So, the neighbor kids and I have developed a solid working relationship ever since we put the tree house up for the really cool tree (see previous blog). Now, they go to the local corner store, pick up some icy beverages and snacks, and relax under the really cool tree. Some littering has occurred, but has been minimized after I spoke with the children under the tree. Now, when I am in the backyard, watering or what have you, they send me kind pleasantries.
They are continually asking for upgrades and remodels. They want a second floor and a storage area under the first level...a basement to speak of. I find all of these things a little out of my abilities as a carpenter and a little outside of my paycheck.
Estaban, however, did ask me to build him a ladder so that he could have it for the tree in his front yard.
"Come knock on the front door at 9am this Saturday." I said, "and I will help build you a ladder."
Estaban's eyes perked up. Attempted to contain the smile that wanted to explode on his face, he questioned, "Really? You will build me a ladder, just like this one, for my tree?"
I assured him I would do it. And if there is one thing I have learned in this life, it's that you better stay true to your word. I told him if he came to my house Saturday morning I would build him that ladder.
I woke up fairly early Saturday, thinking about Estaban and his excitement for his new ladder. I didn't want to miss the sound of him knocking. Children in this neighborhood don't have a whole lot of people they can depend on in their lives. I wasn't about to be just another person who disappointed them. So, I got up.
Well, Estaban didn't show that morning. I went on about my day. I probably enjoyed the water on Lake Travis or Barton Springs. I am sure I ran some errands and did chores around the house.
I found myself in the backyard again that evening. And Estaban found himself perched in the tree. He saw me and asked if I was ready to build him the ladder. Being a man of my word, I asked him where he was that morning.
He responded, "My dad needed me to do some work with him."
I don't know if his father or his family, but Estaban leads me to believe they make the best of what they have and that they are dedicated hardworking citizens who are trying to do this best in this life. So, I believed him. Plus, Estaban has trouble with lying.
So, I asked him to come to the front of the house where the tools are kept. Once again, his eyes grew larger and he began to smile. With a not-so-subtle hint of disbelief, he asked, "Really?"
He went on to tell me that he had the wood I would need to build him his ladder.
I asked him to bring it. I told him I would supply the nails.
Worried that I would go inside and forget him, he told me to, "stay right there". He promised he would, "be right back with the wood." And I stayed there waiting.
Three minutes went by and there was Estaban balancing the wood on his bike.
The wood Estaban brought was rotting and spent a good deal of it's life invested by termites. This wood was in no shape to become a magnificent ladder. I told him I would keep this wood and that we would use some of my wood to build the ladder as my wood appeared, "more suited for the job."
I did assure him that I appreciated what he offered and that I was definitely going to use it on a later project.
So, with our nails, wood, and hammer we began to build his ladder. He is only in 2nd grade, but his desire to assist in the project was more than I had seen in most older kids. Obviously, I was careful. I gave him certain tasks. He was able to line up the wood exactly where he wanted it to make the rungs. He was able to hold the wood steady as I hammered in the nails. And when we were finished, the huge smile he was containing finally did explode on his face. He had his very own ladder.
There was a dilemma. At first, he tried to balance the ladder on his bike to take it home, but that didn't work. The ladder was too heavy. He didn't know if he should leave his bike there and walk the ladder or vice versa. I offered to store his bike in the gar rage while he walked his ladder home. Then, he could retrieve his bike. He liked this suggestion.
Kids in this neighborhood have to be very protective of their things. Bikes in this neighborhood are precious gold. If you leave them out of your sight for a second, another kid or even a thief looking for a buck at the pawn shop, will take it. Kids in this neighborhood lock their bikes up at school, unlike kids in nicer areas. Estaban knew this quite well.
He came back for his bike. He thanked me and I thanked him for his wood and help.
I drive by his house several times a day. There in the front yard, leaning against the tree, sits his ladder. I often see his family and neighbors sitting on ice chests or folding chairs in that front yard. And typically, there I will also see Estaban climbing his ladder with his bike parked very close to it.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, December 18, 2009
final reflections
The course is listed as Instructional Leadership. I imagine that the “Technology Link” was added as a very important afterthought. However, I don’t know if I agree that technology and education are linked. I believe they are more one and the same. As educators, we definitely have to get into that mindset—that we will never be able to separate education and technology. Think about this: even as teachers, we are not technology specialists, we do not work for the IT department, we are not computer programmers, and most of us do not teach technology courses. But, how often do you use technology to do day-to-day activities, teach a lesson, or interact with administrators, staff, or students? Even the state of Texas mandates that we, along with our students by eighth grade, must be technology literate. Especially in our field, we will forever be unable to separate ourselves from the technology that has consumed and is running today’s societies. Conclusively, I am thankful that Lamar University decided to add the technology component to this course. It will make me a more proficient and capable leader in public education.
Integrating technology in education is like saying we are integrating water into a fishpond. If we don’t integrate we are preparing our students to be letters of the 1950s. Sometimes it feels like we are heading in that direction. When we do not allow our students to use technology, we are saying, “Sit down, turn off, log off, or go to the screen saver.” The material learned in this course is relevant to the work we all do in schools. From pre-k to adult-education. Yes, even pre-k has grade-level TEKS for education! Whether you work in the front office or you are a superintendent, technology is important. As a future administrator, it should be my goal to model effective technology use and implementation. That may mean integrating technology into presentations, conducting web-seminars, or hosting blog discussions. As I’ve learned, professional development opportunities, especially for our technology-hesitant teachers, are one of the single most important components of effective technology integration. But, conducting professional development to technology proficient teachers, or even worse, to an empty room, will definitely not lead to the results we want!
The week four assignment was slightly confusing. My Action Plan was not as thorough and meaningful as I would have liked. I definitely understand that I could have created my own template for the plan. However, I would have liked to see a template imbedded in the assignment itself. I was confused as to the expectations for the week four assignments.
I was successful with completing course assignments. I found the directions extremely helpful and very explicit. Each week’s assignments contained detailed descriptions of assignment expectations and how-to sections regarding the somewhat foreign and initially complicated technology components. I felt like there was a significant amount of guidance for the technology pieces. This is especially the case considering the simple fact that there is no true “face-to-face” time to answer questions and discuss confusing areas or issues. I am proud to say that I did not have to contact my academic coach once concerning the assignments. I appreciated the diverse options available to me for completing assignments. For instance, I really enjoyed using the Google writing and presentation tools. I love these tools because they are free and accessible to the user anywhere there is an Internet connection. Beyond being successful with completing assignment, I feel they were relevant to my field, my position, and my future position.
There is a lot of technology that I am unaware of, and it’s a continuous effort to become and stay aware. I don’t always want to feel slightly behind the curve. As an instructional leader I must surround myself with adept technology and instructional leaders. I need to continually ask questions and seek more information. My leadership skills have multiplied as a result of this course. I have learned more about the effective use of technology in the classroom and in our schools. I realized the importance of technology integration. Not only does society mandate we integrate technology, but the state of Texas does so, as well. I think it is equally, if not more, important for administrators to demonstrate continued and effective use of technology. As I’ve learned in other classes, the single best predictor of a high achieving school is an effective leader.
Blogs! Wow! What an incredible tool. As a general education teacher, you can lead discussions with your students through blogs, or provide real-time information. As an administrator: Goodbye weekly face-to-face staff meetings after school from 3:30-4:30! Hello to blog-based Internet discussions. Have a topic of the week. Require each teacher to post 2-3 responses, in lieu of weekly meetings. Have faculty meetings once a month. Replace others with blog postings and discussions. So many teachers complain about too many meetings and not enough time to prepare for instruction. Well, blogs are the perfect answer to the time constraints of our already bombarded teachers. Teachers can engage in professional learning via blogs and discussions. They can do this on their own time, at their leisure.
Privacy is a huge concern for educators and students. There are predators out there who are not interested in the well being of our students. We know this. We need to be proactive in our education of Internet security and safety to our children. We need to start early and start now! Research has shown that even fifth graders have been exposed to, and are aware of, the dangers of the Internet. We need to educate and expose the truths. We also need to understand the importance and value that the online experience provides for our students. You know, students face dangers getting to school every morning. Accidents happen everyday. As safe as we try to be, children get hurt when they are crossing the street. So, do we allow our children just to stay at home, because it’s safer? No, we insist they go to school and experience education. This should be our same mindset for the Internet and technology. Yes there are dangers. Simply, we must educate our students of these dangers—just like we say “look both ways before you cross the street” or “wait till you se the walk sign to cross”.
There is free blog space everywhere. First, most schools have web space for their teachers. Some even have this space for students. Usually, this space is easy to use and update regularly. A beginning tech person can set up and update websites provided by the school. It is really an expectation that teachers do this at Leander ISD. And really, it’s just getting in the habit of doing so that is most challenging. I found it very easy to set up a blog at blogspot.com. It only took a few minutes. Once it was set up, it became even easier to post blogs and engage in discussions with fellow students. One of my favorite things to do is write. And I know that I am more articulate when I write. Blogging is the perfect venue for me to provide information and updates to stakeholders. Plus, if someone says, “You never told me!” You can say, “I posted it on the blog, which everyone has access to!”
Integrating technology in education is like saying we are integrating water into a fishpond. If we don’t integrate we are preparing our students to be letters of the 1950s. Sometimes it feels like we are heading in that direction. When we do not allow our students to use technology, we are saying, “Sit down, turn off, log off, or go to the screen saver.” The material learned in this course is relevant to the work we all do in schools. From pre-k to adult-education. Yes, even pre-k has grade-level TEKS for education! Whether you work in the front office or you are a superintendent, technology is important. As a future administrator, it should be my goal to model effective technology use and implementation. That may mean integrating technology into presentations, conducting web-seminars, or hosting blog discussions. As I’ve learned, professional development opportunities, especially for our technology-hesitant teachers, are one of the single most important components of effective technology integration. But, conducting professional development to technology proficient teachers, or even worse, to an empty room, will definitely not lead to the results we want!
The week four assignment was slightly confusing. My Action Plan was not as thorough and meaningful as I would have liked. I definitely understand that I could have created my own template for the plan. However, I would have liked to see a template imbedded in the assignment itself. I was confused as to the expectations for the week four assignments.
I was successful with completing course assignments. I found the directions extremely helpful and very explicit. Each week’s assignments contained detailed descriptions of assignment expectations and how-to sections regarding the somewhat foreign and initially complicated technology components. I felt like there was a significant amount of guidance for the technology pieces. This is especially the case considering the simple fact that there is no true “face-to-face” time to answer questions and discuss confusing areas or issues. I am proud to say that I did not have to contact my academic coach once concerning the assignments. I appreciated the diverse options available to me for completing assignments. For instance, I really enjoyed using the Google writing and presentation tools. I love these tools because they are free and accessible to the user anywhere there is an Internet connection. Beyond being successful with completing assignment, I feel they were relevant to my field, my position, and my future position.
There is a lot of technology that I am unaware of, and it’s a continuous effort to become and stay aware. I don’t always want to feel slightly behind the curve. As an instructional leader I must surround myself with adept technology and instructional leaders. I need to continually ask questions and seek more information. My leadership skills have multiplied as a result of this course. I have learned more about the effective use of technology in the classroom and in our schools. I realized the importance of technology integration. Not only does society mandate we integrate technology, but the state of Texas does so, as well. I think it is equally, if not more, important for administrators to demonstrate continued and effective use of technology. As I’ve learned in other classes, the single best predictor of a high achieving school is an effective leader.
Blogs! Wow! What an incredible tool. As a general education teacher, you can lead discussions with your students through blogs, or provide real-time information. As an administrator: Goodbye weekly face-to-face staff meetings after school from 3:30-4:30! Hello to blog-based Internet discussions. Have a topic of the week. Require each teacher to post 2-3 responses, in lieu of weekly meetings. Have faculty meetings once a month. Replace others with blog postings and discussions. So many teachers complain about too many meetings and not enough time to prepare for instruction. Well, blogs are the perfect answer to the time constraints of our already bombarded teachers. Teachers can engage in professional learning via blogs and discussions. They can do this on their own time, at their leisure.
Privacy is a huge concern for educators and students. There are predators out there who are not interested in the well being of our students. We know this. We need to be proactive in our education of Internet security and safety to our children. We need to start early and start now! Research has shown that even fifth graders have been exposed to, and are aware of, the dangers of the Internet. We need to educate and expose the truths. We also need to understand the importance and value that the online experience provides for our students. You know, students face dangers getting to school every morning. Accidents happen everyday. As safe as we try to be, children get hurt when they are crossing the street. So, do we allow our children just to stay at home, because it’s safer? No, we insist they go to school and experience education. This should be our same mindset for the Internet and technology. Yes there are dangers. Simply, we must educate our students of these dangers—just like we say “look both ways before you cross the street” or “wait till you se the walk sign to cross”.
There is free blog space everywhere. First, most schools have web space for their teachers. Some even have this space for students. Usually, this space is easy to use and update regularly. A beginning tech person can set up and update websites provided by the school. It is really an expectation that teachers do this at Leander ISD. And really, it’s just getting in the habit of doing so that is most challenging. I found it very easy to set up a blog at blogspot.com. It only took a few minutes. Once it was set up, it became even easier to post blogs and engage in discussions with fellow students. One of my favorite things to do is write. And I know that I am more articulate when I write. Blogging is the perfect venue for me to provide information and updates to stakeholders. Plus, if someone says, “You never told me!” You can say, “I posted it on the blog, which everyone has access to!”
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
STaR Chart
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
STaR Chart
View more presentations from dlgoss2005.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Week 2: Educator Preperation and Development Area of the STaR Chart (updated version)
I argue that "Educator Preparation and Development" is a key element in the successful integration of technology into the classroom. The STaR chart has six sub-categories for this area.
1.) Content of Professional Development: What professional development opportunities are provided and for what content?
2.) Models of Professional Development: How is professional development presented (e.g., lecture, small group, focus group, etc.)?
3.) Capabilities of Educators: What is the level of understanding for teachers regarding SBEC's Technology Application Standards?
4.) Access to Professional Development: How many actual hours of professional development are teachers offered during a school year?
5.) Levels of Understanding and Patterns of Use: How much do teachers understand and how much integration has occurred?
6.) Professional Development for Online Learning: How much professional development have teachers been provided in the area of online learning?
In 2008-2009, 74% of all campuses fell in "Developing Tech" for this area of the STaR chart. This is exactly where Giddens is...This is the area of greatest weakness for my school, Giddens Elementary. I believe this leads to a significant decrease in the integration of technology into learning and the classroom. It makes intuitive sense. How can teachers implement technology resources into the classroom if they have not been trained in their use?
It is interesting to note that there were more campuses in "Developing Tech" and "Advanced Tech" than in most recent years. It seems, schools have taken a few steps back in the area of "Educator Preparation and Development".
We need to make sure that opportunities are provided for teachers to learn new technology. We need to make sure these opportunities are, not only provided, but visible and easy to attend. We also need to make sure that staff development is on-going and meaningful. Professional development is not a one-day, one-size-fits-all event. It is on-going and continuous. It occurs not only outside the classroom, but most importantly, inside the classroom.
1.) Content of Professional Development: What professional development opportunities are provided and for what content?
2.) Models of Professional Development: How is professional development presented (e.g., lecture, small group, focus group, etc.)?
3.) Capabilities of Educators: What is the level of understanding for teachers regarding SBEC's Technology Application Standards?
4.) Access to Professional Development: How many actual hours of professional development are teachers offered during a school year?
5.) Levels of Understanding and Patterns of Use: How much do teachers understand and how much integration has occurred?
6.) Professional Development for Online Learning: How much professional development have teachers been provided in the area of online learning?
In 2008-2009, 74% of all campuses fell in "Developing Tech" for this area of the STaR chart. This is exactly where Giddens is...This is the area of greatest weakness for my school, Giddens Elementary. I believe this leads to a significant decrease in the integration of technology into learning and the classroom. It makes intuitive sense. How can teachers implement technology resources into the classroom if they have not been trained in their use?
It is interesting to note that there were more campuses in "Developing Tech" and "Advanced Tech" than in most recent years. It seems, schools have taken a few steps back in the area of "Educator Preparation and Development".
We need to make sure that opportunities are provided for teachers to learn new technology. We need to make sure these opportunities are, not only provided, but visible and easy to attend. We also need to make sure that staff development is on-going and meaningful. Professional development is not a one-day, one-size-fits-all event. It is on-going and continuous. It occurs not only outside the classroom, but most importantly, inside the classroom.
Week 2: Educator Preperation and Development Area of the STaR Chart
I argue that "Educator Preparation and Development" is a key element in the successful integration of technology into the classroom. The STaR chart has six sub-categories for this area.
1.) Content of Professional Development: What professional development opportunities are provided and for what content?
2.) Models of Professional Development: How is professional development presented (e.g., lecture, small group, focus group, etc.)?
3.) Capabilities of Educators: What is the level of understanding for teachers regarding SBEC's Technology Application Standards?
4.) Access to Professional Development: How many actual hours of professional development are teachers offered during a school year?
5.) Levels of Understanding and Patterns of Use: How much do teachers understand and how much integration has occurred?
6.) Professional Development for Online Learning: How much professional development have teachers been provided in the area of online learning?
This is the area of greatest weakness for my school, Giddens Elementary. I believe this leads to a significant decrease in the integration of technology into learning and the classroom. It makes intuitive sense. How can teachers implement technology resources into the classroom if they have not been trained in their use?
1.) Content of Professional Development: What professional development opportunities are provided and for what content?
2.) Models of Professional Development: How is professional development presented (e.g., lecture, small group, focus group, etc.)?
3.) Capabilities of Educators: What is the level of understanding for teachers regarding SBEC's Technology Application Standards?
4.) Access to Professional Development: How many actual hours of professional development are teachers offered during a school year?
5.) Levels of Understanding and Patterns of Use: How much do teachers understand and how much integration has occurred?
6.) Professional Development for Online Learning: How much professional development have teachers been provided in the area of online learning?
This is the area of greatest weakness for my school, Giddens Elementary. I believe this leads to a significant decrease in the integration of technology into learning and the classroom. It makes intuitive sense. How can teachers implement technology resources into the classroom if they have not been trained in their use?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Texas' Long-Range Technology Plan
Who knew!? I can't believe that the state of Texas has such an extensive document that outlines every detail of how our students will acquire technology application knowledge and skills. It deals with the cutting edge facts...that technology is an ever-increasingly important component of our daily lives. We are faced with using technology in our professional and personal lives. Even veteran teachers are using technology at an increasing rate. IT IS NOT GOING AWAY and you cannot do without it.
Leander ISD is implementing Eduphoria. This is a "one stop" shop for grades, attendance, record keeping, and lesson planning. And it is ENTIRELY online. The day of lesson plan and attendance books is becoming, nearly through mandate, a thing of the past.
The Texas Long-Range Plan helps deal with the issues of our technology infused ever changing world. If nothing more, it makes us embrace the fact that our students are digital natives. They eat, breath, sleep, walk, learn (...and whatever else) through technology. Having classrooms without technology is like having a library without books. Which actually, might someday be reality.
Leander ISD is implementing Eduphoria. This is a "one stop" shop for grades, attendance, record keeping, and lesson planning. And it is ENTIRELY online. The day of lesson plan and attendance books is becoming, nearly through mandate, a thing of the past.
The Texas Long-Range Plan helps deal with the issues of our technology infused ever changing world. If nothing more, it makes us embrace the fact that our students are digital natives. They eat, breath, sleep, walk, learn (...and whatever else) through technology. Having classrooms without technology is like having a library without books. Which actually, might someday be reality.
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