The ETs Comment on Future Technology Needs
Posted by Janice on April 28, 2008 in Teacher Voices
At the ET meeting on January 24th, 2008, the ETs met with the eight Instructional Technology specialists to talk about their ideas for technology use in our school district especially as we look at levy expenditures now and in the future. Following is a compilation of the eight discussions.
QUESTION #1: OVERARCHING QUESTION:
Given this information (from video and Marjorie Mills intro), how do we prepare students for the 21st Century and make learning and teaching relevant for our students?
- Students should be immersed in technology everywhere, in every subject and in every classroom.
- Students need to be critical consumers and producers of information.
- Students need to manage technology to make appropriate choices for tasks.
- Remember that students are interacting at a global level outside of school and they need that capacity at school. In order to provide this capacity students should be able to use the following tools at school:
- Blogs
- Wikis
- Cell phones
- iPods
- Podcasting
- Laptop computers
- Web 2.0 and Open Source tools
- Video conferencing
- United Streaming
- Web sites for schools that can be easily maintained and used by all.
- Schools are working on the old paradigm of text books, stand and deliver, pencil and paper. We are in the world of instant communication, and instant information powered by multimedia delivery systems.
- We need to recognize the new literacy.
- Technology is not a tool for regurgitating ideas but rather, technology can provide the opportunity for belonging, freedom, worth and motivation. How do we foster these?
- There needs to be adequate storage for student and teacher multimedia so that projects can be accessed easily by all members of a team or by individuals.
- The ability to access technology tools as and when needed is imperative in every classroom.
- Students need to learn to use technology tools not just for productivity but for communication and creativity and to understand how technology in all forms is used in jobs all over the world.
- Students need the ability to work in teams and as individuals to solve real world issues. That means that the technology needs to be portable and readily available in every classroom.
- Labs are difficult to book, and take away from class and research time.
- Students must be prepared to be global citizens by understanding social studies and history and participating in online global projects and discussions, and by sharing work with classrooms both in the US and around the world.
- Our district needs a vision for the use of technology both for now and for the future.
- Technology standards such as the National Educational Technology Standards from the International Society for Technology in Education need to be adopted and followed so that we can move forward on all levels; student, teacher, administration.
- We need to provide the technology for our students who do not have access at home.
- The teacher and students profiles on the computers need to be more flexible to allow for use of legitimate learning and teaching tools.
- It is possible to push students to exceed expectations when using the computer and other technology rather than just paper and pen because it improves motivation, is more engaging to all learners, more fun, and prepares them for the real world.
- Supervised access to school computers after school to get help with projects, research and writing.
- Possible community partnership
- The perspective needs to be on flexible learning.
QUESTION # 2: EQUIPMENT
Given what we have heard about issues around sustaining and struggling with replacement of technology from past levies: What thoughts do you have about replacement – should we continue to try to replace or consider other solutions? Are we equipping classrooms with the right equipment?
Are we getting resources to students in the way that they can use technology the best?
As emerging technologies continue to change: how do we consider direction?
- Wireless Laptop carts for mobility that come with training and support and a commitment on the teachers’ part to use the resouce.
- Differentiate access/roles between teacher computer, presentation staton and student computer.
- Teacher computer used to find/create content for instruction, communicate with peers, parents and students and do administrative work.
- Presenation Station used to present material by teacher and students. Needs to have greater access to resources like iTunes, Podcasts, Google Earth, YouTube and other media that is currently blocked.
- Student machines need to have the same software that is demonstrated on presentation stations.
- Delivery system is more and more online, web based. Our infrastructure needs to handle this and more and more multimedia.
- Consider leasing computers rather than purchasing them because a periodic replacement package is included in the lease.
- Does a yearly replacement of equipment that is too old instead of waiting for every three to five work with levy funding?
- Money for a “technology” teacher and lab in every building so that teachers have a place to go with their students to work on projects.
- Both the students and the teacher could learn in this setting and two educational professionals would be on hand to help students.
- There are drawbacks to this, too, because it places technology away from daily learning and spontaneous use.
- Teachers need models and frequent support to expand the use of existing equipment such as the document camera, computer and projector as a classroom learning and presentation station.
- The ITs could do this for us if they were released from equipment placement.
- There are technology “incidentals” that could be part of a school’s technology levy budget.
- Microphones
- Earphones
- Donated machines need to be found for students who need them for use at home.
- Use of Web 2.0 and Open Source tools by students and teachers.
- Most of these are free and can be easily used.
- No licensing
- Capability for video conferencing.
- iTunes
- Choose technology tools that are meaningful, easy to use, of high educational value and that will save teacher time rather than adding to their full plate.
- Tools need to support multi-language learning
- Hand held computer technology for every student
- Improve access
- Portability
- Accommodate small groups and whole groups
- Instant participation
- Ceiling mount all projectors in every classroom.
- Turn It In for middle and high school to evaluate papers for plagiarism.
- Technology needs should be part of a buildings baseline budget, not an add on.
- SmartBoards for teachers who will use them.
- Make this a principal/BLT decision with required training to get one.
- More analysts for hardware issues.
- Software for today’s multimedia iMovie, MovieMaker, PhotoShop, etc.
- Platform flexibility allows teachers to use multimedia in a well thought out way with camera and microphone and music all tied together.
- Survey needs and desires of teachers electronically to find out what their vision might be for technology use and budget.
QUESTION # 3: PEDAGOGY
Given the classroom tools we have, how can we use them to improve teaching and learning?
- Technology needs to be part of every day practice and integrated into content area in every classroom.
- Web 2.0 tools need to be used for easy online collaboration; student to student, classroom to classroom, school to school, nationally and internationally.
- The fluidity of our of school online learning needs to be available inside schools.
- Online social responsibility needs to be taught to our students because they are not learning it on their own.
- Also, normal face to face social skills need to be taught to students.
- Teach students how to use the tools they are already familiar with for education such as iPods and cell phones.
- Technology standards should be part of the district curriculum standards.
- See the NETS from ISTE http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS
- Keyboarding needs to be taught as a subject in elementary so that students have this skill when they get to middle and high school.
- All academic coaches should work with the IT for the given building to infuse technology into their subjects naturally.
- All teachers should teach
- research skills
- how to evaluate web sites
- fair use policy for content
- Project based learning should be part of student learning.
- Can this be mandated?
- Make sure that existing technology is used in a productive way, not just for games. (ie: projects, research, music and pictures for presentations)
- Technology is a powerful tool. Immerse it into everyday presentations and activities.
- IT or others present a good model of classroom technology use and teachers try to replicate it with help from the IT or ET.
- Writer’s Workshop needs to use computers, too. Computers are today’s writing tools.
- The integration of technology into daily classroom practice should be part of what a principal looks for in good teaching practice. They need to set high expectations for technology integration as the building leaders.
- Open house for all parents to see what technology is available and how it is being used by students and teachers.
- This would be especially helpful to ELL students and their families.
- Have students and teachers use and develop podcasts. This provides an exciting integration of
- writing
- thinking
- editing
- collaboration
- speaking
- presentation
QUESTION # 4: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Given this discussion, what might professional development look like?
- Offer professional development during the school day with subs hired to take classroom while teachers learn.
- On going set times like math, science and other initiatives have had.
- Require a certain amount of technology professional development every year in order for teachers to grow in their ability to use and integrate it into their students’ school lives.
- Make classroom technology integration for learning and teaching a district priority. There is a disconnect right now between buying “scripted” materials for district initiatives and saying that teachers should use technology in a meaningful way.
- Teachers are behind students in use of online tools such as blogs, wikis, social networking, podcasts. We need to learn to use these tools, and other Web 2.0 tools.
- Professional development needs to offer the opportunity and the time to explore the tool, or the site, and to make something of their own so that participants go back to the classroom with something useful.
- Consistency of teacher’s understanding and use of technology is important across the district.
- More professional development by ITs at the individual buildings so that teachers remember how to use things and know they can get help.
- Work with small groups by grade level, department or special interest.
- Do things that are fun and promote team building.
- Schools with common interests could come together in one place.
- Staff meetings could sometimes be used for technology pd and team building around it.
- PD to help teachers work smarter with the use of technology, not harder.
- Technology as a tool to save time and work more efficiently!
- Teach educators how to differentiate instruction using technology.
- If ISTE standards or the OSPI Tiers of Technology Use are adopted by the district, there must be professional development to move teachers and students along the continuum.
- Lesson plans and content on media literacy.
- We need a peer to peer conference where we could showcase what is going on with technology in our classrooms.
- Need an in-house technology coach, because the ET cannot do professional development, tech support and teach full time.
- All district initiatives should have their facilitators model the use of technology in the subject area.
- There should be district standards for technology use that every new teacher should have before being hired.
- Provide professional development on software that comes with new teacher computers and on basic troubleshooting for every teacher.
- We need professional development on project based learning with follow up in-services.
- Professional development for principals to show them the how and why of technology integration and expose them to the Web2.0 tools.
- Professional development for ETs
- On Early Release Days
- Determine what we want to learn ahead of the training so that classes could be formed around our needs.
- ITs need to be released for professional development in buildings with ETs to assist or to assist the ET. We need to partner more.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:25 am
The job of education is to prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet using tools that have not been created to solve problems that have not been faced before.
Technology is nice, but we also need creative thinkers,workers who are able to solve problems (without being told what to do each step of the way)as part of a cooperative group. Workers who are not afraid to take chances and fail.