EHS staff - Thursday, August 23
K-9 staff - Monday, August 27
Tentative agenda items (in no particular order - subject to change):
K-9 staff - Monday, August 27
Tentative agenda items (in no particular order - subject to change):
- Communities of Practice (ppt)
- Expectations of general working norms (handout)
- Executive Summary of 2006-2007 technology survey (handout)
- Strategic road map (handouts)
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Online/Virtual Learning Assessment
Teacher Use of Technology Initiative - ISTE standards for teachers and students (handout)
- Streaming video "Are Kids Different Because of Digital Media"
- Communication between inservice days
- Thinking about technology PGT and assessment (handout)
- Read chapters 1-4 in Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts
Comments
I hope that in the next session we can divide into groups based on what type of technology we'd like to try. Then in those groups we could recieve more specific information and help in using that technology. (Instead of having the whole group listen to specifics and questions about 1 type of technology that not everyone intends to use).
I hope that session 2 answers more of my questions and provides me with a clearer understanding of how I could use one of the advanced technologies with my students.
Also, next time please don't forget about giving us a break. Thanks.
Sarah Irons
In answering some of your questions:
Q1: The goals/objectives of this CoP are the following:
This community is for the high-end technology user, seeking time and opportunity to learn to access,
evaluate and use electronic resources and technology tools to create meaning and produce new
knowledge. Staff will collaborate to provide learning opportunities for themselves and for their students to engage in the creation of curriculum-embedded 21st century technology applications. Assessment rubrics and tools will also be
developed.
Q2: Reviewing some of the different types of tools in Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts is helpful. Viewing some of the resources on the community blog gives you first hand experiences to some of the tools available. I will also attempt to provide examples to you during our face to face time.
Q3: I hope you will be able to walk away with one tool (podcast, wiki, moodle, blog, video conference, etc.) that you intend to use with student to extend learning beyone the walls. It's not a technology staff development class, like learning how to use Microsoft Excel or something like that. It will be a work in progress. Select something that will set you up for success. Use one class period, or a select group of students, rather than all students or all class periods.
Q4: Yes - time and help will be made available during the school year. That is one of my primary functions as a teacher on special assignment. I have been using blogs and podcasts for quite some time now. I don't have a lot of knowledge using wikis, but I can learn quickly. I have provided training for teachers on using Moodle as an extended learning vehicle for Edina students. Electronic field trips and videoconferences are also excellent ways to extend learning beyond the walls. Staff development dollars in the way of providing release time for substitute teachers for training and development is also available.
I didn't get a sense that the group wanted to develop operating norms, so I didn't have a break. I just plugged through. If we want to revisit the idea of having some types of operating norms, that would be great.
I'm not the "teacher" of a "class". I'm a facilitator of a community of practice. This is supposed to be a round table collaborative group.
The reason I signed up for this class is actually related to what happened to me last night (bare with me here) my refrigerator died...when the repair man came I was enlightened to learn that there is a really expensive computer that runs it. Everything today is tied to technology & my repairman had to learn that technology to fix my fridge. As a teacher, I feel I at least need to be competent in the things my students do with ease. While it has been stated that this is not a techniques class & that the goal is creative use of technology, we will still need some training in using things first. As an art teacher I tell students (who frequently just want to do their own thing & not follow curriculum) that you have to learn to use the tools first before you can be creative. And what of my 3 year old, $2000 frige you ask? $349 in repairs...Mark what were you saying about upkeep for technology:)
Image the power of digitally capturing images of artwork from students, uploading them to a virtual gallery on Flickr, and sharing that gallery across the web. And, imagine allowing guests the opportunity to view this gallery and comment on pieces of student work on a blog.
You don't have to image it. You can do it. Very easily. It's a way to expand your classroom beyond the walls.
The nice thing about the Web 2.0 tools is that we're not talking about sophisticated hardware and software. Most of it is web-based. All you need is a web browser and internet access, and you're off and running. If you have a way to digitally capture pieces of work from students (i.e. a digital camera), we can begin immediately.
Thanks for your comments. I hope you get your fridge back soon!
Actually, I think I might sign up for a podcasting training and then bring in some students to help develop one. Perhaps I need to use the students to help incorporate cool new ideas into our curriculum. The students have a better sense of what we can do with podcasing than I do.
See you all tomorrow,
Mellanie
PS I tried to create an account on google but had troubles. How am I going to manage this Moodle class???!!!!
PPS Sorry about your fridge Dalen!
As for refridgerators, I was at my girlfriend's cabin this weekend and that one went out too. Coincidence?!?!
I, too, had some trouble using my name here because I apparently created a Google account at some past time and couldn't remember the username or password for awhile. But that's due to my own brain-based technology difficulties.
It would be great if the professional library had enough copies of the required book so that we could borrow rather than purchase it. Is there some reason why we couldn't use posted materials to get the same information? Any book on technology is bound to be outdated by the time we finish using it, and then we could use the $25 for more ramen noodles/dinners.