TQ#8

TQ#8 (the TQ number aligns to the class number): Teachers are the core of a formal educational process, and technology use depends almost completely on the classroom teacher. Staff development (professional development or continuing education) is necessary for teachers to understand the potential educational value of technology. It is also necessary to show teacher how to use the technology. This is not an easy process for many reasons. In 3-to-5 paragraphs, discuss the main obstacles to effective development and the best ways to plan for a successful staff development program aimed at helping teachers teach and helping children learn (sorry about the long sentence). Include two or three informal references from your readings. This should be a personal reflection rather than trying to figure out the "right answers."

Each year, as summer ends and just before the new school year begins, I have the privilege of offering professional development sessions to teachers. I handle different sessions depending on the group of teachers. For teachers new to the district, or new to teaching, I handle the technology basics during induction. We touch on items such as logging into the different systems, how to request technical help, how to schedule additional staff development, and other basic items to help them get off to a good start. For returning teachers, I handle more advanced topics such as using our LMS, getting the most out of Outlook, and using the electronic gradebook.

Each group has their own problems so to speak. The first group is usually so overwhelmed, they barely hear anything I have to say. We have a couple hours to go over many different systems and there is little time to venture off the set path. There are a few problems here that could be fixed. First, we shouldn't go over everything in one session. These new folks are dealing with so much information, there is no time for anything to stick. Second, the trainings need to be more hands on. For most, they can listen but they can't do it until they have done it.

The second group is more of a challenge. They have been around and know the systems I'm talking about. They aren't overwhelmed at all. For this group, it is hard to keep them focused. Each person has there own questions so you get interrupted often. Some spend more time talking to their neighbor and others may feel they know the program better than the trainer. Some of these problems can be fixed. First, multiple sessions should be scheduled depending on user level. Second, fewer teachers should be in the room (standard is 30). Gearing the instruction to what they really need to know is also key. Many times I've seen trainers go over items that are great and highlight the product but are often never used day to day.

In our district, there are other issues because some trainings are scheduled by Curriculum and other by Technology. These two departments don't always see things from the other side. Having the internal departments working together is also a major part of successful development. It doesn't take much to make sessions work. Be focused, grab the teachers attention, show them things they need, and don't venture too far off topic. Sounds easy doesn't it?

Revised Tech Plan

Link to tech plan

TQ# 6

Each project this semester has been a different experience. Setting up the wikibook structure for the rest of the class was a great project. The last time I worked on a wikibook, it was alot of trial and error. As I setup the structure, I was able to build on what I had already done and explore the wikibook in more detail.

In the case of the Tech plan part #1, I was the source member since my district was the target district. In addition, since I had a major role in the actual plan, this project was not new ground. I was still able to get fresh ideas from my team as they did a terrific job with just a small amount of knowledge. I can't wait to see what we have at the end of the class.

As for our case study, it was interesting to see what a much larger school district has in their plan. As it turns out, its not much different than any other tech plan. After the case study, I do plan on doing more work with this plan for my own growth. I also enjoyed reading the tech plan for the district near Microsoft. It's great to pickup new ideas based on what others have already done.

TQ#5

Thoughtful Question #5
Think about your own personal educational philosophy. How would you like to see schools and/or learning structured in the future. In 3-5 paragraphs, integrate your own ideas with those you have gotten from your readings and from class. You don't need formal APA citations, but you do need to identify the sources of the ideas to which you compare and contrast you own. Treat your ideas with the respect that they deserve as a seeker of knowledge in an advanced degree program. Remember to read your teammate's blog postings and to comment upon them in a thoughtful manner.

I don't know that I could say I have an educational philosophy. My role in the educational system thus far has been a support role. I'm often working towards helping teachers integrate the technology into their lessons. I've never been a classroom teacher and I have never had much of a chance to experiment with different teaching methods. Aside from the occasional inservice, I'm usually on the other side as the learner.

For me, the best way to address this TQ is to look at how people learn. As I was growing up, this was evident at home. My older brother was a book learner. Give him a book, let him read it and he would be fine. I, on the other hand, am a hands-on person. I learn by doing. I can take something apart, analyze the structure and components, and put it back together. Give me that same information in the written form and I would not have the same understanding. Give my brother the device and ask him to take it apart and put it back together and you will first have a broken device, and second, a lot of extra parts. We learn differently, always have.

As shown above, I just documented the best way to teach both me and my brother. The problem comes along when you have a classroom of thirty, or even worse, a secondary teacher teaching the same course to three groups of thirty. How do we separate the students and still teach everything? Is their only one way? How do our teachers adjust to teach each student individually?

Since I am a hands-on learner, a constructivist learning environment would benefit me the best. If we apply Wenglinsky's ideas, we would conclude that this approach has the best chance of success. While I believe that and wish that my own education followed the constructivist path, we still need to be prepared for those students that don't learn that way. Isn't the goal to educate everyone? Isn't that what NCLB was supposed to be about?