Technology Intergration

How can you serve as a teacher leader for technology integration in you professional setting?

I can volunteer to serve as a teacher leader for technology integration in my professional setting by talking to my colleagues about social networks and how we might use them in the classroom.  I can also share web sites with my colleagues and set up mini workshops to learn how to access the web sites or to design lesson plans using social networks or other similar web sites.  Just setting up regular times to share what we are doing or share new web sites would really have an impact on us as teachers, not to mention our students.  I go to my tech colleagues quite often to learn what they are doing with technology in their classrooms or asking them to share their favorite web sites. 

Concerns About Internet Technologies in my Classroom

What are your concerns about using various internet technologies in your teaching practice?  My main concern about using various internet technologies in my teaching practice center around the fact that I'm not educated enough about them.  I'm just now learning about them and how to use them.  I'm not even sure I'm using the correct language in this blog!  However, I do see the impact internet technologies can have in my instruction.  For one, I can use them to add variety to my instruction, and make it more entertaining.  Students need entertainment similar to how their lives are structured.  They live and breathe technology......sounds, colors, actions, games, challenges, and immediate responses.  I can also make it accessible for every student to access from any computer.  My school district is using eLessons as a means to make up three snow days verses extending the school year.  I'm excited about the eLessons, but for those students who don't have access to a home computer or the internet, they will not be able to benefit from having something educational and meaningful during the time away from the classroom.  The snow day will seem as though it was a wasted day, unlike those who do have access to a home computer and the internet.  My school district also doesn't have the luxury of having lots of student computers or the latest in technologies.  Most of the technology is purchased for use by middle and high school students, and little is purchased for the elementary grades where technology is greatly needed.

How can you alleviate these concerns?  I wish I could attend local technology workshops offered around the area, especially at SOITA in Franklin, Ohio.  My school district has put a freeze on staff attending workshops or other professional meetings unless it is necessary to attend.  We need to cut costs.  That fact makes it hard for me and the others to learn about new technologies.  As for students not having home computers or the internet at home, I have to be flexible or provide copies of the assignments that will be online to print.  My school district needs to focus on purchasing technology for the elementary grades because they are at the age where they can understand how to use the technology.  Technology is a learning tool.  I dream of the day when every student in our district is issued a lap top computer, and every teacher has the training and the knowledge to use the latest technology in their classroom.....and my school district has the funding to purchase such technology.

Action Plan to Use/Improve Software Skills

What software applications do you use regularly in your teaching practice?  The software applications I use regularly are Appleworks, Progress Book, Fast ForWord, and sometimes Word.

What other software skills would you like to improve to increase your professional efficacy?  I would like to be more knowledgeable of the software available for use in the classroom.  It seems that I'm only exposed to the basic software.  My school needs to provide training for teachers and purchase software that is beneficial for 21st century learning. 

The action plan I would like to see in place in my school is:

• purchase software that uses best practices in teaching/preparing students for 21st century learning skills
• support teachers with training and knowledge on how to use the software
• purchase the necessary technology equipment or upgrade any digital tool used with the software.
•  offer parents and community members the opportunity to learn about the software applications being used in the school district.