I love it! -- I hate it!! Technology in the classroom is what I'm referring to. There are so many ways that technology enhances our teaching that it is shameful not to maximize its usefullness, but how can we depend on something that we have little to no control over at the classroom level? Never fails, I find this terrific website at home that I find amazing and creative ways to utilize at school -- only to get to school and find the site is blocked by the school's filters or that videostreaming is not allowed!
Then there are the times when you have a wonderful lesson prepared for the classroom to utilize in the computer lab, only to find out that the lab is booked for Acuity/ or Scholastic Reading Inventories/ or even ISTEP+ testing.
As a teacher, it is critical to be flexible and always have a back up plan. As with any other subject in which you have little to no control -- you have to be flexible and go with the flow.
Concerns I have using technology in the classroom??? I am always striving to push my students harder and to hold them accountable for the lessons I teach. I want my students to be ready for the 21st century. I want them to have the critical thinking skills and problem solving skills necessary to survive in the future. In order to do that I have to find ways to make technology meaningful for them and create assignments that encourage the deep thinking I am looking for. Students need to know how to manage technology to meet those skills and I need to facilitate that for them.
In order to alleviate my own concerns about using technology in the classroom, I need to stay current with the latest technology. I need to stay engaged in the education/ technology world of blogging/ posting/ Web 2.0 sites. The better educated I am, the better prepared I am to meet my students needs... it's about being proactive, and not always trying to catch up. I'm lucky that I love to learn new things. I have always been a life-long learner. I enjoy the thrill and challenge of learning new things. Even better still is that I love to share my new knowledge with others -- and isn't that how people learn best... by teaching others? The best way I know to alleviate my own concerns is to stay educated and not let things bog me down... flexibility is key.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Teacher Leader... ME?
How can I encourage my professional colleagues to engage in ongoing development in terms of technology integration? Well, I can lead a professional development session teaching staff how to use the new math adoption! That's just what I did last week!
I am not good in front of people -- sure a class of 30 kids, no problem... but a room full of teachers??? No thanks! But, I really love this new math adoption and all the technology that comes with it! I am all about working smarter, not harder and this math kit is just the solution for a busy teacher who doesn't have a lot of time. The visual learning animations are the perfect springboard to guiding the lessons any teacher needs -- If only they would learn how to use it.
So, I was asked to lead the PD for the week and teach the teachers how to add multiple grade levels to their accounts so they could access supplemental materials; add a student roster with student id's/ passwords so students can access the site from home; and use the visual learning animations to springboard lessons. The PD session was not long enough... there were so many questions and I really felt the frustrations of the teachers who are technology immigrants... it took them forever to just get to the site!
What I learned from this experience was that I really am not afraid of teaching teachers... I'm quite good at it. I lack confidence in myself, but when I am committed to something and feel that they will learn something -- the benefit (staff development ) is by far outweighed by the cost (my discomfort).
I have since been included in school emails that go out to the technology people only (I am not on that team.) and hope to provide useful information in response. I truly want to help people see the good things that technology can do for them if they just open themselves up to learning something new.
Tools that I have learned in this course??? I have started a wiki with my small group and really love the ease of use! It sure has cleaned out my inbox from the flood of emails telling who's bringing what meal to the next location! I have also learned to love the blog. This is a great way to journal my progress through the learning I am experiencing. I have learned the value of a newsletter. I always thought of them as fluff and never took the time to create one. It was always easier to slap a note on a piece of FWCS letterhead and call it good. I have learned that parents love the newsletters -- and honestly, they feel good to send home. The intrinsic value of a job well done is priceless.
My hope is that teachers will see the ways that I am utilizing technology and see my enthusiasm for it and want to catch it! So far, it's working! :O)
I am not good in front of people -- sure a class of 30 kids, no problem... but a room full of teachers??? No thanks! But, I really love this new math adoption and all the technology that comes with it! I am all about working smarter, not harder and this math kit is just the solution for a busy teacher who doesn't have a lot of time. The visual learning animations are the perfect springboard to guiding the lessons any teacher needs -- If only they would learn how to use it.
So, I was asked to lead the PD for the week and teach the teachers how to add multiple grade levels to their accounts so they could access supplemental materials; add a student roster with student id's/ passwords so students can access the site from home; and use the visual learning animations to springboard lessons. The PD session was not long enough... there were so many questions and I really felt the frustrations of the teachers who are technology immigrants... it took them forever to just get to the site!
What I learned from this experience was that I really am not afraid of teaching teachers... I'm quite good at it. I lack confidence in myself, but when I am committed to something and feel that they will learn something -- the benefit (staff development ) is by far outweighed by the cost (my discomfort).
I have since been included in school emails that go out to the technology people only (I am not on that team.) and hope to provide useful information in response. I truly want to help people see the good things that technology can do for them if they just open themselves up to learning something new.
Tools that I have learned in this course??? I have started a wiki with my small group and really love the ease of use! It sure has cleaned out my inbox from the flood of emails telling who's bringing what meal to the next location! I have also learned to love the blog. This is a great way to journal my progress through the learning I am experiencing. I have learned the value of a newsletter. I always thought of them as fluff and never took the time to create one. It was always easier to slap a note on a piece of FWCS letterhead and call it good. I have learned that parents love the newsletters -- and honestly, they feel good to send home. The intrinsic value of a job well done is priceless.
My hope is that teachers will see the ways that I am utilizing technology and see my enthusiasm for it and want to catch it! So far, it's working! :O)
Friday, October 7, 2011
Software
This week I stepped out on a limb and tried something new -- outside of my comfort zone. I find that I am doing that more and more lately. It's easy to do what you have always done and are comfortable with, but difficult and sometimes frustrating to take a leap with something unknown.
That's true for most everything -- including a faith journey with God. It's easy to keep doing the same ol', same ol' -- walking through life in our comfortable patterns and routines. It takes courage to trust and have faith in God. Just changing my routine by adding a devotion or more prayer time can put me in the frame of mind that with Him I can do anything.
So, stepping into the foreign software world this week I created my first Classroom Newsletter. I utilized Microsoft Publisher and chose a template that I thought looked appealing and easy to work with. I changed fonts, added pictures, inserted text boxes, changed headings and subtitles and created a masterpiece. I learned that Publisher really isn't that much different from Word, just more areas to tweak and play with. I have had several parents send in notes this week stating that they loved it! The students enjoyed seeing themselves in the pictures.
What meant the most to me though, was the reaction from our Art teacher. Mrs. L worked tirelessly to tie-dye t-shirts in a different color for each grade level so that we could use them in our Reading Rallies at the end of each month. I took a picture of all three third grade classes sitting in the gymnasium during our first reading rally wearing our new shirts and included that in the newsletter. Mrs. L was truly touched to have such a public recognition of appreciation. She sent me a very nice email thanking me for including her in our publication.
The newsletter was frustrating, it was time consuming, but worth it in so many ways. I learned the importance of recognizing things we do in the classroom and sharing with parents. It is both valuable and worth my efforts... every time. I honestly feel that if I just play with it some more, I will learn to love it! The more time you invest in anything, the better you become and the easier it becomes. That's true for friendships, relationships, and hobbies as well. The more time you invest in God, the deeper your relationship becomes and the more you learn to trust in Him.
I am fairly comfortable with the software I use at school. I regularly use Word and Excel. I have played around with Power Point and Prezi enough that I can accomplish my goals. I would like to get better with Excel. I saw some great projects this week where other students had inserted student data and had Excel create graphs showing student growth. I did not know you could do that with Excel. I would like to set a goal with my self that every semester I focus on one software program and complete a project in that program. (I'm going to count this semester as done! I have completed both a Prezi and a Publisher this month alone.) The reward for my hard work will be the knowledge and experience I gain in doing so -- but I think after all that, I will have earned a trip to Starbucks too!
That's true for most everything -- including a faith journey with God. It's easy to keep doing the same ol', same ol' -- walking through life in our comfortable patterns and routines. It takes courage to trust and have faith in God. Just changing my routine by adding a devotion or more prayer time can put me in the frame of mind that with Him I can do anything.
So, stepping into the foreign software world this week I created my first Classroom Newsletter. I utilized Microsoft Publisher and chose a template that I thought looked appealing and easy to work with. I changed fonts, added pictures, inserted text boxes, changed headings and subtitles and created a masterpiece. I learned that Publisher really isn't that much different from Word, just more areas to tweak and play with. I have had several parents send in notes this week stating that they loved it! The students enjoyed seeing themselves in the pictures.
What meant the most to me though, was the reaction from our Art teacher. Mrs. L worked tirelessly to tie-dye t-shirts in a different color for each grade level so that we could use them in our Reading Rallies at the end of each month. I took a picture of all three third grade classes sitting in the gymnasium during our first reading rally wearing our new shirts and included that in the newsletter. Mrs. L was truly touched to have such a public recognition of appreciation. She sent me a very nice email thanking me for including her in our publication.
The newsletter was frustrating, it was time consuming, but worth it in so many ways. I learned the importance of recognizing things we do in the classroom and sharing with parents. It is both valuable and worth my efforts... every time. I honestly feel that if I just play with it some more, I will learn to love it! The more time you invest in anything, the better you become and the easier it becomes. That's true for friendships, relationships, and hobbies as well. The more time you invest in God, the deeper your relationship becomes and the more you learn to trust in Him.
I am fairly comfortable with the software I use at school. I regularly use Word and Excel. I have played around with Power Point and Prezi enough that I can accomplish my goals. I would like to get better with Excel. I saw some great projects this week where other students had inserted student data and had Excel create graphs showing student growth. I did not know you could do that with Excel. I would like to set a goal with my self that every semester I focus on one software program and complete a project in that program. (I'm going to count this semester as done! I have completed both a Prezi and a Publisher this month alone.) The reward for my hard work will be the knowledge and experience I gain in doing so -- but I think after all that, I will have earned a trip to Starbucks too!
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