Continued Response to Web Conference

Once properly trained on using the software, I can see where using a web conference would allow for collaboration beyond the regular classroom and beyond the regular school day. This would allow for greater learning potential and free some of the classroom time for other activities. Clarification of assignments would be another useful tool. Parents could also communicate with teachers in a more personal way. This aspect would help create a sense of belonging for the parents and the end result would most likely be greater parental involvement and increased student success. Educationally, the students would gain from learning in an environment that would allow them to feel more secure about asking questions. It would be interesting to do a study in the use of web conferences, blogs, and pod casting and the effects on student grades, and overall success.

Web Conference 3/20/2011

Wow! That was my first experience in a web conference and I can honestly say that it was not a good one. I am glad that I was able to sign on early and was able to participate. There were far too many people trying to participate and the audio was bad. We also had an issue with the screen flipping back and forth between screens which made it nearly impossible to participate. According to Dr. Abernathy, someone who was participating was causing the issue. I am saddened to think that a professional would knowingly do such a thing. The only thing I can imagine is that whom ever was responsible did not realize that what they were doing was causing the problem. Perhaps we need further instructions on how to use the software.

Action Plan Technology Implementation

Professional Development Plan for the purpose of incorporating technology into curriculum.

The district has the following goal that 100% of teachers will incorporate technology into their curriculum. The district also has the goal of having all campuses having and maintaining a blog, podcast or wiki. (NEISD, 2010) I believe that we can use professional development to help meet both of those goals. One of the factors that was brought to light through the interviews was that while some teachers are allowing students to use their cell phones in class for educational purposes; most teachers do not know how to incorporate technology into their lessons. Therefore, resources that would help engage students are going unused. This professional development will empower the teachers with the knowledge and ability to integrate any of the three formats in their lesson plans.

Time Line: August 15-19, 2011

Objective: To train teachers in ways to incorporate pod casting, wiki's, and blogs into their lesson plans thereby meeting two of the district's DIC goals.

Goals:
1. Teachers will be able to effectively use pod casts to facilitate student growth.
2. Teachers will work collaboratively to plan lessons using wiki's.
3. Teachers will create at least one lesson in which a blog is used as a discussion forum for the students.

Equipment Needed

1. Laptops
2. I-pods/mp3 players (personal items brought by teachers)
3. Curriculum materials
4. Projectors
5. Hand outs with necessary instructions
6. Power point presentations of instructions with examples of lessons that use the technology being addressed.

Facilitators
Gary Comalander AP
Departmental Deans
George Moreno Technology Committee Chairperson
Terri Sanchez Technology Specialist

Day 1- Introduction of pod casting, wiki's, and blogs
8:00-8:45 a.m.
Teachers will meet in a large group setting in the cafeteria for breakfast and introduction to topic. Teachers will be given a copy of room assignments for break out sessions. Facilitated by Gary Comalander, AP of technology.

Break out sessions
Data supporting the use of the three medias will be provided through the power point.
Teachers will be introduced to the idea of pod casting with examples of how other teachers across the country have been using them successfully in their classrooms.
Working through online programs that are district approved, teachers will create a sample pod cast.

Room #
Time
Group
Trainer
CL M221
9:00-11:30
A Career/Tech
Moreno
CL M223
9:00-11:30
B
Social Studies Dept.
CL 304B
9:00-11:30
C Sped.
Sanchez
CL 306C
9:00-11:30
D
English Dept.
CL M305
9:00-11:30
E
Science Dept.
Library multimedia room
9:00-11:30
F
Math Dept.
CL M 225
9:00-11:30
G
Athletics Dept.
CL 309B
9:00-11:30
F
Fine Arts Dept.

Afternoon sessions
Teachers will work in small groups of grade level content to create lessons incorporating pod casting. Facilitated by departmental deans and chairpersons.

Day 2
Teachers will be introduced to wiki's and blogs. Teachers will develop a blog site and post to each others' blogs. Teachers will set up wiki's and post comments to at least one other page. After the successful completion of a blog and a wiki, teachers will work collaboratively to develop activities that will be used in class incorporating both forms of electronic communication. Teachers will follow the same classroom break out assignments as day one. Facilitators will be the same as on day one.

Only morning sessions will take place on day two. Afternoon will be reserved for other in-service needs to be met.

Day 5 Show and Tell (Evaluation)

8:30-9:00 Auditorium
Teachers from each department will give a short demonstration of how their group is going to use either a pod cast, wiki or blog. Teachers will be able to give feedback and ask questions. Teachers will be asked to text in their evaluation using a survey website. The survey will include questions such as: "Do you feel comfortable using pod casting in your classroom?" Other questions will address areas that the teachers feel they need more training in. Teachers who do not have texting will be asked to use their laptops to go online and fill out the survey. Surveys will be reviewed and analyzed by facilitators and used to plan any further in-services.


DIP 2010-2011. (2010, April 14). Retrieved from
http://www.neisd.net/camp/campusplan/DIP_2010_2011.pdf

Texas STaR Chart

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Texas STaR Chart

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National Goals for Technology

In response to the Obama administration's goals for education, the NETP has created five goals for states. The first of these goals is that learning experiences for all learners will be engaging both in and outside of school. These activities should prepare them to be good, active citizens in a global society. Recommendations for meeting this goal include revising and developing new standards for all subject areas that is technology driven. Other recommendations are to use or develop learning resources that use the power of technology and to enhance STEM programs. The Second goal has to do with using technology for assessment purposes. The recommendation is to develop and use technology to help educators find meaningful ways to assess student progress including using technology for immediate feedback. Goal three address teacher access to data. It states that teachers should be able to have supported access to the data needed to be a better teacher. Recommendations include developing content based programs that allow easy access and inservice training to teach educators how to use the software. Another recommendation for achieving this goal is to establish a core of teachers who are experienced in on line education. Goal four is about all students and teachers having access to the necessary resources at all times. Having the necessary infrastructure and internet access are two recommendations made for this goal. The last goal concerns budgets and alignment with technological goals. In order to meet this goal the NETP recommends using technology to help manage funds and expenditures, funding the development of software that will facilitate data disaggregation allowing educators to adequately track student progress. In regards to education and learning the NETP speaks about what the 21st century learner looks like and how they learn. Most students today are tuned into technology in one form or another. They use technology on a daily basis in creative, and collaborative ways. We as educators must make the paradigm shift in our teaching practices to incorporate technological pieces into our lessons. This will help provide an engaging environment for learning. While a agree with most of what was stated in the article, I take exception to the assumption that technology is the only way to address the shortcomings of the current system. This policy does not recognize the role that many courses provide that are hands on and not based on interaction with the computer or internet. Courses like culinary arts and auto tech may use computers as a component of the curriculum, but certainly we would be doing the students a disservice by never putting them in the lab with actual hands on experience. I also worry that by placing such a strong emphasis on some of the applications of technology, we are moving from a society that understands the importance of interpersonal skills and relationships to one of isolation and minimal human relationships/skills.

Long Range Plan for Technology

In this report, the state gives statistics on the progress of schools toward technology goals. The report also addresses initiatives that have been put into place to help schools achieve those goals. Levels of achievement are outlined in the report as a part of the description of the STaR chart, which is a system of measurement. The first level is Early Tech. In this stage, the majority of learning is centered around the teacher. Students only use computers and other tech tools occasionally. Across the state, there was a decreased number of teachers that said they are at this level, which means we have moved closer to the goal. The second level is Developing Tech. In this stage, students are regularly using technology but learning is still more teacher centered. This category also showed improvement with a drop in the number of teachers categorizing themselves as being at developing tech level. Teachers who have moved beyond the developmental stage move into the Advanced Tech stage. In this stage, students work collaboratively to problem solve, evaluate and analyze data. This learning is facilitated by the teacher, but student driven. The report shows that there was a growth in this area as well. The final level is Target Tech. In this level, teachers are co-learners and facilitators. Students have anytime access to the necessary technological tools to complete assignments. All of the TEKS for technology are being met.
What I learned from reading the report is that the state is working hard to help schools meet the goals that have been set by the SBOE. There are pilot programs such as the technology immersion program that allow students access to educational opportunities that might not have been previously available. I learned that there are quite a few grant programs that enrich curriculum and help schools move toward technological goals. The report also discusses Texas Virtual High School. TxVSN is an online school for students. Counselors noted that many students use it for accelerated advancement and to free up course selections. I can actually speak to this program from a personal stand point. My youngest child took Health through TxVSN. She did so in order to free up time in her schedule to take the electives that she was interested in. She plans on doing the same thing this summer and may try to take two classes instead of one. The online format is appealing to students and allows freedom to work when the time is best for the student.
There is so much information in the report that it can be overwhelming. I suggest chunking the information and digesting it piece by piece.

Educator Preparation and Development

Educator Preparation and Development is the area of the star chart that deals with teachers technological abilities. In this category teachers are expected to progress from a basic knowledge of how to use computers to using computers to inspire collaborative learning among students. Teachers are expected to have greater than 30 hours of training on technological tools and how to use them in the classroom. Teachers are also expected to use technology to engage students in meaningful learning processes that lead to student autonomy. Local and state progress toward these goals seems to be moving at a slow pace. There has been little change in the data over the past three years. Less than one percent of campuses have reached this goal. Less than one percent of teachers have reached this goal as well. In order for the state and local school districts to make any progress in this area, there needs to be intensive training for teachers. This training needs to be in the actual classroom setting with applications to the teacher's curriculum. Teachers need to have time set aside during inservice and periodically throughout the school year to collaborate on technology integration and plan lessons. They also need to be given time to evaluate success of previously implemented plans and programs and make adjustments for future technology applications. Teachers need both internal and external technology professionals to teach application use in order for training to be successful. All of the technology in the world will not be effective in increasing student achievement without adequate teacher preparation.