I entered this classroom with my eyes wide open. I did not feel comfortable utilizing technology, and was not sure what type of technology was available out there to use. My goal for the course was to gain an understanding of instructional technology and take steps toward integrating this technology into my classroom. As I progressed through the course, I began to become more comfortable with instructional technology and I started looking at the technology as tool that would help improve learning and motivate my students to become more engaged in learning. I feel like this class has opened my eyes to what is out there for students and teachers to utilize for education. I also learned that I am a technology immigrant, and I have a lot to learn. This course helped me reach my goals, and the outcomes caused me to take a look at my teaching style. It caused me to be more reflective, and made me realize it was time for me to make a change.
At the beginning of this course, I surveyed my students to assess their understanding of technology. I learned my students are extremely comfortable with technology. Based on their level of understanding, I started giving my students options when it comes to homework. The students are allowed to email me their homework, they can post homework to my class blog, and they hold discussions on-line through my blackboard site. I will continue to use this technology and research other types of technology to implement into my classroom. This course also required me to analyze my school and the district improvement plans. I was shocked realize that our school did not address technology in the Campus Improvement Plan. The District Improvement Plan was full of Technology goals. I feel like technology should be a focus on every campus in the 21st Century. The kids need to be plugged in at school as much as they are a home, or else we risk losing them.
One factor that is always an issue for any educator is time. One outcome that I wanted to achieve was the implementation of a grade level website. I started this project, but I just ran out of time. I believe a grade level website would be beneficial to parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community members. The website would allow updated/current information at the click of the mouse. This is a project that I hope to complete by the end of the year in preparation for next year.
When preparing and working on the assignments in this course, I feel that I was successful. Time was an issue, but I pushed on and did not give up. I found the articles to be interesting and insightful. I was able to learn a great deal from the articles. The discussion board postings were also beneficial because it gave me a chance to hear from my classmates. The only drawback from the assignments came from the written work. Creating staff development sessions that focus on instructional technology will help me with my future placement as an administrator, but to create and implement in such a short time frame was extremely difficult. Overall, the assignments had meaning and purpose.
Taking this course has changed my attitude, skills, and my view on instructional technology. I am now more comfortable with technology, and I have already changed my planning ideas to incorporate more technology into my lessons. I was afraid of technology before this course. I would not utilize a large amount of technology, and now I have changed my view. My skill level was rather low at the beginning of the course, and now it has increased. I am by far not an expert, but I am no longer afraid to try new things in my classroom. As a future school administrator, I now have a baseline of knowledge concerning technology and I also have a first hand account of how easy and effective instructional technology can be in the learning environment.
Before taking this course, I had a very limited knowledge of the blogging world. I had heard of blogging and I have had several friends that had blogs, but I did not know about their educational use. Now that I have a better understanding of blogs and blogging, I can see the educational power of a blog. Blogging is a platform which opens up communication between teachers and students. Blogs also allow for collaboration between teachers, parents, and professionals. Blogging can be used for online discussions that can take place day or night. Blogs allow for timely feedback from posts and discussions. I think the use of blogs and blogging will continue to increase as we focus on technology goals for the 21st century.
The educational concerns of blogs and blogging are very much in line with internet use. Blogs can be accessed by people from outside of the community. On-line safety is always a concern when working with students. Students often have a false sense of security when it comes to working in cyberspace. There is always a threat of students posting personal information or provocative or inappropriate images/content on the blog. Schools have to be aware of the dangers and train our students on the proper use of the blog. I believe with proper training the majority of the students will use this tool the way it was intended. However, safety measures have to be in place and practiced.
Blogging can be used to increase communication with educational stakeholders through the use of on-line discussions, current topics covered in class, future topics, and other important dates. Blogs can also be used as an on-line newspaper to keep parents in the loop of what is going on with their child’s class and school. I also think you could use blogs to increase partnerships between community members and the school. It would allow instant access for each partner. The blog could also increase the parents’ interest in community events. The blog serves as a multi-dimensional communication device that can be accessed anytime of day from any computer that has internet access. Instructional technology has been around for awhile, but it is still in its infant state. The horizon is limitless as long as everyone continues to be a life-long learners and learn as much as possible.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Mooneyham STaR Chart Powerpoint Presentation
Powerpoint Presentation
View more presentations from Amy Gray.
Powerpoint Presentation
View more presentations from Amy Gray.
STaR Chart opinion piece
Technology is an area that I do not feel very comfortable with. When I look at our campus STaR chart, I notice that the area of Educator Preparation and Development is an area that our campus needs to improve in. When I look at the different levels of this area, I notice many things that our campus and even our district are not doing to help support our integration of technology. We have staff development in the summer to teach us how to use new technology, but we are not taught how to integrate this new technology into our curriculum. We are also not given the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers in the same grade level across the district to find ways to integrate all of this technology into our classroom. Teachers must be able to appropriately integrate this technology into the curriculum in order for our students to benefit from it.
We want our students to be life-long learners, and we also need to continue to learn as educators. In order for our students to continue to grow and be successful in the future, we have to lay the technology foundation for our students. I teach at an elementary, and I feel like many of the students know more about technology than I do. I think many teachers fear the “unknown”. Also, in order for students to be able to use technology in a way that will make them creative thinkers, teachers have to give up some control of their classroom in a way they are not used to doing. I think teachers have to continue to learn more and change their way of teaching.
Also, when I look at the Educator Preparation and Development area, I see this area as having a direct impact on the area of Teaching and Learning. I think if teachers had more support, they would be able to implement more technology in their classroom. I think the staff development of integrating technology needs to continue to be ongoing throughout the year, not just in the summer when school is not even in session for you to use the ideas right away.
Through looking at the STaR Chart, I have really been thinking more and more about my teaching in my classroom. It has really made me analyze the activities that I have my students do in the content areas. I have also thought about ways to change those lessons to integrate technology and still teach the same concept.
The Long-rang plan for technology, 2006-2020. (2006). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html.
School technology and readiness. (2009). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://starchart.esc12.net/.
We want our students to be life-long learners, and we also need to continue to learn as educators. In order for our students to continue to grow and be successful in the future, we have to lay the technology foundation for our students. I teach at an elementary, and I feel like many of the students know more about technology than I do. I think many teachers fear the “unknown”. Also, in order for students to be able to use technology in a way that will make them creative thinkers, teachers have to give up some control of their classroom in a way they are not used to doing. I think teachers have to continue to learn more and change their way of teaching.
Also, when I look at the Educator Preparation and Development area, I see this area as having a direct impact on the area of Teaching and Learning. I think if teachers had more support, they would be able to implement more technology in their classroom. I think the staff development of integrating technology needs to continue to be ongoing throughout the year, not just in the summer when school is not even in session for you to use the ideas right away.
Through looking at the STaR Chart, I have really been thinking more and more about my teaching in my classroom. It has really made me analyze the activities that I have my students do in the content areas. I have also thought about ways to change those lessons to integrate technology and still teach the same concept.
The Long-rang plan for technology, 2006-2020. (2006). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html.
School technology and readiness. (2009). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://starchart.esc12.net/.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Technology Applications TEKS
The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS create a foundation for the students’ future learning. The child is able to become more aware of technology around them, and use technology to enhance their learning. The students are expected to be able to follow basic directions to operate programs successfully. They should be able to name and use a variety of input devices. They should be able to learn new information with the use of technology and use software applications to create and express their own ideas. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)
Pre-K TEKS lay the foundation for student performance in future grades by exposing them to the basic information. Once they have the foundation, teachers are able to continue to move ahead with more advanced applications. It is like building a house. You have to have the first layers of bricks before you can add to that. Students have to have the basic first layer before teachers add to that knowledge. Teachers are able to connect the ideas to previously learned information for better understanding. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)
There are many different opportunities that students have to master the skills needed to be successful with technology. Within the Communication strand, starting in the Pre-K, the child uses software applications to create and express their own ideas. They use this software to enhance their learning experience. In K-2, the students need to be able to create products and make sure they are appropriate for the communication media. In 3-5, students are expected to use the knowledge they have already acquired in the earlier grades to format digital information but they must also be able to use graphics. Added to that, they will be using spreadsheets and data bases to develop charts and graphs by using data from various sources. In 6-8, students must continue to use the previously acquired skills and communicate information using slide shows, posters, multimedia presentations, newsletters, brochures, and reports. They must be able to create a variety of spreadsheet layouts. They are also required to match the chart style to data when creating and labeling charts. In high school, students must be able to continue to use the previously acquired skills and be able to format digital information for appropriate and effective communication. They also must annotate coding properly with comments, indentation, and formatting. They also must create interactive documents using modeling, simulation and hypertext. When the students move from one group to the other, they are continuing to use and perfect the previously learned information while adding a new and more complex skill. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)
Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS. (2005). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/ta/stustd.html.
Pre-K TEKS lay the foundation for student performance in future grades by exposing them to the basic information. Once they have the foundation, teachers are able to continue to move ahead with more advanced applications. It is like building a house. You have to have the first layers of bricks before you can add to that. Students have to have the basic first layer before teachers add to that knowledge. Teachers are able to connect the ideas to previously learned information for better understanding. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)
There are many different opportunities that students have to master the skills needed to be successful with technology. Within the Communication strand, starting in the Pre-K, the child uses software applications to create and express their own ideas. They use this software to enhance their learning experience. In K-2, the students need to be able to create products and make sure they are appropriate for the communication media. In 3-5, students are expected to use the knowledge they have already acquired in the earlier grades to format digital information but they must also be able to use graphics. Added to that, they will be using spreadsheets and data bases to develop charts and graphs by using data from various sources. In 6-8, students must continue to use the previously acquired skills and communicate information using slide shows, posters, multimedia presentations, newsletters, brochures, and reports. They must be able to create a variety of spreadsheet layouts. They are also required to match the chart style to data when creating and labeling charts. In high school, students must be able to continue to use the previously acquired skills and be able to format digital information for appropriate and effective communication. They also must annotate coding properly with comments, indentation, and formatting. They also must create interactive documents using modeling, simulation and hypertext. When the students move from one group to the other, they are continuing to use and perfect the previously learned information while adding a new and more complex skill. (Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS, 2005)
Technology Applications Student Standards for EC-12: Prekindergarten Guidelines and K-12 TEKS. (2005). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/ta/stustd.html.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Long Range Plan for Technology
The vision 2020 is a set of goals for students, educators, leaders, and infrastructure. These goals include students learning in a real-world setting. They have access to the needed technology for them to be successful. Educators will be prepared to teach students in this type of setting. The teachers will be more knowledgeable of the technology that is available and how to use that technology to support student’s learning. Leaders will support educators so they have the resources they need to implement this type of learning. The infrastructure will support the learners, educators, and leaders to ensure they have the tools they need to implement the technologies. The infrastructure will ensure they have the most up to date information and access whenever they need it. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
The world is changing rapidly. We need to prepare our students for the future. When they need to find a job, they will be expected to be able to use this technology and use it efficiently in our globally diverse society. We need to provide our students with the opportunity to be proficient in technology, so they will have an equal opportunity to find a quality job. We want them to be able to continually learn and change in our ever changing world. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
The 21st Century learner is one that comes to us and questions their learning. They want to know the purpose of their learning, and want to know how they relate it to their lives. We also know now that many students learn differently. As educators, we must be able to teach all students in a way that they can understand the information and in a way that they can use that information. Today’s students have access to many different types of technologies. They expect to be able to use technology in the schools also. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
Most teachers use technology of some kind. Half of the teachers feel average with their technology skills. Teachers found that they had an increase in student engagement and student achievement with the use of technology. Most teachers want more staff development in the area of integrating the technology into their curriculum and instruction. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
Students need to be fully engaged in their learning. With the use of technology, students are able to learn about the world around them, even if they are not able to leave their community. Students with learning needs are able to have their needs met more efficiently with the use of technology. Using technology allows educators to give all students the educational opportunities they need to be successful in school and even beyond. The use of technology allows us to better prepare our students for the 21st century. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
As educators, we need to be prepared to make changes in the way we educate our students. We must be able to meet the needs of all of our students. In today’s society, those needs are becoming more and more diverse between each student. Teachers must be able to incorporate technology appropriately in their classroom, so that students are able to connect their learning to their world, and in order to do this, we must be educated ourselves. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
We need qualified leadership to support our technology efforts in the classroom. We need to have administrators that are knowledgeable of the importance of technology in the classroom. As an administrator, they must find ways to ensure their educators are using technology to prepare the students for their future. Leaders need to ensure all students’ records will be recoverable in case of a disaster. Administration needs to be able to facilitate meetings where all campuses are having input in technology goals and how to implement those goals. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
The infrastructure of a district is the main support for all areas of the technology plan. Some schools are no longer able to maintain the technology communication they once had because of funding. Texas must continue to support those schools, so they can continue to follow the plan and support the students’ learning. You must have qualified, reliable technology support personnel to ensure the technology is always running correctly. A 21st century infrastructure must be able to meet all students’ needs. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
In order to know the technology needs of our students, ETAC has worked very closely with many levels in education to determine the needs of students and educators. All levels of education must work together to ensure our students are prepared to compete in our global economy. The investment we put into our students today will benefit our economy in the future with our students being knowledgeable and capable of using technology in the job market and to run our country in the future. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
As an instructional leader, my learning can assist me to guide my educators in the right direction to teach our students in the most benficial way for them to learn. I will be able to better support my teachers with their technology goals. I will also be able to help support my educators better when they have questions or concerns about the use of technology. I also think as an instructional leader I have a better understanding of the importance of technology in the classroom, so I will be able to hold my teachers more accountable for implementing technology into their classrooms. In holding them accountable, I would want to be able to support those teachers in finding ways to implement technology into the curriculum. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020. (2006). Texas Education Agency.
Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html.
The world is changing rapidly. We need to prepare our students for the future. When they need to find a job, they will be expected to be able to use this technology and use it efficiently in our globally diverse society. We need to provide our students with the opportunity to be proficient in technology, so they will have an equal opportunity to find a quality job. We want them to be able to continually learn and change in our ever changing world. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
The 21st Century learner is one that comes to us and questions their learning. They want to know the purpose of their learning, and want to know how they relate it to their lives. We also know now that many students learn differently. As educators, we must be able to teach all students in a way that they can understand the information and in a way that they can use that information. Today’s students have access to many different types of technologies. They expect to be able to use technology in the schools also. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
Most teachers use technology of some kind. Half of the teachers feel average with their technology skills. Teachers found that they had an increase in student engagement and student achievement with the use of technology. Most teachers want more staff development in the area of integrating the technology into their curriculum and instruction. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
Students need to be fully engaged in their learning. With the use of technology, students are able to learn about the world around them, even if they are not able to leave their community. Students with learning needs are able to have their needs met more efficiently with the use of technology. Using technology allows educators to give all students the educational opportunities they need to be successful in school and even beyond. The use of technology allows us to better prepare our students for the 21st century. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
As educators, we need to be prepared to make changes in the way we educate our students. We must be able to meet the needs of all of our students. In today’s society, those needs are becoming more and more diverse between each student. Teachers must be able to incorporate technology appropriately in their classroom, so that students are able to connect their learning to their world, and in order to do this, we must be educated ourselves. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
We need qualified leadership to support our technology efforts in the classroom. We need to have administrators that are knowledgeable of the importance of technology in the classroom. As an administrator, they must find ways to ensure their educators are using technology to prepare the students for their future. Leaders need to ensure all students’ records will be recoverable in case of a disaster. Administration needs to be able to facilitate meetings where all campuses are having input in technology goals and how to implement those goals. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
The infrastructure of a district is the main support for all areas of the technology plan. Some schools are no longer able to maintain the technology communication they once had because of funding. Texas must continue to support those schools, so they can continue to follow the plan and support the students’ learning. You must have qualified, reliable technology support personnel to ensure the technology is always running correctly. A 21st century infrastructure must be able to meet all students’ needs. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
In order to know the technology needs of our students, ETAC has worked very closely with many levels in education to determine the needs of students and educators. All levels of education must work together to ensure our students are prepared to compete in our global economy. The investment we put into our students today will benefit our economy in the future with our students being knowledgeable and capable of using technology in the job market and to run our country in the future. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
As an instructional leader, my learning can assist me to guide my educators in the right direction to teach our students in the most benficial way for them to learn. I will be able to better support my teachers with their technology goals. I will also be able to help support my educators better when they have questions or concerns about the use of technology. I also think as an instructional leader I have a better understanding of the importance of technology in the classroom, so I will be able to hold my teachers more accountable for implementing technology into their classrooms. In holding them accountable, I would want to be able to support those teachers in finding ways to implement technology into the curriculum. (The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020, 2006)
The Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020. (2006). Texas Education Agency.
Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt/lrpt_lrpt.html.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Reflections of Technology Assessments
After completing the two assessments, I discovered many things about myself and my school with regards to technology. There are many more areas of technology that I did not even know I knew nothing about. I now have a better idea of areas that I need to focus more attention on as a teacher and a future administrator.
From the Technology Applications Inventory, I determined that I am strongest in the Domain of Solving Problems. I am able to find information and determine its validity. My areas of weakness were Foundations and Communication. In Foundations, I am able to complete basic tasks with a computer however, I do not know much of the specific vocabulary for technology. In the Domain of Communication, I am capable of creating basic projects, but my knowledge does not go far beyond spreadsheets and word processing.
From the SETDA Teacher Survey, I really found myself questioning my teaching style. The questions about thinking about how technology would enhance my lesson really hit a nerve with me. This is something that I think is very important with our students today, but this is not something I do very often. I think our school knows it is important, but it is not required or rewarded, therefore many teachers do not do it. I think time is a major issue at every school. I know for me, I went to some workshops this summer that were provided by the district, on technology. They had some great information. What I need now, is to be able to sit down with other fifth grade teachers and plan ways to use this great technology. I think our district has many of these things available, but being able to put them in place at the appropriate time is where I am having trouble. We only have three computers in our classrooms, so it is very difficult to rotate all of my students through during a class period. I know my school does not use technology near enough. I think we are doing our students an injustice by not utilizing all of the technology available to us. We are preparing our students for the future, and they need to be able to use this technology efficiently.
I think both of these assessments are correct. Technology is not a strong area of mine. I think these assessments not only let me assess my areas of growth, but it let me see areas to look at as a future administrator for my school.
From the Technology Applications Inventory, I determined that I am strongest in the Domain of Solving Problems. I am able to find information and determine its validity. My areas of weakness were Foundations and Communication. In Foundations, I am able to complete basic tasks with a computer however, I do not know much of the specific vocabulary for technology. In the Domain of Communication, I am capable of creating basic projects, but my knowledge does not go far beyond spreadsheets and word processing.
From the SETDA Teacher Survey, I really found myself questioning my teaching style. The questions about thinking about how technology would enhance my lesson really hit a nerve with me. This is something that I think is very important with our students today, but this is not something I do very often. I think our school knows it is important, but it is not required or rewarded, therefore many teachers do not do it. I think time is a major issue at every school. I know for me, I went to some workshops this summer that were provided by the district, on technology. They had some great information. What I need now, is to be able to sit down with other fifth grade teachers and plan ways to use this great technology. I think our district has many of these things available, but being able to put them in place at the appropriate time is where I am having trouble. We only have three computers in our classrooms, so it is very difficult to rotate all of my students through during a class period. I know my school does not use technology near enough. I think we are doing our students an injustice by not utilizing all of the technology available to us. We are preparing our students for the future, and they need to be able to use this technology efficiently.
I think both of these assessments are correct. Technology is not a strong area of mine. I think these assessments not only let me assess my areas of growth, but it let me see areas to look at as a future administrator for my school.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)