WEB CONFERENCE

I had the opportunity to participate in the web conference this past Wednesday. There were some technical difficulties, so we were only able to use the chat feature. I almost enjoyed this more. I have used Adobe Connect in other web conferences for our social studies department, and I sometimes have a hard time keeping up with the audio discussion and the online chat at the same time. It can definitely be a bit overwhelming. The information I learned in the web conference was not really very insightful. However, I think it was a great format for us to ask questions without the delay of waiting for an email response. I can also see its benefit for classroom teachers and for online collaboration. Several teachers in our district, especially math teachers, are using web conferences for tutoring in the evenings. Many district coordinators are also using them for after school meetings. One of the extra benefits of online conferencing is the money they save. There is no expense for keeping a school or district building open if teachers are each meeting online at their homes. I think one thing we do have to be careful of when using online conferencing is to make sure they actually serve a purpose. I know of some teachers who take students to a lab to participate in an Adobe Connect session. This is essentially the same as gathering students in a room and asking them to call each other on their cell phones. As with all forms of technology, we need to be sure we are using it to serve a purpose.

Action Plan

Part 1: Development of an organization chart integrating technology

Goal/Objective	Persons Responsible	Responsibilities	Role of the Principal
Use PIV (Parent Internet Viewer), SchoolWires, online newsletter and emails to communicate with parents	Administration, Teachers, Parents	Teachers will update SchoolWires each week, teachers will update PIV multiple times each week, online newsletter will be distributed by the principal’s secretary, weekly emails from teachers are encouraged	Monitor PIV and Schoolwires to ensure they are updated, meet with secretary to monitor progress of online newsletter, reward teachers who utilize weekly emails
Students will utilize technology in each unit of study in Science	Science Teachers, CCIS, District Coaches, District Coordinator, Director of Instruction, Principal	Teachers will utilize Explore Learning, laptop computers, SmartBoards, computer labs, and video clips in science lessons.	Monitor progress through Mega Monitoring and PDAS walk-through evaluations. Visit science planning at least one time per month.
Collaborate with district curriculum coach and CCIS on incorporating technology into each unit of study	Science Teachers, CCIS, District Coaches, District Coordinator, Director of Instruction, Principal	District curriculum coach will meet with each science team at least one time per week to encourage the integration of technology into each unit of study	Monitor progress through submitted lesson plans, PDAS walk-through evaluations, and Mega Monitoring. Meet with CCIS bi-weekly.
Students will participate in various forms of technology in each unit of study in math	Math Teachers, Math CCIS, District Coaches, District Coordinator, Director of Instruction, Principal	Teachers will utilize Explore Learning, Understanding Math, Holt Online, wireless computers, ST math, Facebook, cell texting, and video clips	Monitor progress through Mega Monitoring and PDAS walk-through evaluations. Visit match planning along with the director of instruction at least one time per month.
Meet with math technology helping teacher and attend trainings to improve implementation of technology in math classes	Math Teachers, Math CCIS, District technology helping teacher	Teachers will establish regular meetings with the math technology helping teacher. They will implement at least one new item learned per unit of study.	Monitor progress through Mega Monitoring and PDAS walk-through evaluations. Meet with CCIS bi-weekly.
Reading/ Language Arts teachers will utilize WikiSpaces and AdobeConnect to collaborate on content curriculum and effective teaching strategies	Reading and Language Arts Teachers, District Reading and Language Arts Coaches, Reading/ Language Arts CCIS, District Reading and Language Arts Coordinators	Reading and Language Arts teachers will participate in a minimum of two share sessions that are conducted using WikiSpaces or AdobeConnect each semester.	Monitor progress through Mega Monitoring and PDAS walk-through evaluations. Meet with CCIS bi-weekly.
Students will participate in various forms of technology in each unit of study in social studies	Social Studies Teachers, Social Studies CCIS, District Coordinator, District Technology Specialist, Director of Instruction, Principal	Teachers will incorporate technology such as interactive warm-ups, SmartBoard activities, video clips, wireless computers in social studies classes each day	Monitor progress through Mega Monitoring and PDAS walk-through evaluations. Meet with CCIS bi-weekly.
Use the district Social Studies Wiki as a collaborative community to share ideas and provide feedback on lessons	Social Studies Teachers, Social Studies CCIS, District Coordinator, District Technology Coach	Teachers will contribute to the district Wiki at least one time per grading period to discuss best practices in Social Studies	Log onto district Wiki at least two times per semester to monitor progress

Role of Principal: In addition to monitoring the progress of the implementation of technology on campus, the principal must work to secure funds needed for the effective use of technology. He/she must also align resources to meet the goals and objectives for technology use on campus. He or she should work effectively with the Site-Based Decision Making Committee to ensure that teachers and students are provided with the tools necessary to teach the 21^st century learner how to utilize technology to increase their problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Part 2: Professional Development Planning

District Book Study	Teachers will participate in a six week long book study about technology. The book of choice will be pre-determined by the director of instruction and focus on the importance of integrating technology into the classroom and the effective implementation of technology in the classroom. Teachers will participate in four group discussions on a school Wiki.
Connect to Learn	Teachers will be required to participate in a minimum of three Connect to Learn opportunities available through the school district. Trainings can be completed anytime throughout the school day or at home, and the skill learned must be implemented into the classroom during the same semester.
Monthly Staff Meetings	CCIS teachers will conduct a fifteen minute technology lesson during at least three monthly staff meetings each semester. Lessons will be practical applications that can be easily implemented into the classroom.
Strategic Planning Staff Development	Prior to the start of the school year, teachers in each department will meet with their CCIS to analyze SFA data, STaR Chart Data, and AEIS data. Each department will identify three areas of technology in need of improvement and create SMART goals that outline how they plan to improve in these areas throughout the year. Teachers will include at least one professional development activity for each identified area in their SMART goals. Their goals will be presented to the director of instruction in PowerPoint, Smart, or Prezi format.
Texting in the Classroom	Teachers will participate in a group question and answer session utilizing an online texting poll. Included in the poll will be a question regarding effective uses of texting in the classroom. Once ideas have been identified and discussed, teachers will break up into groups to create a presentation about one effective use of texting in the classroom. Presentations will be shared with the rest of the group.
Moodle	Core content teachers will participate in a Moodle course provided by the district. The course will utilize and teach Moodle technology and focus on technology integration, student engagement, and differentiated learning. The Moodle course will be mandatory and count toward district or campus time equivalency hours.

Part 3: Evaluation Planning for Action Plan

Goal/Objective	Assessment
Utilize technology to improve communication with all stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, community members)	· Teachers will be asked to submit screenshots of email lists and evidence of email communication at the end of each semester · SchoolWires pages will be monitored each week by the director of instruction · An electronic survey will be emailed to all parents asking for their input in evaluating the effectiveness of our campus communication
Students will utilize technology in each unit of study in Science, Math, Reading/Language Arts, and Social Studies	· CCIS teachers will monitor the integration and usage of technology in each of the four content areas. They will provide data to the principal and director of instruction to show the effective usage of technology each six weeks. · CCIS teachers will also compare SFA scores from the previous year to determine if technology is having a significant impact on the problem solving and critical thinking skills of students. · Teachers will highlight technology usage on their lesson plans each week. These plans will be submitted to the director of instruction.
All faculty members will participate in professional development activities that improve decision making in the integration of technology	· Teachers will contribute to a school Wiki while participating in a school-wide book study about technology · Teachers will provide evidence of the implementation of a Connect to Learn strategy at least three times each semester · Department goals based on state and district data as well as state technology data will be presented to the director of instruction and principal. Goals must be presented in a format that utilized technology.
Share Sessions	· District coordinators will provide evidence that teachers participated in at least one share session per semester. Share sessions will be conducted using Adobe Connect. · District share sessions will provide at least one new technology tool each session. Teachers must complete a lesson utilizing the tool and submit it to the district technology coordinator for review. Lessons will be posted on the district Wiki so all teachers can benefit from them in their classroom.
Moodle	· An online survey will be issued to all content teachers to gather feedback about the Moodle course. · Discussion questions included in the Moodle course will be compiled electronically to determine level of understanding in regard to technology implementation, differentiated learning, and student engagement. Data will be shared with district coordinators and campus principals.
Parent and Student Surveys	· At the end of each school year, a parent and student survey will be issued to all parents and students in each school. The survey will address such items as frequency of technology usage, level of understanding, and effectiveness of technology in the classroom. Data will be used to determine goals and objectives for the following year.
PDAS	· PDAS evaluations and summative conferences will be used to determine technology integration across all content areas. Campus administrators will utilize data when determining goals for the following year and to help provide focus for campus staff development.

Technology in Public Schools

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Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology

The document “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology” cites two abitious goals for American students to reach by the year 2020. These are to first, raise the proportion of college graduates from 39% to 60%. Next, the Obama administration intends to close the achievement gap so that all students graduate from high school. The report then goes on to break down these goals into five essential areas. These are learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. The goals in each of these areas address the needs and expectations of our 21st century learners.

The idea that “much of the failure of our education system stems from a failure to engage students” really resonated with me. (U.S. Department of, 2010) I absolutely agree that many of the students in our classrooms across the country are bored. They live in 21st century America but are being educated in a 20th century school system. Many teachers cling tightly to what has always worked and are completely oblivious to the fact that their students live in a world that hardly resembles the environment in which their teachers were raised and educated.

The plan also addresses the fact that we must utilize data to guide our instruction. If we collect the data and never use it to make decisions about what is best for our students, it is worthless. Data must drive us to make changes. Furthermore, we are now more aware of the way students learn and the fact that they each learn differently. Our instruction must mirror this assessment, and we need to formulate activities to meet the needs of our individual learners. We now have access to a global classroom where resources are endless. We must tap into this and engage our learners by utilizing a wide range of activities that address a number of learning styles and interests.

The transformation of our school system is a paradigm shift where the learner, not the teacher, is the focus. We must address what students need to know and determine how best we can help them to know it. This will involve advancements in and access to techology as well as a completely different approach to education. The 21st century learner will be expected to take responsibility and ownership for his or her education. The rigidness of the 20th century classroom will be replaced with a flexible curriculum where students can access information from a variety of resources and individuals. The 21st century classroom will be a place where educators focus on teaching students how to think rather than what to think.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming
american education: learning powered by technology Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files
/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf

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2010 Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology Summary

How do planning and standards help us know? How does a state help assist a district in knowing what students and teachers should know and be able to do?

The 2010 Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2010 provided valuable insight into the progress and goals of technology usage in Texas classrooms. The report showed significant gains in a number of areas and pointed to the fact that many teachers are open to advancing in their knowledge and implementation of technology. Planning and standards help us to have a clear goal in mind as we advance in our use of technology in the classroom. Technology is constantly changing and evolving, so having a set of standards that does not change can give teachers and administrators the vision to succeed in an ever-changing environment. Standards also help to ensure that students are presented with technology that is pertinent and goal-oriented rather than simply keeping them up to speed on the latest and greatest technology gadgets.

The goal of ensuring “ongoing integration of school technology into school curricula and instructional strategies in all schools in the State, so that technology will be fully integrated into the curricula and instruction of the schools…” was of particular interest to me. (Texas Education Agency, 2010) I appreciate the fact that the state of Texas is not changing the focus to simply using technology but is aware of the fact that technology should be used to support the current curriculum. In my opinion, technology with no foundation of basic skills in the four major content areas would be a step backwards for our students.

The report goes on to site a number of standards that our 21st century students must be able to master in order to graduate from Texas schools. It also notes a number of key findings such as the fact that our minority and low-socio economic students tend to struggle more in the area of technology than do their classmates. The discussion of available programs and grants to help school districts improve and sustain their technology implementation is also of great interest. The state of Texas is doing what it can in light of the recent budget crisis to provide school districts with the resources they need to improve in the area of technology. This is especially true in rural and low-income school districts. The addition of online and distance learning opportunities will also serve to help districts across the state to improve in the area of technology. Furthermore, these are great ways to address the budget shortfall and meet the needs of all learners. Along those lines, the implementation of open source textbooks can be an effective cost-saver as well as a way to provide students with the most current research available in their courses. The report provides a thorough overview of the current status of technology implementation in the state of Texas. It addresses goals and standards in the area of technology and discusses opportunities for school districts across the state. The report shows areas in need of improvement as well as ways in which the state plans to address these weaknesses.

Texas Education Agency, (2010). 2010 progress report on the long-range plan for
technology, 2006-2020 Austin, Texas: Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665es/default
/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf


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Is there value in assessing educators’ technology leadership knowledge and skills? What are pros and cons of technology assessments?

NOTE: Assuming the blog instructions in the rubric are the most current version of the instructions, I am choosing to respond to the prompt: "Is there value in assessing educators’ technology leadership knowledge and skills? What are pros and cons of technology assessment?"

In a world where technology is a common part of our daily interactions, students must be technologically literate. As so, teachers should be held accountable for their own technological literacy. Teachers who are new to the profession and recent graduates of their universities are typically equipped for the classroom in regard to technology. However, there is a large number of teachers who struggle with the basic skills to even perform administrative duties involving technology. Furthermore, their lack of ability to teach students to utilize technology in the classroom is even more frightening. As we hold teachers accountable for skills such as classroom management and knowledge of curriculum, we must also hold them accountable for their technology leadership skills.

One of the pros of technology assessment is that teachers with a basic understanding of technology are more likely to use technology in their classroom. They are also more likely to encourage students to be risk-takers in regard to technology. These students will be better prepared as they enter college or their chosen career path. Also, teachers with a basic understanding of technology are more efficient in their preparation of lessons and the administrative duties. Their classrooms tend to run more smoothly, and students are more engaged in lessons that incorporate technology. Technology assessments will also hold teachers accountable for their own professional development. This, in turn, will help districts to make great strides in the area of technology and keep them up to date with the most effective uses of technology in the classroom.

There are several cons of technology assessment. First, technology assessments suggest that all teachers have access to technology and professional growth opportunities. Unfortunately, I do not think this is realistic in some districts across our state. Holding teachers accountable for something that is out of their hands is unfair and counterproductive. Also, technology assessments are only valuable if the data collected can be used to prompt school districts to action. While this would be the case in most districts, I believe there are some districts that simply do not have the funds available to respond to the data. Still, technology assessments can be a great way to assess the understanding and use of technology in the classroom. Although some districts might struggle to show improvement, the pros of these assessments far outweigh the cons.