3/9/09  Listened to Podcast, took notes, posted comments and read others’ blogs.

3/10/09 Read more blogs, responded to blogs, worked on Project 2

Session 9 Professional Development:

Focus Question:  Describe an excellent professional development  experience and describe a poor professional development experience.  Compare and Contrast.  Point out Good/Bad examples.

An example of an excellent professional development experience that I attended was last summer when we were trained on how to access EADMS database.  This database gives teachers and staff the information on how students performed on state tests.  This information could then be used to specifically find out what were the weak areas or strengths of students or specific grade levels.    One could simply log on and find out immediately the specific areas of need which in turn could be used to construct lesson plans.  This information could then be discussed in our Professional Learning Community (PLC) Meetings on a weekly basis to discuss and develop lesson and/or strategies to help students achieve their goals.  So far this training has been very useful.  Our principal and leaders help with any technical questions with this system.

Another excellent professional development example is Riverside County of Education training that we have been receiving twice a month since the beginning of the year which is still going on.  We have been trained on using Universal Access effectively, Writing, Math and Language Arts.  We have a Math coach and Language Arts coach that are available weekly to help us develop lesson plans for our students. 

A poor example of professional development was when I first began teaching I had one hour lab time with my class.  I had no idea what the students where to work on so I just allowed them to do what they did the previous year.  Some kids worked on a math program while others worked on a language arts program.  The following year the old system crashed and the computers no longer worked.  Thus we have not had a lab since then. 

That first year (1998), I went to a one day training on how to use Accelerated Reader and how to add library books, tests and quizzes.  We never got anymore training and the district did not adopt the system.  This training day I think was a waste of time because when the program was finally adopted we had forgotten how to use it.  When I moved to a new district the AR Program was already implemented and prizes where given for highest points.  I think it is a good program that gets kids reading. 

Links to Professional Development:

http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/mainprodev.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=fq09AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA11&dq=professional+development+training+for+teachers+%2B+research#PPA41,M1

Below are some links on Data Driven Decision Making:

Data-driven decision making in K-12 schools  http://www.technology-alliance.com/pubspols/dddm/dddm.html

National Education Association  http://www.escholar.com/files/NEA-data_driven_decision.pdf

In  my jobsetting positive use of Data Driven Decision Making would encompass the actual use of data.  It would be ideal for adequate training to be provided by the district on how to effectively use this data in the classroom.  My site has weekly teacher meeting known as Profession Learning Communties where each grade level meets to discuss data collection, interventions, testing, lessons and classroom observations.   Twice a month, we get visits from personnel from Riverside County Office of Education who train, model, observe and monitor specific teaching strategies.   EADMS is a data base used by our site and district to find out exactly how our students scored on CST (California State Test).  This information is then used by educators to develop lesson plans to target areas of weakness.  With more training we will be able to better utilize the data to better serve our students.

The negative use of Data Driven Decision Making could occur if data is collected but not used.  Lack of training teachers would definitely add to this  negative part of DDDM.  Without any direction or understanding on how to use this data makes it useless and just another pile of information that just takes up space.  It needs to be easily retrieved by the teacher.  Boxing it up in crates makes data use-able. 

Leadership would have the opportunity to positively make data useful through continual training on how to use information.  Grade-level chairs could discuss data collected to make better teaching lessons for teachers.  Principals could provide tools and resources to help their teachers have the information to make this data relevant and useful.  Too much information and too little training could cause frustration and uncooperative teachers who don’t know what to do with this information.  It would be up to the leadership to have all the teachers buy into the practice of using data and effective teaching techniques to improve student learning.

Monday, February 23, 2009  I listened to the podcast, took notes, responded to blog, read and commented on other people’s blog.  Work a little on Project 1.

The Ed Norman Syndrome:

I have seen the Ed Norman Sydrome developing at one school that I work at.  For years, we were not taking attendance online for fears that viruses or errors could be made by teachers.  We took attendance on a paper spreadsheet and turned it in to the office and the secretary would enter the information directly to Zangle.  this is the first school year that we have been trained and entrusted to talk attendance online.  Yeah!  Software like Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math even today needs to be requested weeks in advance and only installed by a specific teacher.  Although I have installed other software on my school computer it is not encouraged because our computers have limited memory that hasn’t been upgraded in years.  In our school, we have one computer projector for the school and we could only use it if we give a two week notice to the teacher who has it.   Our tech guys have placed passwords that do not allow certain computer access to the internet.  I have requested permission to use internet and have been waiting for months.  More restrictions on the internet have been placed due to some teachers having inappropriate material downloaded on their desktop a couple of years ago.  I understand the reasons to protect the infrastructure against viruses and to keep restricted or inappropriate materials from our computers.   

I would like to see more tech support at our school site with upgraded technolgy and new computers with useful software.  One of the problems that arises is licensing to use specific software by the school.  It seems that elementary schools are not given priority to use technology like the middle school or high school.  I am hoping and working on changing this as we are preparing to open up a new elementary school in August 2009.  I am working on trying to get a computer lab at the new school if funds are made available.  If funds are available we should be provided computers, projectors, DVDs, TVs, software and more.  Our new elementary school is suppose to be the high tech school.  I am open to suggestions and ideas in getting this to work.

Feb. 17, 2009  Listened to podcast, took notes, posted blog

Feb. 22, 2009  Worked on project 1 and read posts.

Blog:

What common barriers to technology integration do you hear about or perceive in your practice of education?  Which are actual barriers?  Which are proxies or stand for something else?   What would you do to solve the barrier or get over barrier so technology is used?

The National Center for Educational Statistics in 1999 found three components or reason why technology is not used in K-12 schools:  1.  lack of computers or technology, 2.  not enough release time or training, 3.  not enough time in school schedule day.  These finding are still true in 2009 as we see old technologies needing replacement for newer updated ones.  With budgeting mainly used for administrator costs, teacher salaries or infrastructure technology is usually placed at the bottom of the list.  We still need projectors, TVs, cable, new computers and other technologies to be up to par in the 21st century classroom.  Release time for training is not available during the school hours.  Some afterschool training is provided but only on a volunteer basis.  Administrators are not really leading too much in this direction but are supportive of its integration.  Time is the big barrier especially when paper pencil work is the main means of teaching today.  The day and its activities simple do not allow for the integration of technology unless a teacher really goes out of their way to make this a possiblility. 

The actual barries are mainly training and time in the school schedule.  This is because of the way it is expected of teachers to teach a specific lesson.  The solution would be to think differently in the way a lesson is taught with the use of technology.  One would have to go out of the way to learn the technology available and use it more often.  At first it would be time consuming but eventually it would become faster and more efficient just like everything else that was learned.  The proxy is that there are some educators that simply refuse or do not want to do things differently because what they are using now works.  As the old saying goes, “Why fix it if it ain’t broken!”  Yet, I believe that the majority of teachers are eager to learn new technology that would make it easier to teach and enhance student learning.

What I would do as an Instructional Technologist is provide weekly or bi-weekly trainings on how a specific technology could enhance their lessons.  I would demonstrate its usage and provide support at my site as needed.  This would be a process so as we have been taught, in this program, time and on-going training must be provided.  But first, I myself would need to be comfortable and knowledgeable on the technology available.  Thus, I need to be updated and trained myself.

2/9/09  Listened to podcast and took notes.  Read and responded to others posts.   Worked on proposal 1.

2/10/09 Editing post and reading comments.  Learning to use Sea Monkey Survey.  Wrote some questions. 

2/12/09  Working on Task Analysis & Survey.  Brainstorming survey questions.

Session 5: 

Identify technology integration in best practice that you use?  How did you learn it?  Describe it.  How to accomplish it?  Did learn it on your own? 

When I first began this technology program in 1996 I learned how to use HyperCard and HyperStudio on MacIntosh @ CSUSB– Instructional Technology Program.  I began using this technology to develop a program to teach non-English speakers electronic flash cards to teach language arts.  Then I learned how to use search engines like Dogpile, Yahoo and Altavista.  I also used software like Kid Pix, Oregon Trail, Carmen San Diego and other programs to teach students in class.  Today, I use a program called Making the Grade to keep track of students grades, seating and parent conferences.  I taught myself how to use it one summer because I liked the graphs and reports that could be made with a push of a button for parent conferences. Yet some teachers feel better off just keeping track of their grades on paper since a couple of teachers have lost their information due to computers being stolen or old computers crashing or dying.  The frustration of having lost information is key to many teachers not using this technology.  Teleparent is a useful online service used to communicate with parents about child’s progress and behavior.  Few teachers use Teleparent because they feel it is time consuming and just another thing to do in addition to their overloaded schedule.  The majority of our teachers are more comfortable with paper pencil format.   I’ve tried to be the technology guru at our site but money for equipment has been tight for years.  Getting equipment for my room has not happened due to budget.  My goal is to have dell projector and school laptop so I could teach my ELL students and ELD lessons. 

Why isn’t everyone using this technology? 

I have noticed that many teachers only use the technology when it becomes mandatory.  If it is not something that has to be used then it is left by the wayside.  If no continual training is provided during normal school hours very few participate.  I have gone to the district to represent our school but not too many  teachers seem interested in learning new technologies unless they are mandated by the district or paid.  An example:  This year teachers were told that attendance will solely be done online from now on.  Everyone was on board from day one.  Training was provided in an inservice this summer and it caught on quickly.

2/5/09  Listened to podcast and took notes.

2/6/09 Responding to Podcast

2/7/09  Responding to others posts

2/8/09  Minining the literature on the use of multimedia to teach ELL students.

Where do I see myself in the 5 categories of innovators?

Let me start by identifying the five categories:

1.  Innovators:  adventurous, assimimilate to the new idea

2.  Early Adopters: socially connected; seen as leaders; most people go seek their advice; crucial group; lead early majority.

3.  Early Majority:  cautious about adopting innovation

4.  Late Majority:  more cautious; resistant to change; adopts based on necessity

5. Lagger:  Tried it 6 years ago and it didn’t work; Loners, been there done that attitude;  peer pressure will not work; very resistant to change.

Based on this description of innovators, I see myself between an Early Adopter and Early Majority.  I am ready to embrace the technology that is available with the proper training.  Yet, I see myself relunctant to use new technology that I am not familiar with.  When I first entered the field of education I was hoping to have the most highly technologically advanced class with all the necessary tools to make it work.  The area I find difficulty in is taking the time and training to learn new technology and then applying it to the classroom.  Today, I use Zangle to take attendance and print spread sheets for attendance and look up students coming into my room.   I use a program call Teleparent to keep in touch with my parents about their child’s progress or behavior.  I use email and the internet to keep updated with information pertinent to my job, student learning or other things.  A couple of years ago, I purchased an iPod that I have not fully learned how to use, but use it often to listen to music and download podcasts.  I have a laptop to work on this Instructional Technology program.  I have tried to be more of an innovator but I am naturally a more social person than a technological guru which I would like to be a little more.

1/27/09  Listened to Podcast and took notes.

1/28/09 Reviewed Podcast notes.  Read: Rapid Instructional Design by GM Piskurich chapter 3 for ETEC544.  Viewed student posts and responded to them.

1/29/09  Read comments left on my post and read other posts.  Updated and added student to my blogroll.

Can Technology Integration in American Classrooms adequately or correctly  be expressed as a hierachy?  Why or why not?

Based on what Dr. Newberry’s podcast and reading I have done, I think  Technology Integration can be expressed adequately or correctly.   Different teachers have varying levels or knowledge on how to most effectively use technology in the classroom.  I actually like the hierachy description because it helps me clearly see the stages that educators can be observed and possibly later on even be evaluated.  This reminds me of Maslow Hierachy of Needs yet in the setting of technology use. 

This link provides a comparison to Maslow Hierachy of Needs and Technology Use Hieracy http://www.enumclaw.wednet.edu/departments/technology/survey/findings.pdf 

Those at the bottom who seldom use technology could be identified as the “Technology Novices” because they might have computers but are just used to take attendance using Zangle, send or receive email, and surf the internet.  The next level would be identified as the “Technology Intermediate Users” who do have computers and let student use it for Accelerated Reading or Math Facts, Website Learning Games.   Then you have the “Technology Wizards” who have students write papers on MicroSoft Word or use Powerpoint for presentations yet fully dictated by the teacher and limited use of website.  Finally, you would have the “Fully Integrated Technology Guru” who not only allows students to use technology but who faciliates students to produce their own blogs, create websites, powerpoint lesson or projects, video, and use other multimedia software.  This educator is very knowledgeable about the technology, its use, laws governing use, district rules, students access homework from teacher website, blackboard interactive site, podcasting and more.  Besides that, this teacher also trains staff at the district or site on how to use technology effectively in the classroom and maybe even teaches a night class at the community college to help parents or the community engage in technology while actively learning new things about  technology and its use.

1/20/09  Listened to the podcast, took notes and reviewed them. 

1/21/09  Responded to items.  Read and responded to others posts.  Read ETEC 544 Assignments.  Feel very tired today.

1/22/09  Read comments left on my blog.   Reading Etec 544 assignments.  Developing learning contract but still have questions like what is the process or manner we are to accomplish or do them. 

Found out today from the principal that we will be receiving money for new computers for our new school from funds available from our ELL Program and other funds too! Good news after yesterdays bad news about possible district layoffs of up to 56 teachers in the 2009-2010 school year.  Hope I can keep my job!

Compare and Contrast: Management vs. Leadership    http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm

Obviously there is a big difference between management and leadership.  And even though different, they actually seem to complement each other in different areas.   Both styles are needed and at times “both are used by the same person.”   The graph below is a sample of the differences between leaders and managers.  See above link for more inforamtion. 

It seems to me that as technologists we need to strive to not get stuck with the notion of management of technology only, but to actually embrace the idea of being leaders in our prospect careers.  Looking at the big picture without losing focus of the small picture seem like traits we need to develop.  In my own experience, I have tended to be more isolated with the tools of technology and not placing as much emphasis on the human aspect.  Thus, I feel enlightened in that we need to strive to be more of a leader yet not forsaking the importance of the management of technology.

Bill Gates is considered an innovated leaderin computer technology because his idea was to make it possible to provide this tool to the average household.  As a child who was excused from math class to persue his interest in electronics he began by writing out a basic computer program to play tic-tac-toe on an ACR-33 teletype terminal.  Users were able to play a game of tic-tac-toe with this machine.  His early interests and play were the basic foundations that perpelled him to not only let his friends use this technology but to bring it out for the whole world to use.  His innovation of the personal computer, Microsoft and other media have allowed him to provide businesses, governments, organizations and others to use this technology to empower and better peoples lives.  Nevertheless, he still needs to manage his corporation so it could provide high quality and less expensive technology for users.  So we can easily see that leadership and manage could be utilized by the same person.

link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates#Early_life

At our school district, we have three techs that service our computers when they are down.  Their primary job is to make sure that the internet is working, servers are up, virus software is update, and basically that our technology is working fine.  I think they are doing an excellent job in managing the technology.  With this said, I have notice that the leadership part is a missing link because training is seldom done by them.  They basically keep things running smoothly.  Lucky for us, we have a trainer at the district office that offers training for teachers who wish to go.  I am so far the only one that has participated from our school so I could bring back the knowledge to our site and provide some training to teachers.  What is definitely needed is an individual who could both be a leader and manager of this technology in our school site to help us achieve our goals and mission as an elementary school.

 Project 1:

Thinking about making a powerpoint multimedia project to help ELL learners with academic vocabulary in the reading series and providing a weblink for educators, teachers, parents and even students to utilize.

I listened to the podcast twice and took notes.  I reviewed class schedule and syllabus for ETEC 623.  Checked out blog servers and decided on wordpress.com  because it looked user friendly.   Then I began responding to posted blogs.   I spoke to a fellow student using Skype at that time too. 

Monday, 1/12/2009  Listened to podcast, took notes and created my blog on wordpress.com

Tuesday, 1/13/2009  Listened to podcast, reviewed syllabus and schedule , responded to items, created blog links       and sent link to Dr. Newberry.

Wednesday, 1/14/2009  Attended ETEC 544 Class.

Thursday, 1/15/2009 Posted comments on students blogs.

Saturday, 1/17/2009  Read blog posts and added more comments.  Added  blog link to website and emailed Dr. Newberry.

Sunday, 1/18/2009  Updated and Edited Posts on my blog and read comments left by others.

Response items:

Using Technology:  http://www.startechprogram.org/technology/usingtech.html

Since I began taking ETEC 500 and ETEC 543  I began to utilize media presentations to introduce vocabulary to ELL Students in order to improve their language skills in reading comprehension.  Prior to that, I used the traditional paper-pencil and whiteboard method of teaching vocabulary.  When I began to use PowerPoint presentations, I immediately discovered an interest from students, motivation and improvement in vocabulary and reading comprehension.  We produced an Action Research paper and we found research to back up my first observations and hypothesis that technology does help improve student learning specifically in vocabulary and reading comprehension.  The above link provides articles on the use of technology.

Communicating Technology:

Presently, I am the only teacher at our site that has gone to the technology training because I have an interest in implementing technology in the classroom.  My job so far has been to  help other teachers develop their website at our site.  At the moment, I am learning how to use the technology.  

Supporting Technology:

The way I support technology is first attending the district training available.  Secondly, I am presently enrolled in a master’s degree to become more knowledgeable in this field.  I am working with ELL Coordinator to purchase new computers, software and projectors for the new school that should be opening in August of 2009.

Proposal 1- Using Powerpoint to teach Vocabulary to ELL Students.

Proposal 2- Provide a survey to find out how technology is being or not being used in class.  What technology would teacher like see in the new school being built for the 2009-2010 School year.

Proposal 3- Working as Technology Support Staff for our school & working on training teachers how to set up their webpages on site.