Caroline Technology Mentor

The major highlights of your technology mentoring work this month include drafting RFP9, assisting teachers with sending email; coaching a teacher 1:1 with iPhoto in preparation for a multicultural slideshow, helping teachers with text-to-speech, revising the Technology piece of the School Development Plan (SDP) and assisting Kluane with creating the Library Curriculum document. The SDP will be shared during a staff meeting in May.

I am learning the photographs can bring about and reinforce meaningful learning for students. Upon returning from the Museum of the Earth, I quickly imported photographs and added dinosaur sounds to create a slideshow. We discussed the pictures and the learning moments that we documented. The children’s writing about the field trip was rich with details and reflection on the learning day (e.g. what helped me learn). The morning after the K/1 Spring Choral Concert, I replicated this process. The children went on to produce “Small Moments” narratives that demonstrated focus and careful word choices. I couldn’t be happier.

I wish I could measure the increased motivation observed during lessons using the SmartBoard. Almost every hand is raised. Kids who typically are reluctant to participate eagerly show what they know and take risks.

I am using Raz-Kids for shared reading material enlarged on the SmartBoard. Engagement is high, the reading is paced, and the leveled text supports work in the ares of phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. Furthermore, we are able to teach and rehearse non-fiction reading strategies like summarizing, reading diagrams and labels, and asking questions. What a simple, powerful use of technology to support teaching and learning.

Migration went smoothly at Caroline. Four new iMacs running Leopard were distributed in February – one to myself and the other three to the third grade team. Though there is a range of technology competencies on the third grade team, all three teachers report good results with the new computer and OS. The new interface did not throw anyone off. The third grade team was exceptionally cooperative in terms of preparing for the big day, in terms of backing-up data and completing paperwork. That makes a huge difference.

I am encouraging teachers to learn to perform tasks such as adding printers. I am a “first responder” but am not readily available during the instructional day. By creating PDFs and distributing these to staff, some are becoming independent self-directed learners. I do continue to provide 1:1 “coaching”.

I am planning workshops and doing research about best practices in technology integration and professional development. Research supports the tech mentoring model because it provides in-building rather than district level support. I also read that teachers need to play with new technology. That makes sense to me – I learn to use new applications by playing with them – asking what happens if I…? and trying it out.

Adding to the Caroline Blackboard so that it doesn’t become static is a challenge. I would love for teachers to participate in maintaining the Blackboard and creating a shared space. I also would like to create a del.icio.us for Caroline.

Adam and I submitted the brochure to the Village at Ithaca and are awaiting news regarding the initial printing. Thank you, Adam, for collaborating with Cal Walker to bring the brochure to publication.

Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer

This writer has accomplished much in January, and yet there is so much more I wanted to do. My friend Andy says, “We have all the time there is.” I am left to conclude that the best I can do is make decisions that will have the largest impact on the greatest number of people and above all, scaffold “instruction” so that “teacher learners” gain independence.

Adam Bauchner and I planned and implemented a “digital equity” workshop for Superintendent’s Conference Day. The feedback from participants was really encouraging. Adam and I are meeting after school on Monday to finalize version 2 of the “toolkit” and the Village at Ithaca may fund the printing. I think we could have done more to establish digital equity as a social justice goal and to inspire teachers to move forward with a sense of urgency. I am pleased that we created a document for families that I think will be useful.

Teaching and learning are changing. Children no longer consume content – they create it. The definition of digital equity includes access to the support needed to effectively use technology to create and communicate. The role of the teacher is to ensure that all children are able to do this – not just the children from privileged backgrounds or those who learn very easily.

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Installing software and printers, contributing to the Caroline Blackboard, and supporting teachers in the use of online programs are ongoing work.

I am planning to write my proposals today for upcoming workshops at Caroline. I’d like to provide support for iphoto, imovie, email, smartboard, web sites, k integration project, fluency with garageband, audiobooks w/garageband, and a slightly revised digital equity workshop.

Much to report from Slaterville Springs…

Math Night was canceled due to snowy weather. Hopefully, the program will be rescheduled. Access to the lab and providing parents with information about EM games (on and off-line) is really about equitable points of entry for kids.

In early December I attended a full day workshop with Andy and Roger regarding multimedia projects. I learned a great deal that I will apply to my work with teachers and children and learned about some great resources for technology integration. I am utilizing Flickr Storm to locate Creative Commons licensed photos for the Digital Equity project described below. Thanks to Andy and Roger for a great learning day.

I am really enthusiastic about workshop planning with Adam Bauchner. I think we will create something really helpful, a “Digital Equity” brochure that will help families advocate for themselves and acquire hardware and internet access too. I love the way the initial project is evolving and the process of working with Adam. He has facilitated more staff development courses than I, and I am learning a great deal. We identified what really worked for us as participants, and that discussion informed the agenda/activities for Superintendent’s Conference day. We also talked about the limitations of the work we are doing on Superintendent’s Conference Day and what future work may look like on the building and district levels. Before we publish the document, I think we will want feedback from Andy, Barry, Kim and Mike Pliss.

I am corresponding with Mia Fuller, Director of Strategic Initiatives for ISTE, regarding the digital equity workshop. She is also the contact person for the ISTE’s “Digital Equity Summit” for the NECC. Here is the draft of ISTE’s 2006 Digital Equity Toolkit.

Digital Equity Toolkit

More about my ongoing discussion with Mia Fuller later…

On the building level, I am providing mostly 1:1 support for teachers with email apps and webmail, EM games online, and RAZ-Kids.

I am planning to provide support on the building level in the new year with SMART Board and iPhoto workshops, technology integration projects with grade levels, continuing work on the Caroline Blackboard and encouraging teacher participation, and joining Adam and Danielle in teaching the “Digital Storytelling Workshop” for fifth grade teachers. Looking forward to it all.

I learned a great deal about the technology resources at Caroline during the first meeting of the technology committee. We discussed the potential use of the three SMART Boards the technology committee acquired. There was representation from most grade levels. We revisited the SDP and identified what’s working at Caroline in terms of technology and how to make progress towards goals in the 2007-2008 year.

Andy, Alaine and I began collaborating on a Blackboard site as an alternative to using Caroline’s network documents folder to share files. In preparation for a staff meeting in early December, I am beginning to upload resources from Cornell and NASA. Thank you, Lillian, for sharing and Andy, for helping me to upload “packages” (folders, all zipped up).

I presented during two faculty meetings this month regarding RAZ Kids and Reading A-Z; some very positive feedback about these programs.

I also encouraged teachers who had not already done so to send the parent letter re: EM games home in preparation for math night at Caroline. I helped one teacher to build her class and some teachers preferred print copies of the parent letter (I sent staff a PDF). Math Night is intended to familiarize parents with the Everyday Math program and the online games component. Danielle and I will be available in the computer lab to assist families.

I am planning for Superintendent’s Conference Day with Adam Bauchner and also plan to offer two technology integration workshops in early 2008. Adam and I are working on a digital equity project.

Also in November, Caroline gathered for the Equity Assembly in which children shared what they learned about bias and how to actively work towards a bias-free school. My class shared a short movie, “We Take Care of Each Other”. The children and I used iMovie (whole group, computer to projector) to select clips for the final cut and to create a soundtrack. I also photographed the pages of a bias-free school alphabet book authored by Mrs. Wilder’s fifth graders and projected the pages during the assembly. The assembly was a huge hit and demonstrated many understandings about fairness and inclusiveness.

More to come…