Unlike the other academic teams that have a direct role in improving scores at Hampton, we have a supporting role. And we have already done a lot in our supporting role e.g. PearsonSuccessnet training for the staff, teacher web-page training, the on-line parent survey taken during American Education Week, and Hampton’s web-page.
Our roll continues. Performance Indicator 8.1 of the SIP states, “All…will have access to technology to support student achievement, a highly qualified teaching staff, and stake holder involvement in the educational process.” This goal identifies “survey teachers regarding technology integration skills,” and “provide professional development based on results of the survey” as two skills for us to complete. Susan, didn’t you do a survey earlier this year for this? If not, we can get some data from the most recent survey everyone was invited to take for the MSDE Technology inventory. If you have results, Susan please post them along with recommendations so we can start some plans. I will print the MSDE survey and put it in your mail boxes for you to read. But either way the first skill is completed (waaaahooo!)
Now the fun part, staff development. One area that is low on this survey is “Use a course management system (such as Blackboard, eCollege, WebCT), or collaboration tool (such as FirstClass) to support the delivery of instruction and facilitate communication with students” under “Administrative and Productivity Use of Tech by Teachers”. Seventy-two percent of our colleagues taking the survey said “never” to this. Now, Patricia will be ordering InterWrite Tablets for us to use in classrooms and one aspect of this technology can “facilitate communication with students” by enabling the teacher to save notes in a PPT format to be copied and sent home or, better yet, uploaded to a web page for access at home. When this comes, Susan, me and any of you who are interested and would like to train the staff can explore its uses.
Another “technology” that would help us facilitate communication with students is a blog like this. The administrator of the blog not only shares information as one would with a website, but he/she would enable the users of the blog to take an active role in communication by commenting. Not only would a blog “facilitate communication with students,” but once taught how to properly use a blog, students could;
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Communicate or interact with others in the classroom, school, or outside of school (e.g. using e-mail, bulletin boards, discussion areas)? Use your best judgement based on what you know about you students computer use outside of school. (MSDE Inventory Survey)
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This item on the survey 50% of the people taking it respond “never.”
These are just some ideas of possible directions for us. I am sure you have other ideas. Please read the survey results put into you mailboxes (I tried to link the results to this post but SurveyMonkey wants $19.95 before it will let me do that. Sheez!) and post a comment with what you think.
2 responses so far ↓
1
Susan Fleming
// Jan 30, 2007 at 11:35 am
Morning!
Interesting way to hold a meeting! I was hoping to set up a blog for Kingsville’s tech team and now I can use this as a model to show them how it might work!
I have the results for the survey that only 11 teachers responded to last spring. I think that it would have been more useful as a tool for planning some professional development if the online math training hadn’t taken priority. I will put a copy of the results in everyone’s mailbox. But I think that it might be worthwhile giving teachers an opportunity to develop some lessons they might use with their classes in the lab for those days I am not here. The lab pretty much seems to stand empty on Wednesdays and Thursdays–except for maybe a class or two coming in. So if teachers had an actual lesson they knew they could teach in the lab, that might help. I think most everyone here is at least confident and definitely competent enough to use different software. They just don’t have the TIME to do the planning needed to use the software in the lab with their classes. I think in the process of planning a lesson for their classes, they would also be learning more about how to use the software effectively. I also think maybe teachers use technology more in their classrooms, but do not have the kids using the technology.
The training to use the new Interwrite tablet and response cards will also take a priority. I think teachers will LOVE using these tools if they get comfortable with them and if we have the powerpoint applications ready for them to use. Again, that is a matter of TIME.
I am not sure that course management systems are a priority for elementary teachers/students. Teachers taking online courses will have a chance to use them, but right now there are so many other things for teachers to be doing, I personally don’t see this one as high on the list.
I would also like to see the use of a class blog versus the teacher website. That seems a better way to get students to be interactive with technology and a learning situation. But blogs have their own pitfalls that would have to carefully guarded by the sponsoring teacher. I think it is just another way to have open communication between teachers, students and parents–at least for those families with internet access.
I would also like for the tech team to look into getting projectors on carts in EACH classroom. I think that is pushing us ahead in technology. Also with Safari Montage, it would be so much easier to see the screens than using the TV’s. I know that is a bigger expense, but I really believe it is worth it and I think teachers would really like using the bigger screens.
So that is just my two cents–probably not even worth that much!
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Mr. Wade
// Jan 30, 2007 at 7:03 pm
All right the first comment! Coooool! Thanks, Susan.
I am all for spending some time in staff development developing lessons using technology and/or PearsonSucess Net. We should also have follow-up sessions where we share what we did and how well the technology met the objective of the lesson. This way we will all learn more about what Pearson has to offer and how effective it might be for us.
I’m with you on the class blog but I think the webpage has its place. The blog should be used by teachers and students when they want to share ideas and get feedback. The wegpage should be used just to diceminate information for which you would not expect feedback. I will be attending a meeting Thursday about e-Communities. I think this will be a BCPS blog-o-sphere, so it may ease or eliminate some of the concerns inherent with blogs. I’ll post some information that evening.
What do y’all think about having a fundraiser to raise money for a mounted projector and printer in each room? How about a 5k fun run/walk. We could sell tickets to run/walk or collect money from sponsorship. There is already a mile mapped out on campus which would need to be run/walked 3.1 times to make 5K. THis could also be linked to something health related.
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