What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
When I started this course I really hoped to gain a better grasp of how technology could help me in the classroom as a teacher. As a result, the course outcomes did not all align with my pre-course goals. But, I am glad they did not for several reasons. First, if they had, my growth after this course would have been limited to growth as a classroom teacher only. For example, I hoped to learn how technology could make my daily tasks more manageable. In some respects it did that. I had been hesitant to really have students use technology. However, after completing the readings during the first two weeks, I better understood the students I am working with and their technological advantages over most teachers.
Primarily, though, I am glad that the course provided the opportunity to start thinking about technology from an administrator’s perspective. The readings helped me reflect on the advantages that technology offer to educators. It helped me to begin to think about some of the issues that technology have created such as cyber bullying, on-line predators, licensing responsibilities and technology drift.
To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
The course outcomes are still very relevant to the work that I do. Several outcomes are relevant to me as a teacher. It is critical that classroom teachers recognize the needs of digital-age students, and acquire strategies and tools to meet those needs. As an aspiring mentor and curriculum coach it is important that I know how to facilitate the design and implementation of curricula and strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; alignment of curriculum, curriculum, and assessment; and use of various forms of assessment to measure student performance.
As an aspiring administrator, it is beneficial that I start considering these outcomes as I progress through this program. Because administrators are required to make decisions that affect the entire campus, it is important to examine different data sources that can be used to make informed decisions about technology like the STAR Chart. It is also important that administrators stay abreast of the knowledge, skills, and tools to determine progress toward meeting technology goals. Finally, as the campus leader, administrators must examine responsible decision making related to technology and teaching and learning.
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What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
There were not any outcomes that I did not achieve. There were some outcomes that I would have liked to have had more time to investigate.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was successful in carrying out most of the course assignments. There were two instances when was frustrated. Like most digital immigrants, technology proved to be a challenge. During week two, I was unable to add the powerpoint to my blog. I was extremely upset by this after spending the time to complete the powerpoint only to have to exclude it from my assignment. During week four, we had a death in the family. I found it very difficult to concentrate; so, completing the assignment was especially difficult.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
After completing this course there were several things that I learned. First, the state has very specific goals regarding technology. These are found in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology Second, I understand how outdated the way that I was taught and like to learn is outdated. For example, I love reading books and have a very hard time reading long passages of text on a computer screen. However, this seems to be the preferred method for digital natives. They feel about computers and technology the way that I do about books. That is because they grew up with technology much the same way that I grew up with books. Technology offers information and access to a world beyond their immediate surroundings just as books did for me. In addition, it offers the natives and a way to communicate with numerous people in distant places. Understanding this, I am more inspired to develop my technological tools as a teacher and administrator.
What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
Blogging is a valuable tool to educators for several reasons. Now that I have been experienced the benefits of blogging, I am now reading the blogs of other educators and those about education. As a classroom teacher, blogging is a way to gather student input. It is also another way to get students to read and gather information. The district currently provides teachers access to two tools: Moodle and teacherweb. I have used teacherweb for four years, but was never interested in taking the time to learn more about blogging. As a result of this class, I now know what a blog is. Also, I feel a lot more comfortable about my about my capacity to use my newly created blog. I am working to utilize this blog feature in my classroom. As an administrator, a blog could be used to keep parents, teachers and students informed. The principal at my campus has a section of the school webpage that serves much like a blog.
What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
As an educator my concerns with blogging center around the accuracy of information provided in blogs, safety of the students and the PR aspect of blogging. Blogs can be created and maintained by anyone. Therefore, the information contained in them have not been validated or reviewed by peers as scholarly publications are. However, because of the ease of creating a blog, more ordinary teachers who are in the trenches are capable of sharing information. Great information can be shared immediately without the constraints of formality that often hinder implementation of ideas.
In addition, student safety is an issue. What websites will be used and whether they are district supported is a concern for educators. Are the students protected from undesireable sites and people while on the net must also be considered. Does the district require and have a release form when students blog should also be considered.
Also, because of the wide scope of potential readers, remaining credible as a blog creator is important. Any oversight can be published with the push of a button. Fortunately, they can be easily corrected once you realize the mistake. If there is enough time between the time the blog is published and the creator realizes the mistake, the blog could have been read by numerous readers.
How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
As an administrator, a blog could be used to keep stakeholders including parents, teachers and students informed. The principal at my campus has a section of the school webpage that serves much like a blog. I could see a blog being a great tool for administrators. Initially, one would have to retrain parents who are digital immigrants to value the blog and visit it frequently. There would be some prep work setting up the blog and really promoting it among stakeholders. Having the blog up and running to promote at the beginning of school year would be a great start. It would be critical to get stakeholders to visit the blog often. The blog could be used as a tool to keep parents and students informed of upcoming events, campus initiatives, volunteer opportunities and more. It would be a great place to post information concerning PTA meetings, board meetings and information from other agendas that parents may not be able to attend.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Technology Staff Development
Two of the needs identified by the Star Chart were educator preparation and development as well as teaching and learning. One reason may be that there hasn’t been enough time and thought devoted to professional development planning that focuses on the use and integration of technology in curriculum instruction and assessment. This training will begin to address this need. This will be a half day training at the beginning of the school year facilitated by the technology specialist. The training will start with the technology specialist selecting two or three programs that are particularly useful and demonstrate how they can be utilized in the classroom. After that, several groups will meet together by departments.
Teachers will bring the curriculum guide for their content area. Each subject area will meet in a different location containing web-connected computers. By the end of the training grade level teams will have utilized their collective power to develop resources for more student-centered lessons that incorporate the use of technology.
Each grade-level team will determine who on their team will research:
1. Websites for teachers, which would be useful for planning purposes;
2. Websites for students, which would be useful for research;
3. Programs to extend student learning (i.e. podcasts, publisher provided resources).
Using the computer, each person will locate and examine websites/programs/resources for its usefulness to integrate into the curriculum. Each person will focus on sites that can be utilized in the first six weeks of school. They will need to focus on the content prescribed by curriculum documents. After an hour to an hour and a half, the teams will come back together to discuss what they found and how it can be used by the team.
To promote continued utilization of technology and assess the training, the professional learning communities will set aside time each six weeks to revisit technology integration. During this time, the group will focus on two questions:
1. Which of the resources were used; and
2. Were there any new resourced identified?
Teachers will bring the curriculum guide for their content area. Each subject area will meet in a different location containing web-connected computers. By the end of the training grade level teams will have utilized their collective power to develop resources for more student-centered lessons that incorporate the use of technology.
Each grade-level team will determine who on their team will research:
1. Websites for teachers, which would be useful for planning purposes;
2. Websites for students, which would be useful for research;
3. Programs to extend student learning (i.e. podcasts, publisher provided resources).
Using the computer, each person will locate and examine websites/programs/resources for its usefulness to integrate into the curriculum. Each person will focus on sites that can be utilized in the first six weeks of school. They will need to focus on the content prescribed by curriculum documents. After an hour to an hour and a half, the teams will come back together to discuss what they found and how it can be used by the team.
To promote continued utilization of technology and assess the training, the professional learning communities will set aside time each six weeks to revisit technology integration. During this time, the group will focus on two questions:
1. Which of the resources were used; and
2. Were there any new resourced identified?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Opinion on Long Range plan
Under the goal of the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, the overall goal for educators seems to be to prepare students to become 21st Century Learners. The goals of the plan require that all educators:
1. Graduate from and educator preparation program that models current technology in instructional and administrative practices Prek-12;
2. Exit educator preparation programs knowing how to use technology effectively in the teaching and learning process;
3. Develop new learning environments that utilize technology as a flexible tool where learning is collaborative, interactive and customized.
4. Ensure integration of appropriate technology throughout all of curriculum and instruction.
In this district, the schools seem to be off to a good start towards accomplishing these goals. However, there are some flaws in the plan. Primarily, the plan deals with educators who are currently in preparations programs. It does not mention teachers who were in position prior to the creation of the plan.
This oversight will create an obstacle to fully reaching the plan’s goals unless it is addressed. We have a number of teachers who have been teaching for five or more years. That means, they’ve been teaching longer than the current plan has been in place. The district must address how to bring these teachers up to speed on technological changes and trends. While the district’s infrastructure is a strength, teacher preparation and development is an area of weakness. Without teachers who are willing and capable of utilizing the technology, the infrastructure is useless. Having the infrastructure benefits the students little if it isn't being used throughout the content areas.
1. Graduate from and educator preparation program that models current technology in instructional and administrative practices Prek-12;
2. Exit educator preparation programs knowing how to use technology effectively in the teaching and learning process;
3. Develop new learning environments that utilize technology as a flexible tool where learning is collaborative, interactive and customized.
4. Ensure integration of appropriate technology throughout all of curriculum and instruction.
In this district, the schools seem to be off to a good start towards accomplishing these goals. However, there are some flaws in the plan. Primarily, the plan deals with educators who are currently in preparations programs. It does not mention teachers who were in position prior to the creation of the plan.
This oversight will create an obstacle to fully reaching the plan’s goals unless it is addressed. We have a number of teachers who have been teaching for five or more years. That means, they’ve been teaching longer than the current plan has been in place. The district must address how to bring these teachers up to speed on technological changes and trends. While the district’s infrastructure is a strength, teacher preparation and development is an area of weakness. Without teachers who are willing and capable of utilizing the technology, the infrastructure is useless. Having the infrastructure benefits the students little if it isn't being used throughout the content areas.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Technology Assessments
The results of the two technology assessments were not surprising to me. While I am comfortable with technology, I recognize that I am truly a digital immigrant. I didn’t grow up with access to technology in the way that students today have had access to it. Technology does not intimidate me, but I do not usually know about the latest trends and upgrades. This is also true in my classroom. The assessments did raise my awareness about several opportunities for me as an instructional leader.
According to the assessments I am stronger in three areas. First, I am proficient in information acquisition. Second, the assessment validated what I already knew: I am a problem solver. This is even true in solving problems with technology tools. Third, I am proficient using technology to communicate. However, I am weaker in foundational knowledge of technology.
When it comes to the basics of technology, I rely heavily on basics, such as keyboarding, that I learned in high school. In some cases, I have gained information through work experience. As I read through the assessment, it occurred to me that I do not even know how those who were not computer science majors would obtain this information, other than through self-help. I think most employers, including school districts assume that teachers know this information, but that is usually not the case. As a classroom teacher, I could certainly use more time with the tech personnel on my campus learning these things. One of the assessment questions asks about training and professional development on technology. As I thought back to the professional development the district offered this summer, there was very little to build teachers technology skills. Most training that was offered was for campus and district level technology support personnel. There is little for the classroom teacher. In addition, when classroom teachers request time professional development time to familiarize themselves with various programs the district has already paid for, the request is denied. I know because my request was denied.
According to the assessments I am stronger in three areas. First, I am proficient in information acquisition. Second, the assessment validated what I already knew: I am a problem solver. This is even true in solving problems with technology tools. Third, I am proficient using technology to communicate. However, I am weaker in foundational knowledge of technology.
When it comes to the basics of technology, I rely heavily on basics, such as keyboarding, that I learned in high school. In some cases, I have gained information through work experience. As I read through the assessment, it occurred to me that I do not even know how those who were not computer science majors would obtain this information, other than through self-help. I think most employers, including school districts assume that teachers know this information, but that is usually not the case. As a classroom teacher, I could certainly use more time with the tech personnel on my campus learning these things. One of the assessment questions asks about training and professional development on technology. As I thought back to the professional development the district offered this summer, there was very little to build teachers technology skills. Most training that was offered was for campus and district level technology support personnel. There is little for the classroom teacher. In addition, when classroom teachers request time professional development time to familiarize themselves with various programs the district has already paid for, the request is denied. I know because my request was denied.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Pre-K Technology Application TEKS
The technology TEKS begins to prepare the student to use technology to communicate and expand their learning environment. The Pre-K TEKS begin to promote school readiness. There are three domains that lay the foundation for cognitive, social and emotional growth of the student. The other domains begin to develop the skills necessary for the core curriculum in grades K-12. A spriraling curriculum revisits basic ideas repeatedly and builds on them until the student has developed proficiency in them. The technology TEKS does just that. For example, TEK XA2 requires the pre-kindergartener to name and use a variety of input devices including the mouse and keyboard. After reviewing the TEKS for grades k-12, I realized that this TEKS is present in every grade level. This presents the student with numerous opportunities to practice and demonstrate proficiency.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Texas LRP and the Instructional Leader
The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology (LRP) has some very lofty goals. While I agree with the vision and need for change, instituting those changes are posing great problems for the classroom teacher. As campus, district and political leaders mandate change, here are some things they should consider.
First, provide the time and money for professional development that will assist the educator (whether the classroom teacher or the building principal) to become knowledgeable and proficient with the use of various forms of technology. I beleive that I'm a fairly young teacher, but I am a digital immigrant. That is, I didn't grow up with a computer, cell phone or Ipod. This technology doesn't intimidate me, but using it and navigating the software is a challenge. There must be funds allocated specifically for professional development in technology to bring teachers who are digital immigrants up to speed. Otherwise, there will always be some more pressing need that supercedes the use of funds. In addition, teachers must be made aware that these funds and training opportunities are available.
Second, recognize the different levels of abilities that exsist among educators. All too often, we emphasize that it is best practice to differentiate for students, but fail to recognize that differentiation is also necessary for the adult learner. While some educators may have used computers since grade school, others used typewriters in college.
Third, end the expectation that educators will be experts after only one training session. Frequently, principals and building leaders seem to expect immediate implementation and results. This is unrealistic. Professional learners need the same courtesy we require them to extend to their students. This means allowing the educator think time and wait time. One must have time to process the new information and and apply it to his or her duties. In the ideal situation, there woulod be some uninterupted time allocated as professional development for the educator to have some hands on time with the technology. This could be used by the classroom teacher to determine the best way to implement or use the technology in the classroom. For example, it might be time to develop the website, create sample of the final product students are to create, create a podcast or create the online review game. This time is especially important for those of us who are digital immigrants.
First, provide the time and money for professional development that will assist the educator (whether the classroom teacher or the building principal) to become knowledgeable and proficient with the use of various forms of technology. I beleive that I'm a fairly young teacher, but I am a digital immigrant. That is, I didn't grow up with a computer, cell phone or Ipod. This technology doesn't intimidate me, but using it and navigating the software is a challenge. There must be funds allocated specifically for professional development in technology to bring teachers who are digital immigrants up to speed. Otherwise, there will always be some more pressing need that supercedes the use of funds. In addition, teachers must be made aware that these funds and training opportunities are available.
Second, recognize the different levels of abilities that exsist among educators. All too often, we emphasize that it is best practice to differentiate for students, but fail to recognize that differentiation is also necessary for the adult learner. While some educators may have used computers since grade school, others used typewriters in college.
Third, end the expectation that educators will be experts after only one training session. Frequently, principals and building leaders seem to expect immediate implementation and results. This is unrealistic. Professional learners need the same courtesy we require them to extend to their students. This means allowing the educator think time and wait time. One must have time to process the new information and and apply it to his or her duties. In the ideal situation, there woulod be some uninterupted time allocated as professional development for the educator to have some hands on time with the technology. This could be used by the classroom teacher to determine the best way to implement or use the technology in the classroom. For example, it might be time to develop the website, create sample of the final product students are to create, create a podcast or create the online review game. This time is especially important for those of us who are digital immigrants.
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