are working on with the fourth and fifth graders is the basics in copyright and citing work from other sources. Learning about the copyright laws is exhausting, but a very worthwhile endeavor if we expect our students to reference other sources in their work as they grow and learn. Our district has provided a Moodle for information related to cyber safety and copyright that all of the teachers have access to, so they are not creating multiple activities to teach the same goal. My role at the campus level has been to pass this information on and monitor its use by others, to answer questions that arise and make sure that the information is used correctly.
I have learned quite a bit about the ethical nature of what we should be teaching with technology and want to have better ideas as to how to teach students to be ethical and honest in what they do both at school and home on the computer. With my class blog, I have trained my students to use a special screen name and I closely monitor their comments before posting them for everyone to see. I want them to transfer this to other areas beyond the classroom, but often find myself wondering how possible this is.
References:
Adelman, H. (2004, March). Teaching Online Safety. Voices from the Middle. p. 17-22.
Page, M. (2002). Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. p. 389-409.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitator and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Technology Facilitator Standard V
Almost everything that I have learned and put into practice as a result of my studies in educational technology relate to this standard in some way. "Students also benefit indirectly when educators use technology to enhance their own productivity and professional practice" (Williamson and Redish, 2009, p. 101). This standard can also seem to be very challenging to implement at times, with the lack of time to put new skills into practice and the resistence met by some educators. I have been guilty myself of not trying to implement new technology for these very reasons, but when I have taken the time and the effort to try, a noticeable difference is seen in student outcomes as well as my own. "If understanding is the goal of our teaching, we have to aggressively root out this misunderstanding about learning and help students see that they will often be expected to do more than take in knowledge" (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005, p. 103). The sheer number of technology options available can be overwhelming at times, many of the tools listed on p. 102 of ISTE's Technology Facilitator and Leadership Standards are familiar to me, but I do not think that I know enough about any particular one to be considered an expert at it.
Through my internship, facilitating this standard has been an ongoing task in trying to rebuild a positive attitude of professional practice. Trainings that I have been able to do have been very useful for those that attend, but I still get flustered by the lack of interest that appears on the outside. My approach to working with others is similar to how I approach teaching in the classroom, I model step-by-step and have others follow along, we ask questions as we go and often make mistakes together. I then let them try on their own, talking with others about what works and doesn't, as this builds their confidence in themselves and I have often found that we learn better by listening to things in many different ways from different voices. I also try to follow up on the skill within a week, because "brief classes or workshops without ongoing support seem to create few substantive changes" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 101). I developped this approach to teaching and training a few years ago due to the hurried pace we seem to always be in and my own lack of retention in concepts I have learned. I feel somewhat successful in implementing this standard only because I was unable to reach as many as I had hoped. My current technology facilitator and friends keep telling me that if I reach just one, it is a success because the trickle-down effect has begun. I still keep up with teachers I work with via e-mail or just in the hallways to see if they have been able to create something new with or for their students. I have also shared many stories throughout my journey with my colleagues in our Google Doc and in e-mails to gain new ideas and approaches that I sometimes overlook.
I have learned that I am very hard on myself when it comes to teaching and training in general. I want for lots to attend and gain some new knowledge to take back with them, and I get disappointed when that is not the case. It is still hard for me to accept my friends' advice, because I expect much from myself and I expect to make an impact. I know that I have to be more patient in waiting to see these results for a variety of reasons. I am still very new at all of this. I am curious to know other people's thoughts and ideas on ways to motivate and implement this stadard to ultimately create a more positive culture for learning.
References:
Solomon, G. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Through my internship, facilitating this standard has been an ongoing task in trying to rebuild a positive attitude of professional practice. Trainings that I have been able to do have been very useful for those that attend, but I still get flustered by the lack of interest that appears on the outside. My approach to working with others is similar to how I approach teaching in the classroom, I model step-by-step and have others follow along, we ask questions as we go and often make mistakes together. I then let them try on their own, talking with others about what works and doesn't, as this builds their confidence in themselves and I have often found that we learn better by listening to things in many different ways from different voices. I also try to follow up on the skill within a week, because "brief classes or workshops without ongoing support seem to create few substantive changes" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007, p. 101). I developped this approach to teaching and training a few years ago due to the hurried pace we seem to always be in and my own lack of retention in concepts I have learned. I feel somewhat successful in implementing this standard only because I was unable to reach as many as I had hoped. My current technology facilitator and friends keep telling me that if I reach just one, it is a success because the trickle-down effect has begun. I still keep up with teachers I work with via e-mail or just in the hallways to see if they have been able to create something new with or for their students. I have also shared many stories throughout my journey with my colleagues in our Google Doc and in e-mails to gain new ideas and approaches that I sometimes overlook.
I have learned that I am very hard on myself when it comes to teaching and training in general. I want for lots to attend and gain some new knowledge to take back with them, and I get disappointed when that is not the case. It is still hard for me to accept my friends' advice, because I expect much from myself and I expect to make an impact. I know that I have to be more patient in waiting to see these results for a variety of reasons. I am still very new at all of this. I am curious to know other people's thoughts and ideas on ways to motivate and implement this stadard to ultimately create a more positive culture for learning.
References:
Solomon, G. and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.: ISTE.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Teaching with Technology
This course was such a great joy for me! Ideas on integrating technology beyond the ordinary were amazing. In a world that is increasingly digital, bringing more to the classroom than "surfing the web" is imperative as some "surveys suggest that school is often the place where those who are less privileged have their primary access to the Internet" (Lenhart, Simon, and Graziano, 2001). The CAST Lesson Builder is such an innovative tool that really helps teachers reach all of the learners in their classroom through the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Many of my own beliefs about how students learn were affirmed through this course, and new ways to achieve success in teaching to students needs were presented. "UDL actualizes the opportunities inherent in two great challenges facing today's educators: the challenge of learner diversity and the challenge of high standards" (Rose and Meyer, 2002).
Immediately after learning about UDL, I began to try little ways of incorporating the concepts more into my own teaching and sharing my ideas, successes and failures with my colleagues. One of the greatest ways of collaborating I found was actually utilizing Google docs as a means to share work with others. The group of gentlemen that I worked with throughout this course, and many others that followed, were very helpful in their feedback as to what would work and what would not in a regular setting versus the ideal setting that we learn in. As a learner, I tend to look at everything from the ideal perspective, and sometimes forget that ideal isn't what is. My collaborators helped bring me to reality as needed and really helped me grow in my own ways of thinking.
I have moved beyond the basics of computer use and with the help of different tools like the CAST Lesson Builder and Book Builder, I have found different ways to present to my students and also get feedback from them by engaging them more in their own learning. In the means of assessment, utilizing UDL would be ideal as tests could come in two formats: "one presents the problems on paper; the other presents the porblems on a computer screen and gives test-takers the option of hearing the words read aloud through text-to-speech" (Rose and Meyer, 2002). The idea of this is wonderful and would be easy to put together using Book Builder, but is this possible/ acceptable if students can't have this option for a high stakes test like TAKS? Until the state reaches this stage of technology availability, this may not become a possibility for some time.
References
Lenhart, A., Simon, M., and Graziano, M. (2001). The Internet and Education: Findings of the Pew Internet & AMerican Life Project. Washington, D.C.: Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Rose, D. and Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age. ASCD.
Immediately after learning about UDL, I began to try little ways of incorporating the concepts more into my own teaching and sharing my ideas, successes and failures with my colleagues. One of the greatest ways of collaborating I found was actually utilizing Google docs as a means to share work with others. The group of gentlemen that I worked with throughout this course, and many others that followed, were very helpful in their feedback as to what would work and what would not in a regular setting versus the ideal setting that we learn in. As a learner, I tend to look at everything from the ideal perspective, and sometimes forget that ideal isn't what is. My collaborators helped bring me to reality as needed and really helped me grow in my own ways of thinking.
I have moved beyond the basics of computer use and with the help of different tools like the CAST Lesson Builder and Book Builder, I have found different ways to present to my students and also get feedback from them by engaging them more in their own learning. In the means of assessment, utilizing UDL would be ideal as tests could come in two formats: "one presents the problems on paper; the other presents the porblems on a computer screen and gives test-takers the option of hearing the words read aloud through text-to-speech" (Rose and Meyer, 2002). The idea of this is wonderful and would be easy to put together using Book Builder, but is this possible/ acceptable if students can't have this option for a high stakes test like TAKS? Until the state reaches this stage of technology availability, this may not become a possibility for some time.
References
Lenhart, A., Simon, M., and Graziano, M. (2001). The Internet and Education: Findings of the Pew Internet & AMerican Life Project. Washington, D.C.: Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Rose, D. and Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age. ASCD.
Information Systems Management
During this course, I was exposed to a side of technology and our district that I never knew about. All of the "behind the scenes" work that goes into making a school system function ad stay current is a daunting task. I learned that some of the popular options in online gradebooks and student data systems were originated in-house with the help of outside companies and then made available to others. "The goal if for all relevant data to be accessible by the appropriate users at any location at any time" (Thompson and Gould, 2005). This goal is imperative to aid educators across the state and even the country in keeping up with all students that go through the system. In essence, a digital student data system allows easier transfer of student data from year to year, or from district to district when a student moves. I have a new found appreciation for the work performed by school officials that handle all of our student data.
With all of the options that are available to us, most sit unused by teachers. "[Teachers have] never had the type of training time and resources that they need to take full advantage of anything" (Sausner, 2003). I know from personal experience that there are so many technology tools that we have access to, however there is never the type of training available to help us utilize it. In this age of documentation, it would be useful to have more than a handful of people who can use these tools without having to refer to a handbook or "cheat sheets". I completely understand the perspective for the lack of training on this - classroom teachers have so many other demands placed on them, that it is very difficult to keep everything organized in a functional and effective manner.
When all is said and done, our students must take top priority when it comes to the use of technology. While there are plenty of resources available, not all have the best interests of the students at heart. That is why district's utilize a technology department of people dedicated to finding and creating resources to keep our students safe. "Keeping kids safe must be an ongoing effort through awareness, education, and supervision" (Joseph, 2007).
As I continue to grow and learn as a leader, I will constantly challenge myself to go one step further than I had before in relation to my knowledge of using the student information system at our district. I must also keep in mind that if ever I move on to another position, I will have to learn a new system. This can be an asset though, as I will be bringing prior knowledge with me and the perspective of a teacher, not just a technology leader. I want to continue to learn more about the system in place where I am now and see how teachers can better utilize these resources. My biggest obstacle, as is with any other educator, is time. How do you fit it all in when it seems so overwhelming in the beginning?
References:
Joseph, L. (2007, January/February). Keeping Safe in Cyberspace. Multimedia & Internet @ Schools. 17-20.
Sausner, R. (2003). Making Paperwork Fulfilling. retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticlepf.aspx?articleid=103
Thompson, T. and Gould, K. (2005, 62:4). A Homegrown Design for Data Warehousing. School Administrator. 16-23.
With all of the options that are available to us, most sit unused by teachers. "[Teachers have] never had the type of training time and resources that they need to take full advantage of anything" (Sausner, 2003). I know from personal experience that there are so many technology tools that we have access to, however there is never the type of training available to help us utilize it. In this age of documentation, it would be useful to have more than a handful of people who can use these tools without having to refer to a handbook or "cheat sheets". I completely understand the perspective for the lack of training on this - classroom teachers have so many other demands placed on them, that it is very difficult to keep everything organized in a functional and effective manner.
When all is said and done, our students must take top priority when it comes to the use of technology. While there are plenty of resources available, not all have the best interests of the students at heart. That is why district's utilize a technology department of people dedicated to finding and creating resources to keep our students safe. "Keeping kids safe must be an ongoing effort through awareness, education, and supervision" (Joseph, 2007).
As I continue to grow and learn as a leader, I will constantly challenge myself to go one step further than I had before in relation to my knowledge of using the student information system at our district. I must also keep in mind that if ever I move on to another position, I will have to learn a new system. This can be an asset though, as I will be bringing prior knowledge with me and the perspective of a teacher, not just a technology leader. I want to continue to learn more about the system in place where I am now and see how teachers can better utilize these resources. My biggest obstacle, as is with any other educator, is time. How do you fit it all in when it seems so overwhelming in the beginning?
References:
Joseph, L. (2007, January/February). Keeping Safe in Cyberspace. Multimedia & Internet @ Schools. 17-20.
Sausner, R. (2003). Making Paperwork Fulfilling. retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticlepf.aspx?articleid=103
Thompson, T. and Gould, K. (2005, 62:4). A Homegrown Design for Data Warehousing. School Administrator. 16-23.
Technology Facilitator Standard IV
Assessment and evaluation of student learning is at the heart of reports that determine school success, such as the AYP. Technology is proving to be a very effective means of showing this because it is less time consuming than traditional means of student assessment. This standard is defined as "continuous assessment, both of learning and for learning, and evaluation of the use of technology and digital resources" (Williamson and Redish, 2009). In reading about the indicators and tasks for this standard, I have started notincing the ways this standard has been implemented in out campus and district. We have moved to using scantrons for recording student assessment, which are then scanned and the results are dissaggregated in an online program for administrators and teachers to use as review. Just this year, I have started using the student response system, Qwizdom, as a means of assessing my students each day through integrated lessons, practice, and testing. The system has been very invaluable to me, and my students love the immediate feedback they receive as it tells them "information about how well they are performing relative to a particular learning goal so that they can improve their practice" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007). I can immediately take the data and reteach as necessary.
With this tool being so new to our campus, I am one of very few actually trained on the use of the Qwizdom system. I have spent some time this past month putting together an onsight training to help other teachers use this tool as well. Our principal aided me in this task, by purchasing additional sets of the remotes so we now have one set per grade level. The staff at my campus has been very receptive in wanting to learn this new tool, especially after seeing the excitement in my own students using it.
I know that there are lots of other means of assessing and evaluating student work. As I continue to grow as a technology leader, I want to learn about as the different options, test them out, and evaluate which ones best meet the needs of different environments. As with anything related to teaching, there is no "cookie cutter" pattern for getting a job done effectively.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver; McRel.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.; ISTE.
With this tool being so new to our campus, I am one of very few actually trained on the use of the Qwizdom system. I have spent some time this past month putting together an onsight training to help other teachers use this tool as well. Our principal aided me in this task, by purchasing additional sets of the remotes so we now have one set per grade level. The staff at my campus has been very receptive in wanting to learn this new tool, especially after seeing the excitement in my own students using it.
I know that there are lots of other means of assessing and evaluating student work. As I continue to grow as a technology leader, I want to learn about as the different options, test them out, and evaluate which ones best meet the needs of different environments. As with anything related to teaching, there is no "cookie cutter" pattern for getting a job done effectively.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver; McRel.
Williamson, J. and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.; ISTE.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Technology Facilitator Standard III
"We may want to think in terms of a well-rounded education for its own sake, but that education has to include a focus on the skills and abilities that students will need if the next generation is to remain competitive in a changing world" (Solomon and Schrum, 2007). This standard focuses on teachning, learning, and curriculum. I learned quite a bit on how technology can increase student learning over the past 18 months, and this chapter really tied things together. It is imperative that our students learn how to use technology to its full potential, not just a means of socializing or playing games. As stated by Williamson and Redish, "although meeting the new learning styles and preferences of digital-age students is important, other social pressures to rethink current teaching, learning, and curriculum make TF/TL Standard III relevant in today's schools" (Williamson and Redish, 2009). I have known that education has evolved over the years and our work as educators now goes beyond the traditional format of teaching, as educational stakeholders want to know that students are leaving the school systems prepared to be a vital member of their community. This knowledge in hand, I have strived to integrate meaningful technology into my teaching so that students are building their repertoire of technology skills.
Throughout my internship, I have sought ways to integrate technology more seamlessly in my own teaching, so that I can better help other teachers at my campus. I relied on some of the ideas in the text "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works" by Pitler, et al. Our district has focused the past few years on the Marzano book "Classroom Instruction that Works", I assumed that this would be a good way to relate the two topics with my staff. My other main source of information in working with this particular standard was the NETS for Students. Blogging and web conferencing have proven to be invaluable tools in communicating ideas with fellow teachers. "Most teachers are eager to embrace new technologies, as they have seen their students' excitement and motivation when they do so" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007).
"With teachnology standards becoming an intergral part of students' education, teachers are more enthusiastic than ever to learn new technologies and methods" (Pitler, et al., 2007). These standards will continue to grow and develop as time passes along with the technology. My learning in this respect will never be completely finished. As I continue in my journey as a technology leader, I will draw upon what I have learned and continue to keep up with the current trends in technology.
Some of the things I wonder about for future learning are if it is possible for schools to stay current with technology trends or will they always be a bit behind, and how do you create a culture of acceptance and willingness to try new things when it comes to technology in the classrooms.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver; McREL.
Solomon, G., and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.; ISTE.
Williamson, J., and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.; ISTE.
Throughout my internship, I have sought ways to integrate technology more seamlessly in my own teaching, so that I can better help other teachers at my campus. I relied on some of the ideas in the text "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works" by Pitler, et al. Our district has focused the past few years on the Marzano book "Classroom Instruction that Works", I assumed that this would be a good way to relate the two topics with my staff. My other main source of information in working with this particular standard was the NETS for Students. Blogging and web conferencing have proven to be invaluable tools in communicating ideas with fellow teachers. "Most teachers are eager to embrace new technologies, as they have seen their students' excitement and motivation when they do so" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007).
"With teachnology standards becoming an intergral part of students' education, teachers are more enthusiastic than ever to learn new technologies and methods" (Pitler, et al., 2007). These standards will continue to grow and develop as time passes along with the technology. My learning in this respect will never be completely finished. As I continue in my journey as a technology leader, I will draw upon what I have learned and continue to keep up with the current trends in technology.
Some of the things I wonder about for future learning are if it is possible for schools to stay current with technology trends or will they always be a bit behind, and how do you create a culture of acceptance and willingness to try new things when it comes to technology in the classrooms.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., and Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver; McREL.
Solomon, G., and Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Washington, D.C.; ISTE.
Williamson, J., and Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards. Washington, D.C.; ISTE.
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