This week I did the following activities
2/22 - responded to podcast
2/24 - posted to blogs of Jesus, Bill M, and Barbara G
attempted to fix links for items on personal webpage related to project 1
- Worked on project 2 and 3 - getting materials ready to post to personal webpage
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Session 7 Ed Norman Syndrome
Response Question : If you were to run into the Ed Norman Syndrome where you work, what would the issues be? What would Ed Norman be doing to try and preserve and protect the infrastructure? As an educational leader how would you resolve the situation?
I believe the Ed Norman Syndrome exists everywhere to some extent. There will always be monitoring and blocking to some extent for safety reasons (security of confidential files/viruses/etc). I feel the biggest issue for teachers would be the unavailability of certain sites that are valuable learning tools when used the right way. For example, at my site, YouTube is blocked (and it probably is a good thing students cannot access it) however there are some really good (standards based of course) video clips I would like to use during various lessons and I am not able to access it at work. We are also prevented from doing an "image search" on any search engine. Most of the teachers work around it by downloading videos from YouTube or adding images to PowerPoint's to show later. I feel Ed Norman would most likely prevent (inadvertently of course) the use of any sort of technology for learning by blocking so many of the Internet resources that teachers would give up and avoid it all together. I feel he would prevent the downloading of media players so that even those who tried to get around it would be unsuccessful. Even though his efforts are made to preserve and protect the technology infrastructure, it would be essentially destroying it for use by those who it was meant to be used by (teachers and students). The educational leader has a conflict of interests in this situation in that Ed is simply trying to protect the technology from hackers and viruses and the like while the teachers and students are trying to teach and learn using technology. I do not feel there is a solution that would make both sides happy in this all to common situation but a compromise could be made. By allowing teachers input on what should be allowed and what shouldn't while explaining to Ed his job is more than just "protecting" the infrastructure - it involves protecting it while still allowing access by those who need it. The key in this situation in my opinion would be clarifying what Ed's job should be and opening a dialogue with teachers so they can express what tools they need to be successful then taking that information to Ed and then following through and making sure it (the compromise) happens.
I believe the Ed Norman Syndrome exists everywhere to some extent. There will always be monitoring and blocking to some extent for safety reasons (security of confidential files/viruses/etc). I feel the biggest issue for teachers would be the unavailability of certain sites that are valuable learning tools when used the right way. For example, at my site, YouTube is blocked (and it probably is a good thing students cannot access it) however there are some really good (standards based of course) video clips I would like to use during various lessons and I am not able to access it at work. We are also prevented from doing an "image search" on any search engine. Most of the teachers work around it by downloading videos from YouTube or adding images to PowerPoint's to show later. I feel Ed Norman would most likely prevent (inadvertently of course) the use of any sort of technology for learning by blocking so many of the Internet resources that teachers would give up and avoid it all together. I feel he would prevent the downloading of media players so that even those who tried to get around it would be unsuccessful. Even though his efforts are made to preserve and protect the technology infrastructure, it would be essentially destroying it for use by those who it was meant to be used by (teachers and students). The educational leader has a conflict of interests in this situation in that Ed is simply trying to protect the technology from hackers and viruses and the like while the teachers and students are trying to teach and learn using technology. I do not feel there is a solution that would make both sides happy in this all to common situation but a compromise could be made. By allowing teachers input on what should be allowed and what shouldn't while explaining to Ed his job is more than just "protecting" the infrastructure - it involves protecting it while still allowing access by those who need it. The key in this situation in my opinion would be clarifying what Ed's job should be and opening a dialogue with teachers so they can express what tools they need to be successful then taking that information to Ed and then following through and making sure it (the compromise) happens.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Activity Log Session 6
This week I did the following activities:
- Listened to podcast, took notes, posted to blog
- Responded to blogs of three classmates (Kenny, Grace, and Chris M)
- figured out how to add all of project 1 to link on blog page to personal webpage (finally figured it out!!!) and added it!
- Listened to podcast for session 7, took notes - decided it was time to sleep! Will post on it Sunday...
- Listened to podcast, took notes, posted to blog
- Responded to blogs of three classmates (Kenny, Grace, and Chris M)
- figured out how to add all of project 1 to link on blog page to personal webpage (finally figured it out!!!) and added it!
- Listened to podcast for session 7, took notes - decided it was time to sleep! Will post on it Sunday...
Monday, February 16, 2009
Session 6 Barriers to Technology Use
Response Questions: What common barriers to technology integration do you hear about or perceive at your school? Which are actual barriers that exist and which are "proxies" or stand ins for something else? For issues that are actual barriers what would you do to try to solve the barrier so that technology can be used more effectively at your site?
The three barriers that Dr Newberry listed in his podcast are the following:
1. Lack of computers and other technology
2. Not enough release time to learn software and develop lesson plans
3. Not enough time in the day to allow students to use computers effectively
I find these are fairly common barriers and feel that for the most part, they are actual barriers as opposed to "stand ins" for other issues for those who truly express a desire to integrate more technology into their daily lessons.
The one issue I hear most frequently at my site as part of my project 3 (and I am paraphrasing here...) is that some teachers just don't want to learn new technology. Time is not the issue, nor is it a lack of appropriate and working computers, or even an issue of not having time to allow students to use them..it is simply their strong desire not to take the time to learn how to use it. For many of the teachers I am referring to it appears to me that they feel there is nothing wrong with how they instruct their students (and there probably isn't..), for them this is how they have always done it, it works (because that is how they were taught ..) and "there is no need to change it if it is not broken". This frustrates me- however, like the saying you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make them drink. If a teacher is truly as resistant to learning new technology as some of the teachers I am referring to are- there really is nothing that can be done. For many of them it is an issue of "well, I am done at the end of the year anyway...so they cant make me...and I am not going to get fired because I am retiring.."etc etc If it were up to me I would like to see these teachers be given specific training (that is continuous - not just a one time thing) on how certain technology can be easily integrated into their day. Even if it is just teaching them how to take attendance online or helping them learn how start an online grading program..I would like to think if they saw the value and how much easier it would make their days they might just be willing to move from the adjunct/peripheral use stage of the hierarchy to using it as a teacher tool. In my understanding, even moving from level 1 to level 2 is a start. Of course rewarding them for using it would be ideal; even if it is just a "hey I see that you are keeping up with your online grading system - good work" from an administrator or an email saying something similar. Perhaps if they see the "reward" as positive, they may be more likely to continue using it.
In terms of other barriers to technology, I would have to say that having access to appropriate and "usable" software for the computers that we do have is fairly high up on the list. As another student posted, simply having computers in the room does not mean anything if they are not capable of handling the software a teacher wishes to use. An example of this is something that our site went through this year. After 14 years, our site actually got "new computers". Teachers were all excited and anxious to use them, however once we got them, we realized they were not in fact "new" they were "hand me downs" from the D.O who were getting full upgrades. These "new computers" had Windows 2003 and the Microsoft programs that go with it - They were not capable of handling newer versions of software and unable to keep up with the demands that many teachers had in terms of adding programs, running various programs, doing anything that required sound (they have no speakers...). The new math textbooks that came with a software program were not even able to be placed on these computers because they did not have enough memory... etc. While these are certainly an upgrade from the Gateway computers that had Windows 97, they are not what teachers expected and this in turn made teachers resentful of the attempt to integrate more technology into their classrooms. While this scenario represents a barrier to technology integration, I can see how it can also be seen as proxy for teachers who simply are not willing to learn new technology.
For the last question, I would like to see teachers have some input on how money for technology is going to be spent. If the school has a certain budget, why not go to the individual departments and see what types of technology they would benefit from most. Technology for the Science department is certainly not going to be what the ELD department would like to see. Creating a blanket approach to spending this money is counterproductive and appears to create more problems than it attempts to solve. What is the harm in asking for teacher input? After all, they are the ones who will be using the technology not the administrators who purchase it...
The three barriers that Dr Newberry listed in his podcast are the following:
1. Lack of computers and other technology
2. Not enough release time to learn software and develop lesson plans
3. Not enough time in the day to allow students to use computers effectively
I find these are fairly common barriers and feel that for the most part, they are actual barriers as opposed to "stand ins" for other issues for those who truly express a desire to integrate more technology into their daily lessons.
The one issue I hear most frequently at my site as part of my project 3 (and I am paraphrasing here...) is that some teachers just don't want to learn new technology. Time is not the issue, nor is it a lack of appropriate and working computers, or even an issue of not having time to allow students to use them..it is simply their strong desire not to take the time to learn how to use it. For many of the teachers I am referring to it appears to me that they feel there is nothing wrong with how they instruct their students (and there probably isn't..), for them this is how they have always done it, it works (because that is how they were taught ..) and "there is no need to change it if it is not broken". This frustrates me- however, like the saying you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make them drink. If a teacher is truly as resistant to learning new technology as some of the teachers I am referring to are- there really is nothing that can be done. For many of them it is an issue of "well, I am done at the end of the year anyway...so they cant make me...and I am not going to get fired because I am retiring.."etc etc If it were up to me I would like to see these teachers be given specific training (that is continuous - not just a one time thing) on how certain technology can be easily integrated into their day. Even if it is just teaching them how to take attendance online or helping them learn how start an online grading program..I would like to think if they saw the value and how much easier it would make their days they might just be willing to move from the adjunct/peripheral use stage of the hierarchy to using it as a teacher tool. In my understanding, even moving from level 1 to level 2 is a start. Of course rewarding them for using it would be ideal; even if it is just a "hey I see that you are keeping up with your online grading system - good work" from an administrator or an email saying something similar. Perhaps if they see the "reward" as positive, they may be more likely to continue using it.
In terms of other barriers to technology, I would have to say that having access to appropriate and "usable" software for the computers that we do have is fairly high up on the list. As another student posted, simply having computers in the room does not mean anything if they are not capable of handling the software a teacher wishes to use. An example of this is something that our site went through this year. After 14 years, our site actually got "new computers". Teachers were all excited and anxious to use them, however once we got them, we realized they were not in fact "new" they were "hand me downs" from the D.O who were getting full upgrades. These "new computers" had Windows 2003 and the Microsoft programs that go with it - They were not capable of handling newer versions of software and unable to keep up with the demands that many teachers had in terms of adding programs, running various programs, doing anything that required sound (they have no speakers...). The new math textbooks that came with a software program were not even able to be placed on these computers because they did not have enough memory... etc. While these are certainly an upgrade from the Gateway computers that had Windows 97, they are not what teachers expected and this in turn made teachers resentful of the attempt to integrate more technology into their classrooms. While this scenario represents a barrier to technology integration, I can see how it can also be seen as proxy for teachers who simply are not willing to learn new technology.
For the last question, I would like to see teachers have some input on how money for technology is going to be spent. If the school has a certain budget, why not go to the individual departments and see what types of technology they would benefit from most. Technology for the Science department is certainly not going to be what the ELD department would like to see. Creating a blanket approach to spending this money is counterproductive and appears to create more problems than it attempts to solve. What is the harm in asking for teacher input? After all, they are the ones who will be using the technology not the administrators who purchase it...
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Session 5 Activity Log
This week I worked on the following items
- Listened to podcast/took notes/posted for session 5/responded to blogs of 3 peers (Jesus, Bill K, and Debra)
- Continued work on ppt for project 1
- Completed APA reference list for project 1 (attempted to post - was unsuccessful...)
- Worked on inservices for teachers for project 2 /attempted to post schedule to blog and evidence (was unsucessful...)
- Continued work on technology survey (attempted to post preliminary data - not successful)
Goal for Monday: figure out how to post items to personal webpage and link to blog!!!
- Listened to podcast/took notes/posted for session 5/responded to blogs of 3 peers (Jesus, Bill K, and Debra)
- Continued work on ppt for project 1
- Completed APA reference list for project 1 (attempted to post - was unsuccessful...)
- Worked on inservices for teachers for project 2 /attempted to post schedule to blog and evidence (was unsucessful...)
- Continued work on technology survey (attempted to post preliminary data - not successful)
Goal for Monday: figure out how to post items to personal webpage and link to blog!!!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Session 5 Blog Post
Response Questions: Identify the technology integration best practices you use. How did you learn about this best practice? Describe what it is, how you accomplish it, and how you found it. Why isn't everyone using it?
I would have to say that the technology integration best practice I use is a combination of things. In terms of parent communication I would have to say creating the parent email list (for those who have it..) and using it to communicate with the parents on a regular basis (at least twice a week). I have found it is one of the easiest ways to get in touch with parents who work or keep different hours where they are not easily reached during the day. In addition, it is an easy way to keep the lines of communication open between parents and teachers. (On a side note, there are many websites out there that will translate a body of text into any language..so for my Spanish speaking parents a simple click of the mouse will translate my email to Spanish and I can easily translate their response back - it is VERY helpful! My basic knowledge of Spanish allows me to check to make sure that the translation is correct) An example of my using this practice would be when I email the study skills teachers to let them know the assignments for the day, I add the parents to that email as well so they also know what was done in class. I feel one of the reasons that some teachers are cautious about beginning and maintaining regular communication with parents through email is they are worried parents may send numerous emails on a daily basis and they may feel obligated to respond that same day. Another reason is maybe they just do not want to be burdened with additional emails to open, read, and respond to. With everything (it seems) going to the computer and online, it appears to me that communicating via email is faster and easier than playing phone tag for days on end with some of the hard to reach parents.
Another example of a best practice that I have found and I am not sure if this "counts" but for the few parents I just cannot get ahold of by conventional means (phone calls, home visits..), I have found that texting them actually elicits a response in a timely manner (usually within minutes!). For most of my students, that is how they keep in contact with their parents and I thought if that is how they reach their parents, why shouldn't I try it? It was actually a student who suggested I text his mother to find out when she was able to come in for a meeting (I guess he got tired of me asking him everyday...and sending him home with notes...). Within minutes of my text to her, I got a response and every time I need to speak with her now that is how I reach her. While there are some disadvantages (parents having my cell #) I have found the advantages (getting in touch with parents almost immediately) to be worth it. I realize it is unconventional, however for me (and others at my site) it works and is a great technology tool. I have not had a problem with parents having my cell number at all. All of the parents I have contacted this way are happy that a teacher is concerned enough about their student to give out their home number. It makes it easier when discussing difficult situations with parents if they know you care about the success of their student enough to "deal with them" after school hours. When I talk with other teachers about how they contact parents for meetings, etc they are often frustrated because they cannot reach anyone and when I suggest texting (or even emailing) they are always hesitant. Perhaps they are concerned about their number being "out there" and misused; I suppose it all comes down to what type of relationship has been built with a particular student. Obviously I do not text "all" the parents, but for some it is appropriate and works ( and I am all for doing things that work and make my life easier! ) I understand their concerns completely, but sometimes wonder if they are so upset about not being able to contact a parent, why are they unwilling to try other methods? Just a thought...
I would have to say that the technology integration best practice I use is a combination of things. In terms of parent communication I would have to say creating the parent email list (for those who have it..) and using it to communicate with the parents on a regular basis (at least twice a week). I have found it is one of the easiest ways to get in touch with parents who work or keep different hours where they are not easily reached during the day. In addition, it is an easy way to keep the lines of communication open between parents and teachers. (On a side note, there are many websites out there that will translate a body of text into any language..so for my Spanish speaking parents a simple click of the mouse will translate my email to Spanish and I can easily translate their response back - it is VERY helpful! My basic knowledge of Spanish allows me to check to make sure that the translation is correct) An example of my using this practice would be when I email the study skills teachers to let them know the assignments for the day, I add the parents to that email as well so they also know what was done in class. I feel one of the reasons that some teachers are cautious about beginning and maintaining regular communication with parents through email is they are worried parents may send numerous emails on a daily basis and they may feel obligated to respond that same day. Another reason is maybe they just do not want to be burdened with additional emails to open, read, and respond to. With everything (it seems) going to the computer and online, it appears to me that communicating via email is faster and easier than playing phone tag for days on end with some of the hard to reach parents.
Another example of a best practice that I have found and I am not sure if this "counts" but for the few parents I just cannot get ahold of by conventional means (phone calls, home visits..), I have found that texting them actually elicits a response in a timely manner (usually within minutes!). For most of my students, that is how they keep in contact with their parents and I thought if that is how they reach their parents, why shouldn't I try it? It was actually a student who suggested I text his mother to find out when she was able to come in for a meeting (I guess he got tired of me asking him everyday...and sending him home with notes...). Within minutes of my text to her, I got a response and every time I need to speak with her now that is how I reach her. While there are some disadvantages (parents having my cell #) I have found the advantages (getting in touch with parents almost immediately) to be worth it. I realize it is unconventional, however for me (and others at my site) it works and is a great technology tool. I have not had a problem with parents having my cell number at all. All of the parents I have contacted this way are happy that a teacher is concerned enough about their student to give out their home number. It makes it easier when discussing difficult situations with parents if they know you care about the success of their student enough to "deal with them" after school hours. When I talk with other teachers about how they contact parents for meetings, etc they are often frustrated because they cannot reach anyone and when I suggest texting (or even emailing) they are always hesitant. Perhaps they are concerned about their number being "out there" and misused; I suppose it all comes down to what type of relationship has been built with a particular student. Obviously I do not text "all" the parents, but for some it is appropriate and works ( and I am all for doing things that work and make my life easier! ) I understand their concerns completely, but sometimes wonder if they are so upset about not being able to contact a parent, why are they unwilling to try other methods? Just a thought...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Activity Log Session 4
* I was not feeling well this week and therefore did not get as much done as I would have liked :(
2/1 - Reworked Project Proposals 2 &3
2/4 - Researched Journals for Proposal 1 & started APA list of references
- Listened to podcast, took notes, posted to blogs of 3 classmates
2/5 - Finished reference list, started revision of ppt for proposal 1
2/6 - Continued working on Project 1
2/8 - Worked on trying to make a 2nd page where I could upload files and link to my blog (made one!!), posted activity log, linked project page to blog
2/1 - Reworked Project Proposals 2 &3
2/4 - Researched Journals for Proposal 1 & started APA list of references
- Listened to podcast, took notes, posted to blogs of 3 classmates
2/5 - Finished reference list, started revision of ppt for proposal 1
2/6 - Continued working on Project 1
2/8 - Worked on trying to make a 2nd page where I could upload files and link to my blog (made one!!), posted activity log, linked project page to blog
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Session 4 Diffusion of Innovation
Response Item: Identify yourself in one of five categories and provide examples.
I would have to say that I consider myself to be an "early adopter" in regards to most of the technology out there. I am definitely not that teacher who has what appears to be (to those of us not as technologically advanced) some sort of bizare technology set up in the room with cords and speakers and monitors everywhere ( I keep all of that hidden in a closet!). I was one of the first in my department to start using the LCD for powerpoints, eventually hooking it up to the screen and the TVs around the classroom. I was one of the first to start using the parent connect option for our grading program, creating and using a parent email contact list for students in my classes, and even going so far as to create a link to my own class webpage (GASP!). Even though it is nowhere near complete I definitely feel like I am farther along than the early and late majority but not quite an innovator. Another example of why I feel like I am in this category is that for some reason, pretty much everyone comes to me for advice when something goes wrong with their technology. I do not mind this at all, however sometimes I wonder (and laugh..) why in the world would they be coming to me?? I can barely keep my wireless working at home sometimes! Of course I do not share that with them :) I definitely feel that I would not be as comfortable with the technology I use on a daily basis if I had not seen the effectiveness of it in other classrooms first and the overall benefit to the students.
I would have to say that I consider myself to be an "early adopter" in regards to most of the technology out there. I am definitely not that teacher who has what appears to be (to those of us not as technologically advanced) some sort of bizare technology set up in the room with cords and speakers and monitors everywhere ( I keep all of that hidden in a closet!). I was one of the first in my department to start using the LCD for powerpoints, eventually hooking it up to the screen and the TVs around the classroom. I was one of the first to start using the parent connect option for our grading program, creating and using a parent email contact list for students in my classes, and even going so far as to create a link to my own class webpage (GASP!). Even though it is nowhere near complete I definitely feel like I am farther along than the early and late majority but not quite an innovator. Another example of why I feel like I am in this category is that for some reason, pretty much everyone comes to me for advice when something goes wrong with their technology. I do not mind this at all, however sometimes I wonder (and laugh..) why in the world would they be coming to me?? I can barely keep my wireless working at home sometimes! Of course I do not share that with them :) I definitely feel that I would not be as comfortable with the technology I use on a daily basis if I had not seen the effectiveness of it in other classrooms first and the overall benefit to the students.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Project Proposal 2
Name: Angela Benedict
Project Title: Teaching Others How To Use Technology with Special Education Students
Project Focus: Focus 2 ~ Communicating Effective Technology Use
Project Description:
For this project I will create and carry out several teacher inservices over the next few months designed specifically for Special Education Teachers regarding of the integration of technology into their daily lessons. This schedule will be shared with other teachers on site (for example those who participate in team teaching classes, new teachers and open to anyone who would like to attend). As part of the requirement for purchasing advanced technology with school site funds it was noted that I would have to create and carry out (and be available for guidance) several technology related inservices to ensure our teachers are using the technology to the fullest extent possible. I chose this particular project because it meets the requirements of my administration as well as fulfills my desire to assist my fellow teachers in becoming more comfortable with technology. I also chose to do this because there is no comparable opportunities for teachers within my department to have access to quality trainings that relate specifically to the students we serve.
I am hoping this project will increase my comfort level in sharing how to effectively use technology for special needs students with my peers as well as the general student population. In addition, I am hoping that as more technology becomes available to our department (I have been told Smart Boards are on the way!) that these informal inservices can continue and become a real source of help and hope for the few teachers in my department who are still a little leary of technology.
Project Artifacts:
I will post to my blog the list of topics teachers in my department are most concerned about in regards to technology integration.
I will research currently available inservice opportunities that are open to members of district and thoroughly compare and contrast them with the plan I will have set forth in step one.
The detailed meeting plans will be posted on my blog for comments and suggestions from peers.
The success of my inservices will be displayed via the results of the response forms I will ask my teaching peers to fill out at the conclusion of each meeting.
I will write a concise summary of what went well, what needs to be changed, and how I can make these meetings more beneficial to all.
Project Timeline:
I hope to have this project completed by March 8th, 2009
1/31 Started project
2/2 Have rough draft of topics and ideas to be covered
2/5 Meet with teaching peers to hear what issues they have with technology integration and what they would like to see from these meetings. Post self created response forms to blog for peer critique
2/11 Have solid outline of inservices, topics, dates, and materials needed posted to blog. Also post to blog my comparison/contrast of available inservices to what I would like to offer.
2/17 Conduct first technology meeting, summarize the inservice as a whole, review comments and begin adjusting schedule for next meeting.
2/21 Post plan for next meeting and summary of first meeting
2/28 Create final plan for second meeting, post to blog
3/8 Post reflection summary and future plans for teacher inservices regarding the use of technology specifically for special needs students.
3/10 Final deadline (if for any reason I am unable to complete project by my deadline)
Project Title: Teaching Others How To Use Technology with Special Education Students
Project Focus: Focus 2 ~ Communicating Effective Technology Use
Project Description:
For this project I will create and carry out several teacher inservices over the next few months designed specifically for Special Education Teachers regarding of the integration of technology into their daily lessons. This schedule will be shared with other teachers on site (for example those who participate in team teaching classes, new teachers and open to anyone who would like to attend). As part of the requirement for purchasing advanced technology with school site funds it was noted that I would have to create and carry out (and be available for guidance) several technology related inservices to ensure our teachers are using the technology to the fullest extent possible. I chose this particular project because it meets the requirements of my administration as well as fulfills my desire to assist my fellow teachers in becoming more comfortable with technology. I also chose to do this because there is no comparable opportunities for teachers within my department to have access to quality trainings that relate specifically to the students we serve.
I am hoping this project will increase my comfort level in sharing how to effectively use technology for special needs students with my peers as well as the general student population. In addition, I am hoping that as more technology becomes available to our department (I have been told Smart Boards are on the way!) that these informal inservices can continue and become a real source of help and hope for the few teachers in my department who are still a little leary of technology.
Project Artifacts:
I will post to my blog the list of topics teachers in my department are most concerned about in regards to technology integration.
I will research currently available inservice opportunities that are open to members of district and thoroughly compare and contrast them with the plan I will have set forth in step one.
The detailed meeting plans will be posted on my blog for comments and suggestions from peers.
The success of my inservices will be displayed via the results of the response forms I will ask my teaching peers to fill out at the conclusion of each meeting.
I will write a concise summary of what went well, what needs to be changed, and how I can make these meetings more beneficial to all.
Project Timeline:
I hope to have this project completed by March 8th, 2009
1/31 Started project
2/2 Have rough draft of topics and ideas to be covered
2/5 Meet with teaching peers to hear what issues they have with technology integration and what they would like to see from these meetings. Post self created response forms to blog for peer critique
2/11 Have solid outline of inservices, topics, dates, and materials needed posted to blog. Also post to blog my comparison/contrast of available inservices to what I would like to offer.
2/17 Conduct first technology meeting, summarize the inservice as a whole, review comments and begin adjusting schedule for next meeting.
2/21 Post plan for next meeting and summary of first meeting
2/28 Create final plan for second meeting, post to blog
3/8 Post reflection summary and future plans for teacher inservices regarding the use of technology specifically for special needs students.
3/10 Final deadline (if for any reason I am unable to complete project by my deadline)
Project Proposal 3
Name: Angela Benedict
Project Title: Barriers to Technology Survey
Project Focus: Focus 3 ~ Supporting Technology Use
Project Description:
In preparation for WASC review at my site I have been working closely with the technology department at my site to create a survey regarding teacher’s beliefs on the barriers to (effective) technology use at our site. It is important to me not only because I want to see our school get the accreditation for WASC but also because I believe the lack of appropriate use of technology at our site is negatively impacting the success of our students and their achievement on state, district, and classroom assessments. It also negatively impacts them when they leave our school and become submersed in a more technologically advanced society than many of them are equipped to survive in.
I hope to learn from this survey what is preventing teachers from using the available technology at our site and why they feel they are unable to use it on a daily or even semi-regular basis. Being that technology is the future (whether we are ready for it or not) I strongly feel that we as teachers need to be doing everything we can to support and prepare our students for that. This survey will help me to figure out what can be done at our level to make this happen. I plan on sharing this information at our Instructional Council meetings and hope to open up discussion on this topic with the staff as a whole to further the eventual implementation of technology across the board in all classrooms at our site.
Project Artifacts:
The final survey will be posted to my blog as well as the results of the survey by those who participated.
I will summarize the findings of my survey on my blog and list potential steps we as a site can take to further the use of technology by all staff members.
This survey and dissemination of information gained from it represents the work my colleagues and I have put forth in preparation for WASC over the past two years. I have worked closely with others involved to ensure that our students are getting everything they need (and more) in terms of exposure to technology that will most closely resemble what they may see once they leave us. This survey will demonstrate how far we have come in the past five years (since I first came to this site) and will indicate the amount of work that still needs to be done.
Project Timeline:
1/2 Survey sent to WASC coordinator on site for approval for distribution after being reviewed by the core departments in department meetings. (This was done prior to
class as a requirement for WASC)
1/9 Survey returned to me/ minor grammatical changes were made/ addition of four survey questions / Discussed with WASC coordinator on site how information will be tallied and shared with staff
1/19 All surveys submitted/Scoring and analysis begins
1/26 Participated in round table discussion with colleagues to review results and make suggestions on where we can go in the future in terms of technology integration
2/9 Post survey to blog / Create chart to display results of survey for eventual posting to blog
2/16 Post results and summary to blog
2/23 Post potential future steps we as a staff still need to work on to increase technology integration into all classrooms
3/8 My final deadline (if for any reason I am unable to complete project by my original deadline)
Project Title: Barriers to Technology Survey
Project Focus: Focus 3 ~ Supporting Technology Use
Project Description:
In preparation for WASC review at my site I have been working closely with the technology department at my site to create a survey regarding teacher’s beliefs on the barriers to (effective) technology use at our site. It is important to me not only because I want to see our school get the accreditation for WASC but also because I believe the lack of appropriate use of technology at our site is negatively impacting the success of our students and their achievement on state, district, and classroom assessments. It also negatively impacts them when they leave our school and become submersed in a more technologically advanced society than many of them are equipped to survive in.
I hope to learn from this survey what is preventing teachers from using the available technology at our site and why they feel they are unable to use it on a daily or even semi-regular basis. Being that technology is the future (whether we are ready for it or not) I strongly feel that we as teachers need to be doing everything we can to support and prepare our students for that. This survey will help me to figure out what can be done at our level to make this happen. I plan on sharing this information at our Instructional Council meetings and hope to open up discussion on this topic with the staff as a whole to further the eventual implementation of technology across the board in all classrooms at our site.
Project Artifacts:
The final survey will be posted to my blog as well as the results of the survey by those who participated.
I will summarize the findings of my survey on my blog and list potential steps we as a site can take to further the use of technology by all staff members.
This survey and dissemination of information gained from it represents the work my colleagues and I have put forth in preparation for WASC over the past two years. I have worked closely with others involved to ensure that our students are getting everything they need (and more) in terms of exposure to technology that will most closely resemble what they may see once they leave us. This survey will demonstrate how far we have come in the past five years (since I first came to this site) and will indicate the amount of work that still needs to be done.
Project Timeline:
1/2 Survey sent to WASC coordinator on site for approval for distribution after being reviewed by the core departments in department meetings. (This was done prior to
class as a requirement for WASC)
1/9 Survey returned to me/ minor grammatical changes were made/ addition of four survey questions / Discussed with WASC coordinator on site how information will be tallied and shared with staff
1/19 All surveys submitted/Scoring and analysis begins
1/26 Participated in round table discussion with colleagues to review results and make suggestions on where we can go in the future in terms of technology integration
2/9 Post survey to blog / Create chart to display results of survey for eventual posting to blog
2/16 Post results and summary to blog
2/23 Post potential future steps we as a staff still need to work on to increase technology integration into all classrooms
3/8 My final deadline (if for any reason I am unable to complete project by my original deadline)
Project Proposal 1
Name: Angela Benedict
Project Title: Proposal 1 ~ Using Technology
Project Focus: Using Technology (Research to Practice)
Project Description:
For this project I will modify an existing powerpoint that further integrates the many uses of Power Point (including adding video clips, audio clips, and images) for one of my Earth Science Special Education classes (SDC level – Special Day Class). These powerpoints will be shared with other science teachers at my site and other science/special education teachers in the district. I feel strongly that I need to continue to modify and re-work lessons I have created in the past to better meet the needs of my students based on their ability levels. I chose to do this project because it is most applicable to me in my current teaching assignment as well as a requirement for this course.
I am hoping this project will increase my comfort level in using more than just Power Point presentations to share content area information with my students. In addition I am hoping it can become a shared resource for Earth Science teachers in my district as well as a guideline for how to appropriately select and use technology with special needs students.
Project Artifacts:
I will post the powerpoints I used this year (during the unit on Astronomy) for use with my SDC Earth Science class. I will then update and modify these powerpoints to include more features of powerpoint I have not used much in the past. The updated PowerPoint presentations will include movie and sound clips, images, and animation.
APA reference list of select articles that confirm the success of technology integration in lesson delivery particularly for special needs students.
Lessons that align with the Power Point presentations will be delivered through the use of various technology; primarily the use of Power Point and will include features that are clearly supported by research.
The previous and updated presentations will be posted on my blog as well as links to the supporting web pages. A suggested time line will be added as a suggestion for teachers to follow when implementing these lessons. The updated resources, Power Points, and corresponding links will be evidence of the tasks that were completed in preparation for the unit.
Project Timeline:
I hope to have this project completed by Feb 16th, 2009
1/28 Started project
2/2 Have rough draft of reference list / Begin modifying unit on Solar System
2/7 Post reference list to blog / Continue work on unit plan
2/10 Have 2/3 of unit plan updated and calendar of suggested activities complete
2/14 Complete final adjustments/modifications to unit plan / Post to blog
2/16 Project completed and posted
3/8 Final deadline (if for any reason I am unable to complete project by my deadline)
Project Title: Proposal 1 ~ Using Technology
Project Focus: Using Technology (Research to Practice)
Project Description:
For this project I will modify an existing powerpoint that further integrates the many uses of Power Point (including adding video clips, audio clips, and images) for one of my Earth Science Special Education classes (SDC level – Special Day Class). These powerpoints will be shared with other science teachers at my site and other science/special education teachers in the district. I feel strongly that I need to continue to modify and re-work lessons I have created in the past to better meet the needs of my students based on their ability levels. I chose to do this project because it is most applicable to me in my current teaching assignment as well as a requirement for this course.
I am hoping this project will increase my comfort level in using more than just Power Point presentations to share content area information with my students. In addition I am hoping it can become a shared resource for Earth Science teachers in my district as well as a guideline for how to appropriately select and use technology with special needs students.
Project Artifacts:
I will post the powerpoints I used this year (during the unit on Astronomy) for use with my SDC Earth Science class. I will then update and modify these powerpoints to include more features of powerpoint I have not used much in the past. The updated PowerPoint presentations will include movie and sound clips, images, and animation.
APA reference list of select articles that confirm the success of technology integration in lesson delivery particularly for special needs students.
Lessons that align with the Power Point presentations will be delivered through the use of various technology; primarily the use of Power Point and will include features that are clearly supported by research.
The previous and updated presentations will be posted on my blog as well as links to the supporting web pages. A suggested time line will be added as a suggestion for teachers to follow when implementing these lessons. The updated resources, Power Points, and corresponding links will be evidence of the tasks that were completed in preparation for the unit.
Project Timeline:
I hope to have this project completed by Feb 16th, 2009
1/28 Started project
2/2 Have rough draft of reference list / Begin modifying unit on Solar System
2/7 Post reference list to blog / Continue work on unit plan
2/10 Have 2/3 of unit plan updated and calendar of suggested activities complete
2/14 Complete final adjustments/modifications to unit plan / Post to blog
2/16 Project completed and posted
3/8 Final deadline (if for any reason I am unable to complete project by my deadline)
Activity Log Session 3
1/27/09 - listened to and took notes on podcast for session 3
1/28/09- reviewed blogs of classmates
1/30/09- began working on final outlines of projects
2/1/09 - posted to three blogs of classmates, created session 3 blog post, activity log, posted final project outlines
1/28/09- reviewed blogs of classmates
1/30/09- began working on final outlines of projects
2/1/09 - posted to three blogs of classmates, created session 3 blog post, activity log, posted final project outlines
Session 3 Blog Post
Q: Can technology integration in American classrooms adequately and correctly be expressed as a hierarchy? Why or why not? Bonus: Create your own hierarchy.
In listening to Dr Newberry's podcast regarding his ideas on the hierarchy of technology in schools today I found myself thinking seriously about where I fall in this hierarchy. Before I answer that though I would like to respond to the question for the week. I do feel that the use of technology can be expressed as a hierarchy though I agree with many of my classmates in that the shape of it is changing. It can no longer be expressed as a triangle because the movement among the levels is fairly fluid. By this I mean that while there certainly is still a large number of teachers at the bottom, I feel that teachers can be in more than one level at a time. As Kenny mentioned in his blog there seem to be "mini-levels" between what Dr Newberry has described. I feel that teachers can fall between step 2 ( use as a teacher tool) and step 3 ( non-integrated use as student tool). For example, a teacher at my site primarily uses his computer for management purposes however occasionally it is used for career assessments (by students) in preparation for their IEP meetings. He also uses it to assess their approximate math and reading levels. In that respect it used at a middle level between steps 2 and 3. I also have witnessed teachers bouncing between levels of this hierarchy depending on the make up of their classes. For instance a science teacher at my site uses on online program for dissection of cats with two of his classes and the "real specimens" for hands on dissection with a different two classes. His instruction bounces between levels depending on the topics covered and the make up of his class. I understand his point of view, perhaps some of his classes are more challenging behavior wise and therefore he feels doing dissection virtually is better for them, but what about the students he does "trust"? Should they be denied the virtual experience because they are better behaved? This is a difficult topic for me because I understand the challenge but am not sure I would handle it differently. It is definitely something I need to think about and work on changing as a teacher.
Back to my thoughts during the podcast... I would like to think that I fall somewhere between levels 2,3,4 on Dr Newberry's hierarchy. At times my computer is used primarily as a tool for management, at other times I use it for assessment purposes with students in preparation for their annual IEP meetings. Yet other times I feel technology is deeply integrated into my lessons (level 4) in all the subjects I teach.
Bonus Hierarchy-
Level 1 - zero student use of computers in the classroom/no working student computers
- technology used is outdated (overhead transparencies) and ineffective for today's
learners
Level 2 - basic technology is used for lesson delivery and student use (LCD's/ working student
computers/ smart boards/ powerpoint presentations by students and teachers..)
Level 3 - fully integrated technology use by teachers, students, families - everything in level two
plus things like online interactive textbooks, teacher/student created communication
(blogs like the one set up for this class), interactive online learning sessions, etc
In listening to Dr Newberry's podcast regarding his ideas on the hierarchy of technology in schools today I found myself thinking seriously about where I fall in this hierarchy. Before I answer that though I would like to respond to the question for the week. I do feel that the use of technology can be expressed as a hierarchy though I agree with many of my classmates in that the shape of it is changing. It can no longer be expressed as a triangle because the movement among the levels is fairly fluid. By this I mean that while there certainly is still a large number of teachers at the bottom, I feel that teachers can be in more than one level at a time. As Kenny mentioned in his blog there seem to be "mini-levels" between what Dr Newberry has described. I feel that teachers can fall between step 2 ( use as a teacher tool) and step 3 ( non-integrated use as student tool). For example, a teacher at my site primarily uses his computer for management purposes however occasionally it is used for career assessments (by students) in preparation for their IEP meetings. He also uses it to assess their approximate math and reading levels. In that respect it used at a middle level between steps 2 and 3. I also have witnessed teachers bouncing between levels of this hierarchy depending on the make up of their classes. For instance a science teacher at my site uses on online program for dissection of cats with two of his classes and the "real specimens" for hands on dissection with a different two classes. His instruction bounces between levels depending on the topics covered and the make up of his class. I understand his point of view, perhaps some of his classes are more challenging behavior wise and therefore he feels doing dissection virtually is better for them, but what about the students he does "trust"? Should they be denied the virtual experience because they are better behaved? This is a difficult topic for me because I understand the challenge but am not sure I would handle it differently. It is definitely something I need to think about and work on changing as a teacher.
Back to my thoughts during the podcast... I would like to think that I fall somewhere between levels 2,3,4 on Dr Newberry's hierarchy. At times my computer is used primarily as a tool for management, at other times I use it for assessment purposes with students in preparation for their annual IEP meetings. Yet other times I feel technology is deeply integrated into my lessons (level 4) in all the subjects I teach.
Bonus Hierarchy-
Level 1 - zero student use of computers in the classroom/no working student computers
- technology used is outdated (overhead transparencies) and ineffective for today's
learners
Level 2 - basic technology is used for lesson delivery and student use (LCD's/ working student
computers/ smart boards/ powerpoint presentations by students and teachers..)
Level 3 - fully integrated technology use by teachers, students, families - everything in level two
plus things like online interactive textbooks, teacher/student created communication
(blogs like the one set up for this class), interactive online learning sessions, etc
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