• 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 really envisioned learning a lot more about technological tools. We were able to learn how to blog and share blogs and there was an article teaching how to sign up for an RSS feed. However, other than that, there was not a lot of new technology to learn from. But in the process, we were able to learn much about the laws and restrictions that are present in education when using others’ work. I found that to be really interesting. I also appreciated the articles and learned much from them. Often as adults we assume that our students have been taught about online safety and this course really reiterated that we need to take that responsibility on as educators. While the course may not have been what I envisioned, it was still very beneficial and I learned a lot. I did not achieve the outcomes and they were not aligned, but the information I was able to learn was certainly helpful.
• 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 that were achieved were surely relevant to the work that I do. I am an administrator at my school. Coming from a technologically rich district into this one I have been able to compare the similarities and differences in the two. I have found that to be really interesting. I remember in my previous district we had to meet a technology standard and actually turn in projects to our technology specialists. They were always there to help if we needed them, but we were forced to go through a lot of technology training. I see that lacking in my current district. I also see that in my school, we have been put on a technology hold. The district will not pour any more money into technology for our school because we will be going through a rebuild within the next couple of years. My teachers need training now with the technology that we do have so they are able to use it to their fullest abilities.
• What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I would like more information on how to use things like blogs and podcasts for particular classes. I am not really sure how they could be used in a math or science class. And how do you make sure that all students have available technology to view them? We are in a low SES school and although many students do have iPods, they are not all video and not all students even have them. I think a lot of the ideas presented were really fun and would be engaging to the students, but I would like to know how to make them work on my particular campus where we are lacking. I would also like to know how to progress an entire district forward though I am just one assistant principal. We have so many solid initiatives within our school that I would hate to throw another one at our teachers without taking something else away. We have a huge focus on the work of Dr. Marzano and I would hate to see any of that overshadowed.
• Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was able to finish all the course assignments. A couple of them I had to turn in after the initial deadline. The things that prevented me from getting them in on time involved personal issues and stresses at home. I am currently going through a divorce with two little children and working full time as an Assistant Principal. It was actually nice not to have to do the exams though. It made it much easier that we were able to work at our own pace to meet the deadline without a smaller deadline and window of taking an exam.
• What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
I learned a lot about myself from this particular course. I learned that I have a lot way to go to be a true technologically based instructional leader. I thought I was very well prepared to do this, but there is so much I don’t know. It is a little overwhelming how much is out there and available and teachers have so little time for discovery of that material. At least now, from this course, I am more equipped to find out where to go to find answers. I need to find all the opportunities I can to help teachers learn it easier. If it is simply left up to teachers to go and find it themselves, they will have way too many time restraints to be able to do that. I need to provide them with as much time as possible to collaborate and think of ways to incorporate technology into their content.
• What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
The educational value of blogs for the 21st century learner is that they will be much more engaged. Millennial learners are a collaborative community. They may not read much in the way of books, but they read dozens of facebook pages daily. It is a different type of learner than the learner I was. These students crave technology and really, they need it to be equipped for the jobs of the future. Teachers that teach with a book, paper and pencil are doing their students a disservice.
• What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
There are a few concerns I see in blogging. The first is that teachers are not equipped to teach how it is done. They could actually benefit from having students show them, but many are stuck in their ways and not interested in having the help. Another concern is that students are not knowledgeable on how to safely navigate the waters of the Internet while protecting themselves. Again, teachers also do not all have that knowledge so they are not equipped to teach the students how. Some professional development and giving time for teachers to play around with the idea could help greatly though.
• How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
As the 11th grade Assistant Principal, I could blog to update my parents and students on changes made throughout the school. I could post important dates and even the great things I am seeing happening in the classroom. I am sure parents would like an inside eye into the school and have those kinds of updates. We have a website that is updated often, but it is not as current as what a blog could be. If I want to make a change to the website I have to send that change to the teacher that controls it and then wait for her to make the post. If I were blogging and had parents subscribe to my blogs then the changes would be immediate.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Action Plan
Job Title Name Role
Principal Phil Warrick- Responsible for the overall vision and implemenation of instructional technology. Will monitor the overall progress of technology integration into instructional practice on the campus. Finally, will determine with input from stakeholders what technology will be invested in for the campus.
Associate Principal Natalie Nichols- Responsible for reporting directly to the principal on the integration progress of individual departments. Will be the chief data collection hub for determining technogy’s effect on student achievement. Coordinate professional development for successful implementation of instructional technology.
Assistant Principal Team- Courtney Gouner, Dina Schafer, Sterling Scott, Tim Simonds, Mario Acosta Responsible for managing individual content departments. Supervize teachers and coach teachers into approriately integrating technology into their daily instruction. Deliver professional development to individual departments. Produce data sets to associate principal to measure effectiveness of technology integration.
Core Area Teachers- Round Rock High Teachers Incorporate technology into daily lessons. Intentionally marry technology with Marzano’s high probability strategies.
Career & Technology Teachers- Round Rock High Teachers Instruct students on how to deepen their technolgy abilities by having students use technology in application situations.
Campus Instructional Technology Specialists- Melanie Boecking, Daniel Evans Responible for assisting in delivering professional development to teachers on how to incorporate technology into their instructional practices. Be able to provide technical support to teachers.
Associate Superintendent of Secondary Schools - Rosena Malone Responsible for overall district integration of technology into classroom instruction. Responsible for making decisions based on data collected throughout the district as to the effectiveness of technology integration.
Director of Secondary Education- Pedro Galaviz Responsible for working directly with campus principals and helping monitor technology integration into calssroom instruction. Coordinating district wide, aligned professional development for technology integration.
Director of Instructional Technology- Mary Jo Humphreys Responsible for delivering district wide professional development for technology integration. Responsible for data collection regarding effectiveness of technology integration district wide.
Lead Technology Integration Specialist- Robert Alford Responsible for delivering district wide professional development for technology integration. Responsible for data collection regarding effectiveness of technology integration district wide. Working directly with campus technology specialists in order to provide technology needs to each individual campus.
Professional Development Plan
EPMS and Cognos- Teaching teachers how to use EPMS and Cognos to sort, filter, and find information on the district database. This includes past state and district assessments.
Using Minnie- This professional development walks teachers through the Minnie database to find student information including transcripts, progress reports, TAKS scores and discipline data.
The Millennial Learner and their needs Technology tools for the classroom-
• Using the cell phone as an instructional tool
• Student use of Smart boards
• Using the Turning Point clicker immediate feedback formative assessment system.
• Incorporating the intelligent classroom
Evaluation Plan
• Surveys after each of the three professional development sessions.
• Survey teachers each six weeks on technology use and data collection as it changes classroom instruction.
• Survey Students on technology use in the classroom.
• Monitor StAR Chart surveys and use to guide professional development.
Principal Phil Warrick- Responsible for the overall vision and implemenation of instructional technology. Will monitor the overall progress of technology integration into instructional practice on the campus. Finally, will determine with input from stakeholders what technology will be invested in for the campus.
Associate Principal Natalie Nichols- Responsible for reporting directly to the principal on the integration progress of individual departments. Will be the chief data collection hub for determining technogy’s effect on student achievement. Coordinate professional development for successful implementation of instructional technology.
Assistant Principal Team- Courtney Gouner, Dina Schafer, Sterling Scott, Tim Simonds, Mario Acosta Responsible for managing individual content departments. Supervize teachers and coach teachers into approriately integrating technology into their daily instruction. Deliver professional development to individual departments. Produce data sets to associate principal to measure effectiveness of technology integration.
Core Area Teachers- Round Rock High Teachers Incorporate technology into daily lessons. Intentionally marry technology with Marzano’s high probability strategies.
Career & Technology Teachers- Round Rock High Teachers Instruct students on how to deepen their technolgy abilities by having students use technology in application situations.
Campus Instructional Technology Specialists- Melanie Boecking, Daniel Evans Responible for assisting in delivering professional development to teachers on how to incorporate technology into their instructional practices. Be able to provide technical support to teachers.
Associate Superintendent of Secondary Schools - Rosena Malone Responsible for overall district integration of technology into classroom instruction. Responsible for making decisions based on data collected throughout the district as to the effectiveness of technology integration.
Director of Secondary Education- Pedro Galaviz Responsible for working directly with campus principals and helping monitor technology integration into calssroom instruction. Coordinating district wide, aligned professional development for technology integration.
Director of Instructional Technology- Mary Jo Humphreys Responsible for delivering district wide professional development for technology integration. Responsible for data collection regarding effectiveness of technology integration district wide.
Lead Technology Integration Specialist- Robert Alford Responsible for delivering district wide professional development for technology integration. Responsible for data collection regarding effectiveness of technology integration district wide. Working directly with campus technology specialists in order to provide technology needs to each individual campus.
Professional Development Plan
EPMS and Cognos- Teaching teachers how to use EPMS and Cognos to sort, filter, and find information on the district database. This includes past state and district assessments.
Using Minnie- This professional development walks teachers through the Minnie database to find student information including transcripts, progress reports, TAKS scores and discipline data.
The Millennial Learner and their needs Technology tools for the classroom-
• Using the cell phone as an instructional tool
• Student use of Smart boards
• Using the Turning Point clicker immediate feedback formative assessment system.
• Incorporating the intelligent classroom
Evaluation Plan
• Surveys after each of the three professional development sessions.
• Survey teachers each six weeks on technology use and data collection as it changes classroom instruction.
• Survey Students on technology use in the classroom.
• Monitor StAR Chart surveys and use to guide professional development.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Pre K Technology Applications TEKS
These Pre-K TEKS are fascinating. I have a daughter that is three and I feel like I have really not been letting her get on a computer as much as she could be. I'm thinking about how much she should be able to do in a year and a half, after her first year of Pre-K and it is amazing. These students should be able to basically navigate through programs and be able to use the basic parts of a computer including a touch screen.
One of the scaffolding opportunities that I am seeing is in the ability for students to appropriately use the hardware and software of a computer. In Pre-K it starts off by being able to use the mouse, keyboard, recording parts and other basic hardware. By the time they are in high school, they have built on to use the hard ware for much more complicated processes like sharing information between each other. Students are also able to use much more complicated software by high school. They are no longer navigating through programs, but actually building programs.
One of the scaffolding opportunities that I am seeing is in the ability for students to appropriately use the hardware and software of a computer. In Pre-K it starts off by being able to use the mouse, keyboard, recording parts and other basic hardware. By the time they are in high school, they have built on to use the hard ware for much more complicated processes like sharing information between each other. Students are also able to use much more complicated software by high school. They are no longer navigating through programs, but actually building programs.
Assignment 1 Long Range Plan New Information
To begin with, I did not even know there was a plan for implementing technology into school districts. It makes perfect sense that there would be, but I had just never seen it before. I remember at my previous school district, they were very strict about everyone meeting the technology standards of the district. Each year we had to increase our "technology level" by performing various tasks that we could then later use in the classroom. At the end of the year though, I do remember completing the STaR evaluation and there were many things we were able to check off as having knowledge of or being able to use in the classroom because we had already done it in our own self-paced training. It became a part of our evaluation. Now I see that it was clearly connected to this long range plan for the state.
I really believe that today's students are so different than those of 10 years ago. These students learn so differently because they have been exposed to such a wide variety of technological advances. They grew up knowing how to burn cds at an age where I was buying my first one. They learn so much better on technology and they need to learn how to use it appropriately.
I really believe that today's students are so different than those of 10 years ago. These students learn so differently because they have been exposed to such a wide variety of technological advances. They grew up knowing how to burn cds at an age where I was buying my first one. They learn so much better on technology and they need to learn how to use it appropriately.
Texas Long Range Plan for Technology
Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support
Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support has a vision of school leaders doing everything they can to support teachers in implementing technology during instruction. School leaders hold the responsibility for setting a vision for their school in terms of technology use in the classroom. They are to model using technology and train teachers in professional development in effective technology based instruction. Administrators should be completing needs based assessments and making decisions based on the data they receive. At our school, we implemented a technology committee, however I am not sure yet what strides this committee has made. We also have distance education programs where students are able to gain college credit for their coursework. My recommendation would be to closely monitor these two resources and see how they can best fit the needs of our students.
The trends in both state and national progress are that schools are improving their technology use, but not at the rate that fits the needs of our millennial learners. Teachers old and young are working to implement technology use in their classroom, however, students are so far ahead that often our efforts are lacking. There is so much available to teachers that it can be overwhelming to begin digging in. Another issue is that teachers often try to use new technology in the old ways. They are not really getting the full potential out of programs and technological equipment. If teachers would give students more freedom to use technology the way they know how, and train them as to what is appropriate, they would find that students really can learn so much!
Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support has a vision of school leaders doing everything they can to support teachers in implementing technology during instruction. School leaders hold the responsibility for setting a vision for their school in terms of technology use in the classroom. They are to model using technology and train teachers in professional development in effective technology based instruction. Administrators should be completing needs based assessments and making decisions based on the data they receive. At our school, we implemented a technology committee, however I am not sure yet what strides this committee has made. We also have distance education programs where students are able to gain college credit for their coursework. My recommendation would be to closely monitor these two resources and see how they can best fit the needs of our students.
The trends in both state and national progress are that schools are improving their technology use, but not at the rate that fits the needs of our millennial learners. Teachers old and young are working to implement technology use in their classroom, however, students are so far ahead that often our efforts are lacking. There is so much available to teachers that it can be overwhelming to begin digging in. Another issue is that teachers often try to use new technology in the old ways. They are not really getting the full potential out of programs and technological equipment. If teachers would give students more freedom to use technology the way they know how, and train them as to what is appropriate, they would find that students really can learn so much!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Technology Assessments
In the Technology Applications Inventory, I realized many areas where I did not realize I was lacking. In the Foundations domain I answered twelve questions with a check in the “yes” column and six under the “no”. Within this section, there are many technical terms that I do not know such as cross platform, RAM requirements, various digital file formats, and how to capture files with fewer than 125k. I may be able to figure these things out if I needed, but I have not looked into that. In the Acquisition domain I only did not know the difference between vector graphic files and bit-mapped graphic files. Under the Problem Solving domain I simply had not used linear or non-linear multimedia projects with text, audio, video, and graphics. My weaknesses under the last domain of Communication include matching chart style to the data and creating multimedia presentations. I also had not used procedures to track trends or set timelines.
The SETDA building survey was very eye opening. We are lacking technology and the monitoring of student progress in use of technology as a campus. We are not tracking any data on how technology affects student performance and we are not mandating that teachers use any particular type of technology in the classroom with any minimum frequency. Part of the problem lies within the fact that we are an extremely old school and will be rebuilt within the next five years. The district is unwilling to pour money into technology before we get our new facilities. This will be difficult as we are moving to Career and Technology Academies next year and will not have enough technology to support that change.
I agree with the assessments. It was a great exercise for me because I was able to pinpoint not only my own weaknesses, but our weaknesses as a school and even district.
The SETDA building survey was very eye opening. We are lacking technology and the monitoring of student progress in use of technology as a campus. We are not tracking any data on how technology affects student performance and we are not mandating that teachers use any particular type of technology in the classroom with any minimum frequency. Part of the problem lies within the fact that we are an extremely old school and will be rebuilt within the next five years. The district is unwilling to pour money into technology before we get our new facilities. This will be difficult as we are moving to Career and Technology Academies next year and will not have enough technology to support that change.
I agree with the assessments. It was a great exercise for me because I was able to pinpoint not only my own weaknesses, but our weaknesses as a school and even district.
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