Sunday, March 27, 2011
March 23rd Web Conference
I learned many things when i participated in the web conference on march 23rd. The first point made that was very useful to me was that many people thought taking the LCE live was a much easier route than taking it online. This bit of information convinced me that I should take up my friends' offer to take the class with him this coming up summer. Also, information about about 2K20 was very informative. This topic seems to be a object of limbo from many people. Understanding on the topic was cleared up. Dr. Cummings was very helpful in clearing up questions about the portfolio and the class loads once we reach toward the end of the program. Still, I am a bit confused about taking the ILD and finding the information of Dr. Ruckers website. Jenifer told us about a book called web 2.0. She said that it would be very helpful in the understanding the basic ins and outs in technology. I will purchase the book so that I can be better informed about what is going on in technology integration.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Technology Implementation Plan
This is my action plan for technology implementation. Tell me what you guys think!!!
I hope this works. If not I'll have to try to figure out how post it as an attachment.
Ivan's week 4 organizational chart for technology implementation and professional development
View more documents from ivantheaggie.
I hope this works. If not I'll have to try to figure out how post it as an attachment.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
National Education Technology Plan for 2010
The national education technology plan for 2010 sounds great on paper. Too often documents such as these sound to good to be true. These plans are laid out by law makers that have no clue what is involved in school finance. Let me rephrase, they set school finance budgets and then set unattainable goals that are so vague that nothing ever gets accomplished. If schools do begin implementation they do so with hopes of prosperity and raised budgets. Without more money most of the plans are nice ideas at most. These are the idealistic stories that you see every so often if all is right in the world. Too many times, we find that patching the correct holes and doing what is best for the kids is the simplest and easiest way to run an organization with so many facets such as the ISD's. I have to agree with most of the goals of the national education technology plan. Still, these goals fail to account for various factors that hit the school system every few years. Not to mention the political game that is played with the education of the lives of so many children. I have hope that one day a common sense plan that isn't so revolutionary and epic can be put in place and then built upon so that true gains can be made. Little things, beget amazing results.
Long Range Plan For Technology
I feel that long range plans for schools must be reasonable and aligned with the goals of state plans. Many times districts reach to far with their plans without remembering the steps it must take in order to make their goals come try. Little problems arise with schools trying to switch to digital teaching. Minor problems such as charging stations cause big problems and major delays in classrooms. Having enough ports for laptops and meeting energy demands set by the district also effect cost in the long run. The long range technology plan sets benchmarks for ISD's in order for ISD's to try to meet the challenges while still being about the kids. It is usually the unforeseen details that usually drive projects into a stand still and panic then ensues. With good collaboration and good planning the long range plan for technology can be reached by all districts.
Infrastructure for Technology:
Today, like many U.S. cities across America, school districts are facing problems with crumbling infrastructure. The only difference is that the cities are dealing with sewer, streets, roads, and water issues, while schools are dealing with a technology issue. But what is a school to do when there is no money or support for improvement? My communities answer, add turf to an already stellar football field. It's sad when the school board and many common citizens can see the winds of change and still nothing is done to improve an already meager situation in our small community. A community that prides itself for producing successful individuals despite the mistakes that continue to be made from the top up. The improvement in bandwidth and switching to fiber optics is something that should have been done years ago when the technology reached school districts in the area. Also, economic times, during the early period of this fiber revolution would have saved us the headaches that we are having to deal with today. Whatever decisions are made in the district all hang by a tethered string that will have to be replaced for it cannot be knotted over and over again. Our needs as a district will hang on the stubbornness of a constituency that does not see the big problems in the near future. Without expansion of bandwidth all technology goals might as well be written in sand.
Today, like many U.S. cities across America, school districts are facing problems with crumbling infrastructure. The only difference is that the cities are dealing with sewer, streets, roads, and water issues, while schools are dealing with a technology issue. But what is a school to do when there is no money or support for improvement? My communities answer, add turf to an already stellar football field. It's sad when the school board and many common citizens can see the winds of change and still nothing is done to improve an already meager situation in our small community. A community that prides itself for producing successful individuals despite the mistakes that continue to be made from the top up. The improvement in bandwidth and switching to fiber optics is something that should have been done years ago when the technology reached school districts in the area. Also, economic times, during the early period of this fiber revolution would have saved us the headaches that we are having to deal with today. Whatever decisions are made in the district all hang by a tethered string that will have to be replaced for it cannot be knotted over and over again. Our needs as a district will hang on the stubbornness of a constituency that does not see the big problems in the near future. Without expansion of bandwidth all technology goals might as well be written in sand.
Friday, July 30, 2010
My Action Research Plan
Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation
Our goals and objectives are very simple. We want to design a task/reward structure that is conducive to producing happy teachers that goes along with the model of love and mutual respect that is already implemented on the campus. Our ultimate objective is to provide teachers little extras that will put smiles on their faces and get them through an already hectic school year.
Activities designed to achieve the objectives
The most important activity in this venture was meeting with my administrators and setting up a plan of action. This was daunting because they are so busy all the time. We decided to meet up one day during the summer and churn out a plan of action. Secondly, I would have to do some research and try to narrow down what it meant to go above and beyond. Lastly, we would decide what the rewards would be for the system of implementation. This step will be a vital step in ensuring that the rewards fit a feasibility scale that we as administrators can agree on.
Resources and research tools needed for data gathering
The resources and research tools that I will be using will be basic. I will use the internet to do some research about teachers going above and beyond in their classrooms and their schools. This should enable me the ability to establish a broad definition of above and beyond to introduce to my administrators so that we can narrow down the list of possible task/reward options.
Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities
Our timeline will be simple. We will use the first half of the year to do our test trails and set up testing groups. It will be our responsibility to examine our results and to introduce our findings to our teachers. During the end of the year we would consolidate the groups and finalize the finishing product so that it is ready to implement on a full time basis the following year.
Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan
I, along with my administrators, will be in charge of implementing the action research plan. It will be my responsibility to get everything together and present it to them and gather feedback. From their feedback we will fine-tune my findings and make sure that all parties are in the loop about the project.
Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives
The administrators on campus will do the monitoring. There will be a set list of criteria to make sure that protocol is being followed. It will be up to the administrators to evaluate the process and tweak it on the go so that the research can go as smoothly as possible.
Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study
Our assessments will be two fold. First, the administrators and I will get together and assess the issues relating to the reward side of the equation. We decided to try to minimize cost by offering more incentive based rewards. Still, if we do decide to buy certain items we will have to evaluate how much budget monies will be available for the future implementation of the program. Also, because we will have two groups receiving different rewards we will sent out a survey that is either paper based or through a survey site such as survey monkey to help us determine what the teachers found to be the best and worst parts of the incentives program.
Our goals and objectives are very simple. We want to design a task/reward structure that is conducive to producing happy teachers that goes along with the model of love and mutual respect that is already implemented on the campus. Our ultimate objective is to provide teachers little extras that will put smiles on their faces and get them through an already hectic school year.
Activities designed to achieve the objectives
The most important activity in this venture was meeting with my administrators and setting up a plan of action. This was daunting because they are so busy all the time. We decided to meet up one day during the summer and churn out a plan of action. Secondly, I would have to do some research and try to narrow down what it meant to go above and beyond. Lastly, we would decide what the rewards would be for the system of implementation. This step will be a vital step in ensuring that the rewards fit a feasibility scale that we as administrators can agree on.
Resources and research tools needed for data gathering
The resources and research tools that I will be using will be basic. I will use the internet to do some research about teachers going above and beyond in their classrooms and their schools. This should enable me the ability to establish a broad definition of above and beyond to introduce to my administrators so that we can narrow down the list of possible task/reward options.
Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities
Our timeline will be simple. We will use the first half of the year to do our test trails and set up testing groups. It will be our responsibility to examine our results and to introduce our findings to our teachers. During the end of the year we would consolidate the groups and finalize the finishing product so that it is ready to implement on a full time basis the following year.
Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan
I, along with my administrators, will be in charge of implementing the action research plan. It will be my responsibility to get everything together and present it to them and gather feedback. From their feedback we will fine-tune my findings and make sure that all parties are in the loop about the project.
Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives
The administrators on campus will do the monitoring. There will be a set list of criteria to make sure that protocol is being followed. It will be up to the administrators to evaluate the process and tweak it on the go so that the research can go as smoothly as possible.
Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study
Our assessments will be two fold. First, the administrators and I will get together and assess the issues relating to the reward side of the equation. We decided to try to minimize cost by offering more incentive based rewards. Still, if we do decide to buy certain items we will have to evaluate how much budget monies will be available for the future implementation of the program. Also, because we will have two groups receiving different rewards we will sent out a survey that is either paper based or through a survey site such as survey monkey to help us determine what the teachers found to be the best and worst parts of the incentives program.
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