As soon as I realized the course addressed technology, I was both nervous and relieved. I was nervous that I didn’t know enough technology to be successful in the course and relieved that I would finally learn enough to feel confident in addressing technology as an administrator. Because I was unaware of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, I began the course believing the entire course would focus on instructional use of technology in the classroom. I believe the class achieved the outcomes I had hoped and surpassed my expectations. The course truly provided a strong overview of technology applications. The course not only informed me of state expectations and instructional use ideas, it also provided ideas for better security, upcoming trends and how to utilize several forms of data to make informed decisions regarding technology. The course also provided extensive opportunities to read and accumulate reading material that will be useful as I move into an administrator role.
I felt the course work was extremely relevant for current work in school. It has been nice to discuss current issues facing other school administrators as they utilize technology. The course work provided a strong framework for seeing technology applications from several vantage points. As my district is currently providing laptops for teachers, laptop carts for classrooms and placed projectors in every room, course topics have been useful in understanding how to better utilize technology in the classroom. As I sat down with our Technology director for our campus and our principal, I felt the assignments helped me to keep current with conversation and discuss issues our campus is facing while trying to integrate technology into the classroom. The questions provided also helped the principal jot some quick notes for follow-up and consideration. The course also provided fantastic articles giving even more updated information especially considering internet safety and use.
I would have liked to have spent a little more time learning instructional techniques for the classroom. The course provided excellent resources and information however I would have also enjoyed knowing new information that would be useful for teachers trying to be more creative and successful with technology applications. I would have also liked to see how technology is transforming the way administration conducts daily business. Being aware of updated strategies for discipline, observation and community connections would be beneficial for administrators. There was no real problem. There was just a lot of information for one course. I would have liked to have known more. I do have some great avenues for additional study.
Some weeks I would read the assignments and just shut down the program and feel sure there would be no way to be successful. I felt worried when I first read I would need to create a blog. I was worried about the time it would take and how I could be successful in creating one. It took just a few minutes and I was ready to go! It really increased my confidence. I was again nervous when I was assigned a power point. I have not had to create many slide shows and I first I was overwhelmed. I was surprised at how easy it was. It was actually fun after a while and I enjoyed trying different techniques to make my power point more inventive. It was the joy of learning. I loved it. I enjoyed utilizing more of the discussion board. I was overwhelmed at first, but after a while I found I was so much more aware of the information in the articles and enjoyed what others had to say about their campuses.
I felt I learned something new each week in the course. I enjoyed the action plan. Technology is such a bear to people, and being a digital immigrant can be intimidating when desiring to lead a campus. Creating the action planned assured me that I could gather useful information, create goals and make decisions that could lead a campus to success. I also enjoyed creating a blog and power point. I believe I will be much more willing to use those in the future. I also learned the relevance of a STaR chart and what our scores mean. I also know how the state is moving in regards to technology application.
Blogs are of great educational value to the 21st century learner. Students can read a teacher’s blog for greater insight into a subject or to be updated on assignments. Students can also react to a blog and keep an interaction going with a teacher. Teachers may also utilize blogs as part of instruction. They might have blogs set up for students to discuss characters in a novel, a challenging math problem or science problems. Students can also read the Blogs of great leaders, thinkers and innovators. Blogs are essentially communication. That communication can be used in many ways to help support and build student engagement and connection to the content of course.
There are two main concerns for blogs. First would be the educational quality of a blog. Because it is just a forum for communicating, there is no watch dog or security in place for making sure information is accurate. Blogs are generally people’s opinions and experience. They are not always valid or educations. Secondly, allowing student to communicate online increases the risk for negative encounters online. There are a lot of predators hoping to draw students in for the wrong reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to set clear boundaries, take precautions to keep students safe.
Blogging can be used to communicate to students and parents about assignments. Blogs might provide parents with insights as to how to best meet the needs of students. Blogs can also help the community stay informed about events and happenings on campus. Currently Santa Fe High School is undergoing quite an extensive building project. A blog can keep stakeholders informed about the process and progress of construction. Administrators can also use blogs to celebrate performance, wins and other great things happening in a district. Blogs can also be used to help influence and inform stakeholders about major issues facing the campus. Administration can communicate purpose and plans to gain responses and support. Blogs can also be used by students to respond to work they are doing in school or use it for a creative writing experience. The avenues are endless. It will be exciting to watch how schools utilize blogs in the near future.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Week 4 - ACTION PLAN
In order to prepare the 21st century student at Santa Fe High School for the 21st century world, there has to be significant goals accomplished and priorities communicated in order to transform the current modern system into a collaborative, connected, available community. Utilizing data collected from numerous sources, an action plan is a measurable collection of initiatives aimed at integrating technology into leadership and instruction.
In Utilizing data collected from the Texas STaR chart, it is apparent Santa Fe High School is continually ranking a level two developing in key areas of professional development and instructional leadership. Teachers and staff have indicated very little improvement in these areas. There first must be a concerted effort to improve professional development for utilizing technology in the classroom. This can first be accomplished by setting clear goals for professional development.
Giving teachers tools and support is significant when using technology. According to Dr. Mike Thomas, principal at Santa Fe High School, “Teachers are afraid of using new technology and they are even more afraid to use it when teaching. They are nervous they won’t know how to correct an issue or solve a problem. They also feel nervous about asking students for help. Therefore, teachers fight using technology because of insecurity.” The first step is to increase variety and availability of technology training.
The District Director of Technology must define several key areas for technology mastery using the SBEC standards set for teachers. Then that director must provide ongoing and online training for teachers to complete in their time online. This allows teachers to take extra time, repeat and even practice utilizing technology before using it with students. There should also be training focused directly for instruction.
Dr. Mike Thomas communicated the need for an instructional technology specialist at the high school level. This would be the next step of the action plan. Providing the high school with this position would give teachers a resource to directly impact classroom instruction. The ITS would provide regular trainings showing teachers how to increase instruction. The ITS should also develop an online learning center for teachers to have ongoing support and updated resources available for their use. This might also include subscriptions to online journals that specialize in instructional improvement and technology increase in the classroom.
As technology training becomes more available, teachers should increase integration of technology into classrooms. At Santa Fe High School, there are four laptop computer carts available for use in the classroom. There are projectors and mobis available to all classrooms. There are also wireless internet capabilities throughout the campus and three computer labs available for student use. There is a strong infrastructure in place for teachers to utilize technology applications for instruction.
The action plan must include an accountability measure to set goals for teachers to utilize technology in instruction. Leaving it to a proficient check mark on a yearly assessment is not enough. There must first be realistic goals set by the administration. These goals must include expectations for how and how often technology should be used in instruction. Once teachers are aware of goals and are trained, appraisers must utilize observation, lesson plan evaluation and student feedback as indicators of integration.
As integration of technology in the classroom increases, there should be more student work and projects posted and communicated throughout the school. As students see the possibilities it will spark increased interest and motivation. This will lead to greater creativity and motivation for excellent work. As these improve, student engagement should increase which would lead to increased scores on standardized tests, less absences and greater connection of real life to learning.
In reviewing the campus improvement plans for both campus and district, there is no clear direction or specific goals set for integration of technology. There are some basic priorities set such as, “A graduate of Santa Fe High School will have fundamental technical and technological skills.” This is an important goal, however this is little direction or specification as to what the student should be able to accomplish utilizing technology. It would be beneficial to develop a more specific plan for technology integration. There should be specific goals and timelines to be able to measure success. This would help administration and teaching staff recognize strengths and areas for improvement on a yearly basis.
Finally, leadership organization should be in a form that best meets the needs of students and teachers. There should be clear delineation of responsibilities and goals to best help teachers. When there is no clear point person and no identifiable expert, teachers tend to keep questions to themselves and little is accomplished. Giving clear organization to leadership gives a transparent system, an accountability framework and finally helps show possible holes in the progress of the school and district.
This action plan should provide great improvements for the integration of technology in leadership and instruction. It is important to utilize all parts for greatest student success. Each step is measurable and can be easily monitored. As the plan comes together, administration, teachers and students can experience great improvement leading to success.
In Utilizing data collected from the Texas STaR chart, it is apparent Santa Fe High School is continually ranking a level two developing in key areas of professional development and instructional leadership. Teachers and staff have indicated very little improvement in these areas. There first must be a concerted effort to improve professional development for utilizing technology in the classroom. This can first be accomplished by setting clear goals for professional development.
Giving teachers tools and support is significant when using technology. According to Dr. Mike Thomas, principal at Santa Fe High School, “Teachers are afraid of using new technology and they are even more afraid to use it when teaching. They are nervous they won’t know how to correct an issue or solve a problem. They also feel nervous about asking students for help. Therefore, teachers fight using technology because of insecurity.” The first step is to increase variety and availability of technology training.
The District Director of Technology must define several key areas for technology mastery using the SBEC standards set for teachers. Then that director must provide ongoing and online training for teachers to complete in their time online. This allows teachers to take extra time, repeat and even practice utilizing technology before using it with students. There should also be training focused directly for instruction.
Dr. Mike Thomas communicated the need for an instructional technology specialist at the high school level. This would be the next step of the action plan. Providing the high school with this position would give teachers a resource to directly impact classroom instruction. The ITS would provide regular trainings showing teachers how to increase instruction. The ITS should also develop an online learning center for teachers to have ongoing support and updated resources available for their use. This might also include subscriptions to online journals that specialize in instructional improvement and technology increase in the classroom.
As technology training becomes more available, teachers should increase integration of technology into classrooms. At Santa Fe High School, there are four laptop computer carts available for use in the classroom. There are projectors and mobis available to all classrooms. There are also wireless internet capabilities throughout the campus and three computer labs available for student use. There is a strong infrastructure in place for teachers to utilize technology applications for instruction.
The action plan must include an accountability measure to set goals for teachers to utilize technology in instruction. Leaving it to a proficient check mark on a yearly assessment is not enough. There must first be realistic goals set by the administration. These goals must include expectations for how and how often technology should be used in instruction. Once teachers are aware of goals and are trained, appraisers must utilize observation, lesson plan evaluation and student feedback as indicators of integration.
As integration of technology in the classroom increases, there should be more student work and projects posted and communicated throughout the school. As students see the possibilities it will spark increased interest and motivation. This will lead to greater creativity and motivation for excellent work. As these improve, student engagement should increase which would lead to increased scores on standardized tests, less absences and greater connection of real life to learning.
In reviewing the campus improvement plans for both campus and district, there is no clear direction or specific goals set for integration of technology. There are some basic priorities set such as, “A graduate of Santa Fe High School will have fundamental technical and technological skills.” This is an important goal, however this is little direction or specification as to what the student should be able to accomplish utilizing technology. It would be beneficial to develop a more specific plan for technology integration. There should be specific goals and timelines to be able to measure success. This would help administration and teaching staff recognize strengths and areas for improvement on a yearly basis.
Finally, leadership organization should be in a form that best meets the needs of students and teachers. There should be clear delineation of responsibilities and goals to best help teachers. When there is no clear point person and no identifiable expert, teachers tend to keep questions to themselves and little is accomplished. Giving clear organization to leadership gives a transparent system, an accountability framework and finally helps show possible holes in the progress of the school and district.
This action plan should provide great improvements for the integration of technology in leadership and instruction. It is important to utilize all parts for greatest student success. Each step is measurable and can be easily monitored. As the plan comes together, administration, teachers and students can experience great improvement leading to success.
Action Plan Evaluation
When creating an action plan that will impact an entire learning community, utilizing appropriate forms of data and collecting accurate stake holder input are imperative to achieve success. The following process will measure the outcomes of a plan to integrate technology applications in leadership and instruction at Santa Fe High School.
A strong indicator of technology progression is the STaR Chart. It is administered once a year and provides schools with their current standings in comparison to previous years and other schools in Texas. A measureable outcome utilizing the STaR Chart for Santa Fe would be increasing current scores, which are mostly a stage two developing, to a stage three advanced. The action plan would include specific areas needing improvement and target those areas for an increased score.
Professional Development is a key factor in providing support for teachers as they integrate technology in the classroom. It would be an easy endeavor to assess the current amount of hours and money invested in staff development. The Action Plan for Santa Fe might include an increase of hours and budget for staff. Sometimes an increase in these items might not produce the intended outcome. There would also need to be an accountability piece placed in the plan to ensure teachers are increasing integration of technology into the classroom. The combination of hours, money and accountability would be a measureable means for the action plan.
Utilizing technology should also improve student engagement. Research has proven over and over that students prefer real life experiences over traditional teaching methods. Therefore, as technology increases student performance should also increase. Any Action Plan must project improvement in the AYP report. This data combined with the AEIS report can provide clear data as to how students are performing on yearly standardized tests. There will also be insight as to how increased technology is impacting specific learning groups such as ESL students and economically disadvantaged.
When deciding the direction of a technology action plan is useful to understand the goals and agenda of the campus improvement committee. Utilizing current goals already in place will easily help direct a plan and insure adoption from campus and community stakeholders. Meeting with members of the CIC will help make sure there is complete understanding of wording and priorities of the team. It will also be useful communicating findings with the committee as they are working on future plans. Follow up surveys would be necessary in assessing the Action Plan’s success. This might be accomplished with a survey monkey email to all members involved.
There is no such thing as TMI in education! Deciding direction and creating plans is an arduous task made more hopeful with accurate information. Being able to evaluate those plans is necessary for adjustments, redirection and beginning again. Integrating technology is a necessary progress for the 21st century learner. Utilizing data from several sources is necessary progress for the 21st century educator.
A strong indicator of technology progression is the STaR Chart. It is administered once a year and provides schools with their current standings in comparison to previous years and other schools in Texas. A measureable outcome utilizing the STaR Chart for Santa Fe would be increasing current scores, which are mostly a stage two developing, to a stage three advanced. The action plan would include specific areas needing improvement and target those areas for an increased score.
Professional Development is a key factor in providing support for teachers as they integrate technology in the classroom. It would be an easy endeavor to assess the current amount of hours and money invested in staff development. The Action Plan for Santa Fe might include an increase of hours and budget for staff. Sometimes an increase in these items might not produce the intended outcome. There would also need to be an accountability piece placed in the plan to ensure teachers are increasing integration of technology into the classroom. The combination of hours, money and accountability would be a measureable means for the action plan.
Utilizing technology should also improve student engagement. Research has proven over and over that students prefer real life experiences over traditional teaching methods. Therefore, as technology increases student performance should also increase. Any Action Plan must project improvement in the AYP report. This data combined with the AEIS report can provide clear data as to how students are performing on yearly standardized tests. There will also be insight as to how increased technology is impacting specific learning groups such as ESL students and economically disadvantaged.
When deciding the direction of a technology action plan is useful to understand the goals and agenda of the campus improvement committee. Utilizing current goals already in place will easily help direct a plan and insure adoption from campus and community stakeholders. Meeting with members of the CIC will help make sure there is complete understanding of wording and priorities of the team. It will also be useful communicating findings with the committee as they are working on future plans. Follow up surveys would be necessary in assessing the Action Plan’s success. This might be accomplished with a survey monkey email to all members involved.
There is no such thing as TMI in education! Deciding direction and creating plans is an arduous task made more hopeful with accurate information. Being able to evaluate those plans is necessary for adjustments, redirection and beginning again. Integrating technology is a necessary progress for the 21st century learner. Utilizing data from several sources is necessary progress for the 21st century educator.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Texas STaR Chart
In order to meet standards provided in the Long Range Plan for Technology, schools undergo a yearly assessment. The STaR Chart evaluates areas of technology application such as: teaching and learning, educator preparation, administration and support and infrastructure. The examination provides comparative data with schools from year to year and state wide progression. All of the data can also be reviewed in light of the Long Range Plan for Technology. In order to better understand the process, I will describe a key area, discuss the progress in the area, identify trends on the state and local level, and provide recommendations for targeting goals.
Educator preparation is a significant key area. It is the interactive process between educators and administration that dynamically challenges and supports educators in creating instruction that is real life, meaningful and engaging for students through technology applications. The ideal educator preparation includes 100% of instructors meeting SBEC standards. The budget is prioritized to distribute 30% of funding for professional development. There are significant online resources provided at all times for teacher learning. Educators utilize technology when teaching all areas and subjects. There is a vertical alignment of technology applications TEKS available for all grades online.
Santa Fe High school has been labeled Developing Technology in the area of educator preparation for the last three STaR Chart assessments. This is in line with the majority of schools according to the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area. According to the summary, 74.2% of schools fall into the same category. Schools have not made the transition to a greater allotment of budget for professional development, increased the number of professionals meet SBEC standards and have not fully integrated technology applications into classroom instruction. Professional development would also need to be provided all the time online for significant improvement in meeting the needs of teachers.
The local trend is improving this year over last. The improvements are in the areas of models for professional development and educator capabilities. As technology tools increase, teachers feel more prepared and able to teach and utilize technology. Our district just passed a multi-million dollar bond to provide greater technology applications, training, tools and support for campuses. This will significantly increase teacher capabilities for technological use and integration into instruction. The state numbers tend to be increasing as well. As districts become more aware of the standards for technology, resources and training become for widely available. This is also true nationally. The awareness increases the urgency for technology applications to provide real world learning for students.
In order improve the scores for Educator Preparation and Development, our campus needs to first embark on a campaign to have all our teachers meet SBEC standards by a goal date. Give teachers information about the process to meet standards and provide an incentive for completion. Our administration must create a budget that better supports professional development. This process has been increasing dramatically over the past three years. Due to the involvement in National Staff Development Council, our staff is regularly attending events that energize and empower teachers to spread a passion for lifelong learning. Finally, teachers need to know how to integrate technology in their classrooms for all assignments. Tools should be readily available online to aid in this process. Purchasing a subscription for teachers to find support would be a monumental service to teachers.
Educator preparation is a significant key area. It is the interactive process between educators and administration that dynamically challenges and supports educators in creating instruction that is real life, meaningful and engaging for students through technology applications. The ideal educator preparation includes 100% of instructors meeting SBEC standards. The budget is prioritized to distribute 30% of funding for professional development. There are significant online resources provided at all times for teacher learning. Educators utilize technology when teaching all areas and subjects. There is a vertical alignment of technology applications TEKS available for all grades online.
Santa Fe High school has been labeled Developing Technology in the area of educator preparation for the last three STaR Chart assessments. This is in line with the majority of schools according to the Campus Statewide Summary by Key Area. According to the summary, 74.2% of schools fall into the same category. Schools have not made the transition to a greater allotment of budget for professional development, increased the number of professionals meet SBEC standards and have not fully integrated technology applications into classroom instruction. Professional development would also need to be provided all the time online for significant improvement in meeting the needs of teachers.
The local trend is improving this year over last. The improvements are in the areas of models for professional development and educator capabilities. As technology tools increase, teachers feel more prepared and able to teach and utilize technology. Our district just passed a multi-million dollar bond to provide greater technology applications, training, tools and support for campuses. This will significantly increase teacher capabilities for technological use and integration into instruction. The state numbers tend to be increasing as well. As districts become more aware of the standards for technology, resources and training become for widely available. This is also true nationally. The awareness increases the urgency for technology applications to provide real world learning for students.
In order improve the scores for Educator Preparation and Development, our campus needs to first embark on a campaign to have all our teachers meet SBEC standards by a goal date. Give teachers information about the process to meet standards and provide an incentive for completion. Our administration must create a budget that better supports professional development. This process has been increasing dramatically over the past three years. Due to the involvement in National Staff Development Council, our staff is regularly attending events that energize and empower teachers to spread a passion for lifelong learning. Finally, teachers need to know how to integrate technology in their classrooms for all assignments. Tools should be readily available online to aid in this process. Purchasing a subscription for teachers to find support would be a monumental service to teachers.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
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