Week 5 - Part 8 Christmas Party, Anyone?

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?

Blogs can be utilized as pre- and post-staff development information sources. A teacher, parent, school board member, administrator, etc., can easily obtain pertinent information without cutting down rain forests in South America. Specific information can be printed by individuals rather than whole packets being wasted with no need for extras or reprints.

Extensions or intermission uses of the staff development can be reminders of events, posting of requested information, time and date amendments, continued and extended discussions or question and answer sessions, etc. The imagination is the only limiting factor with the usages of a blog.

Teachers and parents or PTO groups can easily communicate. Christmas parties could easily be planned... Like the current reference?

Week 5 - Post 7 Blog Concerns

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?

Personal information being communicated due to a classroom project will compromise a school's legal stance. Students need to be protected from outside sources in reference to identity.

Another point of view is that students also will have access to unlimited information, both good and bad. They need to learn blog and internet etiquette and ethics. Students will learn accountability with user agreements in order to successfully access blogs.

Week 5 - Part 6 Educational Blogs

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21^st century learner?

Blogs, which is an odd word for me, are a new source of communication for me, personally and professionally. I guess Facebook would be considered a blog, or discussion forums with my online friends could count as a weblog.

Blogs are useful for many reasons. Personally, you could keep up with friends and family. Professionally, a public and easy to access information source can be utilized in many educational settings and ways. Students can post works of art or poems, search for information, or receive classroom updates.

Plus, with the ease of use, many technology immigrants can use a blog.

Week 5 - Part 5 Course Lessons

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?

I learned that I am in a good place to move the school forward into the 21st century through teacher influence and education to new and innovative uses of technology in the classroom and curriculum. Being a leader in the area has opened up funding for pertinent technology for my classroom.

Today (December 16th, 2009) I was nominated for innovative technology in the classroom with the One to One Initiative with ESC-14. This confirms my position. This course has progressed my experience with education by self-analysis of my current position. I have learned aspects of education and possible technology usage from readings and discussions.

Leadership skills have been learned like starting with classroom teacher and student benefit from certain technologies. I have learned steps to take with implementing new technology applications. My personal attitude about technology in the classroom has not changed, but my excitement has increased. A classroom blog with lessons and activities will be up and running in the spring.

Week 5 - Part 4 Obstacles

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• 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. The video web conferences aided with immediate question and answer sessions (with extention) to clarify and improve upon assignments.

My coach, Shenequa, also responded to emails promptly to answer questions and rectify situations. Communication with school directors is a must for this course, one for student learning and achievement, and two for necessary information. Not quite the required one hundred words.

Week 5 - Part 3 Why Not?!?

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

Time. The course hit around Thanksgiving with travel and other family requirements, plus with a hint of Christmas shopping. Final exam preparation for the classroom with end of the semester projects and other issues. Other whining areas are football playoffs and bathroom renovations.

When the spring semester starts and is up and running, a review of the list of website and sources will span new ideas in utilizing technology. By then, the next course will have started, and time will be limited again.

Maybe that Kindle that I wish for with Santa will help my backed up reading log... The course did sufficiently cover integrating technology into education on many levels.

Week 5 - Part 2 Extent of Outcomes

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• 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?

This course contained so much information with extended online resources that I will be filtering through useful information to my current teaching position, as well as, a future administrative position. I have had many discussions this past month with my technology director, librarian, and curriculum directors about topics and ideas embedded in the articles and board discussions. There is no use re-inventing the wheel, so focusing on issues that are important with our local school district with reference to what other schools are already doing provides a good start.

Many technology applications may not be relevant to my mathematics courses I teach, but then again, we are only limited by our imagination. Technology uses with other teachers already being utilized helps get the mind working on how to incorporate technology to better serve students.

Week 5 - Part 1 Outcomes

EDLD 5352 - EA 1151

• What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?

With technology, most 'computer geeks' know that they do not know everything. I mean to say that there is so much technology out there that technology abets technology. A new computer program can be applied to an old problem or an existing hardware which leads to more information to take in a learn.

With that intro, I envisioned learning more about technology and how to apply it in the classroom. Laws and proper uses could have been discussed in more detail. The articles contained many online sources for good and pertinent information.

I am pleased with what I learned from the course. I feel that the course had levels of learning, meaning I understand and use many aspects of technology in my daily life and can quickly learn new stuff, but I feel that a person at the beginner level of technology could also get a different lesson from the course. Thus, the course offers multi-tiered education.

Week 4 - Action Plan

EDLD 5232 - EA 1151

James Taylor

Week 4 Assignment - Technology Action Plan

As a campus leader, creating an action plan would start with a needs assessment.

When generating an effective needs assessment plan, multiple stages with a variety of requirements. Groups would be developed to focus on specific areas. Stakeholders from a variety of levels would be included. Meetings would be established for allotted times. An action plan would be developed, and evaluation criterion would be established.

Technology Areas

§ Funding: local funding, alternative funding

§ Software: programs, educational games, free-ware

§ Hardware: laptops versus desktops, alternative devices

§ Computer Labs: usage, sizes, locations, sign-ups

§ Teacher Abilities: individual levels, comfort levels, barriers

§ Student Abilities:

§ Facilities: electrical necessities, WAN/LAN connections, internet/wireless connects, computer/classroom ratios

§ Curriculum: integration, projects, subjects, lessons, textbooks

Staff members will be divided into groups from all levels, subject areas, experience levels, and educational levels (administration, teachers, aides.) Students will be included to participate in each area with the ability to contribution. They will be allowed to select their three preferred areas, and groups will be evenly distributed with as accommodating to their input as possible.

Meetings

§ Chair meeting

§ Introduction, staff development purpose

§ Identifying strengths and weaknesses

§ Developing action plan on greatest need

Groups will meeting in three different stages for two hour sessions with early releases in the spring semester. Teacher leader staff (non-administrative) will be selected to chair the meetings. A chair meeting will initiate the meeting series with an overview, purpose, and role information session. Pertinent information such as STaR Chart information, district information, or other technology data will be disseminated.

The first group meeting will be an introduction with an explanation of the staff development purpose. Information and premade question guideline will be presented by the chair members. Clarification and questions will be developed. Current levels of each focus area will be discussed (strengths). At the conclusion of the meeting, the members will have appropriate information to start expanding on their strengths and creating weakness charts.

Meeting two focuses on bring ideas together. Weakness areas with suggestions on improving those areas will be discussed. A consensus will come up with the top five focus areas. A discussion of the needs to accomplish these goals will be prefaced for the final meeting.

Session three will center on developing a realistic and actual goal from the top five areas previously discussed. Logistics and funds will be addressed. Details for implementing an activity or goal will be documented. The meeting sessions are complete, and I will be edit and revise the outcomes and appropriately extend to proper campus personnel for further analysis or implementation or to necessary administrators or committees. An evaluation is completed by each group in whole or individual form of the process.

The action plan will be specific to the findings of the groups. Multiple proposals may be initiated in different areas at different times. Many suggestions may require further logistical support and be properly initiated for the fall semester of next year.

Action Plan

A plausible action plan could easily be on improving teacher abilities with technology, which is a weakness across most campuses in Texas. A series of staff development, starting with a required summer session for all staff, would be focused on individual levels. Avoiding the one size fits all staff development, question and answer time slots will be a part of each session. The first session will be a self-evaluation, similar to the 8th grade required levels, provided through broad technology usage questions.

Through planned teacher in-service days, service center sessions, on-campus specialists, and early release days, short activity sessions will be created to provide continual technology improvement for teachers and staff. YouTube video clips can be sources of information on basic computer functions such as opening, saving, and editing Word files. Q & A sessions or curriculum/technology integration sessions will be allotted.

Self-evaluation sessions will show personal growth and other need areas for teachers. Policy for the district and campus will be visible and measureable for teachers to focus on improvement. The action plan will flexible but require mandatory involvement with administration supervision to make the adjustment from status quo to daily integration.

Conclusion

Once the idea of technology evaluation, improvement, and integration has taken hold on the campus, the first steps have been taken and real improvement can take place. In following years, analysis of strengths and weaknesses needs to show improvement in areas for effective throughput. Links to grants, funding, and other federal and state mandates can be fulfilled with these steps in forming the action plan.

Texas STaR Chart Presentations - Preferred Version

Texas STaR Chart Presentation

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Texas STaR Chart

Week 2 Part 2: Texas STaR Chart

The Texas Campus School Technology and Readiness (STaR) Chart is broken down into four main areas. Educator Preparation and Development is the most important area, in my opinion, yet it is also the weakest area for my school district.

Educator Preparation and Development is broken down into 6 sections from content and access to professional development to capabilities and understanding of technology from the teacher prospective.

State trends in Educator Preparation and Development are moving from a rating of Early Tech to Developing Tech. Advanced Tech responses are increasing each year as well. A few 'Target Tech' teachers do exist in Texas. For the local district, Educator Preparation and Development, improvement is slow. Some teachers are switching over to video projectors from overheads. Email is formally the main communication media for the first time this year. Equipment and funds are available for technology, lack of basic technology knowledge or knowledge of how to implement technology into their lessons keeps the campus on the developing tech level.

To start positive progress in this struggling area, technology staff development with meaningful classroom applications would be required of each teacher during the summer, as well as, during the year. Policy could add that technology be integrated into a classroom curriculum at least once during the year in projects or daily activities. Pending progress, higher levels of technology uses will be added to the curriculum.

Web Conference

Howdy,
I have gone to two sessions today from other sections of EDLD5352. They were pretty cool. No major technical issues to resolve. You better practice up on your typing skills! Dr. Abernathy is a capable web conference host, frequently asking if there are more questions and promptly answering questions.

Smaller groups are a must for a web conference. Headphones help. What can happen is that if you talk while another person is talking, then you will get feedback through desktop speakers or you will have multiple people talking at once. Cameras are not required but personalize the conversations which is the main purpose of a web conference. It is good to put a face with a forum thread.

Developing a social network is a weak link with online courses. When you are a principal and have an issues, odds are that one of your classmates (collegues) has had a similar situation. The better you know a person, the more apt you are to develop lasting relationships.

Having direct access to the professors has its apparent benefits. Having a live Q & A session helps clarify and ask extension questions.

Web conferences have their place, but I'm not sure how they will fit into my mathematics classroom, yet. Two years ago, a good friend of mine worked at NASA's JPL in California. Steve and a MARS engineer visited with my technology class for 45 minutes via webconference. That was way cool.

More technology needs to fit into today's ever advancing learning environments, and web conferences can be one of them.

Week 1, Part 4: Technology Applications TEKS

Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS lay the foundation for future successful technology integration for students. A pre-kindergarten student is expected to know what a keyboard and mouse do along with other input devices, and the student needs to know the proper names for those devices. They should be able to follow age-appropriate programs while also knowing how to start and exit a program. These programs should develop vocabulary and language awareness.

Having a basic knowledge of how a computer works enables students to progress onto more advance usages of a computer.

Students are introduced to saving a file in the K-2 Technology Applications (TA) skills. The 3-5 TA Skills require a student to save and delete files as a foundation. This skill builds as a student progresses through school. Learning a back up files to multiple resources when working on a research project in high school uses advance techniques of a basic computer skill.

An acceptable use policy or agreement is essentially the same for any school level, but ethics need to be developed and expanded as students progress through more advanced internet and other uses.

The use of fonts spans the TA skills from basic fonts to more appropriate professional fonts.

Students have multiple opportunities to practice and master many TA skills. Each activity, class, project, or educational level has a unique use for an individual technology concept.

Week 1, Part 3: Vision 2020

I have been exposed to the Vision 2020 and what it is created to accomplish. What I learned new from reading the selections is the Phases and their breakdown, and the detail in the recommendations sections.

The recommendations can serve as a guide to align technology implementation for the district and campus. Requirements from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that are documented make transitions at local levels easier to obtain, whether it be funding, support, or a change in vision.

Staff development seems to be the front line of a major transition. Getting appropriate levels of training to the people who need it is critical in implementing technology and ensuring that schools are in line with the technology applications skills.

As an administrator, the use of data to support decisions is imperative. The Long-Term Plan uses this as the basis for successful models.

Week 1, Parts 1&2: Technology Applications Inventory

Welcome to my EDLD Week 1 Assignment Part 1 and 2 blog:

I accessed the Technology Applications Inventory from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/techapp/assess/teksurv.pdf and completed the Domain table:

Domain	Total # of Questions	# of Yes Responses	# of No Responses
Foundations	18	16	2
Information Acquisition	10	9	1
Solving Problems	18	16	2
Communication	12	9	3
Totals	58	50	8

I have always utilized technology in my personal and professional areas. I have a wide variety of software and hardware knowledge. For two years, I taught a Technology Systems Class/Lab with $250,000 worth of toys from robots, a lathe, a mill, and a wind tunnel to advanced design programs (Maya and AutoCAD/CAM), webdesign software, a classroom server, and audio programs.

My weak areas are utilizing digital keyboarding standards, being current on the Fair Use Guidelines for Multimedia, appropriately using vector graphic files, using interactive virtual environments, using groupware or other collaborative software, maintaining a database, and implementing procedures to track trends and evaluate products.

The State Educational Technology Directors Association Teacher Survey was lengthy and more difficult to apply to situations than the Technology Applications Inventory Survey. I utilize a Promethean Board along with the advanced software that comes with it in the classroom, everyday. My excuse for integrating more technology into my mathematics classroom is my lack of imagination and knowledge.

I have taught for 13 years. The levels I teach are 9th - 12th grades. Through discussions with our curriculum director, I have learned that our district is up on having written technology policy but is weak on having through put. Our magnet campus utilized many on-line resources with advance and college level classes. Our mainstream students, who are in math lab classes, use the ALEKS program 2-3 times a week at 30-45 minute interval to help with math concepts. We are starting in the right direction.

Questions T22, T23, and T24 are specific areas where I would like to analyze to see if I could incorporate more technology into my math classroom.

Blog Test

Howdy,
This is my blog test. With the exceptions of forums, this is my first blog.

James