Wednesday, March 23, 2011
web conference
Thank you to Dr. Attaway for providing us an extra web conference tonight! It was a small group and quite helpful as we 'pressed buttons' and tried to help one another to see/hear/communicate. Much of the communication was by typing responses to each other, but we did get three faces going and were able to hear Dr. Attaway. I believe it is good for us to try these applications and think of ways to use them with our students and their parents. Whenever a particular application seems to 'stump' me I just remind myself how many things I do comfortably now that were not easy for me the first few tries! I remember getting very dizzy when I first blew into a flute, and now I hold a Master's Degree in Flute Performance... Surely a successful web conference is within my grasp too, as it is with all of you who truly wish to use these applications in your teaching!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Recommended Instructional Technology Integration/Instruction Activities
Planned IT Integration (from week 3 assignment) | Staff Accountable | Role of Principal |
| 1. Implement a three-to-one student laptop program across the campus. Utilize a Mouse Squad of student leaders for maintenance and support. | District Instructional Technology Coordinator: Plans the activity targeting the entire staff. Campus Administrative Team and Campus IT staff: Instructs the staff during Fall Professional Development prior to start of school; organizes and trains the Mouse Squad; implements the plan; plans and implements the assessment and the appropriate timeline. | Assure appropriate staff training, using the campus IT staff and District Technology staff. Assess and evaluate integration through use of lesson plan designs, student interactive use in classrooms, and Mouse Squad logs. |
| 2. Encourage/train teachers to establish active web pages and e-mail for communicating with students. All teachers on campus should have a developed web page with updates. | District Instructional Technology Coordinator: Plans the activity with the faculty as the target group. Associate principal interacts with staff via staff meetings and email communication to assure faculty compliance with this directive. Campus IT team is available to assist with training as needed. | Principal will use sign-in sheets at faculty training to assure all faculty receives the information and instruction. E-mail logs and web pages will be checked each nine week period for compliance. Follow-up as necessary with staff. |
| 3. Conduct Project Based Learning (PBL) technology seminars/training for incorporation into curriculum and real world projects. Real world projects should include research projects requiring decision making regarding the validity of the sources found on the internet. | Instructional Technology Coordinator plans the activities to target all students and trains staff during Professional Development afternoon on monthly early-release staff development days. Training will include the use of the internet for research and how to validate sources. | Principal checks lesson designs every nine weeks, and checks faculty training sign-in sheets to assure all staff participates in appropriate training. |
| 4. Research additional web-based tutorial programs that offer student access both at school and at home. | Instructional Technology Coordinator works with the Campus Department Chairs to select software appropriate to target all students. Resources are the Region 10 Service Center and the local IT staff. | Principal approves funding for software purchases. |
| 5. Utilize the Communications Master through Skyward to disseminate information to all RHS households and students. | Campus Administrative Team will use this first to target all students and their families. IT staff will assist and provide resource support as needed. Faculty will be given the option to use the Communications Master to communicate with the parents/guardians of their students. | Principal will assess the number of postings and feedback from community members and students. |
| 6. Increase participation in the Media Fair to include representatives from all student groups. | District Technology Coordinator will work with the CTE Teachers to encourage participation from all students. Campus IT staff will be available as resource. | Principal will assess student participation and entries in the Media Fair and will make resources available for the CTE Teachers. |
| 7. Continue “In the Know…” e-mail communication series to relay pertinent information and data. | Associate Principal will target all staff members with this e-mail as needed during the school year. Resources for informatiion coming from district, community and campus. | Evaluation of successful communication will be made using staff surveys and copies of e-mails. |
| 8. Incorporate INOVA data analysis as a primary tool for decision making. | Campus Administrators will look at testing history every nine weeks to assess and evaluate current programs. Recommendations will be made as needed. | Principal will lead the team. |
| 9. Post timely updates on the school website for increased communication between home and school. | Campus Administrators will work with the Media Coordinator weekly to communicate school news and information to all students and parents . IT Staff will provide support. | Principal will observe parent feedback and work with Administrative Team to evaluate progress. Changes will be made as needed. |
| 10. Conduct additional technology training during Technology Thursdays to assist teachers with newly retrofitted technology. | Instructional Technology Coordinator will plan the trainings; Campus Instructional Technologist will do the training for Campus staff on one Thursday each month. Subjects will be announced by staff e-mail in advance of the training so teachers can make plans to attend. CIT will also make video of each class and post it online for Teacher use. Teachers are encouraged to request needed training. | Principal will conduct teacher surveys to assess need and receive feedback from staff. Sign-in sheets will give indication of staff making use of the available training. Principal will communicate with Campus Instructional Technologist for information regarding needs and successes. |
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
RHS STaR Chart
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
RHS STaR Chart
View more presentations from plainogirl.
National Educational Technology Plan: Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology
The NETP (National Education Technology Plan) calls for ”revolutionary transformation rather than evolutionary tinkering.”[1] Two goals are identified and the plan is developed with a sense of urgency. Specifically, goal one is to raise the proportion of students graduating from college with a two or four year degree from the current level of 39% to 60%, and goal two is to ‘close the achievement gap’ so that all students graduate from high school. According to the NETP, technology is the key to providing engaging learning experiences, assessing learning and generating data, assisting teachers in collaborative strategies, and shortening the learning curve so that educators can learn from other kinds of enterprises to improve outcomes while increasing productivity.
The NETP says action must take place now with fine-tuning to take place in process. Since education in the United States is primarily a state and local responsibility, NETP urges local institutions to ensure access to all students, especially those who are ‘underserved’. NETP suggest a complete re-thinking of the education process, including challenging the concepts of ‘seat-time’, age-determined groups, learning in classes of the same size working at the same pace.[2] The proposed model of 21st century learning puts students at the center and ‘empowers’ them to take charge of their own learning, based upon a core set of standards-based concepts and competencies and work tailored to individual goals, needs, and interests.[3]
Teachers in the 21st century will need to practice innovation, problem solving, creativity, continuous improvement, research, diagnostic use of data, and flexible and personalized approaches to meeting students’ diverse needs and strengths. NETP recommends teachers be held accountable for student achievement but also supports teachers with the latest technology and enables the shift to a ‘model of connected teaching’. [4] Improved assessment tools, better data, training, and support will be available.
In some ways this wide-reaching proposal is a bit un-nerving to this long-time educator. At no time in my teaching career have I purposefully ignored the needs of any student, regardless of the student’s life circumstances, and while I don’t deny that there are those who might do so, I’ve never actually observed it. Technology certainly has some positive applications, particularly in preparing and presenting engaging lessons and in assessing student progress, and I would not quarrel with stronger teacher support. To my eyes, though, this would be incredibly expensive, and in the RUSH to change before careful planning and study has taken place could cause all kinds of problems. I believe fine teachers are already practicing innovation, problem solving, continuous improvement, etc. and with time, support, and community involvement student success will continue to rise.
Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology
In 2010 the STaR Chart showed an improvement in the number of teachers at higher levels of implementation of the Technology Applications TEKS and for technology capabilities. Check!
In 2009, the requirement to take a technology application class to graduate from a Texas high school was changed from a requirement for all students to an elective. Check!
In other words, the original requirements outlined in the Long-Range Plan for Technology are already being revised in order to ensure alignment with 21st century needs. Some goals have been met while others are being refined as needed to assure student success. Students are enjoying creating multimedia projects, using technology to communicate with one another, are collaborating on projects using Facebook, are communicating with their teachers online, and are using online textbooks and courses. However, even with these successes, data is also showing that some students are not acquiring the skills in technology they need to be successful. Students with limited English skill and those who are economically disadvantaged are more likely not to succeed with technology applications, most likely because they do not have the availability of technology outside the school. Overall, however, the reports indicate that there has been a steady state-wide improvement in the technology infrastructure in the Texas public schools.
Progress is the natural result of careful studies, planning, training, learning, and application. The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology has been thoroughly and carefully developed and is a living document. I believe that the Long-Range Plan will continue to assist Texas schools to meet the needs of Texas students because of the provisions for continuous updating, for assessing and making changes as needed.
Technology in Texas Schools
We all agree that students in Texas schools today require new skills, new tools, new knowledge, and new opportunities for when, where, and how learning takes place. Because of this legislated requirement our schools must provide a wide array of learning communities, an environment demanded by today’s world and facilitated by today’s technology. As reported by the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, school connectivity presents tremendous challenges and implementing that connectivity offers new and exciting opportunities for transforming schools.
The connectivity challenge includes issues of support and maintenance for existing and evolving technologies. According to a 1998 study of eleven diverse Texas schools, “districts are developing a more formal support structure at the district level by adding support positions and defining the support process and procedures.”[i] According to data published by TEA the state of technology in Texas public schools is similar to the state of technology in public education nationally.[ii]
In the early days of technology use, most schools had computers in their libraries, a shared computer lab, and some schools (especially secondary schools) provided computers for teacher use. Current trends in technology infrastructure includes at least a few classroom computers in most schools, while some districts issue laptops all students and teachers. Most districts in Texas have technology departments with technology specialists in hardware, software, and teacher training. Now the challenges lie in staying current, maintaining the infrastructure, and providing training for teachers.
I think one of the most important issues we face in technology applications now is to be discerning in selecting applications for use with students. Since we have limited time with our students the tools we use to teach them and help them learn need to be carefully selected.
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