Nekicia

Weekly Reflection- Week 7 April 22, 2010

I have registared for all of the WEb 2.0 websites. I am not sure of the choices my group would like to use, but I like ToonDoo and the VOKI. I have become very comfortable with learning and understand the new technologies that could and would benefit my students.

Weekly Reflection #4 Technology Fix- Week 4 4/7/10 Part 3- Hit or Miss Commitment- The Springdale School is aligned with the current standards of being technologically savvy. They are will equipped for the students and it seems that the teachers have either brought in to the technology with 14 hours of training and in-services. The school is also committed to incorporating video conferences and online courses which is differentiating the instruction for all students. I also feel that this school is financially in a better situation then some of the other schools that are in section 3.

The Harrison Elementary School offers the students the use of computers to all students, but not every teacher is on board. I found it funny that one teacher, Michael was mocking the principal that they are a 21st century classroom, but every teacher doesn’t by in to the technology program and feel that the school is pushing the kids to hard and has taken the fun out of teaching. I wonder, has computers taken the fun out of teaching or has it added?

//I guess that same argument could be used for most classroom innovations. I guess it really depends on how it is being incorporated. //

Rosemary a veteran teacher at the Woodvale Middle School is questioning if she is a good teacher. Well many veteran teachers are not interested in new age technology and were fine keeping their lesson plan the same year after years. She wants to be user and believer, but she is going to need training. Are we training our veteran teacher for the 21st century classrooms? Are we as young professionals prepared for more technology in our classrooms? Do our children know more about computers them we know? My 13 years old has to play DVD’s for me because we have too many pieces of technology hooked up to our television set. Who can create a face book faster a 30 year old or a 14 year old?

//I understand your point, but is this "divide" the prime deterrent for tech integration? //

The City Academy offers a multimedia project-based learning community with 1000 students. Well is there a challenge between high-stakes testing vs. technology at the City Academy? Well with a technology system down for three weeks, who is benefiting? Do we need technology for quality instruction? Will students fail the standard test if they don’t have computers? Can teachers still teach toward proficiency without computers? Yes

Karen has a special position at Emerson Elementary School, once we have a 30 second training on a student’s assistive technology device, the district considers us an expert. LoL. We don’t have a technology person to support out online programs, but we do utilize our support services from companies like, IEP writer and AIMSWEB. Also, Karen stated the “technology is opening doors for these special students, which she makes a good point.. language boards and other assistive technology devices will help certain disabilities, but will technology be a help to all special education students?

At Lambert Elementary School has technology affected test performance, they don’t know! Well as a 14 year veteran teacher, I don’t see where technology has enhanced my students PSSA scores, but it has helped drive my instruction to do web quest and other online actives to teach and enrich lessons. Technology has also been a good way in the last few years to track progress monitoring, but my least technology savvy students has to be progress monitored on paper, because the online program is to quick.

At the Carter Elementary School, is technology overrated, does it make our kids lazy, or does it help to drive instruction? Is the district spending too much money to dig trenches to add internet technology to their school? Are the parent volunteer’s helping by raising money to support the technology program and add to teacher salaries? Should parents be only concerned with their children’s technological future? I think the answer is yes to all of the questions that we look for as teachers and parents.

With regard to this book and the different technology experiences, our children will need to know the how’s and what’s of technology, but I’d also like for my daughter not to rely only on computer and actually get back to basic skills.

Part IV- too troubled to focus The Alexanderville School District has a few problems that many district faced in the past and many rural and southern districts now, than where is the money and the new computer systems. If school district cuts the technology budget from 2 million to 4 hundred thousand dollars, then they have a big problem. Secondly, the district is working with old out dated systems that are obsolete. I do have a lot of respect for Bob training students in a mock club whom knows and understands how to update and fix a computer. This is training and providing these students with a job skill and possible career passion. But with 800 Macs and 300 PCs, isn’t this enough to make a successful program.

The Porter Elementary School is fully stocked with no support, which sounds like my school in Philadelphia a few years ago. We received a grant and stocked the school, but no one had a clue and for one year, brand new Macs sat in a box. I also like the point that I continue to make daily, especially when we are in the computer lab and I am not continuously floating around or if I am working with another students, are the students using the computers as a tool or a toy. Face book, MySpace and YouTube are all social toys. This school needs to look at moving and relocating fund for a technology coordinator.

Fisher High School has 3 technology coordinators, but six suspend licenses or grants. This already looks problematic. As well as not having a plagiarism program, like turn it in.com at the high school level. This method of cut and paste doesn’t allow accountability, except for students who use PH.D. paper and write on a 5th grade level. This school may be in a financial hole, but it also needs to restructure its budget to support the ever changing society of technology. We are now going from one extreme to another.

Problem number one at Lincoln Elementary School, who has 8 principals in 11 years? Plus, Lincoln services a large ESL population students and attendance problems, city schools. If each student has to work on a computer program 30 minutes a day that is monitored by the district, what subject is cut for direction instruction. I understand the districts level of progress monitoring, but daily is too much if a teacher is providing daily direct instruction in both reading and math. This school needs more than money and teachers, it needs prayer.

Weekly Reflection #3 3/25/10 Commitment, Less Focus In reading part two of “The Technology Fix” I found that all of these affluent schools have the technological resource and finances to fund technology programs and technology coordinators, but are they doing a service or disservice to their students. Our society is technology based, but also the classroom should not about doing everything everyday on the computer. Every student will not face an occupation that will completely have them working with computers for the entire work day. And, appreciate the monetary value that is placed upon the per student allotment to provide resource to students, but I go back to an original question that I asked during the 1st class, have we taken the socialization out of our schools. Each school has something different to offer its students, but are they offering student to student interaction. Like the Ludlow Springs School District incorporates web quest, but are they allowing pairs to interact or are they individual assignments. When I incorporate web quest into my lessons for English, I pair the students, because in the real work for corporate positions, staff usually work in teams. I feel that computers are a great resource, but every student needs more. And for the St. John’s School, every freshman must have a computer. I was speaking to my neighbor the other day that attends a very esteemed school and he said that it was a requirement for every and if the students could not afford to buy a new lap top, the school provides them with a used ones that they build in class. I must agree that in our society, we need technology, but do we need to make technology our final teaching strategy for students and are they learning from their computers at all.

Reflection #2 March 18, 2010 Technology Fix - Chapter 1-5, It is evident in our country that each school district has its own plan for technology. Some districts hire technology administrator, some principals develop their own plan, others use their teacher resources, and lastly some fly by the seat of their pants. It was refreshing to see that 4 out of 5 districts were in lower social economic schools and that technology was being used effectively across the curriculum to empower students to strive harder to achieve. The St. Mary’s school is very blessed to provide every teacher with a laptop. Personally, for me, my district provided laptop has helps me keep account of online/real time attendance, grading, IEP writer and other daily classroom needs. I also like how the St. Mary School has made typing a part of the 3rd grade curriculum. I can remember growing up taking typing class as a skill. The typing classes are smart because it will eventually become much time effective for students whom are currently slow at typing and not familiar with the keyboard. In chapter 2, I found it motivating for the principal to reward striving students to achieve with positive rewards like the baseball tickets. Unfortunately, a lot of our children don’t get to go pass their homes and schools, so to be rewarded for small success, I to have found it builds self-esteem and character. In chapter 3, I chuckled at the comment a student from Longworth high made to her class mate, who did not have a computer at home. She told him to either go to the library or come to school earlier to get his work done. It was also evident that the same students doesn’t get much sleep at night because has brought a pillow to school. I do feel that we as teachers and administrators have to provide and accommodate for all students, we can’t read into the lives of student. At the Washington-Conner Elementary School, I was taken aback by the superintendent’s comment that we audit financial records, but not student performance. He hit the nail on the head and he is absolutely correct. We give many standardized test, but a lot of schools don’t review or audit test scores or look into other facets of our students lives. It’s about technology, but it’s also about the whole child. Even Larry, who is not a computer user, he was on to something with collecting data on student for performance rated, attendance, textbooks, and over health concerns. My skyward program allows me to take attendance in real time, grade assignments, has IEP alert and medial alerts as they update. This data also contributes to the overall performance of our students. Overall, the Mitchell elementary school spends a decent amount on every student. As a special education teacher, with a case load of 22 emotional support students and a department of 160 special education students, their numbers of IEP’s don’t surprise me. But as a school, they were creative enough to set up alternatives to support the students. I think they made ok progress with 9 out of 18 students passing the reading test opposed to 3 the previous school year. This is all about creativity and baby steps. I do feel that the overall pattern speaks volumes to every teacher and administrator, if everyone is on board, then our children will be successful

media type="custom" key="5598645"media type="custom" key="5598609"media type="custom" key="5598579"Class #1 Reflections: Reflections 3-10-10 ISTE: National Education Technology Standards; Administration, Teacher & Students

Each Standard is comprised of very similar technological standards that encompass the same overall goal, which is technological growth for students, teachers and school districts. Each hierarchy of standards provides the administration, teachers and students with there technology goals to accommodate each level of creativity, safety and growth. Our school district has a very large technology department that is apart of ISTE. The standards are aligned with ISTE and additional district policies that involve ethics, security and safety. The standards are also aligned with our districts performance pathways for the curriculum to involve technology. Our administration is very cognizant of their technological vision to prepare our students for careers that will all include technology.

Our district technology policy concludes that every teacher has a personal lab top, every classroom having 4-6 desktops or our 3 cow systems with 25 lab tops. The vision of our district is to have students regularly review their grade, look up missed lessons/assignments if they are absent and also create 3-4 technology activities per school year for all of the major subject areas, including web quest, research paper/ turn it in. com or pod cast to name a few.

Our staff is provides with 6-8 hours of technology profession development each school years to inform teachers of the latest web programs to implement into the classroom, view secure sites and train teachers on what sites students are using at home that may not be safe. Each staff members signs a strict contract regarding personal use of the internet at work and to be mindful of their personal usage and information that is posted on face book, MySpace, you tube or any other social networking site.

My personal benefits of reviewing the NETS policies have provided me with additional information regarding the policy hierarchies, but many school districts have technology administrators that will forward the districts policies to the building administration of the do’s and don’ts of the school district.

Nekicia,

Sounds like your district is doing a lot "right" when it comes to a vision of technology.

David

Our district is also trying to use a home school access program, but many of our children do not have access to computers at home. I would love to try a wiki space program with my top group this year. this is the only group where all students have access to a home computer. I would like to see how far I can take them.

Theresa