As I was unable to attend a web conference, I watched the video recordings of two web conferences to get a feel for what the content was and what they were really like. After watching both of them, I have to say that I appreciate Dr. Abernathy taking the time to answer questions concerning all the required elements for graduation and graduation itself. So many times it is hard to get a straight or consistent answer, and she was happy to do her best in both of these instances. As for the conference itself, I do not feel that it was very interactive. Most people (myself included) do not have the technology to participate "in person," so there is a lot of typing questions and comments, but very little true interaction. Some people were responding to questions and having brief conversations, but it was difficult to keep up with the comments being typed and the comments Dr. Abernathy was making. Having everyone responding in the same format would have helped, but at this point, that does not seem likely.
I see the potential for this to be a great means of communication, but it is going to require all of us "digital immigrants" to take the leap and get the technology to make it more useful. Until then, though, it is still a good way to have immediate contact with the professor and classmates to resolve issues.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Technology Integration Action Plan
This week's assignment was to create an action plan for technology implementation and integration, a topic that is very timely and necessary with current advancements and new ones coming everyday!
Technology Integration Action Plan
I. Key Stakeholders and their roles
Technology Director
• Oversee distribution and installation of new technology
• Guide superintendents regarding technology progress and future needs
District Instructional Technology Specialists
• Train teachers and other staff members on the use and integration of new technology
• Visit campuses to observe classroom technology use, make recommendations for improvement , and use the information to plan future professional development sessions
Campus Principals
• Model and monitor use of technology on campus
• Provide opportunities for teachers to attend trainings and collaborate regarding implementation of training to maximize technology integration
Teachers and other faculty members
• Attend available trainings on current technologies
• Utilize training in the classroom and collaborate with colleagues to maximize understanding and use of technologies
The Principal’s Role:
I see the role of the principal in this action plan to be the mediator and go-between for teachers and district leaders. Through meetings with Central Office officials and technology specialists and trainings designated specifically for principals, the campus leader can gain the knowledge and understanding to lead his employees. At the campus level, he can lead professional development on these topics, model proper use and utilization, and gain insight and understanding from those in the trenches as to the benefit of the training and what else needs to be done to improve technology integration in the building as well as the district.
II. Professional Development Planning
My research regarding the use of technology in our district matched what our STaR chart data said – we are in the developing stage. Just this school year, all core teachers received SMART boards and document cameras in their rooms, buildings were wired for Wi-Fi, and teacher laptop and desktop computers were updated to support the new technology. Additionally, elementary schools were equipped with Neo IIs for every student in 2nd-5th grade. As a result, much of this year has been about installing and learning the basics of all this new technology. So the question now is, where do we go from here?
Teachers Leading Teachers
Each professional development day spent on campus will have a portion devoted to this activity.
Teachers who are doing creative and innovative things with their classroom technology will present a lesson to the staff.
Throughout the school year on district-scheduled professional development days.
After the presentation, teachers will work in small groups to adapt the idea to other content areas and topics.
District-wide Technology Training
Whereas Year 1 of SMART board training was focused on the basic skills needed to use the technology, Year 2 will focus on integrating the technology smoothly into the classroom.
• District technology coordinator, in collaboration with technology specialists will plan and conduct trainings
• Principals and teachers will be involved in training to insure understanding and expectations are similar.
District technology coordinator and specialists will plan and offer several training sessions for staff members to attend at their convenience.
Evaluation of training implementation will occur through PDAS evaluations and walkthroughs.
Legal Issues Training
A standardized online training will be required by all district employees, with principals having the option to address the issues at the campus level as well.
• District technology specialists
• Campus Principals
Initial training at beginning of school with reminder/update sessions throughout the school year
Effectiveness of training will be evaluated through classroom walkthroughs, lesson planning and implementation, and campus surveys/questionnaires.
III. Evaluation Planning
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology action plan, we will analyze the following pieces of data:
• STaR chart- Once teachers have completed the survey for the current school year, we will use the data to update and adjust this action plan. Next year, after the survey has been completed again, we will look for increases across all areas regarding the use and integration of technology in the classroom.
• PDAS evaluations – Since technology use is a part of the PDAS system and the district walkthrough form, this is an obvious and easy way to track campus progress.
• Anecdotal information/informal campus surveys – While the official forms of information can tell a campus and district many things, it does not tell the entire story. Many feelings and opinions come into play when you discuss technology. Some people are afraid of change, while others feel it can’t come fast enough. Some will resist and refuse to adapt, and others will be brimming with new and exciting ways to implement the change. Formal evaluations can tell you where your weak and strong areas are, but informal evaluations can really get to the why behind it.
Technology Integration Action Plan
I. Key Stakeholders and their roles
Technology Director
• Oversee distribution and installation of new technology
• Guide superintendents regarding technology progress and future needs
District Instructional Technology Specialists
• Train teachers and other staff members on the use and integration of new technology
• Visit campuses to observe classroom technology use, make recommendations for improvement , and use the information to plan future professional development sessions
Campus Principals
• Model and monitor use of technology on campus
• Provide opportunities for teachers to attend trainings and collaborate regarding implementation of training to maximize technology integration
Teachers and other faculty members
• Attend available trainings on current technologies
• Utilize training in the classroom and collaborate with colleagues to maximize understanding and use of technologies
The Principal’s Role:
I see the role of the principal in this action plan to be the mediator and go-between for teachers and district leaders. Through meetings with Central Office officials and technology specialists and trainings designated specifically for principals, the campus leader can gain the knowledge and understanding to lead his employees. At the campus level, he can lead professional development on these topics, model proper use and utilization, and gain insight and understanding from those in the trenches as to the benefit of the training and what else needs to be done to improve technology integration in the building as well as the district.
II. Professional Development Planning
My research regarding the use of technology in our district matched what our STaR chart data said – we are in the developing stage. Just this school year, all core teachers received SMART boards and document cameras in their rooms, buildings were wired for Wi-Fi, and teacher laptop and desktop computers were updated to support the new technology. Additionally, elementary schools were equipped with Neo IIs for every student in 2nd-5th grade. As a result, much of this year has been about installing and learning the basics of all this new technology. So the question now is, where do we go from here?
Teachers Leading Teachers
Each professional development day spent on campus will have a portion devoted to this activity.
Teachers who are doing creative and innovative things with their classroom technology will present a lesson to the staff.
Throughout the school year on district-scheduled professional development days.
After the presentation, teachers will work in small groups to adapt the idea to other content areas and topics.
District-wide Technology Training
Whereas Year 1 of SMART board training was focused on the basic skills needed to use the technology, Year 2 will focus on integrating the technology smoothly into the classroom.
• District technology coordinator, in collaboration with technology specialists will plan and conduct trainings
• Principals and teachers will be involved in training to insure understanding and expectations are similar.
District technology coordinator and specialists will plan and offer several training sessions for staff members to attend at their convenience.
Evaluation of training implementation will occur through PDAS evaluations and walkthroughs.
Legal Issues Training
A standardized online training will be required by all district employees, with principals having the option to address the issues at the campus level as well.
• District technology specialists
• Campus Principals
Initial training at beginning of school with reminder/update sessions throughout the school year
Effectiveness of training will be evaluated through classroom walkthroughs, lesson planning and implementation, and campus surveys/questionnaires.
III. Evaluation Planning
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology action plan, we will analyze the following pieces of data:
• STaR chart- Once teachers have completed the survey for the current school year, we will use the data to update and adjust this action plan. Next year, after the survey has been completed again, we will look for increases across all areas regarding the use and integration of technology in the classroom.
• PDAS evaluations – Since technology use is a part of the PDAS system and the district walkthrough form, this is an obvious and easy way to track campus progress.
• Anecdotal information/informal campus surveys – While the official forms of information can tell a campus and district many things, it does not tell the entire story. Many feelings and opinions come into play when you discuss technology. Some people are afraid of change, while others feel it can’t come fast enough. Some will resist and refuse to adapt, and others will be brimming with new and exciting ways to implement the change. Formal evaluations can tell you where your weak and strong areas are, but informal evaluations can really get to the why behind it.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Texas STaR Chart Presentation
Here are my findings concerning the use of technology on my campus compared with the state as a whole.
Texas STaR chart pp
View more presentations from amandaboland
The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology
Having been out of the classroom for several years now, I have to admit that I knew very little about the technonlogy expectations for classrooms, campuses, districts, and the state as a whole before beginning this class. Working through these assignments has truly opened my eyes to where we should be and where we actually are. The area of Teaching and Learning has been of particular interest to me. There are six areas of focus: Patterns of Classroom Use, Frequency/Design of Instructional Setting, Content Area Connections, TEKS Implementation, Student Mastery of TEKS, and Online Learning. The state overall, as well as my campus specifically, is in the Developing Tech stage of this area. While this is stage indicates that there is still a great deal of room to grow, there are still high expectations of this area. I had the opportunity today to meet with the Career and Technology Counselor for our district. She was making a presentation to middle and high school counselors concerning the CTE courses that would be offered next year and what some of the specific courses entailed. During this presentation she made a comment that students had no idea how to use technology for professional purposes. She said that while they can text, surf the internet, game, and find their way around firewalls, they cannot create simple Word or Excel documents. Based on my study in this course, I stopped her later and asked her how that could be with the expectations of and mandates from the state. Her response was that there is a serious disconnect between what the district officials believe is happening in k-8 classrooms and what is actually occurring. In analyzing STaR chart data, I would take this theory a step farther and say that teachers across the state are either giving misleading information in their surveys or there is not a clear understanding of what the expectation is. Either way, students are the ones losing out because they are not being prepared for success in high school, college, or the professional world. We are using our technology to create a dog and pony show for our students, but we are not really teaching them anything of value regarding technology.
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