Over the past year or so, I have spent a considerable amount of time on the ISTE website for professional development purposes as well as to align our district’s core curriculum standards for technology with the ISTE NETS for Students. However, to be honest with myself, I have spent considerably less time reviewing and understanding the performance indicators for teachers. Shame on me because now that I have invested the time, I can see clearly how these indicators serve as the basis for creating a solid foundation on which the successful integration of technology across the curriculum and in the classroom rests.
In August, I will be starting a new job at a private school where the use of technology stands in high regard. The school has made the decision and the commitment to invest in technology with the objective of enhancing the teaching and learning experience. That said they also recognize that integrating technology is not a pedagogical panacea and sometimes more can be accomplished using paper and pencil rather than with an iPad and an app (King-Sears & Evmenova, 2007).
As an educational technology teacher, I need to create authentic learning experiences and to be able to assess my students’ progress both formatively and summatively (Cummano et al, 2009). Likewise, as an integration coordinator, my job will be to assist teachers in selecting the most appropriate technology or make the decision to go the “low-tech” route (King-Sears & Evmenova, 2007). Moreover, I will be working with them to design and develop technology-based instruction and assessment. Keeping this mind, I decided to make a commitment toward focusing on performance indicators #2 Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments and #5 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership and have developed the following GAME plan to help me reach my objectives.
Goals
· I will learn how to assess my students effectively so that I can make better teaching decisions that result in enhanced learning experiences.
· I will continue to learn how to many better decisions regarding the use of certain technologies.
· I will stay abreast of the constant and considerable changes in technology.
Actions
· For each of my goals, I will actively participate in various networking sites and PLCs (i.e. ISTE) as well as consult with peers at other schools as well as my colleagues. I will subscribe to applicable newsletters and list serves as well as attend conferences and webinars. I will consult regularly with students to gather information about the latest technology that they might want to use for educational purposes.
Monitor
· I will reflect on if I am obtaining enough of the right data to make informed decisions as well as determine if I am making proper modifications to my lessons to meet my desired results.
Evaluate and Extend
· I will observe the classrooms of the teachers that I assist and I will maintain a journal noting what has and has not achieved a sufficient level of success. I will solicit input from my supervisor, colleagues, and other relevant staff and faculty. Through observation and surveys, I will note what personal technologies students might be using and then seek an educational extension.
For those of you, who did not have the chance to see this video, please take about 10 minutes to do so. I believe that you will find it to be well worth the time because it addresses why we need to create authentic digital learning experiences and how we should go about doing so in a seamless and meaningful manner.
King-Sears, M., & Evmenova, A. S. (2007). Premises, principles, and processes for integrating technology into instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(1), 6–14. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.
Bruce,
ReplyDeleteI wish you well as you conclude your "old" job, and begin your "new." Thank you for the support your inquiring mind has already provided our group. I look forward to hearing your comparisons as you move districts, regarding technology. As you stay "abreast" of changes in technology, how do you go about discovering new networks and PLCs that are outside your current connections? I am curious on your process as you learn.
As you implement this plan and begin monitoring, where will you get feedback prior to evaluation- or is your monitoring part of your evaluation? I look forward to following your progress, as I am sure you will meet your goals superbly- in ways that will continue to benefit and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the nice words. I have enjoyed reading your posts because you bring a realistic perspective...and, you add humor! Keep teaching me!!!
My "old" job and my "new" job are in two completely different tech environments. I am moving from a highly filtered school, which is indicative of most public schools, to an independent school that is completely unfiltered. It should be very exciting and interesting. I thank my lucky stars for PLCs everyday!
For the most part, I find information and other PLCs simply by surfing...I tend to follow links on one site that sound interesting that may land me on another site. Also, people on PLCs will often talk about other PLCs that I will then explore. However, this all really started when I joined ISTE during the first class of the Walden program. From there my network has expanded.
I look at monitoring from a reflective point of view. In other words, I see monitoring as an intrinsic action. In regard to evaluation, this is where I will look toward others to provide insight and perspective.
Hi Bruce,
ReplyDeleteFirst question, the school that holds technologies in high regard…are they hiring? In my district there is much talk about technology and very little else. Due to budget cuts, each building went from having one IT person, to a half-time IT, down to one IT person for the three high schools (1500 students each) combined. As my students would say, OMG!
Peggy Ertmer via Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009) p. 52, relates how two colleagues and herself team teach biology and that while technology is an important aspect of their teaching, “The computer is not the coolest part of this. It may even be the weakest part. Learning happens when people are active and the computer simply allows us to provide more of those opportunities, because we don’t have to lecture.” She continues to say that her goals are not as much technology for technology’s sake rather, technology as one path to independent learning and critical thinking. I’ve been thinking of a few of my colleagues along with myself in the not too distant past and have a question for you. Given that part of your new job is to assist teachers in choosing technology well suited to the needs of their classroom, if you came across a situation where a teacher was using technology but only in a direct instruction manner, how or would you address the lack of self-directed learning? The only reason I have been able to even recognize what I had been doing is through the endeavor of this master’s program. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Good luck with your new position, from what little I have seen, they are going to be very happy to have you on board!
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Amy,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great question and one that I had to address in my job interview. My soon-to-be boss finds that many teachers at the school stand in front of their SmartBoards and deliver their lectures in the same manner as they would if they were standing in from of a chalkboard or a screen displaying transparencies. However, to them they are “using technology” and can; therefore, “check the box.” But, as we have learned, this is still a classroom that can be labeled as teacher-centered.
Since we all know that seeing tends to translate into believing, I feel that teachers who have thus far only been in teacher-centered classrooms must see what a student-centered, self-directed learning environment can yield. They need to experience how students become more engaged, motivated, empowered, and confident (Cennamo et al, 2009; Laureate Education, 2009). Furthermore, they need to see that giving up control does not make them any less valuable (I believe that this is a real fear for some especially in this current budget-cutting environment).
I would propose (1) sitting with the teacher and go over a lesson that they plan to present in the near future and identify if/how technology can/should be used to enhance teaching and learning; and (2) suggest that the teacher observe how the lesson can be delivered to promote self-directed learning. I also think that it always comes back to goals and objectives. Moreover, I believe that it is important to always help them keep in mind that we are here to prepare our students for “their” lives and the world in which “they” will live.
I hope this helps and addressed your very poignant, highly relevant question.