Section III- A: Staff Development
"As a technology facilitator, you must be able to create learning environments to enable other teachers to use technology effectively."
The five areas I have demonstrated that I have created a program or staff development that engages teachers in each of the areas or provides resources to teacher that help them in each of the areas are listed below.
Section I-B: Integration of Technology into the Curriculum
One of my roles in updating the technology plan for my school is to also help keep teachers informed and updated in regards to the technology plan, the mission of the technology plan, the goals of the technology plan, and implementing ways for other to incorporate those goals and missions in their classroom. The updated technology plan expressions how my school plans to integrate technology into the curriculum to improve student learning. It shows the ongoing planning and development of technology use and strategy for implementation.
The Professional Development component that I created to showcase the update Technology Plan's integration of technology into the curriculum was through a presentation where I used PowerPoint to present the components and allowed for discussion. I feel presenting parts of the plan, allowing for discussion, and then sharing suggestions for how a given part can be integrated into the classroom over a course of time rather than all at once allows for teachers to see the usability of the Technology Plan. This the creates a larger buy-in from the teachers in regards to the incorporation of the plan into their classrooms. I also created a PowerPoint presentation that showcases the Technology Plan for faculty and staff during my internship.
The Technology Plan Professional Development session meets this standard because it is ultimately how teachers within my school will be able to engage in ongoing planning of lesson sequences that integrate technology, provides information on how my school plans to meet district, state, national content, and technology standards, and provides strategies for how teachers will be supported in the integration of technology and other technology resources.
I have included the Technology Plan Presentation PowerPoint as an artifact to support my fulfillment of these standard.
Artifact: Technology Plan Presentation
Section I-C: Technology Resources
One area I wanted to be able to provide my fellow teachers with as a result of my internship, updating the technology, was a way they could easily be aware of the resources that are available to them. I feel that one of the obstacles that my school faces in regards to technology resources is a lack of knowledge of them.
As a result, I made a Available Technology Components Resource for Teachers. This resource is based on the Technology Component section of the updated Technology Plan; however, it does not include irrelevant information for teachers. This resource can be available on the Teacher Drive at my school and can be easily accessed by all teachers.
Artifact: Available Technology Components Resource for Teachers
Section I-D: Managing the Technology-Rich Classroom
One of the biggest mistakes a teacher often makes is the assumptions they create regarding what a student already knows. Either they believe a student natural should know the information, or they assume it was discussed and taught by another teacher. Technology often falls into this category. Because of the quick-pace of technology and how quick many students are able to seem to gain an understanding of how to use a given resource, teachers forget that students still need guidance in how to use the technology appropriately. This especially comes into play when teachers ask students to use the Internet to gather information. Teachers assume that because a student knows how to use a search engine they know how to appropriately use a search engine, and this was a misconception I wanted to make clear for my colleagues.
To help my colleagues understand that we need to help students question the information and sources they find, that we need to help them understand the difference between reliable information and unreliable information. I held an information session and showcases many of the resources I use with my students when they are using the Internet for research purposes. This was not a formal information session where I lectured my colleagues, but rather an opportunity for them to see ideas, discuss their own experiences, and hopefully walk away better understanding how they can help guide their students to becoming successful users of 21st century tools.
As artifacts for this section I have included the resources I shared during this session. Some of the artifacts I included were products I created during my participation in Loyola University's Educational Technology program.
Artifact 1: Credible/Reliable Source Presentation
Artifact 2: Critical Information Literacy Project - Critical Information Literacy Lesson Plan
Created in ET630.
Artifact 3: Critical Information Literacy Project - Critical Information Literacy Website for Student Use
Created in ET630.
Section I-E: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues"
One of the areas that is included in the updated Technology Plan is the Acceptable Use Policy for students and the Acceptable Use Policy for teacher iPads. I was able to gain an understand of them through discussions with my Technology Manager/Director. The understandings I gained allowed me to assist in the presentation of them during professional development and help later answer any questions in regards to them throughout the year. I think that part of professional development is providing a resource that can help assist in the understanding or implementation of a given resource after the initial professional development session, and that is a role I was able to play in regards to the AUPs. I was available for any questions or comments after the initial Professional Development session.
As artifacts for this standard I have included the updated AUPs that are included in the updated Technology Plan.
Artifact 1: Faculty iPad Acceptable Use Policy
Artifact 2: Student Acceptable Use Policy
Section I-H: Instructional Design
One area of focus within my school in regards to instructional design is a focus on learning and leading by design. This is such a focus within my school that we are now participating in professional development specifically related to learning and leading my design.
I was able to assist in the early stages of professional development that helped provide a foundation for teachers in regards to instructional design. I held a professional development session on the implementation of the Understanding by Design curriculum development format. I called it UbD Share and Tell. It was an opportunity for me to share my understandings of how to create the best learning environment for students. I was able to use technology to help present and motivate my fellow colleagues. I have included the presentation I used for this professional development session that focused on Instructional Design.
Artifact: Understanding by Design Share and Tell Presentation
Section III- B: Reflection
"A technology facilitator is constantly working to improve instructional practice to facilitate student learning."
Throughout my internship, I took notes and wrote reflections using a variety of sources - pen and paper, iPad, laptop. I then wrote reflection blogs to include the ideas that I included in those sources. My Internship Reflection Blog showcases my ability to continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning. I have included a direct link to my Internship Reflection Blog as the artifact that supports how I met this standard.
Several of the posts, "School Visit Reflection," "An iPad Dinner," "Professional Development. A Meeting with Administration," all showcase how I was able to use these evaluations and reflections to improve instruction.
Artifact: Internship Reflection Blog
"As a technology facilitator, you must be able to create learning environments to enable other teachers to use technology effectively."
The five areas I have demonstrated that I have created a program or staff development that engages teachers in each of the areas or provides resources to teacher that help them in each of the areas are listed below.
Section I-B: Integration of Technology into the Curriculum
One of my roles in updating the technology plan for my school is to also help keep teachers informed and updated in regards to the technology plan, the mission of the technology plan, the goals of the technology plan, and implementing ways for other to incorporate those goals and missions in their classroom. The updated technology plan expressions how my school plans to integrate technology into the curriculum to improve student learning. It shows the ongoing planning and development of technology use and strategy for implementation.
The Professional Development component that I created to showcase the update Technology Plan's integration of technology into the curriculum was through a presentation where I used PowerPoint to present the components and allowed for discussion. I feel presenting parts of the plan, allowing for discussion, and then sharing suggestions for how a given part can be integrated into the classroom over a course of time rather than all at once allows for teachers to see the usability of the Technology Plan. This the creates a larger buy-in from the teachers in regards to the incorporation of the plan into their classrooms. I also created a PowerPoint presentation that showcases the Technology Plan for faculty and staff during my internship.
The Technology Plan Professional Development session meets this standard because it is ultimately how teachers within my school will be able to engage in ongoing planning of lesson sequences that integrate technology, provides information on how my school plans to meet district, state, national content, and technology standards, and provides strategies for how teachers will be supported in the integration of technology and other technology resources.
I have included the Technology Plan Presentation PowerPoint as an artifact to support my fulfillment of these standard.
Artifact: Technology Plan Presentation
Section I-C: Technology Resources
One area I wanted to be able to provide my fellow teachers with as a result of my internship, updating the technology, was a way they could easily be aware of the resources that are available to them. I feel that one of the obstacles that my school faces in regards to technology resources is a lack of knowledge of them.
As a result, I made a Available Technology Components Resource for Teachers. This resource is based on the Technology Component section of the updated Technology Plan; however, it does not include irrelevant information for teachers. This resource can be available on the Teacher Drive at my school and can be easily accessed by all teachers.
Artifact: Available Technology Components Resource for Teachers
Section I-D: Managing the Technology-Rich Classroom
One of the biggest mistakes a teacher often makes is the assumptions they create regarding what a student already knows. Either they believe a student natural should know the information, or they assume it was discussed and taught by another teacher. Technology often falls into this category. Because of the quick-pace of technology and how quick many students are able to seem to gain an understanding of how to use a given resource, teachers forget that students still need guidance in how to use the technology appropriately. This especially comes into play when teachers ask students to use the Internet to gather information. Teachers assume that because a student knows how to use a search engine they know how to appropriately use a search engine, and this was a misconception I wanted to make clear for my colleagues.
To help my colleagues understand that we need to help students question the information and sources they find, that we need to help them understand the difference between reliable information and unreliable information. I held an information session and showcases many of the resources I use with my students when they are using the Internet for research purposes. This was not a formal information session where I lectured my colleagues, but rather an opportunity for them to see ideas, discuss their own experiences, and hopefully walk away better understanding how they can help guide their students to becoming successful users of 21st century tools.
As artifacts for this section I have included the resources I shared during this session. Some of the artifacts I included were products I created during my participation in Loyola University's Educational Technology program.
Artifact 1: Credible/Reliable Source Presentation
Artifact 2: Critical Information Literacy Project - Critical Information Literacy Lesson Plan
Created in ET630.
Artifact 3: Critical Information Literacy Project - Critical Information Literacy Website for Student Use
Created in ET630.
Section I-E: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues"
One of the areas that is included in the updated Technology Plan is the Acceptable Use Policy for students and the Acceptable Use Policy for teacher iPads. I was able to gain an understand of them through discussions with my Technology Manager/Director. The understandings I gained allowed me to assist in the presentation of them during professional development and help later answer any questions in regards to them throughout the year. I think that part of professional development is providing a resource that can help assist in the understanding or implementation of a given resource after the initial professional development session, and that is a role I was able to play in regards to the AUPs. I was available for any questions or comments after the initial Professional Development session.
As artifacts for this standard I have included the updated AUPs that are included in the updated Technology Plan.
Artifact 1: Faculty iPad Acceptable Use Policy
Artifact 2: Student Acceptable Use Policy
Section I-H: Instructional Design
One area of focus within my school in regards to instructional design is a focus on learning and leading by design. This is such a focus within my school that we are now participating in professional development specifically related to learning and leading my design.
I was able to assist in the early stages of professional development that helped provide a foundation for teachers in regards to instructional design. I held a professional development session on the implementation of the Understanding by Design curriculum development format. I called it UbD Share and Tell. It was an opportunity for me to share my understandings of how to create the best learning environment for students. I was able to use technology to help present and motivate my fellow colleagues. I have included the presentation I used for this professional development session that focused on Instructional Design.
Artifact: Understanding by Design Share and Tell Presentation
Section III- B: Reflection
"A technology facilitator is constantly working to improve instructional practice to facilitate student learning."
Throughout my internship, I took notes and wrote reflections using a variety of sources - pen and paper, iPad, laptop. I then wrote reflection blogs to include the ideas that I included in those sources. My Internship Reflection Blog showcases my ability to continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning. I have included a direct link to my Internship Reflection Blog as the artifact that supports how I met this standard.
Several of the posts, "School Visit Reflection," "An iPad Dinner," "Professional Development. A Meeting with Administration," all showcase how I was able to use these evaluations and reflections to improve instruction.
Artifact: Internship Reflection Blog