Monday, March 14, 2011
UDL lesson
I agree that in today's world we have to be able to reach more than just one level of students. We need to be able to work in the GT environment as well as the Special Education levels. After all not all students are necessarily in one complete group within all subjects. They may be successful in math and not successful in writing. They are the same student with a strength and a weakness. Accounting for the differences within subject matter and student achievement rates is essential. This program can help us bridge some of those gaps.
Monday, February 14, 2011
EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology
As I started this course I did not know what the rest of this process was going to hold for me as I navigated through Concepts of Educational Technology. We started in a strange place with a lot of personality actuarial instruments. Through those instruments I got the opportunity to see what type of character I have to offer and what some of my strengths and weaknesses might include.
This course was an eye opener for me as I went through this course I saw how different my views of this world are from those of my students. I understand that I have to see through their eyes in order to teach them, but I will have to learn their skills in order to perform this action. It is strange that I am the teacher in the room, but I will have to learn my student's skill sets to make them competent.
This course was an eye opener for me as I went through this course I saw how different my views of this world are from those of my students. I understand that I have to see through their eyes in order to teach them, but I will have to learn their skills in order to perform this action. It is strange that I am the teacher in the room, but I will have to learn my student's skill sets to make them competent.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
National Educational Technology Plan
After reviewing the National Educational Technology Plan we are given insight into the way our job is viewed by others. Under this plan we see many new viewpoints. What is being proposed from my point of view is centered around two main disciplines. Those two disciplines appear to be psychology and technology. The plan examined how a person learns and what can be done to facilitate that level of knowledge. They review in short what has been done, but more especially what needs to be done to keep the United States as a successful country. Within this paper we are constantly seeing a need to use technology to meet the needs of the stakeholders involved in the process.
There are five main goals in this process. The first is that of Learning. There is a push to change our delivery method to meet the needs of the students in this century. To think in a different way to meet needs. Second is the area of assessment. With any good educational program we see a need for not a ending point in the education but continuous improvement. Looking at what matters and going forward. Teaching is number three in the line. I thought it strange that the plan would put Assessment in front of teaching, but I did not write the plan. Number four in the planned goals is that of Infrastructure. The ability to provide the needs of the students and staff. The fifth and final area of the goals is that of Productivity.
This plan is created to make the educational system more effective. It is hoped that by doing this we will see an increase in college graduation rates, and a more effective work force. These are goals that any educator would like to see happen. Then again we have to look at the whole picture to get the needed change. Often times when I am teaching the success rate of my students does not always depend on their technical prowess. I believe they need the technology skills to make their way in this day and age. Technology alone cannot fix all areas of the school system.
There are five main goals in this process. The first is that of Learning. There is a push to change our delivery method to meet the needs of the students in this century. To think in a different way to meet needs. Second is the area of assessment. With any good educational program we see a need for not a ending point in the education but continuous improvement. Looking at what matters and going forward. Teaching is number three in the line. I thought it strange that the plan would put Assessment in front of teaching, but I did not write the plan. Number four in the planned goals is that of Infrastructure. The ability to provide the needs of the students and staff. The fifth and final area of the goals is that of Productivity.
This plan is created to make the educational system more effective. It is hoped that by doing this we will see an increase in college graduation rates, and a more effective work force. These are goals that any educator would like to see happen. Then again we have to look at the whole picture to get the needed change. Often times when I am teaching the success rate of my students does not always depend on their technical prowess. I believe they need the technology skills to make their way in this day and age. Technology alone cannot fix all areas of the school system.
School or District Technology Plan
The Willis ISD technology plan was a lot different then I thought it might have been before I first reviewed it. It was very in depth and used the state standards as its guiding force. I had never realized how much money it took to keep nine schools running with the technology needs in today's world.
The stated goals in the plan came down to six basic needs. Number 1 was to simply continue to update technology. In the past seven years I have had three new computers so this makes sense. Number 2 was to develop meaningful staff development. This area we are constantly working on at our campus. We hold staff development sessions in our off periods, before school, and are sent to places like Region 6 and TCEA for training. Number 3 equalize technology in all classrooms. I can not speak for all of the campuses, but we seem to place items where they will do the most good first. The rest of the areas receive the new tech as it becomes available. Number 4 provide more ways to access data via the Internet. No campus that I know of is without Internet access. In fact the report gives us an assurance that all of the campuses have Internet. Number five improve our communications to our customers. In today's classrooms we have Internet. Our phone calls are routed to our computers so that they can leave voice mail. Even our signing in at the front desk only seems to require an identification card to put in the machine to process your information. I don't know how much more we can improve the system, but someone will some day. Lastly, number six calls for the buildings to become wireless hot spots.
With all of these goals in place we are constantly in need of training. To that end our individual campus administrators are responsible for that area. They coordinate the training at the campus level and use our instructional technology specialists to accomplish those goals. In addition when there are funds available we are often sent to other areas such as Region 6 ESC or even to the TCEA conference. Then those individuals are sent back to teach others in the skills that they learn.
At present the budget and the real world situations seem to meet in the middle. We receive the most up to date technology as it is available. We evaluate our efforts using things such as the STaR reports, employee feedback, and updated information from outside sources.
The stated goals in the plan came down to six basic needs. Number 1 was to simply continue to update technology. In the past seven years I have had three new computers so this makes sense. Number 2 was to develop meaningful staff development. This area we are constantly working on at our campus. We hold staff development sessions in our off periods, before school, and are sent to places like Region 6 and TCEA for training. Number 3 equalize technology in all classrooms. I can not speak for all of the campuses, but we seem to place items where they will do the most good first. The rest of the areas receive the new tech as it becomes available. Number 4 provide more ways to access data via the Internet. No campus that I know of is without Internet access. In fact the report gives us an assurance that all of the campuses have Internet. Number five improve our communications to our customers. In today's classrooms we have Internet. Our phone calls are routed to our computers so that they can leave voice mail. Even our signing in at the front desk only seems to require an identification card to put in the machine to process your information. I don't know how much more we can improve the system, but someone will some day. Lastly, number six calls for the buildings to become wireless hot spots.
With all of these goals in place we are constantly in need of training. To that end our individual campus administrators are responsible for that area. They coordinate the training at the campus level and use our instructional technology specialists to accomplish those goals. In addition when there are funds available we are often sent to other areas such as Region 6 ESC or even to the TCEA conference. Then those individuals are sent back to teach others in the skills that they learn.
At present the budget and the real world situations seem to meet in the middle. We receive the most up to date technology as it is available. We evaluate our efforts using things such as the STaR reports, employee feedback, and updated information from outside sources.
Technology Assessments
The fact that we do assessments to figure out the technology leadership ability of our educators is a testament to its need. We have our teachers go through the STaR survey annually and they are given an opportunity to share their views of their proficiency, level of technology available to them on a continual basis, and the support that they receive on the campus and in their district. This type of information can be key to important decisions in the life of a campus. Without that data it is hard to know where we can go in order to increase the level of proficiency at the campus. It is important to making plans as to where we can go in the future to get the most return for our efforts.
We study the student's level of technology skills to ensure that they are meeting the stated goals for their grade and age in that subject matter. This is a way to realize how effective our training is and where we need to reteach the students. Our curriculum is important because that is the framework that we operate on in the school. Without that frame work the students may end up missing our on key areas of knowledge in their education.
With all things there are some pros and some cons. The pros of making this type of study in the first place is it shows the chinks in our armor. It also lets us know what we are doing right so that we continue doing what is positive and seek ways to build up the other areas in a positive manner. There is no program that is perfect, but we should as educators seek to get as close as possible to ensure that they get their money's worth from their education.
The cons on the other had are also in place. First of all assessment takes time. Whether that is just taking the survey, or administering it so that it is properly handled. It takes money to do surveys or report findings. Someone has to pay for the paper, computers, and the interpretation of the findings. Then again it may lead to more research with takes more time and effort.
There is no perfect solution. It will take time to do this type of activity. At the same time it is well worth the effort in the long run.
We study the student's level of technology skills to ensure that they are meeting the stated goals for their grade and age in that subject matter. This is a way to realize how effective our training is and where we need to reteach the students. Our curriculum is important because that is the framework that we operate on in the school. Without that frame work the students may end up missing our on key areas of knowledge in their education.
With all things there are some pros and some cons. The pros of making this type of study in the first place is it shows the chinks in our armor. It also lets us know what we are doing right so that we continue doing what is positive and seek ways to build up the other areas in a positive manner. There is no program that is perfect, but we should as educators seek to get as close as possible to ensure that they get their money's worth from their education.
The cons on the other had are also in place. First of all assessment takes time. Whether that is just taking the survey, or administering it so that it is properly handled. It takes money to do surveys or report findings. Someone has to pay for the paper, computers, and the interpretation of the findings. Then again it may lead to more research with takes more time and effort.
There is no perfect solution. It will take time to do this type of activity. At the same time it is well worth the effort in the long run.
Monday, January 24, 2011
EDLD 5306 Week 2 web conference.
Coming into this program I had many questions. Some were very basic like what should I expect from my teacher and what does my teacher want from me in return. The web conference on 01-19-2011 gave me some insight as to those questions. I still have questions, but they are now subjects such as what new technologies are we going to encounter.
I knew that we would have to be part of an internship program. The level of involvement was one that I did not understand at first. As was the common saying in the web conferrence "clear as mud." I know that the amount of work that will be done over the next year for me is going to be a difficult labor, but at the same time I think that I will come away with a great amount of knowledge and skills for my trouble. That alone is going to make the job worth the trouble in my opinion. The realization that I do not know everything will make this program an even richer opportunity to bring back skills to the students under my care.
I hope that the next time we have a web conference the feed goes a little smoother than it did this time. I know that I missed some of the information and for that I just hope that I will be able to catch some of the material that I missed. This week I found myself signing up for another email, developing a blog which is something that I do not use on a regular basis, and setting priorities for my education.
Some of the skills that I am seeing in the videos and reading about are beginning to develop my understanding of my students. There is no doubt that the students of today will require a different approach from the teachers over them then what I grew up with in my own education. This program is going to help me connect with those under my care.
I knew that we would have to be part of an internship program. The level of involvement was one that I did not understand at first. As was the common saying in the web conferrence "clear as mud." I know that the amount of work that will be done over the next year for me is going to be a difficult labor, but at the same time I think that I will come away with a great amount of knowledge and skills for my trouble. That alone is going to make the job worth the trouble in my opinion. The realization that I do not know everything will make this program an even richer opportunity to bring back skills to the students under my care.
I hope that the next time we have a web conference the feed goes a little smoother than it did this time. I know that I missed some of the information and for that I just hope that I will be able to catch some of the material that I missed. This week I found myself signing up for another email, developing a blog which is something that I do not use on a regular basis, and setting priorities for my education.
Some of the skills that I am seeing in the videos and reading about are beginning to develop my understanding of my students. There is no doubt that the students of today will require a different approach from the teachers over them then what I grew up with in my own education. This program is going to help me connect with those under my care.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)