Reflection of ED. 641

     I have felt that I wanted to integrate technology more into my art curriculum, but there are challenges and some of them were pointed out throughout this class and some I was aware of already.  I do feel that technology integration must come from the administration.  When it does it is most successful.  At my own school we have a technology teacher that has been the driving force in pushing for more technology use throughout the school, through projects with the middle school students to using online tools for record keeping for the faculty.  We are in the midst of a process of this where I do not feel as though technology is being used in a way where students are producing in their regular content classes.  This is where I think technology integration would be the most exciting.  There is subject matter that can be made more interesting engaging for students if they were able to create projects using online tools. 

     I feel that the role of the integration specialist is one in which I find very appealing.  I think there are so many online tools that can make learning exciting and engaging for students.  But, it is also difficult for teachers to find the time to research the tool that might be best for them to use for a particular project.  I think an integration specialist would have the knowledge of the curriculum and the school culture to choose tools that would be helpful and engaging to students and helpful to teachers so that they have access and someone to go to for support when they are having difficulties.

     I did not realize the great impact that professional development can have on a teacher and essentially her students.  Obviously, I believe in education, but so much is learned on the job that it was surprising to me that effective professional development can have a direct impact on student achievement. " The research supports great teachers help create great students. In fact, research shows that an inspiring and informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement, so it is critical to pay close attention to how we train and support both new and experienced educators." (Edutopia, 2008)  Therefore, what I have learned is that school districts need to ramp up the effectiveness of their professional development.  Many teachers in this class and in other articles that I have read have shared professional development horror stories.  In some of the professional development classes that I have attended the speaker gives so much background and so little practical ideas about what would be helpful.  Also, it has been unfortunate that it is sometimes assumed that no one knows anything about what is being taught or discussed.  When you are on a staff with others that have 10 or more years of experience I think we can skip some of the reasons why we should do something or at least state it and move on.  So I believe that the administrations need to consider the professional development that would be most useful.  Teachers want ideas of items that they can use now. Practical ways that they can use technology, for example in their classroom.

     I think it is important to teaching to be apprised of the tools available that make learning fun for students.  We are trying to impress on our students how important learning is and that it is life-long and so as teachers we must be willing to do the same.  By integrating technology we will be changing the culture of many classrooms.  Teachers must be willing to try new things and not always have the stage, but to be more of a facilitator of knowledge.  Students should become more independent learners where they can work on projects where they are able to collaborate and at times work independently.  Teaching in an art classroom has given me the opportunity to be a facilitator.  There are times when I give instructions or do direct teaching, but the majority of my class time is spent with students getting the materials that they need, working on a project and following a rubric, answering questions or therefore facilitate learning.

Edutopia team, (2008). Why is teacher development important?Because students deserve the best. Edutopia.

      http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development-introduction

BYOD

BYOD

Bring Your Own Device to School

The Pros...

•  students are familiar with the device
• schools save money on technology
• opportunity for personalized learning
• technology is engaging so students stay on task 

                    The Cons.....

• parents may not be in favor of funding a device for use in school
• students may forget to charge their device
• students may forget their device at home
• apps may work differently on different devices
• There might be some competitiveness among students because some devices might be better or more expensive than others
•  "What if a student brings a virus from home onto the school wireless network?" (Wainwright, 2015) This one made me laugh...I guess they need to keep their device home until they are virus free for 24 hours.

     I work with students grades k-8.  I feel that students in 5th grade and older would be old enough to be responsible for BYOD to school.  They will be motivated to keep their device ready to use and won't want to miss out on using it.  I do wonder how long this would last though.  
     There would have to be enough bandwidth to support all of these different devices, in addition to an IT department that could handle any issues.
     I feel as if the best devices to be brought to school would be an iPad or tablet type devices.  I think to meet the requirements for most activities to be done in a classroom a minimum/maximum size screen would be needed.  I think a mobile/cell phone just does not have to screen size needed.  
     If there are is an abuse or violation of technology I feel that it would be handled like any other discipline issue at our school.  Depending on what the situation was students would be given appropriate consequences whether it was a lunch detention, after-school detention, etc.  The student would still be held accountable for the activity and it may be required that they complete the activity for homework with a parent signature required to let the parent know what the situation was.  
     The policies in place would be that students should only be using technology for school-related material.  No social media, email, texts, etc will be tolerated during the school-day.  If students do not bring their device to school there would also be a consequence for that.  Any misuse will have a consequence so that students understand the importance of these rules and that the technology is important to the educational activities performed at school.  They need to be prepared for school each day and being responsible for their technology (charged and brought to school) is imperative.
     At the beginning of each year teachers will be given the rules of technology and the consequences for misuse by either themselves or their students.  At Open House parents will be given a hard copy of the rules and consequences, as well as, the Principal will talk about them in his statements for the evening.  Before school starts all parents and students will sign an Acceptable Use Policy so that everyone is aware of the rules and consequences. This must be signed before students BYOD to school.  Any training that would be necessary would be done either by the Principal, Technology coordinator, and any other technology resource staff in the school.

Meru Networks. (2013). BYOD Best practices. 1-12. Retrieved from: http://www.merunetworks.com/collateral/white-papers/wp-byod-implementation-whitepaper-for-wlan-security.pdf. 

Wainwright, A. (2015). 20 Pros and cons of implementing BYOD in schools. SecurEdge Networks. Retrieved from: http://www.securedgenetworks.com/strategy-blog/20-Pros-and-Cons-of-implementing-BYOD-in-schools

Technology Reflection

     

Write a short blog reflection relating to technology integration and classroom technology configurations based upon Bloom’s taxonomy. Focus on the pros and cons of the different configurations. How can one overcome the obstacles? What was eye-opening about the budgeting portion of the assignment?

     Technology makes authenticity possible for students. Today students have access to the world through sites available on the internet. "For many students school doesn't seem to have much to do with the real world."(Walbert, N.D.) This can change when technology is integrated into content areas where students solve real-world problems or use present day issues to explore topics.  In the article, "Real-world learning in a virtual environment" by David Walbert students worked with local professionals to answer their questions and guide their learning.  Also, using local points of interest, such as, the zoo to guide activities. Students understanding is deepened through projects and activities that students feel are important and can relate to.  They see the need for the activity and can see how it can be used and is necessary.  They take ownership of the problem and it encourages them to think creatively and ask important questions.
     There are various technology configurations that can be found in schools.  Most commonly there is usually at least one computer in a classroom, primarily used by the teacher.  Sometimes there is also a projector or even an interactive white board which then makes that laptop more accessible to students.  Most schools have a technology lab where the number of computers varies from 10 to possibly a class size.  Few schools have a device per student and even fewer bring their own device to school.  The obstacles are many.  For example, to accommodate all students with their own computer in a classroom of 30 would cost nearly $28,000.  This is cost-prohibitive for most school districts to handle.
     The 2 areas that can be achieved with students using technology in a classroom that only has a teacher computer and projector are: remember, understand. Students can be shown examples, discuss, compare, and list, but when it comes to more interactive thinking there would be more required.  For example, if they are going to illustrate, solve, create, justify, and explain more technology is needed.  More can be using an interactive white board where students can interact with the technology, but again if students are going to create something they will need their own device for at least a period of time.
     Obstacles can be overcome with sharing, but good planning and classroom management will be necessary.  Students many times will need to prepare effectively so that they can make the best use of their computer time.  If there are enough computers for 2 to share cooperative learning can be an effective way for students to work.  Stations is also another way to avoid the obstacle of not enough computers.  Students can be working on other tasks and take their turn on the computer when it is available.
     It is really quite unbelievable the cost of technology.  To effectively accommodate a classroom or school with technology that is truly accessible to all would be at an astronomical cost.  It is just not practical for most school districts and schools.  Bringing your own device (BYOD) makes the most sense for schools to adopt in order to truly meet the needs of their students.  Their must be an enforceable code of conduct with these devices and clear consequences if rules are broken.

Link to my Presentation-Professional Development

http://vimeo.com/114515093

Thoughts on using 2.0 tools to organize data

After completing task 5-2, Data Assessment: Organizing Data, address the following through a blog entry: Which tool did you use? What do you see as its strengths and weaknesses? Did adding color to the tool help identify any potential problem areas? How could you apply Web 2.0 tool functionality to authentic classroom or school-wide scenarios? Compare and contrast your post with your classmates’ posts. 

I used the Google Docs Spreadsheet which was really new to me.  I haven't had a need to create a spreadsheet and many years ago now I did try using the Microsoft Excel and I found the cells difficult to work within.  Usually when I need a table of some sort I will create one within Microsoft Word.  Of course, this can also be done within Google Drive which I have been using more and more.  I find it to be similar to Microsoft.  It does take me some additional time sometimes because I cannot find a tool I am looking for.  I haven't used a spreadsheet to sort so I did seek some help from a faculty member.  I also consulted our intervention specialist on the task as a whole.  

The strength of the tool is that it will sort the data in any range you choose, but I still feel as if it has limitations and I found myself typing within the cells instead of possibly typing the data once and then automatically copying it in a variety of different ways. I felt like it would be helpful if there were a variety of ways that you could automatically sort the data....alphabetically, by score, by question, etc.  

The color tool was helpful and I think it makes the spreadsheet easier to look at and understand. This was a bit time-consuming though as again you are highlighting small cells and then selecting the color that you would like to use.

Web 2.0 tools can be used throughout the school building by different faculty and staff and then shared among everyone.  The spreadsheet can be viewed by whomever you specify and the same would apply to people that you wanted to add or edit information that is there as well.  This would be helpful since the technology teacher created the document, but was not really sure what needed to be done with it.  If it was shared everyone that had a stake in it could look at, organize, and edit the information.  At my school the intervention specialist and the classroom teacher would use it as a tool, in addition, to tutors that work with our students, as well.

Debrief and report on any observations or trends that you discovered that could help the student and teacher in three to four complete paragraphs. Offer some thoughts to help the instructor with how to help best serve her students.

I liked thinking about different ways I could arrange the data and how it might be most helpful.  In Question 6, 11/12 students did not answer the question correctly.  This might be where the teacher would want to begin to reteach.  I would recommend presenting this standard in a different way since most students did not understand. "Accurately solves problems involving single or multiple operations on fractions (proper, improper, and mixed), or decimals; and addition or subtraction of integers; percent of a whole; or problems involving greatest common factor or least common multiple." (Question 6)  This area needs retaught and then practiced with formative assessment given throughout so that errors can be corrected immediately.  There may be minor computation errors that are causing the student not to do well.
Question 3&5 can be handled in a similar way since there are many students that did not understand how to solve these problems.  The other students can be given intervention by the intervention specialist or tutors that can work with small groups.  For example, with questions 1,2,7,10 since there were so few students that did not do well you could provide them with additional practice after new instruction either for homework or during classwork.  

Assessment Data link to Google Docs Spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UeB_I8DT5ChW3mlxVo6TxCkA9Y3WszAtEkw7KyPr_dI/edit?usp=sharing

Integrating Technology Presentation

http://vimeo.com/114515093