As I look back and reflect on this course, I have learned a lot in many areas of the integration of technology in education. Prior to this course, I didn’t have any exposure to the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, and had little exposure to STaR charts. Not only do I know about these important concepts, but I could explain them to my fellow educators and explain the importance of both. I was cautiously optimistic going into this course that I would get a lot out of it. I thought the articles were extremely relevant and the course was as beneficial as any that I have take to date through this program. I have already met with my principal and had a productive discussion about the future of technology at our school and gave her a few suggestions for improvement. I also had an opportunity to compare the StaR chart results from my school with the other high schools in my district in order to compare our current state of technology and was pleasantly surprised with our current status. I did see some areas that need improvement, and I hope to be a part of making those improvements happen.
A couple of things that I would have liked to done throughout the course was to find specific ways to incorporate some of the technology mentioned into my classroom and the other classrooms in my department. The main barrier to this was a lack of time, due to the fact that I am also a head basketball coach and it is the middle of the season really restricted my focus to just assignment completion without additional exploration. I would have liked to locate and observe teachers at my school utilizing technology, especially some of the tools mentioned in articles, but again, I really didn’t have any windows to make that happen. I hope to do some observing of cutting edge technology in the spring. I also plan on presenting my powerpoint about our school’s STaR chart to my principal and get some feedback.
The assignments were not didn’t have a high level of difficulty, but were very time consuming and I was forced to use large chunks of time to complete them. I wish I would have had better time management skills and broken up the assignments into easy, more manageable chunks throughout the week. The fact that the use of technology was integrated into the assignments, using a blog, creating a powerpoint, exposure to webcasts, all were important and worthwhile. In order to get comfortable and confident with technology, hands on activities and opportunities to try out applications are necessary.
I need to continue to pursue every opportunity available to improve my knowledge of technology and all of the applications for education. I feel like I have a solid foundation to build on but have tons of potential and room for growth. I would like to be a leader on my campus with technology use, and be able to learn new applications and share my information with the rest of our faculty. I believe 100% that we need to step up the importance and integration of technology in public education. It should be at the top of the list. We have an unbelieveable resource that is not being utilized to its fullest potential, and our goal needs to be to tap that resource and get more out of it. It is a continuous improvement idea.
I had a great experience starting and using my first blog. I hadn’t used one or been a frequent reader of one until this course. I had a negative conception of them, mainly due to the fact that I hadn’t been exposed to them previously. I think that blogs can be a great tool for educators, students, and all stakeholders in education. Communication is essential for teachers, and blogs are one of the most efficient ways to communicate with every person that needs information. With that great tool, great responsilbility also comes with it. There would be opportunities for misuse and abuse, and teachers would have to be extremely careful to make sure it is used exclusively for education. As the head of the health department at my school, I can see myself setting up a blog to reach all freshman students taking health. As a head basketball coach, I could have a basketball blog, including posts from players, important dates and updated changes that occur throughout the season.
As tough as it was balancing my time management during the busiest time of the year, I really feel like I got a great deal of pertinent information from this course. I am going to be a leader at my campus with the integration of technology at professional development and in the classroom. I will start it within my own department, and also try new things with my basketball program. I plan on meeting with administrators to discuss things that I learned in this class that I would like to try. I am also going to observe some of our technologically savvy teachers to get ideas from them and collaborate with them on how I can also utilize technology to improve student engagement and production. This course opened my eyes to great ideas and exposed me to state standards and charts for technology that I was not aware of, but are important to know and share with colleagues. As I reach the halfway point of my graduate school experience, I am very satisfied with the knowledge that I have gained and am excited about what the second half of courses has to offer.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Krause Week 4 Report
District Technology Facilitators
The role of these facilitators is to provide training and support for teachers and administrators throughout the district. They are organized by grade levels and work with the coordinating personnel. Facilitators lead campus technology training and also will work with individuals upon request. They also distribute mass emails with technology tips and information on commonly used applications.
Campus Technology Facilitators
The main role of this individual is to trouble shoot and problem solve for all faculty and staff on a specific campus. He also does all of the equipment set up, including classrooms, computer labs, networking, peripherals, and anything else dealing with technology. He also may lead some technology based training.
Administrators
The role of our administrators is to promote technology use in the classroom to enhance learning and model technology use during professional development, staff meetings, and provide the teachers with training opportunities to support increased technology use. Administrators are also responsible for the completion of such tools as STaR charts, and also breaking down technology data for our campus and creating ways to improve. The principal should also observe teachers using technology, and provide collaboration time and sharing ideas among teachers to increase the use of effective learning strategies that utilize technology.
Teachers
Teachers are responsible for integrating effective technology into their classrooms, and collaborating and sharing best practices with their colleagues. Teachers also should seek out professional development opportunities that focus on technology.
I learned that my school district and campus have made progress towards utilizing technology to enhance learning, but have not tapped the full potential of technology in many aspects. One of those areas that really need significant improvement is our professional development and training. I believe at this point, nearly 2010, every inservice needs to include technology. Even when we are discussing AEIS and AYP reports and setting goals and making plans, technology needs to be integrated into it. Moving professional development into computer labs or using laptops is the first step in the process. Instead of using poster board to create lists and visuals, we should be creating charts and data graphs on spreadsheets and powerpoints. I also believe that professional development is more effective when it is organized in subject specific groups. This is important when gathering and analyzing data because teachers want to work with student data that is relevant to them and what they teach. I like the idea of offering training online and opening it for a window of time and set the expectation that every teacher complete it in the time allotted. When we meet as a large group or as a department, discussion and integration of what was learned is the main goal of the meeting.
I think to improve decision making in the integration of technology would start with an improvement team or committee. An administrator, technology facilitator, and a handful of teachers, possibly department chairs, would make up the group. The main focus would be improving the weak areas of our campus STaR chart. This team would lead and model technology use at professional development sessions for the rest of the faculty, and be open to trying new and innovative things in the classroom. Appropriate funds would need to be allocated to ensure as many resources as possible were available.
In order to evaluate the integration of technology that occurs in my school, several actions will occur. First, extensive professional development and training must occur across the board. Reflection of what was learned is necessary to implement new strategies into the classroom. Documentation of the transfer of these strategies and ideas from trainings to the actual classroom is a part of the evaluation. If the professional development was beneficial, how do the teachers specifically use what they learned?
Another great evaluation tool is observations. Not only administrators observing teachers, but also teacher to teacher observations, focusing again on what technology is integrated into the learning. As we have learned in this course, our students are digital natives and need technological applications to stay interested and motivated. Coinciding with observations is collaboration. There can be sharing of ideas from department to department about the effective use of technology.
Using our individual and campus STaR charts is an important self evaluation tool. The chart identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the utilization of technology, and can give us focus and definitive goals for technology improvements. I would also create a more school specific assessment chart, including lesson plan documentation, technology applications and the frequency of technology use in the classroom, and roadblocks to using more technology.
We need to document the frequency of technology use in every department and classroom, and devise strategies to improve the percentage of teachers utilizing technology consistently in their classroom. I think teacher input on why they don’t use technology more often would open the discussion on what changes could eliminate those roadblocks.
District Technology Facilitators
The role of these facilitators is to provide training and support for teachers and administrators throughout the district. They are organized by grade levels and work with the coordinating personnel. Facilitators lead campus technology training and also will work with individuals upon request. They also distribute mass emails with technology tips and information on commonly used applications.
Campus Technology Facilitators
The main role of this individual is to trouble shoot and problem solve for all faculty and staff on a specific campus. He also does all of the equipment set up, including classrooms, computer labs, networking, peripherals, and anything else dealing with technology. He also may lead some technology based training.
Administrators
The role of our administrators is to promote technology use in the classroom to enhance learning and model technology use during professional development, staff meetings, and provide the teachers with training opportunities to support increased technology use. Administrators are also responsible for the completion of such tools as STaR charts, and also breaking down technology data for our campus and creating ways to improve. The principal should also observe teachers using technology, and provide collaboration time and sharing ideas among teachers to increase the use of effective learning strategies that utilize technology.
Teachers
Teachers are responsible for integrating effective technology into their classrooms, and collaborating and sharing best practices with their colleagues. Teachers also should seek out professional development opportunities that focus on technology.
I learned that my school district and campus have made progress towards utilizing technology to enhance learning, but have not tapped the full potential of technology in many aspects. One of those areas that really need significant improvement is our professional development and training. I believe at this point, nearly 2010, every inservice needs to include technology. Even when we are discussing AEIS and AYP reports and setting goals and making plans, technology needs to be integrated into it. Moving professional development into computer labs or using laptops is the first step in the process. Instead of using poster board to create lists and visuals, we should be creating charts and data graphs on spreadsheets and powerpoints. I also believe that professional development is more effective when it is organized in subject specific groups. This is important when gathering and analyzing data because teachers want to work with student data that is relevant to them and what they teach. I like the idea of offering training online and opening it for a window of time and set the expectation that every teacher complete it in the time allotted. When we meet as a large group or as a department, discussion and integration of what was learned is the main goal of the meeting.
I think to improve decision making in the integration of technology would start with an improvement team or committee. An administrator, technology facilitator, and a handful of teachers, possibly department chairs, would make up the group. The main focus would be improving the weak areas of our campus STaR chart. This team would lead and model technology use at professional development sessions for the rest of the faculty, and be open to trying new and innovative things in the classroom. Appropriate funds would need to be allocated to ensure as many resources as possible were available.
In order to evaluate the integration of technology that occurs in my school, several actions will occur. First, extensive professional development and training must occur across the board. Reflection of what was learned is necessary to implement new strategies into the classroom. Documentation of the transfer of these strategies and ideas from trainings to the actual classroom is a part of the evaluation. If the professional development was beneficial, how do the teachers specifically use what they learned?
Another great evaluation tool is observations. Not only administrators observing teachers, but also teacher to teacher observations, focusing again on what technology is integrated into the learning. As we have learned in this course, our students are digital natives and need technological applications to stay interested and motivated. Coinciding with observations is collaboration. There can be sharing of ideas from department to department about the effective use of technology.
Using our individual and campus STaR charts is an important self evaluation tool. The chart identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the utilization of technology, and can give us focus and definitive goals for technology improvements. I would also create a more school specific assessment chart, including lesson plan documentation, technology applications and the frequency of technology use in the classroom, and roadblocks to using more technology.
We need to document the frequency of technology use in every department and classroom, and devise strategies to improve the percentage of teachers utilizing technology consistently in their classroom. I think teacher input on why they don’t use technology more often would open the discussion on what changes could eliminate those roadblocks.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Texas STaR Chart Krause and the Rouse Raiders
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Texas S Ta R Chart
View more presentations from Shane Krause.
STaR Chart Summary
The key area that I will discuss is Key Area II, Educator Preparation and Development. This section includes professional development experiences and modeling, access to technology based professional development, capabilities of educators and their levels of understanding, and professional development for online learning. As a campus and school district, we have made little progress with this key area over the last three years. As a state, we are also moving slowly in this key area and are staying in the developing technology level of progress. As a nation, we are continuing to lag behind not only in the area of the STaR chart, but in many aspects of technology when compared to education across the globe. The current trend is remaining in the middle as far as the level of progress. I believe that this section is extremely important to the overall progress of education in my district, the state of Texas, and the entire country.
How can we improve this key area? There are several things that can help. As a school district, pursuing professional development with a focus on not only technology, but actually using technology in the classroom will improve teacher buy in. Following up technology professional development by allowing teachers time to implement new strategies in their classroom will help transfer information learned into actual classrooms. When teachers utilize technology effectively, sharing their ability with other teachers within the school and district is important to build a culture of technology integration. Another tool that is not used enough is online learning. Now that I have some experience with it in this graduate program, I recommend that online learning and training get used by schools and districts to give teachers more access to learning opportunities and more flexibility with their time. The last thing that is necessary to see improvement in this key area and all key areas is great educational leadership and a commitment by those leaders to put technology at the top of the list in preparing students for higher education and careers in the 21st century.
How can we improve this key area? There are several things that can help. As a school district, pursuing professional development with a focus on not only technology, but actually using technology in the classroom will improve teacher buy in. Following up technology professional development by allowing teachers time to implement new strategies in their classroom will help transfer information learned into actual classrooms. When teachers utilize technology effectively, sharing their ability with other teachers within the school and district is important to build a culture of technology integration. Another tool that is not used enough is online learning. Now that I have some experience with it in this graduate program, I recommend that online learning and training get used by schools and districts to give teachers more access to learning opportunities and more flexibility with their time. The last thing that is necessary to see improvement in this key area and all key areas is great educational leadership and a commitment by those leaders to put technology at the top of the list in preparing students for higher education and careers in the 21st century.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Pre-K Technology Applications
After looking at the Pre-K TEKS for technology applications, I came away impressed with the organization of it all and the use of video in each of the five domains. There is also specific activities that can be used to improve learning in those domains. Each of the five domains is broken down into more detailed and informative sections that are extremely helpful when navigating the website. As the parent of a 3 year old, I would say that I am pleased with the current system and information in place. It is visually appropriate and very easy to use.
The foundation for future student performance is set by setting up the fundamentals in the five domains for young students to grow and learn. Education is a step by step process, and these TEKS take each discipline and build it up from the basics up. Similar to basketball, the fundamentals must be taught prior to the other skills in order to create a solid foundation to build on.
A scaffolding curriculum is a curriculum in which there are skills built from the ground up in the appropriate sequence in order to maximize learning. With the technology TEKS, more is expected of students as they move up grade levels for similar applications. Students will be exposed to such applications as presentation programs at the lower levels, but will be expected to integrate video and audio into their own presentations at the middle school and high school levels. You see the increase in knowledge and utilization of each applications capabilities as the students grow.
The foundation for future student performance is set by setting up the fundamentals in the five domains for young students to grow and learn. Education is a step by step process, and these TEKS take each discipline and build it up from the basics up. Similar to basketball, the fundamentals must be taught prior to the other skills in order to create a solid foundation to build on.
A scaffolding curriculum is a curriculum in which there are skills built from the ground up in the appropriate sequence in order to maximize learning. With the technology TEKS, more is expected of students as they move up grade levels for similar applications. Students will be exposed to such applications as presentation programs at the lower levels, but will be expected to integrate video and audio into their own presentations at the middle school and high school levels. You see the increase in knowledge and utilization of each applications capabilities as the students grow.
Long Range Plan for Technology
After reading and summarizing the long range plan for Texas education, I was impressed with the thorough job that was done. There are numerous lists of expecations and recommendations for each section. The key to make the vision a reality is to expose as many teachers to this information as possible and get buy in from educators that this is the best way to prepare our students for the future. I can use all of this new information to help me be a leader on my campus integrating technology into my classroom. I can assist other teachers in my department integrate technology into their classrooms. An effective strategy for teachers is modeling and observing other teachers model technology. I believe once you actually see implementation of technology in a classroom, it is much easier to attempt it in your own classroom. I can also promote and support other teachers using technology and help to explain the many benefits of technology for students given in the long range plan. I will also ask campus leaders for more technology professional development to improve myself and my colleagues.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Reflections of Technology Assessments
After completing both of the technology assessments, I have a much better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses regarding technology as an educator and leader within my school. My biggest strength is my ability to learn and grow with the always improving technology. My biggest weakness is a lack of formal training in some of the most used applications, such as Excel and Powerpoint, and a deeper and more in depth understanding of the more advanced applications.
With the Technology Applications Inventory, each of the four domains showed things I am able to do and things I will need to improve. With the first domain, I was strong with all of the statements except with the ability to delineate between the numerous types of file formats and I wasn't familiar with the specifics of the Copyright Law of 1976. With the second domain, I was solid with most statements. The statements where I had some uncertainty is with the Boolean search strategies, and with vector graphic files and bit-mapped graphic files. For the third domain, I will need to get some exposure to the following applications; using databases, creating linear and non-linear multimedia projects, demonstrating the appropriate use of graphic tools, using interactive virtual environments, and using collaborative software to create products. The third domain is by far my weakest domain. With the fourth domain, I was good with nearly all of the statements. I would need some work with using telecommunication tools and database managers. Overall, I was technologically strong across the board with a few areas that I can definitely improve on.
For the very thorough SETDA Teacher Survey, I found myself strong on most of the questions, and I wasn't surprised on the areas that I need improvement on. The use of technology in my classroom and department that I am the head of is a normal and frequent process. I need to improve using the data from assignments and projects to drive the lesson plans and continuous improvements. I have at least an intermediate skill level with most applications, and expose my students to a number of those applications. My school has great technology personnel and resources. I think we could improve the technology training and help teachers implement more technology into the classroom with more assistance. We are given some training on different applications and technology, and then expected to do the rest. The training should be a continuous and consistent activity, not a once a year or semester thing.
Overall, I agree with the results from both assessments. They are a great way to reflect on what I have done and what I need to improve on as far as technology and leadership goes. As a young educator with many years to go, I look forward to making technology more and more a main part of the educational process.
With the Technology Applications Inventory, each of the four domains showed things I am able to do and things I will need to improve. With the first domain, I was strong with all of the statements except with the ability to delineate between the numerous types of file formats and I wasn't familiar with the specifics of the Copyright Law of 1976. With the second domain, I was solid with most statements. The statements where I had some uncertainty is with the Boolean search strategies, and with vector graphic files and bit-mapped graphic files. For the third domain, I will need to get some exposure to the following applications; using databases, creating linear and non-linear multimedia projects, demonstrating the appropriate use of graphic tools, using interactive virtual environments, and using collaborative software to create products. The third domain is by far my weakest domain. With the fourth domain, I was good with nearly all of the statements. I would need some work with using telecommunication tools and database managers. Overall, I was technologically strong across the board with a few areas that I can definitely improve on.
For the very thorough SETDA Teacher Survey, I found myself strong on most of the questions, and I wasn't surprised on the areas that I need improvement on. The use of technology in my classroom and department that I am the head of is a normal and frequent process. I need to improve using the data from assignments and projects to drive the lesson plans and continuous improvements. I have at least an intermediate skill level with most applications, and expose my students to a number of those applications. My school has great technology personnel and resources. I think we could improve the technology training and help teachers implement more technology into the classroom with more assistance. We are given some training on different applications and technology, and then expected to do the rest. The training should be a continuous and consistent activity, not a once a year or semester thing.
Overall, I agree with the results from both assessments. They are a great way to reflect on what I have done and what I need to improve on as far as technology and leadership goes. As a young educator with many years to go, I look forward to making technology more and more a main part of the educational process.
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