Week 5 Reflections

Technology is such a huge topic! So what exactly does Instructional Technology mean? How does it impact me as a classroom teacher? Why is it important to the school? To the students? To the administrators? What am I going to learn in an Instructional Technology class? As this class started I thought maybe “I will learn what programs are important for students and teachers to use”. As the course unfolded it was interesting to see how my District’s Technology Plan mirrored the State. The authors of Deer Park ISD’s plan thoroughly evaluated the State Plan and are trying to excel in most every area as long as the budget allows. The items that I felt were the most interesting was finally understanding what the STaR Chart was evaluating and why we were asked to do certain tasks at school. Often we are asked to do things as teachers but never know why we are doing it. Most teachers think here is another thing you want me to, like I don’t already have enough to do. Never are we told about the Technology Plans! Never are we told about the reasons for doing the surveys!
The Instructional Technology course really open-end my eyes to the use of different types of technology in the classroom. Maybe I can include webcams and blogs into the curriculum that I teach. Marketing and Technology do work hand in hand with each other. I have started working the Flip video cameras into my lessons. The class has encouraged me to spend a little more time on my faculty website. In the beginning of the class my attitude was “Oh, another thing they want me to do and maintain!”. Now I understand for my district to be constantly evolving and meeting the Technology standards the State has in place, we need to incorporate this into our everyday technology usage.
Technology is one of those areas where you never know enough. As it evolves, teachers never feel they are able to keep up with the fast changes. I wish I could learn how to build websites and use them more effectively in my class. The one thing that our campus is missing is the explanation of why we are doing certain things. I would love to be able to take a leadership role in this area but I do not have the time to learn all it would take to be an expert in this field. The District has existing experts that could do a better job in the dispensing of information. At this time I have not had the correct opportunity to suggest this to the appropriate District Administrators. This is an area where you need to be very tactful and say it in a proactive manner.
Each week as I read the assignment I would feel overwhelmed and think there was no way I could finish the assignment in the appropriate time. Or I would feel that I did not thoroughly understand the assignment. The third week I did partner with two other teachers in my building to tackle the assignment. We came together and compiled the list of the questions to ask each of the assigned administrator and/or experts. We each asked one person to answer our questions and then shared the answers. We did not want to unnecessarily burden very busy administrators with multiple interviews. Collaborating on the interview questions and having someone experiencing the same pressures did help alleviate my anxiety in completing the assignment. Since I have started in this program I never feel confident about my work when turning it in. Thank goodness it is better than I think it is. As an occupational field, I think most teachers have this personality issue where they over think the issue at hand.
Every time you take a new course, meet some new, or experience something new you change. As a person you are a constantly changing. This constant evolving is a good thing since technology and education is constantly changing. The course has made me think more about the copyright laws and the fact that I have so much more to learn. I like technology and the fact that it can make life easier. During the learning phase it makes life harder though. I do understand from an Administrators point of view why we do certain things a certain way. As teacher we sit back and complain about how we are going to fit a new thing in to our always busy day and now I know why certain things are asked of us. As a teacher we tell our students why they are doing a certain task and as an administrator we don’t always do that. The hope is as a potential administrator, I will take the time to tell my staff why it is important and get their buy in to whatever the issue of the day may be.
Our School district trained the staff on the creation and usage of blogs last year in our Technology In-Service Day. Blogs as a short term assignment can improve students writing abilities and teach them to write in a business setting. Most of us are very busy and do not WANT to take the time to read lengthy blogs written by other people. We are a short attention span society. The majority of us want things written in short bulleted points. This is why texting is so popular. You write your answers in short blurts when it is convenient for you. Students do not like to take the time reading long essays and to tell you the truth I don’t think they are alone in their feelings. On the other hand my students need the practice in writing so blogs can give them this outlet where they learn to write meaningful communication. All in all blogs are a good practice tool for students as long as it is used for a short time period.
Face it teenagers don’t always my good choices. They are very emotional decision makers. Though they don’t want to be constantly monitored they still do need supervision. The use of blogs takes a lot of time to monitor and read. The best place for their usage would be an English Composition class. If I were an English teacher that taught a writing intensive course I would use blogs as a place to have the students turn in their work. It would be a means to “Go Green” by creating less paper waste. The problem would be the freedom for others to see their work. So once you taught the importance of security the students can really learn about publishing and collaboration.
“Time” has been the key expression throughout this blog. Just as it has been mentioned during the course, blogging can be a way for teams to collaborate and find solutions for problems within their district. Just as we sit in a meeting and brainstorm, blogs can be used in the same way. We all know we come up with the best solutions for problems in the middle of the night. Blogging would allow you to get up and send your idea before it was lost to the business of the day. The opposite “time” factor is that it can be time consuming to read blogs that are not productive. But then again how many meetings have you been in that a person kept talking and talking without really saying anything towards the solution of the problem. Blogging would allow you to skip over that part of the essay making the collaboration more effective. Blogging used in the correct place can be very beneficial in the communication of school stakeholders.

Pennington Week 4 Part 1

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Pennington Week 4 Part 1

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Week 4 Assignment

Week 4 Assignment, Part 2

Superintendent Job Description

Job Description: To manage the school system and to provide leadership according to the school district’s vision. The Superintendent is responsible for a relationship with the School Board. H/her job responsibilities include budget allocation, educational leadership and curriculum, personnel, facilities, general management and communications/public relations.

Assistant Superintendent of Administration   

Job Description: Responsible for all areas of human resources. Assist in the development of policies and administrative regulations needed by the District. Assist in the development, supervision, and evaluation of programs serving constituent districts. Assist in the supervision of the Texas educational programs such as technology integration.  Work with administrators, principals, teachers, and parents of constituent districts relative to curriculum, administrative functions, instructional materials, and evaluation of educational programs.

Assistant Superintendant for Curriculum

Job Description: The Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction serves as the primary administrator responsible for curricular activities in the district. This leadership role is to be conducted in cooperation with many other faculty and administrative committees in the district. The Assistant Superintendent also serves the Superintendent as an advisor on educational, operational, and budget matters for the district. It is expected that the Assistant Superintendent will interact with faculty, students, staff, and parents on a daily basis. In particular, faculty and student contact are expected. The Assistant Superintendent attends all School Board meetings. The Assistant Superintendent also serves as the primary liaison between the high school district and the lower schools. The Assistant Superintendent will be assigned projects and other responsibilities by the Superintendent on a regular basis.

Chief Technology Officer

Job Descriptions: Responsible for developing, coordinating, implementing, and assessing K-12 educational technology plans.  Familiar with current/emerging issues impacting schools related to District use of Instructional Technology. The Director of Technology provides supervision and support for the operation of the Deer Park School District voice, video, and data networks. S/he assists administrators and provides oversight of teachers and staff in the full utilization of the networks to improve the instructional and management functions of the school district.

Principal’s Job Description

Job Description:  The school Principal serves as the educational leader, responsible for managing the policies, regulations, and procedures to ensure that all students are supervised in a safe traditional learning environment that meets the approved curricula and mission of the school.

Director of Network Systems

Job Description: Director will be responsible for installing, maintaining, and supporting computer communication networks within the school district. H/her goals are to ensure the smooth operation of communication networks in order to provide maximum performance and availability for their users.

Director of Information

Job Description: Maintain and gather all district information systems, such as SASI and attendance.

Campus Technology Specialist

The Instructional Technology Specialist will facilitate and oversee the use of technology and delivery of curricula while working with teachers through a variety of instructional methods and staff development. The primary focus is to strengthen the technology integration skills of Deer Park teachers and provide leadership in the implementation of the District Technology Staff Development Plan.

School District Webmaster

Job Description: Maintain a school website which communicates school-related information to parents, students and the community-at-large.

Multimedia Specialist

Job Description: Create videos and multimedia projects to support district projects.

Role of Principal

The principal’s role in implementing technology within the campus is to support the campus and district-wide technology implementation and use through campus level planning, adequate staff, and appropriate budgeting.

Part 2: Professional Development Planning

According to the Texas Technology Long Range many teachers are willing to learn more about the use of technology in the classroom but feel that they do not get quality professional development. According to the plan teachers should have access to training 24/7 that includes online and distance learning.

Professional Development Ideas:

  

·         Use the K-12 Online conference to instruct teachers on the latest technology trends.

·         Create PowerPoint slide shows with video (like the ones used in this program) to teach educators the importance of each type of evaluation tool. (ex. Why do teachers need to take the STaR Chart survey?) Many teachers do not understand the importance of each report or how it could impact their teaching. It is a dry subject so the videos will need to be short.

·         Create Web Quest for teachers to discover new technology.

·         Create links to Microsoft (or appropriate software company) Tutorial videos to help teacher with software questions from Staff Portal section of school district website.

·         Using Staff Portal create Icons that include different types of training based on type of equipment. (i.e. Flip Video usage)

·         During department meetings discuss different measurement tools and their importance. (i.e. PBMAS) Meeting should be kept short to eliminate inattention.

·         Monthly technology training on one small part of a yearlong initiative. (ex. Teacher WebPages)

·         Technology Open House-new technology is placed in the Teacher Break Room once a month manned by an Instructional Technology Liaison. They will be able to answer questions about the equipment or software. Teachers may look at it and play with it during conference time. 

Part 3:  Evaluation Planning for Action Plan

·         Teachers will be required to take STaR Chart Survey each year.

·         Short progress monitors will be placed at the end of each PowerPoint Video. (as this class uses)

·         Teachers will take short survey using software like Survey Monkey at the conclusion of department meeting trainings.

·         Use cell phone text messaging to ask educators one to two question surveys at the conclusion of in-person trainings. (ex. Monthly technology training sessions)

 

Star Chart Powerpoint

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Star Chart Powerpoint

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Texas STaR Chart

The Texas STaR Chart is a survey that is completed annually by the teachers of each Texas campus. It gives the TEXAS Education Agency information on how technology is being used in Texas schools. Once the information is compiled campuses may use it to get insight on how they compare to other districts/campuses in the state of Texas.

Educator Preparation seems to be the most difficult area to improve on. In order to be at the highest level of Target Tech you must have had the following indicators:

• Regular technology-supported learner centered projects
• Vertical alignment of TEKS
• Anytime/anywhere use of online resources
• 100% of educators meet SBEC standards
• 30% or more of budget allocated for professional development

Deer Park High School jumped from a score of 13 in 2007-08 to a score of 18 in 2008-09. The score of 18 put Deer Park in the Advanced Tech level. Great strides have been made to have all teachers meet SBEC standards. During the 2007-08 school year Deer Park High School met the Developing Tech area along with 74.2% of all Texas schools. The 2008-09 state results were not posted so at this time it is difficult to make a 08-09 comparison to other schools.

The Developing Tech requirements are as follows:

• Technology is being used for administrative task and classroom managements
• Online resources are available
• 40% of educators meet SBEC standards
• Administrations expects teachers to use technology
• 6-24% of budget is spent on professional Development

The Advanced Tech criterion is as follows.

• Integration of technology into teaching and learning
• Use of online resources regularly
• 60% of educators meet SBEC standards
• Administrators recognize and identify exemplary use of technology
• 25-29% of technology budget allocated for professional development

Recommendations for Deer Park:

• Continue to allow teachers to meet SBEC standards
• Budget 30% of technology budget to go to teacher professional development
• Integrate appropriate Technology Application TEKS in every discipline

Deer Park ISD puts a lot of emphasis on the Technology and supports teachers in their incorporation of technology into lessons. Once our construction is finished the entire building should be wireless and even more technology will be incorporated into a variety of lessons.

Pre-K Technology TEKS

Pre-Kindergartners have a lot they can learn through technology. Through the use of technology they can expand their knowledge base. Games on the computer can help them with their letters, sounds, and number identification. The use of games also teaches the child how to change the CD software, how the mouse works and other basic functions. As the child develops, the software will continue to challenge and teach them the basic skills needed to exist in a world of technology.
Teachers can also use software that allows the students to see their own creations of writing, singing and acting through the use of video cameras and audio. This not only helps them academically but socially as well.

Long Range Plan for Technology

Long-Range Plan for Technology

The Texas Education Agency has done a good job in defining where it wants the public school systems to be in the year 2020. The plan was originally written in 1996 and updated in 2006. Plans like this should be updated every few years as technology changes and becomes less expensive.http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/technology/lrpt_lrpt.html)

Vision 2020

• Educators must use differentiated instruction when teaching students.
• An amount of $50 must be spent on each student from the Technology fund. (of course this number should be lookmed at frequently.
• Technology use must begin in Kindergarten.
• All professional educators must master the SBEC Technology Application standards that are currently mandated of new teachers.

Defining the Need for Change

“In 2001, India graduated almost a million more students from college than the United States did. China graduates twice as many students with bachelor’s degrees as the U.S., and they have six times as many graduates majoring in engineering.”  Source: Thomas Friedman The World Is Flat

This is a misleading use of statistics, each of the countries has approximately 4x the amount of people as the US thus we are still graduating more students per capita.

The world is becoming more technological so Texas students need to be able to function in the newly technological world. Texas demographics are changing dramatically. The Hispanic student is now the majority-minority with 44.7% student population (2004-2005 school year). The Economically Disadvantaged number in 2004-05 is close to 2.4 million or 56% of the student population. As the population changes it is imperative that the plan and the teachers change with it.

 Introducing the 21st Century Learner
The 21st Century learner expects content to be relevant and presented in a way that applies to the student’s individual learning style. Learning must be tailored to the individual students learning needs using technology.
Students need multisensory and multimedia technology because they have been exposed to technology since they were born.

Teacher Voices
Teachers like using technology. They have seen that students are more engaged when using technology and student achievement and team work improves. Most teachers use it for their daily activities. Ie. E-mail, grades, list serves.

Teaching and Learning
Technology brings the world to the classroom and allows graphical communication and fewer world boundaries.Special needs students get the appropriate equipment to help with their disabilities.Distance learning enables schools to overcome the potential limitations of their local resources.

Educator Preparation and Development
Veteran teachers must be given technology based training in an on-going manner.New teachers must have obtained broad technology training.Distance learning should be incorporated into the training.

Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support
Effective administratiors conduct needs assessments to determine strengths and challenges that will impact planning and implementiom of technology in schools.


Infrastructure for Technology
School districts in Texas have made great strides with the legislatures backing to have network systems that encourage growth and reliability. The school districts must make plans for disasters and offer safe and reliable networks 24/7.

Study of Needs
Texas students deserve and need fully integrated access to technology in order to gain the skills that they need to learn and work in the 21st Century. However, in order to create a new educational technology plan, existing barriers to the continued effective implementations of the current plan and the development and implementation of the new plan had to be identified and addressed. The Long-range planning committee seem to have thought out a substantial and well-planned path for technology in public education for Texas students.

Responses and Reflections to SETDA Survey and Technology Applications Survey

The two Technology surveys were quite enlightening. They really made you examine your technology skill level at a deeper level.

The Technology Applications survey showed that I knew a little more than I thought I did. One area did not overshadow the others. In the Foundations area, I was not familiar with interfacing analog and digital technology. I also, know there are many copywrite laws protecting technology but I have not sat down and read the guidelines in detail. The Information Acquisition area stumped me on LAN and WAN though when I discussed this with family and explained it in layman's terms I realized I understood it better than I had originally thought. I have not done a Boolean search though when I did a Google search on Boolean searches it stated that it was not a preferred method of searching. My skill level does not include using linear multimedia projects that include video and audio, though this is an area that I am curious about and would like to gain some experience. On the Communication Domain I am weak again in the projects that include audio and video. I do have a school website that includes information about my class and my DECA chapter. It includes pictures of my students while performing a Community Service project. An area where I am lacking is the daily maintenance of the assignments.

The SETDA Assessment made me realize that I am lucky to teach in a school district that understands the importance of technology and is willing to put time and money into technology infrastructure. I do need to encourage my students to maintain electronic portfolios.

As a whole I have realized that I may be a little further ahead in technology than many of my counterparts. I do enjoy technology but do find it intimidating from time to time.