Thursday, July 22, 2010
Research Reflection Week 2
This week I was able to better understand purpose and relevance of action research. The examples on the videos and in Dana's book were very practical and I was able to relate to many of them. After these last two weeks, I see that action research is something that we all do to some extend, at one time or another. I consider myself a practical person and often commented that data from "traditional research" was not always useful. Often I have stated that the research was not helpful because it was done on "other" students, not mine. Many of the data/research that leads to initiatives in the district is good, but since it typically is not done on bilingual students it seemed irrelevant to me. Action research allows me to look at what we experience locally and see how it leads to success with "our" students.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tech Reflection
This is definitely one of the most useful courses that I have taken in this program. Yet, I feel like there is so much more. I believe that I feel this way, not because of something that has to do with the course set up or the university, but because of the feeling that technology leaves us with. I consider myself, from a one to a ten, a strong seven in the area of technology. I still needs lots to learn and will go with what comes our way. But, technology changes so fast that I don’t know if can keep up with it. I mean, there are so many programs that keep getting created and are very useful, and we seem to want to take on all that comes our way. At times, I feel like I want to get away from it. It seems a little insane, at times.
The outcomes are definitely relevant and if anything stayed with me, it is the fact that we must not settle, but continually wait for the next change. Again, this can be good or bad. In a time when we must teach with more depth and quality, the quantity of technology and information is heavily upon, constantly. Therefore, the skills many not be grounded in our students, because we are always going to the latest.
The one outcome that I did not get and I truly believe it needs to be part of this course is the other side of technology use, what negative effects it may have on our educational system. There was a ton of information about how we all must go towards a technology filled classroom and how technology is the way of the future. However, there wasn’t anything on the psychological effects that technology can have on our children. Is there even research on this? I sometimes think we are reshaping our brains and what that may lead to, no one is really sure. It just seems that technology is a fast moving train and no one dares to question or consider how it will effect education, at large.
The course assignments were challenging due to the time required to do them. This is one drawback of technology that doesn’t get much mention. A PowerPoint is a great way to present, but a great presentation take time to create. For someone who has never blogged, it can be frustrating getting items posted. The part that affected me the most in not getting the completed assignment was the discussion piece; it was too much. The way I feel about collaboration and depending on other to do things, is the following: if I wanted to be part of a team and have collaboration and feedback from others, I would go to a nearby university and sign up for classes. Don’t get me wrong, I like this kind of learning, but I took on this Lamar program for convenience.
From this course, I learned that I have lots to learn. Technology makes me feel like it is a rat race all the time. There is constant information and too much for the brain to take on; it wears me out. I even notice that students get edgy and irritable when they are in front of the computer for so long. When I get kids out of the lab, they seemed to be zapped and tired out. I learned that the state is going fast as well and I better hang on, if I want to go on the ride. My attitude is not one of negativism, but of caution and careful consideration. I know that technology can benefit our students and as a leader of instruction, I plan to use it wisely.
Blogging has its advantages and will be a key tool in education. Just today, I found out that my next book study at work is going to be done via a blog. Again, this is nice and convenient but also makes me concerned. I mean, where is the human touch going? What is going to happen to personal relationships? Blogging will most likely stay, but how long, who knows? There is always something new and better around the bend. Learners after high school can definitely benefit from it and I believe public schools will soon use it more and more. The main concern for me is the ability for kids to talk face to face with each other and adults. It will only be a matter of time before students will not know how to address their teachers in person. They will never be able to connect with their students due to being simply “cyber” teachers.
Blogging can definitely be a good communication with stakeholders. However, it only serves those that have access. Most parents/homes still don’t have full internet access or computers to work with, specially low social-economic families.
The outcomes are definitely relevant and if anything stayed with me, it is the fact that we must not settle, but continually wait for the next change. Again, this can be good or bad. In a time when we must teach with more depth and quality, the quantity of technology and information is heavily upon, constantly. Therefore, the skills many not be grounded in our students, because we are always going to the latest.
The one outcome that I did not get and I truly believe it needs to be part of this course is the other side of technology use, what negative effects it may have on our educational system. There was a ton of information about how we all must go towards a technology filled classroom and how technology is the way of the future. However, there wasn’t anything on the psychological effects that technology can have on our children. Is there even research on this? I sometimes think we are reshaping our brains and what that may lead to, no one is really sure. It just seems that technology is a fast moving train and no one dares to question or consider how it will effect education, at large.
The course assignments were challenging due to the time required to do them. This is one drawback of technology that doesn’t get much mention. A PowerPoint is a great way to present, but a great presentation take time to create. For someone who has never blogged, it can be frustrating getting items posted. The part that affected me the most in not getting the completed assignment was the discussion piece; it was too much. The way I feel about collaboration and depending on other to do things, is the following: if I wanted to be part of a team and have collaboration and feedback from others, I would go to a nearby university and sign up for classes. Don’t get me wrong, I like this kind of learning, but I took on this Lamar program for convenience.
From this course, I learned that I have lots to learn. Technology makes me feel like it is a rat race all the time. There is constant information and too much for the brain to take on; it wears me out. I even notice that students get edgy and irritable when they are in front of the computer for so long. When I get kids out of the lab, they seemed to be zapped and tired out. I learned that the state is going fast as well and I better hang on, if I want to go on the ride. My attitude is not one of negativism, but of caution and careful consideration. I know that technology can benefit our students and as a leader of instruction, I plan to use it wisely.
Blogging has its advantages and will be a key tool in education. Just today, I found out that my next book study at work is going to be done via a blog. Again, this is nice and convenient but also makes me concerned. I mean, where is the human touch going? What is going to happen to personal relationships? Blogging will most likely stay, but how long, who knows? There is always something new and better around the bend. Learners after high school can definitely benefit from it and I believe public schools will soon use it more and more. The main concern for me is the ability for kids to talk face to face with each other and adults. It will only be a matter of time before students will not know how to address their teachers in person. They will never be able to connect with their students due to being simply “cyber” teachers.
Blogging can definitely be a good communication with stakeholders. However, it only serves those that have access. Most parents/homes still don’t have full internet access or computers to work with, specially low social-economic families.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Week 4 Part 2 and 3
Week 4 Assignment, Part 2: Professional Development Planning
Using the campus and district improvement plans, and any suggested technology improvements, develop professional development activities that include the following:
Student Data, Technology and Teacher
Staff Development
Needs: One of the issues with technology and instruction is that the teachers are not actively implementing and monitoring plans to address the needs of the students. One of the great advantages of the technology available in the campus/district is that the programs can be easily manipulated to target the specific needs of the students. It needs to begin with good data and support from technical staff. Currently, teachers have the programs and data is often given to them by support personnel. However, nothing is done with that data; a teacher is simply too busy! This staff development aims primarily at getting the teacher going, helping her monitor the progress of students and make adjstments.
Goal: Enable teachers to monitor student performance through a more automated benchmark testing process and respond to needs of students by intervening using technology.
Purpose: Teachers can administer benchmark testing and evaluate results immediately.
Materials and Support: Edugence Student Data System, Study Island, SuccessMaker and
support from Technology.
Description:
o Review student data collection from Edugence (this program is used district-wide and contains all the data history of students, including previous years)
o Have every teacher do a middle of the year item analysis from the district’s Math and Reading Unit Assessments.
o Identify every student’s needs/TEKS that need to be addressed
o With support from the Campus Technology Facilitator and/or Campus Technical Assistant, set up an individualized tutoring plan using Study Island (Reading and Math) and SuccessMaker (Reader’s Workshop and Math Success)
o Have students work on their individualized plan during Computer Lab time, before/after school, and/or Saturday school.
o Monitor by having the CTA print reports (for teacher and principal) from both programs every three weeks.
o Re-evaluate and adjust plan right before Spring Break.
Week 4 Assignment, Part 3: Evaluation Planning for Action Plan
Evaluate and Change
Background: In the current year, instead of a district decision, the campus administrators got to select the technology instructional programs that they wanted incorporated in their campus.
Need: Technology instructional programs need to be evaluated for their effectiveness on student progress.
Purpose: Based on evaluation and findings, make decisions for next year that will make technology instructional goals be aligned to the Campus and District Improvement Plans.
Materials and Support: Edugence (data system), Study Island and SuccessMaker (campus selected instructional programs). Support from Technology.
Description: Have the Technology Department provide a comprehensive end of the year report the student usage of Study Island and SuccessMaker. The report must include pre-test and post-test data, skills targeted, graphs that reflect student’s growth, minutes used by each student and overall campus summative report. The same information/report will be provided by the CTA on SuccessMaker.
Programs Evaluation:
• Evaluate reports from both programs
• Present reports to staff and evaluate individually and as a campus
• Teacher Evaluation using the following:
• What student strengths and weakness do you see in the report?
• Did the program adequately address the needs of the students? If not, why do you think?
• Were you able to monitor the students’ progress on demand? Why or why not?
• Were you able to make adjustments (target needs) in a timely manner? Why or why not?
Overall reflection: If the programs implemented were not successful or maximized, why do you think that was so? Was it because:
it was too difficult to manage and more support is needed?
it did not engage the students?
it was too hard or too easy?
it required too much time to use?
I (the teacher) did not make it work due to other reasons?
Comments:
Using the campus and district improvement plans, and any suggested technology improvements, develop professional development activities that include the following:
Student Data, Technology and Teacher
Staff Development
Needs: One of the issues with technology and instruction is that the teachers are not actively implementing and monitoring plans to address the needs of the students. One of the great advantages of the technology available in the campus/district is that the programs can be easily manipulated to target the specific needs of the students. It needs to begin with good data and support from technical staff. Currently, teachers have the programs and data is often given to them by support personnel. However, nothing is done with that data; a teacher is simply too busy! This staff development aims primarily at getting the teacher going, helping her monitor the progress of students and make adjstments.
Goal: Enable teachers to monitor student performance through a more automated benchmark testing process and respond to needs of students by intervening using technology.
Purpose: Teachers can administer benchmark testing and evaluate results immediately.
Materials and Support: Edugence Student Data System, Study Island, SuccessMaker and
support from Technology.
Description:
o Review student data collection from Edugence (this program is used district-wide and contains all the data history of students, including previous years)
o Have every teacher do a middle of the year item analysis from the district’s Math and Reading Unit Assessments.
o Identify every student’s needs/TEKS that need to be addressed
o With support from the Campus Technology Facilitator and/or Campus Technical Assistant, set up an individualized tutoring plan using Study Island (Reading and Math) and SuccessMaker (Reader’s Workshop and Math Success)
o Have students work on their individualized plan during Computer Lab time, before/after school, and/or Saturday school.
o Monitor by having the CTA print reports (for teacher and principal) from both programs every three weeks.
o Re-evaluate and adjust plan right before Spring Break.
Week 4 Assignment, Part 3: Evaluation Planning for Action Plan
Evaluate and Change
Background: In the current year, instead of a district decision, the campus administrators got to select the technology instructional programs that they wanted incorporated in their campus.
Need: Technology instructional programs need to be evaluated for their effectiveness on student progress.
Purpose: Based on evaluation and findings, make decisions for next year that will make technology instructional goals be aligned to the Campus and District Improvement Plans.
Materials and Support: Edugence (data system), Study Island and SuccessMaker (campus selected instructional programs). Support from Technology.
Description: Have the Technology Department provide a comprehensive end of the year report the student usage of Study Island and SuccessMaker. The report must include pre-test and post-test data, skills targeted, graphs that reflect student’s growth, minutes used by each student and overall campus summative report. The same information/report will be provided by the CTA on SuccessMaker.
Programs Evaluation:
• Evaluate reports from both programs
• Present reports to staff and evaluate individually and as a campus
• Teacher Evaluation using the following:
• What student strengths and weakness do you see in the report?
• Did the program adequately address the needs of the students? If not, why do you think?
• Were you able to monitor the students’ progress on demand? Why or why not?
• Were you able to make adjustments (target needs) in a timely manner? Why or why not?
Overall reflection: If the programs implemented were not successful or maximized, why do you think that was so? Was it because:
it was too difficult to manage and more support is needed?
it did not engage the students?
it was too hard or too easy?
it required too much time to use?
I (the teacher) did not make it work due to other reasons?
Comments:
Saturday, November 28, 2009
WEEk 2 Part 2
Looking at the campus STaR Chart, it revealed some interesting results in the area of Educator Preparation and Development. During the three year period, this area had the lowest scores. The area assesses professional development experiences, models of professional development, capabilities of educators, access to professional development, levels of understanding and patterns of use, and professional development for online learning. These six categories totalled to a 9, in the 2007-08 school year. This was the year that an first year administrator was brought in. I believe that all should be given an opportunity to prove themselves and a place to start. However, in this case, I do not believe that it was the right adminstrative decision to bring in an unproven frist year principal to the lowest performing campus in the district. The data show low scores because the principal was in over her head with other major problems. Therefore, since she was not able to handle all that was in the fore front, some items "fell threw the cracks"; staff development was one of them. However, there have been some good changes on campus and the district-wide technology initiatives have made a significant difference. The three year period, the district has brought on PD360, an online professional development initiative. It has been implemented and showing good results. Locally, the campus has a Technology Specialist that continually supports the teachers. The computer lab was also upgraded to double the amount of space and computers available for students. This local, district and state initiatives have made a difference and was evident in the final year of assessment, 2008-09, when it made a 6 point jump, from 9 to 15 points!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Week 1 Part 4
The Texas pre-k essentials allow for a foundation for learning to be established. The rich language input is essential for communication, as the student develops. Being able to maintain and build on interests will lead them to be self learners and take control of the information they want/need. Setting fewer restrictions and more choicees will allow for more freedom and critical thinking, like evaluating all that is before them.
A spiraling and scaffolding curriculum gives the student ample time to internalize concepts and skills. It is like constructing a building, it begins with a good foundation and then one brick/floor laid on top of the other. One example of scaffolding curriculum is the concept of reading. The TEKS expects the student to first learn to idenfiy print letters. Then, it continues with phonics/phonemes. It then builds on clusters, syllables and words(vocabulary). Those words are translated into sentences and messages. Comprehension then gets developed to help students be good fluent readers of various texts.
A spiraling and scaffolding curriculum gives the student ample time to internalize concepts and skills. It is like constructing a building, it begins with a good foundation and then one brick/floor laid on top of the other. One example of scaffolding curriculum is the concept of reading. The TEKS expects the student to first learn to idenfiy print letters. Then, it continues with phonics/phonemes. It then builds on clusters, syllables and words(vocabulary). Those words are translated into sentences and messages. Comprehension then gets developed to help students be good fluent readers of various texts.
Texas Long Range Tech Plan
The Texas Long-Range Plan, 2006-2020 is a clear description of the Texas technology education needs and goals. This plan allowed me to get a good vision of the students/citizens that Texas wants to produce. I believe it has provided a great profile of where we are today and where we need to be tomorrow, technologically. As a future campus instructional leader, the plan has allowed me to incorporate technology in my educational vision and be more conscioud of technology, as we plan and instruct students. Technology standards must be held as high as any other content/subject standard, if we are to do justice to our graduating students. The committee of the plan has also made recommendations to the state and local agencies that will provide the support needed for districts, campuses and teachers.
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