What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
I was very excited to take this course, because there is such a need to implement more technology into classrooms. I had envisioned walking away from this course with more tools, websites, and knowhow to be able to upgrade the school I work to become a 21st century digital school. I did achieve many of these outcomes, especially in the area of more ideas. The course outcomes did align with what I had envisioned. Everything that was listed in the syllabus was covered. It was a lot of information crammed into five weeks, but also very necessary. I feel the area of technology is limitless and the instructors did a good job sorting through and selecting appropriate material for the course.
To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
The outcomes I achieved from this course are very relevant to the work I do in the school. The main thing I wanted to achieve from this course was to walk away with much more information about implementing technology into the school where I work. It was a bonus for me to learn so much about the safety issues regarding internet use and the pros and cons of using different types of technology in the classroom. I was very happy with the information we learned about how to implement blogs in the classroom. I would have liked more specific tips on how to integrate other types of technology in the classroom.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I don’t think there were any outcomes that I did not achieve during the course. When the course was beginning I expected there to be more specific tips or activities that had to do with students involving technology. We learned a lot about blogs, podcast, word processing, power point, excel, websites, rss feeds, and wikis. I was thinking I would like to learn even more about using technology with the students. However I realized that even with all of the technological advances there is still only so much you can do with a class of 25 who are sharing one or two classroom computers or reserving time in a shared computer lab.
· Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. I was able to set up my blog and post all the assignments. I had a little bit of difficulty posting my power point presentation to the blog. However, after switching to the second recommended program, it worked out without any major difficulties. I did have quite a bit of problems with the course software (Brighten). The internal dates were messed up and it didn’t allow me to post assignments. The software later did not allow me because it said I was no longer actively enrolled. After contacting tech support they instructed me to post the assignment online, which took care of the problem.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
I learned quite a bit from this course. What I learned about myself is that technology is something that I am very interested in. I also learned that although I am not starting from zero, I have an incredible amount to learn. To be able to learn more about technology one must dedicate time. My technology (at the school and my home) is not a complete dinosaur, but should go through constant upgrading. As a leader of technology I feel like I still have a lot to learn, before I am an example for others. I feel like I have a very positive attitude about technology. It is not something I am afraid of, but something I am intrigued by.
What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
Blogging has become a huge part of academic and social world of today’s society. Blogging has taken over what could only be found 15 years ago in certain trade magazines or specialized newsletters. This has allowed information to be so much more widespread and instantaneous. The education world is no exception. Educators can now use blogs to exchange ideas and information with each other. They can also use blogs to communicate with parents- write daily homework, up-coming events, information about projects and general classroom news. They can also use blogs to communicate and interact with students- post homework, read student responses, post quizzes, post power point presentations, podcast, videos etc. I think blogs are here to stay and huge support device for using technology to work with students.
What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
As I have mentioned, blogs are a great benefit to education. However, there are certain security concerns one must keep in mind when using blogs. Unfortunately, sexual predators often use blogs and chat-rooms to find their victims. Cyber-bullies also use blogs and chat-rooms to find out information about their victims. We must educate children on proper safety measures when using blogs and chat-rooms. Children and Adolescence should never post too much personal information. They should use screen names and avoid using their address, name of school, age, etc. Parents and schools need to communicate and work with children and adolescence so they understand the proper safety procedures when blogging or chatting
How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
Blogging can be used to communicate with school stakeholders in many different ways. Administrators can use blogs to communicate with teachers, parents, students, board members, and the community where they are located. These stakeholders can be kept abreast of current school events and school related issues and have a place to provide feedback. One of the benefits of the blog is that it allows users to give information as well as receive feedback from readers. It basically provides a forum when participants can bounce back school related ideas that is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; so participants can post information/feedback on their own schedules.
lunes, 14 de diciembre de 2009
viernes, 11 de diciembre de 2009
Action Plan
ORGANIZATIONAL FLOW CHART
Board of Directors > Administration (Principal)> Technology Specialist> Students
Teachers>
Parents>
Responsibilities of each member:
The Board of Directors is responsible for approving the budget and major purchases (including technology). They look for funding when necessary and set tuition cost according to needs (including technology). They evaluate the feasibility of major purchases and infrastructure changes (for example a new computer lab).
The School Administration under the direction of the Principal will work closely with the Technology Specialist, Teachers, and Parents to determine the technological needs of the school . He/She will prioritize needs and communicate them to the Board of Directors. The Principal will also facilitate necessary staff development to train teachers in the use of implementing technology in the classroom. The Principal will also work with parents, communicating technology related issues (ie- cyberbullying, internet safety issues, school technology policy) when necessary.
The Technology Specialist will oversee the computer lab and other IT issues in the school. He/she will also assist in installing hardware and software in the schools computers. He/She will assist all Professional Development dealing with Technology to be aware of what teachers and students will be working with. He/She will assist teachers with computer needs. He/She will also work with students and teachers in the computer lab.
Teachers will research new educational uses for technology. He/She will work closely with students implementing technology into the curriculum. He/She will attend all professional development dealing with technology and be accountable for implementing information learned through professional development. He/She will monitor that students are not violating the school technology policy. He/She will work with the Technology Specialist to integrate technology into the classroom. He/She will work with parents to communicate technology related issues (ie- cyberbullying, internet safety issues, school technology policy) when necessary.
Parents will be asked to work with students at home to complete technology related assignments as well as oversee that their children abide by the school technology policy. They will also provide feedback to teachers and administration regarding technology issues.
Students will make sure they follow the school technology code/policy. They will also provide feedback to the Technology Specialist, Teachers, and Parents on new technology that can be incorporated into their education.
Action Plan
Before setting up an action plan we need to define our problem. The problem can only be defined through different assessments and evaluations. Once the problem has been defined than we can make an action plan on how we are going to address the problem. Once we have done that we need to assess ourselves and make sure that we have addressed the problem to the best of our ability.
When I analyzed the AEIS data and spoke with the school administration I was able to identify weaknesses in student performance. I could see that Reading Comprehension in the 3rd and 4th grades were very low in my school. I could also see that writing across the board was low. By using this data the school was able to develop an action plan to address these weaknesses. We could do the same exercise by analyzing the STaR chart for my school to identify weaknesses and develop an action plan to address these weaknesses. Before addressing current weaknesses I think it’s important to see the gains from the previous school year to the present school year. See table:
Key Area
SY 2007-08
SY 2008-09
Teaching and Learning
15
17
Educator Preparation and Development
14
18
Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support
18
18
Infrastructure for Technology
17
17
As you can see there were significant increases in the Teaching and Learning and Educator Preparation and Development. The increased were a result of increased staff development focused on these two areas. For the SY2008-09 all areas fell in the classification of Advanced Tech. There is still room to improve to attain scores in the Target Tech Area. To begin with the appropriate Infrastructure must be put into place to raise the score. Goals can be identified by using the Texas Long Term Technology 2006-20 Document. For example improving technical support and having broadband access 24/7 for all users. Leadership and Admin support could be improved in the areas of Instructional Support and Leadership, and Support of Online Learning. By improving in these areas we will be able to raise our scores to reach target tech. Educator Preparation and Development could see improvements in Capabilities of Educators and Levels of Understanding and Patterns of Use to improve scores. These weak areas could be addressed through appropriate staff development. Teaching and Learning could use some improvement in student mastery of technology applications and online learning. Once again, more professional development would be necessary to address these weak areas. Part of this professional development should include presenting information that has been gathered through AEIS data, STaR chart data, teacher surveys and evaluations, as well as student surveys and evaluations.
In addition to staff development that will address the identified weak areas for the teachers, we must improve the decision making process dealing with the integration of technology. A Technology Committee should be formed that includes all of the stakeholders. In the case of my school that would be a representative of the Board of Directors, the Principal, the Technology Specialist, a teacher from the upper grades, a teacher from the lower grades, and 2 parents. The committee should discuss the identified weaknesses of school technology and the best way to address these. What is advantageous about forming a committee is that all the stakeholders are involved and have a voice. Each can describe the issue and possible solutions from their perspective.
Evaluating the Plan:
Any plan that is put into place must also be evaluated. If we do not assess or evaluate what we are doing we will have no idea if the plan is producing the positive changes we are hoping for. As far as student improvement goes, after we have put our action plan into place we should compare next year’s STaR chart with the previous year. We can also compare next year’s AEIS data with the previous year (we are under the assumption that appropriate use of technology use should increase overall academic performance). We can also assess teacher performance through teacher evaluations (self and done by the administrator). After staff development, a teacher accountability check list can be used to verify that teachers are putting into practice what they have learned. The Principal or Technology Specialist can be responsible for overseeing and evaluating the checklist, as well as working with teachers who have not been able to complete the check list. Finally, the Technology Committee meetings and outcomes should be evaluated. This may also be done by a meeting outcome chart and evaluation. The chart could include goals to be accomplished by the next meeting (with the time frame and person in charge), what was accomplished since the last meeting, an explanation if certain goals were not accomplished. In addition, there could be a written evaluation of the meeting done by each participant, on what was accomplished, not accomplished, improvements that need to be made etc. Whichever of these evaluations are done, one person should be appointed as Committee chairperson who will evaluate them and make the necessary changes.
Board of Directors > Administration (Principal)> Technology Specialist> Students
Teachers>
Parents>
Responsibilities of each member:
The Board of Directors is responsible for approving the budget and major purchases (including technology). They look for funding when necessary and set tuition cost according to needs (including technology). They evaluate the feasibility of major purchases and infrastructure changes (for example a new computer lab).
The School Administration under the direction of the Principal will work closely with the Technology Specialist, Teachers, and Parents to determine the technological needs of the school . He/She will prioritize needs and communicate them to the Board of Directors. The Principal will also facilitate necessary staff development to train teachers in the use of implementing technology in the classroom. The Principal will also work with parents, communicating technology related issues (ie- cyberbullying, internet safety issues, school technology policy) when necessary.
The Technology Specialist will oversee the computer lab and other IT issues in the school. He/she will also assist in installing hardware and software in the schools computers. He/She will assist all Professional Development dealing with Technology to be aware of what teachers and students will be working with. He/She will assist teachers with computer needs. He/She will also work with students and teachers in the computer lab.
Teachers will research new educational uses for technology. He/She will work closely with students implementing technology into the curriculum. He/She will attend all professional development dealing with technology and be accountable for implementing information learned through professional development. He/She will monitor that students are not violating the school technology policy. He/She will work with the Technology Specialist to integrate technology into the classroom. He/She will work with parents to communicate technology related issues (ie- cyberbullying, internet safety issues, school technology policy) when necessary.
Parents will be asked to work with students at home to complete technology related assignments as well as oversee that their children abide by the school technology policy. They will also provide feedback to teachers and administration regarding technology issues.
Students will make sure they follow the school technology code/policy. They will also provide feedback to the Technology Specialist, Teachers, and Parents on new technology that can be incorporated into their education.
Action Plan
Before setting up an action plan we need to define our problem. The problem can only be defined through different assessments and evaluations. Once the problem has been defined than we can make an action plan on how we are going to address the problem. Once we have done that we need to assess ourselves and make sure that we have addressed the problem to the best of our ability.
When I analyzed the AEIS data and spoke with the school administration I was able to identify weaknesses in student performance. I could see that Reading Comprehension in the 3rd and 4th grades were very low in my school. I could also see that writing across the board was low. By using this data the school was able to develop an action plan to address these weaknesses. We could do the same exercise by analyzing the STaR chart for my school to identify weaknesses and develop an action plan to address these weaknesses. Before addressing current weaknesses I think it’s important to see the gains from the previous school year to the present school year. See table:
Key Area
SY 2007-08
SY 2008-09
Teaching and Learning
15
17
Educator Preparation and Development
14
18
Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support
18
18
Infrastructure for Technology
17
17
As you can see there were significant increases in the Teaching and Learning and Educator Preparation and Development. The increased were a result of increased staff development focused on these two areas. For the SY2008-09 all areas fell in the classification of Advanced Tech. There is still room to improve to attain scores in the Target Tech Area. To begin with the appropriate Infrastructure must be put into place to raise the score. Goals can be identified by using the Texas Long Term Technology 2006-20 Document. For example improving technical support and having broadband access 24/7 for all users. Leadership and Admin support could be improved in the areas of Instructional Support and Leadership, and Support of Online Learning. By improving in these areas we will be able to raise our scores to reach target tech. Educator Preparation and Development could see improvements in Capabilities of Educators and Levels of Understanding and Patterns of Use to improve scores. These weak areas could be addressed through appropriate staff development. Teaching and Learning could use some improvement in student mastery of technology applications and online learning. Once again, more professional development would be necessary to address these weak areas. Part of this professional development should include presenting information that has been gathered through AEIS data, STaR chart data, teacher surveys and evaluations, as well as student surveys and evaluations.
In addition to staff development that will address the identified weak areas for the teachers, we must improve the decision making process dealing with the integration of technology. A Technology Committee should be formed that includes all of the stakeholders. In the case of my school that would be a representative of the Board of Directors, the Principal, the Technology Specialist, a teacher from the upper grades, a teacher from the lower grades, and 2 parents. The committee should discuss the identified weaknesses of school technology and the best way to address these. What is advantageous about forming a committee is that all the stakeholders are involved and have a voice. Each can describe the issue and possible solutions from their perspective.
Evaluating the Plan:
Any plan that is put into place must also be evaluated. If we do not assess or evaluate what we are doing we will have no idea if the plan is producing the positive changes we are hoping for. As far as student improvement goes, after we have put our action plan into place we should compare next year’s STaR chart with the previous year. We can also compare next year’s AEIS data with the previous year (we are under the assumption that appropriate use of technology use should increase overall academic performance). We can also assess teacher performance through teacher evaluations (self and done by the administrator). After staff development, a teacher accountability check list can be used to verify that teachers are putting into practice what they have learned. The Principal or Technology Specialist can be responsible for overseeing and evaluating the checklist, as well as working with teachers who have not been able to complete the check list. Finally, the Technology Committee meetings and outcomes should be evaluated. This may also be done by a meeting outcome chart and evaluation. The chart could include goals to be accomplished by the next meeting (with the time frame and person in charge), what was accomplished since the last meeting, an explanation if certain goals were not accomplished. In addition, there could be a written evaluation of the meeting done by each participant, on what was accomplished, not accomplished, improvements that need to be made etc. Whichever of these evaluations are done, one person should be appointed as Committee chairperson who will evaluate them and make the necessary changes.
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