Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Train the Trainer
The K-12 Database Program's online modules for teachers is a very valuable tool. I was impressed with the website. I can't believe all of the free resources that I have been exposed to during the MTT program that I had no prior knowledge of. I am always saying that teachers don't have time for the professional development that they require to integrate technology in the classroom. The greatest asset of this program is that it is asynchronous, therefore teachers have the flexibility of completing the modules at their convenience. I do which that you could just upload the modules without having to use disk space, but for the most part it is a great site and I will be checking with my tech teacher to see if she is even aware that it exist. This is a great opportunity to help the teachers in my building receive the support they need for technology integration.
Planning Programs Questions 6.1 & 6.2
Exercise 6.1.
1. Describe briefly an education or training program that you are currently planning or have recently planned.
I have recently planned 6 professional development sessions for technology integration in the the classroom. Each session was planned to provide teachers with the basic skills and knowledge for implementing various technology tools. The trainings included integration using Smart Boards, Word, PowerPoint, Audacity, Kidspiration, and Movie Maker.
2. Outline what sources of ideas you are using or did use for the program you described above. Be as specific as possible in naming those sources and indicate where the sources are or can be located.
People: Teachers and other staff members indicated in a needs assessment survey areas they would like to receive technology focused professional development. I also spoke with several teachers directly to assess their needs.
Organizations: There have been many changes district wide that focus on integrating technology into the curriculum. As a result teachers are now being provided with effective tools to implement during instruction, but many of them do not possess the skills in utilizing the tools.
Responsibilities and tasks of adult life: Many teachers need more efficient methods of carrying out daily task due to limited amounts of available time. They also need to advance their skills in technology in order to be marketable when pursuing different careers. Teachers in my building have families, second jobs, and are continuing their education.
Communities and Society: With technology being the driving force of the the 21st century it is important to equip students and teachers with the adequate skills to be successful. Also there has been a change in the type of students that are entering school and teachers need to be prepared to meet the needs of those students.
3. Based on the material you outlined in response to the previous question, make a list of those sources you are using or did use first, second, and third. Are there any you did not or would not choose at this time?
Sources I used 1st: People- I wanted to provide training that was relevant to the needs of the people involved.
Sources I used 2nd: Organizations- The district is providing tools and spending large sums of money to purchase these materials, therefore it is important that every teacher is equipped with the skills to utilize them in an effort to meet district goals.
Sources I used 3rd: Responsibilities and tasks of adult life - I used this source, because it was one of my primary selling points. Teachers want to know effective ways to save time and increase productivity.
Sources I did not use at this time: I did not focus as much on communities and society, because these needs will be met through the utilization of the other sources.
Exercise 6.2
1. Briefly describe an organization or group you currently work or have worked with, in either a paid or volunteer capacity: The Encounters Youth Group
2. Suggest different training techniques this group or organization could use or did use to generate ideas for specific education or training program and indicate why these might be or were useful. The group conducted paper-based questionnaires and the group conducted brainstorming sessions to determine what types of workshops to provide students.
3. Might there be or were there any contextual factors (people, organizational, or environmental factors) that might influence why certain techniques might be or were chosen? There were many factors that influenced the decision of why these techniques were chosen. The group wanted the input from the young ladies in the organization in order to provide trainings that matched their needs. The organization that sponsored the group also wanted to initiate the young ladies making there own decisions for the group.
4. Of those techniques you listed in response to the previous question , which ones do you prefer to use, and why? Working with teens I preferred the paper-based survey, because teens are usually shy about voicing their opinions on topics that may not seek approval from their peers. This method allowed the group to get a true picture of what types of training the young ladies wanted to receive without them withholding information. The group discussion was also productive, but mainly the outspoken members participated.
1. Describe briefly an education or training program that you are currently planning or have recently planned.
I have recently planned 6 professional development sessions for technology integration in the the classroom. Each session was planned to provide teachers with the basic skills and knowledge for implementing various technology tools. The trainings included integration using Smart Boards, Word, PowerPoint, Audacity, Kidspiration, and Movie Maker.
2. Outline what sources of ideas you are using or did use for the program you described above. Be as specific as possible in naming those sources and indicate where the sources are or can be located.
People: Teachers and other staff members indicated in a needs assessment survey areas they would like to receive technology focused professional development. I also spoke with several teachers directly to assess their needs.
Organizations: There have been many changes district wide that focus on integrating technology into the curriculum. As a result teachers are now being provided with effective tools to implement during instruction, but many of them do not possess the skills in utilizing the tools.
Responsibilities and tasks of adult life: Many teachers need more efficient methods of carrying out daily task due to limited amounts of available time. They also need to advance their skills in technology in order to be marketable when pursuing different careers. Teachers in my building have families, second jobs, and are continuing their education.
Communities and Society: With technology being the driving force of the the 21st century it is important to equip students and teachers with the adequate skills to be successful. Also there has been a change in the type of students that are entering school and teachers need to be prepared to meet the needs of those students.
3. Based on the material you outlined in response to the previous question, make a list of those sources you are using or did use first, second, and third. Are there any you did not or would not choose at this time?
Sources I used 1st: People- I wanted to provide training that was relevant to the needs of the people involved.
Sources I used 2nd: Organizations- The district is providing tools and spending large sums of money to purchase these materials, therefore it is important that every teacher is equipped with the skills to utilize them in an effort to meet district goals.
Sources I used 3rd: Responsibilities and tasks of adult life - I used this source, because it was one of my primary selling points. Teachers want to know effective ways to save time and increase productivity.
Sources I did not use at this time: I did not focus as much on communities and society, because these needs will be met through the utilization of the other sources.
Exercise 6.2
1. Briefly describe an organization or group you currently work or have worked with, in either a paid or volunteer capacity: The Encounters Youth Group
2. Suggest different training techniques this group or organization could use or did use to generate ideas for specific education or training program and indicate why these might be or were useful. The group conducted paper-based questionnaires and the group conducted brainstorming sessions to determine what types of workshops to provide students.
3. Might there be or were there any contextual factors (people, organizational, or environmental factors) that might influence why certain techniques might be or were chosen? There were many factors that influenced the decision of why these techniques were chosen. The group wanted the input from the young ladies in the organization in order to provide trainings that matched their needs. The organization that sponsored the group also wanted to initiate the young ladies making there own decisions for the group.
4. Of those techniques you listed in response to the previous question , which ones do you prefer to use, and why? Working with teens I preferred the paper-based survey, because teens are usually shy about voicing their opinions on topics that may not seek approval from their peers. This method allowed the group to get a true picture of what types of training the young ladies wanted to receive without them withholding information. The group discussion was also productive, but mainly the outspoken members participated.
Planning Programs Questions 1.2 & 1.3
Exercise 1.2
1. List all of the organizations you have been a participant in and/or the educational training programs you have planned for the past two or three years.
1. List all of the organizations you have been a participant in and/or the educational training programs you have planned for the past two or three years.
- Planner and Presenter: Smart Board Integration, Using Word as a Teacher Tool, Using Power Point to Create Lessons, Using Audacity to Create Audiobooks and Podcast, and Using Kidspiration to Enhance Writing Skills.
- Mentor: Providing General Technology Awareness Skills
- Staff Development Attended: District Content Area Training, Reading and Math Assessment Training, Stress Management and Dual Language Implementation Training.
Exercise 1.3
1. Within the framework outlined below, list examples of education training programs that you have participated in and/or planned within the last two to three years.
- To encourage the growth and development of individuals: The mentoring I provided this semester was to assist a peer in developing general technology awareness schools.
- To assist people in responding to practical problems and issues of adult life: I have attended a stress management class provided by the district in order to equip staff members on how to properly handle stressful situations and to inform us of mental health resources provided by the district.
- To prepare people for current and future work opportunities: I have attended a Smart Board Training and several other technology professional development sessions to equip me with some necessary skills for being an effective Master Technology Teacher. Also, I'm continuing my education by participating in a graduate program to promote my career advancement.
- To assist in achieving desired results and adapting to change: Our in-service trainings in the beginning of the year were centered around change. The focus was on leaving our comfort zones by changing our instructional practices to meet the needs of all learners. The mission of the goal is to raise student achieve school wide.
- To examine opportunities to examine and foster change related to societal and global issues: I have not attended any trainings relating to this category, however in the future I would like to attend training sessions on combating adult illiteracy and provide training/teaching to adults who are struggling readers.
2. Highlight the positive points of these experiences as either a participant and or planner and indicate what problems and/or disappointments you encountered.
The experiences that I encountered through these professional development opportunities were generally positive. However, the disappointments that I have had with many of the programs is their ability to engage learners. Also, I was disappointed to learn how many professionals do not have a desire to change/update their current practices and have no interest in professional development opportunities.
Current Research Intiatives Summaries
Preparing Teachers for Digital Age Learners (PTDAL) Act of 2008
This bill was introduced to congress in 2008 and has yet to become law. It was referred to the House committee, but never reported. The bill was intended to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and its purpose was to provide funding for technology professional development for teachers. I believe this would be a very effective initiative and should be reintroduced to the House.
Sze, S. (2009). The effects of assistive technology on students with disabilities. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 37(4), 419-429.
This article reviewed various forms of assistive technology and the effects they had on students with disabilities academic success. While researching current topics in educational technology I noticed there is are a large amount of studies being conducted concerning the use of assistive technologies. They range from technologies developed to help students with learning disabilities, vision and hearing impairments, autism, and other physical limitations.
Mann, D. (2009). Better performing schools through better information tools for teachers and students: The case for integrating data systems and applying the results to school improvement. THE Journal
This article discusses the importance of using assessments to drive instruction. The article also suggest how difficult it is for teachers to organize the data from the various forms of assessments to make effective instructional decisions. The paper suggest using a particular software program that organizes student assessment data and provides teachers with a clear view of a students abilities and how they should plan their instruction. Often times teachers conduct assessments, because they are required and they never utilize the data. A tool that offered this type of resource would be a vital tool to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of instruction.
Click the link to access the paper.
Guzman, A., & Nussbaum, M. (2009). Teaching competencies for technology integration in the classroom. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. (25)5, 453-469.
This article discuss the surge of technology integration in the classroom and how to properly prepare new teachers with the skills of integrating technology effectively in the curriculum . Technology integration is the future of classroom instruction and it is very important that new teachers as well as veteran teachers develop the skills and proficiencies needed to implement technology in their classrooms.
This bill was introduced to congress in 2008 and has yet to become law. It was referred to the House committee, but never reported. The bill was intended to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and its purpose was to provide funding for technology professional development for teachers. I believe this would be a very effective initiative and should be reintroduced to the House.
Sze, S. (2009). The effects of assistive technology on students with disabilities. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 37(4), 419-429.
This article reviewed various forms of assistive technology and the effects they had on students with disabilities academic success. While researching current topics in educational technology I noticed there is are a large amount of studies being conducted concerning the use of assistive technologies. They range from technologies developed to help students with learning disabilities, vision and hearing impairments, autism, and other physical limitations.
Mann, D. (2009). Better performing schools through better information tools for teachers and students: The case for integrating data systems and applying the results to school improvement. THE Journal
This article discusses the importance of using assessments to drive instruction. The article also suggest how difficult it is for teachers to organize the data from the various forms of assessments to make effective instructional decisions. The paper suggest using a particular software program that organizes student assessment data and provides teachers with a clear view of a students abilities and how they should plan their instruction. Often times teachers conduct assessments, because they are required and they never utilize the data. A tool that offered this type of resource would be a vital tool to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of instruction.
Click the link to access the paper.
Guzman, A., & Nussbaum, M. (2009). Teaching competencies for technology integration in the classroom. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. (25)5, 453-469.
This article discuss the surge of technology integration in the classroom and how to properly prepare new teachers with the skills of integrating technology effectively in the curriculum . Technology integration is the future of classroom instruction and it is very important that new teachers as well as veteran teachers develop the skills and proficiencies needed to implement technology in their classrooms.
Who's Mentored Me?
At the end of this school year I will have completed 5 years of teaching service. This journey is a short journey in comparison to those who have mentored me along the way. I have a cousin who has over 30 years of teaching service under her belt with Dallas ISD. She is an upper elementary math teacher and she gave me a lot of advice in the beginning on communicating with parents and learning the ropes of the district. I also have a cousin who is beginning her 2nd year of retirement this school year. Prior to her retirement she taught Kindergarten for 28 years at the same elementary school in Dallas ISD. Needless to say being a Kindergarten teacher myself she helped me out a lot. Of course I received some good resources upon her retirement :)I also had an Instructional Coach my 1st year who helped me with EVERYTHING. She was AWESOME! Of course with district budget constraints she had to let me go after the 1st semester, because she had been assigned a large caseload of new hires. My mentor who has worked the longest and continues to put in the hard work and sweat to make sure that I am on the right track is Mrs. Sneed. During my 1st year she wasn't even my official mentor nor was she on my grade-level team. I taught 1st grade during my 1st year and she was a Kinder teacher. She did everything to help me get my room cleaned and set up for the 1st day of school to helping me plan lessons. This was a hard task, because my current classroom was an unofficial storage closet to say the least and I didn't have the slightest clue on lesson planning. She became even more of a help when I began teaching Kinder my 2nd year. She was a life saver! I would have failed at Kindergarten if it wasn't for her help, because believe it or not Kinder and 1st grade are 2 totally different world's. Now she is at a different school and we still plan lessons together. It's really neat now, because I give her a lot of ideas and we brainstorm and tweak different ideas on a regular basis. Her family knows if Ms. Smith is coming over then mom won't be available for a few hours :) We have developed a friendship from our mentoring relationship.
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