Instructional Management: The Technology Link
Course Reflection
Outcomes
As a digital immigrant, I was quite unsure about my expectations for this course. I did not even realize it was technology related until I read the course syllabus. After reading it, I knew that I would be taking a giant step out of my comfort zone-and that I did! In fact, it could be more accurately described as a leap into the world of technology as it relates to education. I felt like I had stepped into a new season of Fear Factor. Of course, one of the positives about taking a three hour credit class in only five weeks is that there is absolutely no perseveration time. I had just had to delve into the coursework and hope for the best. It would be fair to say there was no course alignment with my expectations.
It has been quite a journey with moments of excitement and pride after completing a task, coupled with even more moments of anxiety as I attempted to work through the assignments. I can honestly say that I now feel like I did achieve the course outcomes, and yes, they are relevant to my work. This class has created an awareness of the technology available to educators, along with the standards and skills required for teachers and administrators. I now feel very strongly that every educator should have a solid prerequisite course on cyber safety, ethics, and the legalities surrounding technology usage. Even though I have had some exposure to this subject, it needs to be continuing and ongoing as we model best practices for our students and new innovations become available. Also, the exposure to the Web 2.0 tools was valuable, along with the recommendation to revisit our Acceptable Use Policies. As I worked through the assignments and readings, I began to visualize various ways to apply the new knowledge and skills to my job and others as well. I have to confess, there were times when the terror had turned to enthusiasm. Listening to student voices and their excitement about technology in education made a believer out of me!
The most challenging outcome for me was developing an Action Plan for the district and campus that facilitated the integration of technology into education. While I did complete it, I am not sure if it fulfilled the expectations of the professors.
I did not feel qualified to create an organizational chart with roles and responsibilities defined at the district level. I used our district’s plan to help me accomplish the assigned task. However, it was a good experience gathering and analyzing the data for the plan. Through the assignment, I learned of all the valuable sources of data that are available to us that facilitate the decision-making process. Also, I now have a new perspective in regards to the evaluation process for assessing the plan and professional development. I especially liked the recommendations in the readings for evaluating professional development after teachers have had time to internalize and apply their new learning. It was interesting to see the different interpretations of the assignment while reviewing the plans of other students.
Student Achievement
While I was successful in carrying out the assignments, it certainly was not accomplished without frustration and discouragement. I did enjoy creating a blog and I can also envision several applications for its use on my campus. The power point was another good experience for me, but it was frustrating when I had spent hours trying to follow the rubric, then my coach was not able to open it on my blog. That took a few days to clear up, while working on the week 3 assignment at the same time. However, I did appreciate the responses from the coach and professors. I don’t think it would have been resolved if my son had not happen to come home for the night and told me about compressing the power point. Tech support at Lamar did not even make that suggestion.
Needless to say, I was relieved when week 3 required a report. I could accomplish that assignment without depending on others. The Action Plan was also frustrating because I did not understand the parameters or feel qualified to make those decisions, especially at the district level. I always enjoy the opportunities to reflect because administrators must also be able to “talk the talk.” Reflecting provides time to practice that skill.
I learned quite a bit about technology and its part in the educational process. I especially enjoyed the readings. I felt all of the readings were very informative and provided good information, along with new knowledge regarding the integration of technology into education. As a digital immigrant I need more time to practice and internalize the technology skills, and because of the short time frame, that was not possible. Of course, because of this experience, that will help me when planning professional development for educators. The web conference is also another technology tool that I am now aware of. I have experienced many “firsts” with this course and it does give me a sense of pride for learning about Web 2.0 technologies and other technology related issues. As educators, we need to embrace what is available to us, strengthen our instructional methodologies, and work towards our common goal of preparing our students for success in the 21st century.
Blogs
Blogs have redefined news for the 21st century. We have moved from professional news to personal news 24/7. Its value to education is a 21st century instructional methodology that is now available to excite and motivate learners. Virtually anyone can become a reporter and easily share news for minimal or no cost. It also provides a medium to reflect on your unique perspective about a topic of interest, along with creating communities of bloggers that inspire and motivate each other. Blogging can serve to motivate young writers and encourage them to hone their writing skills. It is a new way to collaboratively communicate, and we must provide our students with the necessary skills to be successful. Blogging has provided the power of the media to everyone! It is now up to educators to take full advantage. The possibilities are endless.
The concerns surrounding blogs and blogs in education are the same concerns with other technologies in regards to internet usage. Educators must be fully aware and prepared to protect their own reputation, along with the district’s. A student could easily post a picture or video from a cell phone that could be incriminating and possible create a PR nightmare for educators. Also, ensuring students blog in appropriate language on appropriate topics must be a priority. Copyright issues can occur on a blog as easily as in other mediums. In order for schools to receive the optimum benefit from technology, a strong, solid prerequisite course on cyber ethics, safety, and legalities should be in place. Students, staff, and parents should all be well-informed regarding these issues. A technology policy and set of procedures should be an important element of the technology integration plan.
There are numerous ways to use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders. To repeat an earlier statement, the possibilities are endless. My initial idea for using blogs as administrator would be to replace our school newsletter with a blog. The newsletter includes important dates and pertinent parent information. Replacing the newsletter with a blog could allow for more timely dissemination of information, along with an archive of previous stories for easy reference. Another idea would be for the principal to use a blog to communicate with staff. It would also allow staff to comment on issues in the blog. It could replace some of the professional learning community meetings or faculty meetings. Teachers could also use a blog as a communication tool with students and parents. Students could use a blog to reflect on new learning. From the district superintendent to students, it is really up to the imagination of the user for the various ways to take full advantage of this Web 2.0 tool. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about blogging and to practice its use. I feel confident that my blogging days have just begun!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Action Plan
Action Plan
Integrating Teaching, Learning, and Technology
Organizational Chart
District
Executive Director of Technology: should have a district vision for integration of technology that ultimately impacts student learning and achievement; gathers and analyzes data from a variety of sources to develop District Technology Plan (i.e., Texas Long Rang Plan, AEIS, discussions with stakeholders, STaR chart data, etc.); establish a continuous cycle of data gathering, planning, budgeting and implementing, with each level impacting the other; oversee planning and improvement process; model best practices
Associate Executive Director of Technology: support executive director in all duties and responsibilities
Cabinet: provide district directions and strategies; estimate and commit District technology funds from all sources; approve allocation of technology funds for sites and District projects; approve Technology Planning Guidelines for campuses and departments, including technology standards; review CIP’s annually; model best practices
Technology Services Division: briefs cabinet on the overall results of the technology planning process; must emphasize the significance of the plans and the planned support resources to allow adjustments to projects (comprised of District personnel in technology, 2 campus IT’s; 2 campus administrators; representatives from: District Academic Division, Career & Technology, Professional Development, Assistive Technology, Safety, Construction, and Purchasing)
Instructional Technology Committee: (a representative from each campus from a variety of grade levels and content areas, along with some campus administrators) meets monthly to present site issues for clarification during planning process; critique and share site technology plans for horizontal and vertical bridging; propose initiatives and grants; submit recommendations for instructional planning goals and considerations to the Technology Services Division and Cabinet; define and communicate site requirements for District support services
Campus
Principal: gathers and analyzes data for decision-making; leads SBDM in development of CIP (CIP should address technology and elements for integration into the curriculum); facilitate implementation of CIP; ensures organizational chart is implemented (include Action Plan in teacher handbook with other school policies and procedures, ensure staff awareness at PLC meetings); be creative with scheduling to provide for professional development (PD); provide for PD with funding; create a campus culture that encourages risk-taking and implementation of innovations in curriculum (along with personal celebrations at faculty meetings, include instructional celebrations in regards to technology integration); ensure cyber ethics are taught and safety procedures in place for technology use; use ongoing assessment and evaluation to make changes as needed; monitor technology plan through teacher professional development plans (PDPs) and require at least one technology student product (or plans for a product) at annual summative; attend technology related conferences or curriculum-related conferences; keep abreast of research and high yielding instructional strategies; have a vision for the direction of the campus in regards to technology integration into curriculum, leadership, and assessment; model best practices with technology; integrate technology into administrative duties
Assistant Principal: supports the principal in all of the above duties
Campus Technology Committee: (chaired by Instructional Technologist-IT and includes a representative from each grade level team) attend monthly meetings to collaborate on new technologies and make recommendations for staff; discuss problems and concerns of staff related to technology integration; preview new software; review and apply district planning parameters; liaison for staff with IT; model best practices with technology; analyze data to facilitate planning/decision-making
Instructional Technologist (IT): provide professional development opportunities through a variety of delivery systems; support district and campus plan; model best practices; go into classrooms and model lessons integrating technology into curriculum; work with teachers one-on-one to empower them to provide high yielding strategies in regards to technology integration; obtain additional personnel when necessary to conduct training; work with classes in the lab to learn about various software and facilitate technology integration with curriculum; troubleshoot technology problems on campus; teach workshops; provide technology leadership and support at the campus; analyze data to facilitate planning/decision-making
Teachers: maintain individual web pages; participate in professional development for technology integration; model best practices; develop lesson plans integrating technology into curriculum with support of IT; one technology goal included in personal PDP; bring a technology student product or product plan to annual summative; teach cyber ethics and safety in regards to internet and technology usage; use technology for administrative tasks (online gradebook, online lesson plans; online attendance, email to communicate with parents); analyze data to facilitate planning/decision-making
Needs Assessment
The vision and mission of the district is to develop students that can succeed in the 21st century using 21st century technology skills. Students will be able to utilize information, manipulate data, and explore new ideas while mastering the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). This plan should provide the resources and training necessary to make this vision a reality.
The needs assessment is a collaborative process regarding current and future technology needs of the district. Data is gathered and analyzed by a variety of sources in numerous ways. Any single person or team on the organizational chart is responsible for the gathering and analysis of data. The Executive Director of Technology and other district personnel and teams use data to foster the district decision-making process, while campus principals further refine the process to meet the needs of their respective campuses.
Sources of data that provide the focus for the plans are: Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, AEIS, AYP, Campus and Teacher STaR Chart summaries, district and campus based assessments, esc works (online professional development management system that includes history of professional development for every employee, site based committee recommendations, administrative surveys, campus technology committee and district instructional technology committee recommendations, discussions with stakeholders (teachers, students, and community), NETS-S and NETS-A standards, Project Tomorrow’s online annual surveys.
The District and Campus Improvement Plans are developed after an analysis of the data. In order to facilitate the collaborative process for both plans, a wiki will be implemented for all stakeholders. This should create a more efficient collaborative process while providing opportunities for staff professional development on the use of this Web 2.0 tool. Both plans will address needs for the following:
• Infrastructure: maintaining and updating; research implementation of automated asset management system to save time, money and human effort
• Professional Development: to include training on new software and technology, along with integrating technology into curriculum (see following section)
• Leadership: facilitate the development of the plans and provide resources for implementation; begin to revisit AUP and update to include more current technologies; other responsibilities listed in organizational chart
Professional Development
Rapid advancements in technology and its applications to education require an aggressive approach to professional development as it relates to technology integration. The Action Plan will be included in the Teacher Handbook (includes all policies, procedures, forms, calendars, etc.) and reviewed at new teacher in-service training.
In order to effectively reach all personnel, professional development will be provided through a variety of delivery systems through a variety of methods. The campus will work toward increasing the amount of time provided to helping teachers in the classroom as they integrate new skills and technologies into the curriculum. Other systems include: face to face workshops, video conferencing, online tutorials, modeling best practices, training during conference periods and Techy Tuesday (every Tuesday after school trainings), pair high-tech specialists with high-content specialists for mentoring.
Professional development will be delivered as an ongoing process for administrators, teachers and paraprofessionals. Integrating technology into the foundations curriculum will be a campus wide focus. Staff will have opportunities through blogs and meetings to celebrate technology successes and share challenges. Administrators will be responsible for providing the necessary resources to foster the campus culture. All staff will be committed to modeling best practices.
Identified areas for professional development are (after a careful, thoughtful, and collaborative analysis of data):
• Cyber ethics, online safety, copyright laws, and intellectual property to become a prerequisite course
• Develop ongoing lessons for each grade level teaching students ethics and safety, along with publishing resources in the school newsletter for parents
• Specific training for new technology skills and software as the need arises
• Training in Web 2.0 tools, skills and instructional methodologies for integrating into the curriculum
• Acceptable Use Policy (AUP): develop lessons in grade level appropriate language and activities to instruct students on the AUP
• Technology Certification required by the district and following district timelines for completion
• Provide staff incentives for university or professional development credit
• Require each grade level team to write a grant proposal that includes integrating technology into the curriculum; staff development on grant writing
Evaluation
The evaluation process is a critical component for assessing the effectiveness of the Action Plan. We need to document progress, along with successes and failures, in order to make informed decisions regarding the plan, programs, and activities.
The district Department of Accountability will lead the district technology assessment. Once again, campus principals will gather data to analyze regarding technology integration at the campus level. The following are methods, assessments, and guiding questions to facilitate informed decision-making about the Action Plan.
• Campus Improvement Plan: Are the goals being met?
• Collect data on staff and student technology usage (through walk-throughs, teacher and student surveys, lesson plans). Establish a baseline for technology usage and measure change over time.
• STaR Chart data: Strive to reach “Target Tech” classification in all 4 key element areas.
• Student Achievement data: TAKS, DBA’s, CBA’s, AEIS; Are we maintaining exemplary rating in all content areas?
• Require a technology goal for each professional in the Professional Development Plan (PDP) to be reviewed at annual summatives.
• Teachers are required to bring an example of a student technology product or a plan for a product to share at annual summative.
• Administrators will maintain a wiki for staff to post lessons integrating technology into curriculum, or share ideas regarding technology integration.
• Require all professional development be evaluated through planning, formative and summative assessment.
• Staff journals of reflections on professional development, or questionnaires or structured interviews following professional development sessions on participant’s use of knowledge and skills
• Administrators develop periodic evaluation reports that offer recommendations for revision, modifications, or further implementation regarding professional development
• Administrators collect data from esc works on individual professional development; monitor content areas and accumulated hours
Integrating Teaching, Learning, and Technology
Organizational Chart
District
Executive Director of Technology: should have a district vision for integration of technology that ultimately impacts student learning and achievement; gathers and analyzes data from a variety of sources to develop District Technology Plan (i.e., Texas Long Rang Plan, AEIS, discussions with stakeholders, STaR chart data, etc.); establish a continuous cycle of data gathering, planning, budgeting and implementing, with each level impacting the other; oversee planning and improvement process; model best practices
Associate Executive Director of Technology: support executive director in all duties and responsibilities
Cabinet: provide district directions and strategies; estimate and commit District technology funds from all sources; approve allocation of technology funds for sites and District projects; approve Technology Planning Guidelines for campuses and departments, including technology standards; review CIP’s annually; model best practices
Technology Services Division: briefs cabinet on the overall results of the technology planning process; must emphasize the significance of the plans and the planned support resources to allow adjustments to projects (comprised of District personnel in technology, 2 campus IT’s; 2 campus administrators; representatives from: District Academic Division, Career & Technology, Professional Development, Assistive Technology, Safety, Construction, and Purchasing)
Instructional Technology Committee: (a representative from each campus from a variety of grade levels and content areas, along with some campus administrators) meets monthly to present site issues for clarification during planning process; critique and share site technology plans for horizontal and vertical bridging; propose initiatives and grants; submit recommendations for instructional planning goals and considerations to the Technology Services Division and Cabinet; define and communicate site requirements for District support services
Campus
Principal: gathers and analyzes data for decision-making; leads SBDM in development of CIP (CIP should address technology and elements for integration into the curriculum); facilitate implementation of CIP; ensures organizational chart is implemented (include Action Plan in teacher handbook with other school policies and procedures, ensure staff awareness at PLC meetings); be creative with scheduling to provide for professional development (PD); provide for PD with funding; create a campus culture that encourages risk-taking and implementation of innovations in curriculum (along with personal celebrations at faculty meetings, include instructional celebrations in regards to technology integration); ensure cyber ethics are taught and safety procedures in place for technology use; use ongoing assessment and evaluation to make changes as needed; monitor technology plan through teacher professional development plans (PDPs) and require at least one technology student product (or plans for a product) at annual summative; attend technology related conferences or curriculum-related conferences; keep abreast of research and high yielding instructional strategies; have a vision for the direction of the campus in regards to technology integration into curriculum, leadership, and assessment; model best practices with technology; integrate technology into administrative duties
Assistant Principal: supports the principal in all of the above duties
Campus Technology Committee: (chaired by Instructional Technologist-IT and includes a representative from each grade level team) attend monthly meetings to collaborate on new technologies and make recommendations for staff; discuss problems and concerns of staff related to technology integration; preview new software; review and apply district planning parameters; liaison for staff with IT; model best practices with technology; analyze data to facilitate planning/decision-making
Instructional Technologist (IT): provide professional development opportunities through a variety of delivery systems; support district and campus plan; model best practices; go into classrooms and model lessons integrating technology into curriculum; work with teachers one-on-one to empower them to provide high yielding strategies in regards to technology integration; obtain additional personnel when necessary to conduct training; work with classes in the lab to learn about various software and facilitate technology integration with curriculum; troubleshoot technology problems on campus; teach workshops; provide technology leadership and support at the campus; analyze data to facilitate planning/decision-making
Teachers: maintain individual web pages; participate in professional development for technology integration; model best practices; develop lesson plans integrating technology into curriculum with support of IT; one technology goal included in personal PDP; bring a technology student product or product plan to annual summative; teach cyber ethics and safety in regards to internet and technology usage; use technology for administrative tasks (online gradebook, online lesson plans; online attendance, email to communicate with parents); analyze data to facilitate planning/decision-making
Needs Assessment
The vision and mission of the district is to develop students that can succeed in the 21st century using 21st century technology skills. Students will be able to utilize information, manipulate data, and explore new ideas while mastering the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). This plan should provide the resources and training necessary to make this vision a reality.
The needs assessment is a collaborative process regarding current and future technology needs of the district. Data is gathered and analyzed by a variety of sources in numerous ways. Any single person or team on the organizational chart is responsible for the gathering and analysis of data. The Executive Director of Technology and other district personnel and teams use data to foster the district decision-making process, while campus principals further refine the process to meet the needs of their respective campuses.
Sources of data that provide the focus for the plans are: Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, AEIS, AYP, Campus and Teacher STaR Chart summaries, district and campus based assessments, esc works (online professional development management system that includes history of professional development for every employee, site based committee recommendations, administrative surveys, campus technology committee and district instructional technology committee recommendations, discussions with stakeholders (teachers, students, and community), NETS-S and NETS-A standards, Project Tomorrow’s online annual surveys.
The District and Campus Improvement Plans are developed after an analysis of the data. In order to facilitate the collaborative process for both plans, a wiki will be implemented for all stakeholders. This should create a more efficient collaborative process while providing opportunities for staff professional development on the use of this Web 2.0 tool. Both plans will address needs for the following:
• Infrastructure: maintaining and updating; research implementation of automated asset management system to save time, money and human effort
• Professional Development: to include training on new software and technology, along with integrating technology into curriculum (see following section)
• Leadership: facilitate the development of the plans and provide resources for implementation; begin to revisit AUP and update to include more current technologies; other responsibilities listed in organizational chart
Professional Development
Rapid advancements in technology and its applications to education require an aggressive approach to professional development as it relates to technology integration. The Action Plan will be included in the Teacher Handbook (includes all policies, procedures, forms, calendars, etc.) and reviewed at new teacher in-service training.
In order to effectively reach all personnel, professional development will be provided through a variety of delivery systems through a variety of methods. The campus will work toward increasing the amount of time provided to helping teachers in the classroom as they integrate new skills and technologies into the curriculum. Other systems include: face to face workshops, video conferencing, online tutorials, modeling best practices, training during conference periods and Techy Tuesday (every Tuesday after school trainings), pair high-tech specialists with high-content specialists for mentoring.
Professional development will be delivered as an ongoing process for administrators, teachers and paraprofessionals. Integrating technology into the foundations curriculum will be a campus wide focus. Staff will have opportunities through blogs and meetings to celebrate technology successes and share challenges. Administrators will be responsible for providing the necessary resources to foster the campus culture. All staff will be committed to modeling best practices.
Identified areas for professional development are (after a careful, thoughtful, and collaborative analysis of data):
• Cyber ethics, online safety, copyright laws, and intellectual property to become a prerequisite course
• Develop ongoing lessons for each grade level teaching students ethics and safety, along with publishing resources in the school newsletter for parents
• Specific training for new technology skills and software as the need arises
• Training in Web 2.0 tools, skills and instructional methodologies for integrating into the curriculum
• Acceptable Use Policy (AUP): develop lessons in grade level appropriate language and activities to instruct students on the AUP
• Technology Certification required by the district and following district timelines for completion
• Provide staff incentives for university or professional development credit
• Require each grade level team to write a grant proposal that includes integrating technology into the curriculum; staff development on grant writing
Evaluation
The evaluation process is a critical component for assessing the effectiveness of the Action Plan. We need to document progress, along with successes and failures, in order to make informed decisions regarding the plan, programs, and activities.
The district Department of Accountability will lead the district technology assessment. Once again, campus principals will gather data to analyze regarding technology integration at the campus level. The following are methods, assessments, and guiding questions to facilitate informed decision-making about the Action Plan.
• Campus Improvement Plan: Are the goals being met?
• Collect data on staff and student technology usage (through walk-throughs, teacher and student surveys, lesson plans). Establish a baseline for technology usage and measure change over time.
• STaR Chart data: Strive to reach “Target Tech” classification in all 4 key element areas.
• Student Achievement data: TAKS, DBA’s, CBA’s, AEIS; Are we maintaining exemplary rating in all content areas?
• Require a technology goal for each professional in the Professional Development Plan (PDP) to be reviewed at annual summatives.
• Teachers are required to bring an example of a student technology product or a plan for a product to share at annual summative.
• Administrators will maintain a wiki for staff to post lessons integrating technology into curriculum, or share ideas regarding technology integration.
• Require all professional development be evaluated through planning, formative and summative assessment.
• Staff journals of reflections on professional development, or questionnaires or structured interviews following professional development sessions on participant’s use of knowledge and skills
• Administrators develop periodic evaluation reports that offer recommendations for revision, modifications, or further implementation regarding professional development
• Administrators collect data from esc works on individual professional development; monitor content areas and accumulated hours
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