Monday, March 5, 2012

Middle School-Week7, Step 5- Deborah Parker


Technology

Goal 1:  Establish a one-to-one laptop structure within the core teachers’ classrooms in the INQUIRE Academy through the use of COWs in their classrooms. 

TF-II-A:  Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences.  
A.    Design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners. (ISTE, 2011)

Evidence:  Offer to the teachers one on one training to support their academic areas in designing effective technology applications for their classroom. 

Cost: $30 classroom voucher to purchase materials for classroom after successfully implementing technology application in their classroom.

Mainstep:  Teacher will furnish to technology instructor a lesson plan that is structured for how they would teach this without technology.  Technology instructor will evaluate and identify 2-3 other ways to teach the lesson with the use of technology.  Such as using: blogs, Edomodo, online surveys, graphical representations, etc. 

Subordinate skills:  Basic computer skills, knowledge of their specific grade level TEKS

Goal 2:  Training to support teachers in troubleshooting own computers. 

TF-V: Educational technology facilitators apply technology to enhance personal productivity and professional practice.  
A.    Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.
1.     identify resources and participate in professional development activities and professional technology organizations to support ongoing professional growth related to technology.
B.    Apply technology to increase productivity.
1.     set and manipulate preferences, defaults, and other selectable features of operating systems and productivity tool programs commonly found in PK-12 schools. (ISTE, 2011)

Evidence: Offer a one-hour troubleshooting workshop after school to the teachers, to explain how to solve a variety of software issues and computer issues that they are faced with including printer not acknowledging, login and password issues, how to force quit an application, etc. 

Cost:  Printing cost of checklist.

Mainstep:   Teachers will attend the workshop and receive a troubleshooting checklist for technology difficulties that commonly happen.

Subordinate skills: Basic computer skills

Goal 3: Professional development to assist teachers in designing web pages and online quizzes and interactive games.

TF-V Educational technology facilitators apply technology to enhance and improve personal productivity and professional practice.

D.    Use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community to nurture student learning.
4. design, develop, and maintain Web pages and sites that support communication between the school and community.

Evidence: Teachers will commit to 4 one hour weekly sessions to build and design their own website to create a link of communication with their classes, the school, and the community.

Cost: $30 stipend for each hour completed in the training

Mainstep: After completing the 4 weekly sessions, the teachers will have a working website that they will know how to maintain and update at their convenience. 

Subordinate skills: Basic computer skills. 


Management

Goal 1:  Establish a one-to-one laptop structure within the core teachers’ classrooms in the INQUIRE Academy through the use of COWs in their classrooms. 

TF-II-D Plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.
D.    Provide teachers with options for management of technology resources within the context of learning activities. (ISTE, 2011)
           
Evidence: Offer one initial 30 minute training to the teachers to explain the management system to be used with the COWs as their technology resource within their classrooms.  
           
Cost: 2-4 hours of technology liaison time.

Mainstep: After teachers have had a chance to implement within their classrooms, follow up with a visit to their classrooms to help the teachers assess the management and how it is the system is working.  Answer questions for the teachers with regards to how to utilize the laptops with the students effectively. 

Subordinate Skills: Teachers will complete a survey after the follow up to evaluate how the use of technology is going within the classroom. 

Measurable Assessment: Each teacher should evaluate themselves as using the laptops within the classroom at minimum of 60% of the instructional time with the students and a comfort level of 80% or better with the management of the COWs.  If scoring lower then this, the technology liaison will schedule one on one time with the teacher to help with any difficulties the teacher is experiencing.


Funding

Goal 1:  Establish a one-to-one laptop structure within the core teachers’ classrooms in the INQUIRE Academy through the use of COWs in their classrooms. 

TF-VII Procedures, policies, planning and budgeting for technology environments
D.    Follow procedures and guidelines used in planning and purchasing technology resources.
2. discuss and apply guidelines for budget planning and management procedures related to educational computing and technology facilities and resources. (ISTE, 2011)

Evidence: Working with the principal and technology director, outline a yearly expense report of expected maintenance and supplies for the COWS.  

Cost: To be determined by the committee of the principal, liaison, and technology director.  Expected expenses will be to replace any computers over 6 years.  

Mainstep: Committee will evaluate each 3 years to establish if technology needs to be updated and reestablish a new plan with financial expectations.

Measurable Assessment:  By establishing one-to-one laptop structure students are applying the use of technology effectively within their educational experiences.  Students have higher scores on common unit assessments because of the strengthening of the computer skills.


Goal 3: Professional development to assist teachers in designing web pages and online quizzes and interactive games.

TF-VII Procedures, policies, planning and budgeting for technology environments
C.    Participate in professional development opportunities related to the management of school facilities, technology resources and purchases. (ISTE, 2011)

Evidence: Working with the principal and technology director, outline a yearly expense report of expected trainings to encourage teachers to create and maintain their classroom website.  

Cost: To be determined by the committee of the principal, liaison, and technology director. Expected stipend per teacher of $30 per hour per training, maximum per teacher expense $120. Plus website instructor preparation of $30 per hour up to 9 hours per training session.

Mainstep: Offer the trainings to interested teachers.

Measurable Assessment:  Teachers participating in the workshop will have a completed website that will be visible and usable by the school and community.


References:

ISTE. (2011).  The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T).  Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS-T_Standards.sflb.ashx

Texas Education Agency, (2006), Long-Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020: A Report to the 80th Legislature from the Texas Education Agency.  Retrieved February 4, 2012, from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665

6 comments:

  1. Mobile Units allows teachers to expand their lessons without leaving the classroom. COW is a popular unit at our school but since we only have one we are limited in use making it difficult to incorporate technology on a weekly basis.

    "The use of mobile computers is often suggested as a possibility to solve this problem. Only if every student
    and every teacher had his/her own laptop computer, say proponents of mobile computers, information technology in
    education could be used to its full effect. Therefore, the introduction of laptops to the classroom is seen as a major
    catalyst for a profound change in learning and instruction in K-12 as well as in higher education" (Owen & Lambert,
    1996; Robertson, Calder, Fung, Jones & O'Shea, 1997; Stager, 1995).

    References:
    Owen, J. M. & Lambert, F. C. (1996). The notebook curriculum: An innovative approach to the use of personal
    computers in the classroom. Australian Educational Computing, 11 (1), 26-32.

    Robertson, S. I., Calder, P., Fung, P., Jones, A., O'Shea, T. & Lambrechts, G. (1996). Pupils, teachers and palmtop
    computers. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 12, 194-204

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    Replies
    1. Lori,

      Our district is adopting this next year the BYOD policy next year. This is going to be a new learning experience for our teachers. Questions I think the district is going to have to answer with Bring Your Own Device, 1) What management plans are going to be taught to teachers to help them facilitate the use of the devices in the classroom? 2) How are students going to be held accountable for using the devices correctly? 3) Is our network strong enough to support these extra devices on the system? 4) What discipline support is there going to be for the teachers when students miss use the devices at school?

      Dborah

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  2. Deborah,

    My school doesn't have COWS, but we do have one set of 30 iPads that the math department has priority using, so everyone else has to work around their schedule. How many COWS does your school have? Do you ever have conflicts with trying to check them out at the same time? When does the 30 minute training take place?

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    Replies
    1. Lindsey,
      Our campus has 15 COWs that are housed in particular classrooms. When a teacher needs to borrow a COW they will post a request on the Faculty Email page and usually one of the classroom teachers near them will let them know that they may borrow them. There are times that there are conflicts but our team of teachers are pretty supportive of each other and will try to help out when they can.

      The 30 minute trainings usually are offered throughout the day during conference periods and usually after school about twice. For some of the teachers who have a strong technology background, the tech support will ask the teacher to complete a self training, and complete a quiz at the end to show that they understand the expectations for management.

      Deborah

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  3. I love your idea to give classroom vouchers as a reward for getting technology to be used in the classroom. Many teachers may do it only for the voucher at first, but once they see how great the technology is and how much the kids enjoy it, they will probably get hooked! Sometimes all it takes is that initial session of using it to get teachers excited about technology.

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    Replies
    1. Bridget,
      I totally agree. Since I won 4 iPads for my classroom and received a voucher for apps for them, I have found myself hunting for more resources for my students. I know for my fellow teachers this would help them to want to participate and grow with the technology needs of their students.

      Deborah

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