Moving ahead with PD

As we move ahead to Jan. we tend to reflect on what the new year might look like and when I think of what I would like to do regarding technology integration at LF is become more available for teaching and learning support.  With an infrastructure coming together and some smart tech guys – Joe and Scott – I feel we are in good hands - but short ones – and I envision support coming from teachers savvy and willing enough to pitch in on that end. 

There is so much to do and so little time to do it that tackling PD has to be simplified and exact.  So a solid grip on LF school teaching, learning and curricula goals and scope and sequence for learning technology and alignment with MLR and NETS (District Technology Plan) is imperative and the best place to start.  From there, we look for the best applications support those goals.  I think the suite of tools offered by Google and those provided by the Macbooks is a great starting point-sprinkled with some simple web-based applications to fill in where Google Apps and Mac fall short.  (Disclaimer:  I know this is an imprecise but I have given this a lot of thought and I need a starting point.  I am open to any suggestions…..see my Ning).  I view PD and integration as a process heavily supported by curriculum and that means we ask the question: What is the learning ? )

PD starts with developing a skill set, comfort with the tool (use, experiment, fail and succeed and this means practice and working 'from-where- you're- at' without fear…and get support). Finally, it means using your curriculum and astutely deciding how tech will or will not assist gainful knowledge and learning.  So where are we with this?…I am not sure but starting at the beginning will be a good place to start (See Steps to PD). 

(Note:  Since technology moves at a fast pace and preparing our students for 21^st century skills, I tend to start from that place reflective of the 2st century learner and worker: An ICT curriculum that is– information and communication/collaboration technologiy)

Steps to PD

Ascertain school teaching, learning and curricula goals and scope and sequence for learning technology and alignment with MLR and NETS (School Tech Plan)

Visit classes and monitor use

Host meetings on use decisions (esp in Jan)

Surveys

Contact Maine SWIMS (Maine integrators and trainers) for advice and planning

Communication: SN and blogging

How to get PD:

 MLTI Webinars

Online tutorials

After school training slots 2x/wk: staff sharing, etc…

Just-in-time training

Web conferences –in-house and out

SWIMS

Terminal Servers, Tech,Law,and Policy

Tech review 11/06/09

Two Fridays ago met with owner of SPC - the guy who orchestrated the photocopier centralization project for LF district. It was his assumption that all staff were trained to use the copier mail boxes. I explained that it seemed to me that staff were not...and so there may be some training on this. As you know it is expensive to print paper and attempts to minimize printing is cost-effective. Here are some paperless practices:

http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=1411

Spent an informative week assisting with LES NWEAS. As someone new to the district it was quite an experience monitoring the testing scores as kids finished and learning how the scores will be integrated into the classroom. How will technology help? Will technology be more supportive using database software for data decision-making?

Terminal Servers continue a beta test drive - soon LMS will have access to it....Keep in mind that implementation decisions and 'unforeseens' are in flux...please provide feedback, questions...Students will have access to TS to manage their school work-and this is key since they will not have separate accounts on the shared Macbooks - this means students will not save work to the Macbook they use, but to the TS.

Vicki and I attended an informative Technology and Law Conference this past week. Some key points from the conference (and reminders):

1.Try not to use student names in emails

2.School emails are public record

3.Using school computers, there is 'no expectation of privacy'.

4.Lawyer recommends -Avoid online chatting with students and don't 'friend' students on your Facebook page. Protect yourself and be the consummate role model and be professional offline and online.

5.Access to use or unblock social networks should be permitted via committee - even through the school board.

6.The law has not kept up with technology so it is school policies that are key to the success of protection and enforcement. The law refers/defers to first and fourth right ammendments on anything social, private, and public when it comes to 'online' activity

7.Cyberbullying - refer to a school's bullying policy since 96% of bullying takes place at school and offline, according to CDC stats - and the presenter

***We have many policies regarding technology use to review, discuss, edit, implement.....

Tech Roundtable Notes and other good info

Tech Roundtable Notes 10/27/09 and other good info...

Availability - It was discussed that staff would like to have assistance with the technology and software used by us (laptops, mimioboards, tanberg conferencing unit -and not just the skills - but the support for technology's role assisting the curriculum).  A plan is being devised for me to move from technician to a greater role as  integrator, although the former role will not disappear nor will the administrator role. 

We have the technology and now we need to learn how to use it

Support structures:  Devise, share, and decide on hardware and software structures (specialists, trainers, etc...)

Choose specific software and learn it well so staff can share uses, tips, limitations, ....

Evaluation procedure - survey.  What software apps do we have that will assist our teaching and learning - and are they the ones best suited for us? 

Spot check - Friday revealed a student using Skype.  Skype does not require a download and so students can 'install' Skype easily.  Skype has great academic and communication potential and used with the video option 1:1 conferencing is a snap.  Communicating visually is awesome but so is the danger.  What is our position for students using Skype? Would we want to consider disabling Macs onboard camera enabling it as needed? Answer by visiting our Ning Forums .    

Bandwidth - the round table meeting revealed that streaming vids for classes can be slow.  Keep in mind data flow is not infinite and media intensive websites and applications can disrupt flow. Streaming music from music sites like pandora (awesome site by the way), espn radio, and animations are bandwidth hogs and streamed during school can affect a teacher's use of a video or sound byte during class.  So check your media habits.  Solutions to this might be to schedule when you stream a movie, audio, etc to let others know....or do not stream sound or vids, except for class...or use LCD TV's..... or just keep on keeping on.     Reminder:  YouTube Vids can be downloaded and burned from home and right from the MacBooks.  For assistance, visit http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090525201636AAMlh9a,   http://www.freakitude.com/2007/09/09/top-10-online-video-converters/ ,  http://vixy.net/ , http://www.mediaconverter.org/.  So...How to deal with bandwidth?  Answer by visiting our Ning  Forums page

Safe search engines:  A helpful way to assist spot checking is to implement a policy in your class using safe search engines like GoGooligans (see this list  and this one  also) which is a kids/teens search engine from Google.  So...if you see a student not using a safe search engine, redirect them.  Also, creating a 'Hot Links' list assists your monitoring.