Merry Christmas everyone!
I hope you had a blessed day full of good food, good friends and good fun. Ours was. Here is a copy of what our kids put together (with the help of a very creative elf/babysitter - Thanks Hannah!) for our Christmas present. I hope you enjoy this Very Sexton Christmas as much as we did!
Brian
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Inspirational Post - ISTE Conference Kickoff: Explorers and Excellence
I found this on a colleagues blog site and was so inspired by it, I added it to mine. Thanks to Holly B!
Friday, July 16, 2010
What is Action Research?
Action research, or administrative inquiry, is a lot like teacher inquiry, only focused on a leadership type situation. For teachers, it allows them to analyze their classroom practices. For administrators, it allows them to understand why they do the things they do, and hopefully by reflecting, analyzing and reading relative material, empower administrators to make better choices regarding their actions and planning. The text, Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher by Nancy Fichtman Dana, defines administrator inquiry as “the process of a principal engaging in systematic, intentional study of his/her own administrative practice and taking action for change based on what he/she learns as a result of inquiry.” (Dana, 2009, pg.2) It is a crucial professional development component in the principal’s continual development as an educational leader.
It is different from traditional forms of research, which are strictly top down delivery of information. Much like the old instructional model of teacher lecture – student listen. Action research is more responsive to the individual needs of the campus and is of a collaborative nature.
Since action research is a collaborative effort, it allows leaders to collect the information pertinent to their situation, and develop expertise in this area. Then they can move toward becoming an expert that the campus staff will recognize and look to for continued inspired leadership.
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
It is different from traditional forms of research, which are strictly top down delivery of information. Much like the old instructional model of teacher lecture – student listen. Action research is more responsive to the individual needs of the campus and is of a collaborative nature.
Since action research is a collaborative effort, it allows leaders to collect the information pertinent to their situation, and develop expertise in this area. Then they can move toward becoming an expert that the campus staff will recognize and look to for continued inspired leadership.
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
Educational Leaders And Blogs
Educational leaders can use blogs for a number of different things. Using a blog is a simple way for simple information to be passed along to a large number of people easily, that can easily be updated and referred to. It is however, limited to the number of people who “follow” your blog. It cannot be used as an exclusive source of information, but it is a great tool to have in the toolbox. Your administrative team can also interact using a blog, utilizing their mobile phones for relatively instant feedback on action items. Site security could be issue, so they would have to be careful what is being discussed.
Another great use of a blog is to host a virtual club. A Book Club comes to mind, where each week the facilitator assigns a section of the book to read, and members of the club post reflections, observations and questions that arise regarding the selection for the week. Teachers could even use it as a reading guide for assignments, to complement their classroom delivery of the material.
Teachers can also use blogs to post homework assignments and provide feedback to student questions that come up away from school during weekends or holidays.
Another great use of a blog is to host a virtual club. A Book Club comes to mind, where each week the facilitator assigns a section of the book to read, and members of the club post reflections, observations and questions that arise regarding the selection for the week. Teachers could even use it as a reading guide for assignments, to complement their classroom delivery of the material.
Teachers can also use blogs to post homework assignments and provide feedback to student questions that come up away from school during weekends or holidays.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Week 5 Reflections
What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
After taking the initial survey for this course, it was clear that the main area to be covered in this course was technology. Since I was already very comfortable with technology, and already knew much of what was included on the survey, I thought this was going to be an easy class. The technology related skills needed to successfully finish this class, I already possessed. I expected to have a more hands on approach to programs used in various area of curriculum assessment, instruction and analysis of collected data. Though there was some of that, especially involving the assignments involving the STaR Chart and AEIS Data, there were very few new and innovative items presented.
To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
Yes I think the collection and analysis of the data we worked on is very relevant to the work on our campus. It allows us to make informed decisions about the direction of our campus and more importantly, the direction of our instructional program, so we can maximize efficiency and performance of our students. I found that my campus lacks I the area of training and staff development for teachers. With focused thoughtful planning, I think those areas can be strengthened in a very short amount of time. The main hurdle would be getting the entire campus to buy in and understand how much these various technology tools can help increase the effectiveness of instruction and student achievement.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I achieved all of the required course requirements, but there are a few personal goals and activities I did not complete. I did want to participate in the roundtable discussions that were hosted via webcast throughout the course. Unfortunately, my school activities and concerts made it nearly impossible to attend. From blogging and chatting with other students, the overwhelming response on the webcast videoconference was lackluster at best. After hearing these reviews, I didn’t expend much energy in finding a meeting that would fit my schedule. Instead, I am working with my campus technology contact to try and setup one to participate in where the technology needed has already been tested and is working adequately.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
Yes I was successful, after a lot of unnecessarily repetitive responses. This was very frustrating and discouraging to me. Another aspect that made the assignments difficult was the lack of clarity and consistency in the assignment directions. We were told to “follow the rubric to earn maximum points”, yet the rubric didn’t match the assignment directions, which in some cases didn’t match the directions given in emails and overviews mailed out each week. During Week 4, one of the parts of the assignment was simply a statement. No direction or explanation as to the expected outcome. Then we were asked to respond to two other students’ work, after posting our assignment on our blog and discussion board. This was quite troubling, because I began to doubt my work and question whether I would be successful after seeing what others had created.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
This course did make me think about other ways to use technology in educational endeavors. I have seen blogs, and even have friends who use them. They seem to me like a less interactive Facebook page, where the individual gets to express his or her feelings and views. I do now see how they could be a useful tool in sharing ideas with other colleagues. I do worry about use them in the public school setting with students, but as a professional development tool, I think it is a great possibility. The other thing this course has allowed me to exercise is my ability to endure disorganization and discord. Many other students are unhappy about the way this course was handled, and I would have to agree with most, if not all, of them. After some students tried to get the professors to reconsider some of the expectations and failed, I approached it from the point of getting through this course following what was in place, and hopefully giving enough feedback at the end to affect some change in this course.
What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
I think they are a great way of sharing information, and even being able to track the evolution of a project or an idea if the blogger contributes information in a detailed and consistent manner. You would also have the ability to backtrack through the various stages of the project and see where good and bad decisions were made, so as to not repeat some mistakes and hopefully get a positive result. I don’t think that blogging will be widespread in the public school system because of a lack of control and filtering that would be required to make it a safe area for all to participate. It perhaps could be used under smaller controlled situations though.
What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
I think the primary concern, as well as the biggest obstacle to widespread use of blogging is the content of the blogs. There would need to be clear guidelines set up to follow, as well as a way to enforce and ensure that those guidelines are being used. This content, if it is questionable, could be damaging to the school’s reputation and the legal issues raised by such an event.
How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
It would be a great way to communicate with stakeholders. Perhaps a closed blog would be best, allowing the teacher or principal to post information, but closing editing access to only the account holder and those who he or she grants access to. Facebook and Twitter are two examples of communication tools that can be sent with ease. Certain emergency situations can also be shared via this avenue. Imagine a principal gets to school and there is no water, and the district decides to close school for the day. The principal has 80% of his parents following him on Twitter, and in a split second, the principal can tell 80% of his campus not to come to school. As a band director, I could use it to let parents know when the band has departed its location to head home from a game, or also to let them know when there may have been a delay in getting back.
After taking the initial survey for this course, it was clear that the main area to be covered in this course was technology. Since I was already very comfortable with technology, and already knew much of what was included on the survey, I thought this was going to be an easy class. The technology related skills needed to successfully finish this class, I already possessed. I expected to have a more hands on approach to programs used in various area of curriculum assessment, instruction and analysis of collected data. Though there was some of that, especially involving the assignments involving the STaR Chart and AEIS Data, there were very few new and innovative items presented.
To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
Yes I think the collection and analysis of the data we worked on is very relevant to the work on our campus. It allows us to make informed decisions about the direction of our campus and more importantly, the direction of our instructional program, so we can maximize efficiency and performance of our students. I found that my campus lacks I the area of training and staff development for teachers. With focused thoughtful planning, I think those areas can be strengthened in a very short amount of time. The main hurdle would be getting the entire campus to buy in and understand how much these various technology tools can help increase the effectiveness of instruction and student achievement.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I achieved all of the required course requirements, but there are a few personal goals and activities I did not complete. I did want to participate in the roundtable discussions that were hosted via webcast throughout the course. Unfortunately, my school activities and concerts made it nearly impossible to attend. From blogging and chatting with other students, the overwhelming response on the webcast videoconference was lackluster at best. After hearing these reviews, I didn’t expend much energy in finding a meeting that would fit my schedule. Instead, I am working with my campus technology contact to try and setup one to participate in where the technology needed has already been tested and is working adequately.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
Yes I was successful, after a lot of unnecessarily repetitive responses. This was very frustrating and discouraging to me. Another aspect that made the assignments difficult was the lack of clarity and consistency in the assignment directions. We were told to “follow the rubric to earn maximum points”, yet the rubric didn’t match the assignment directions, which in some cases didn’t match the directions given in emails and overviews mailed out each week. During Week 4, one of the parts of the assignment was simply a statement. No direction or explanation as to the expected outcome. Then we were asked to respond to two other students’ work, after posting our assignment on our blog and discussion board. This was quite troubling, because I began to doubt my work and question whether I would be successful after seeing what others had created.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
This course did make me think about other ways to use technology in educational endeavors. I have seen blogs, and even have friends who use them. They seem to me like a less interactive Facebook page, where the individual gets to express his or her feelings and views. I do now see how they could be a useful tool in sharing ideas with other colleagues. I do worry about use them in the public school setting with students, but as a professional development tool, I think it is a great possibility. The other thing this course has allowed me to exercise is my ability to endure disorganization and discord. Many other students are unhappy about the way this course was handled, and I would have to agree with most, if not all, of them. After some students tried to get the professors to reconsider some of the expectations and failed, I approached it from the point of getting through this course following what was in place, and hopefully giving enough feedback at the end to affect some change in this course.
What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
I think they are a great way of sharing information, and even being able to track the evolution of a project or an idea if the blogger contributes information in a detailed and consistent manner. You would also have the ability to backtrack through the various stages of the project and see where good and bad decisions were made, so as to not repeat some mistakes and hopefully get a positive result. I don’t think that blogging will be widespread in the public school system because of a lack of control and filtering that would be required to make it a safe area for all to participate. It perhaps could be used under smaller controlled situations though.
What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
I think the primary concern, as well as the biggest obstacle to widespread use of blogging is the content of the blogs. There would need to be clear guidelines set up to follow, as well as a way to enforce and ensure that those guidelines are being used. This content, if it is questionable, could be damaging to the school’s reputation and the legal issues raised by such an event.
How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
It would be a great way to communicate with stakeholders. Perhaps a closed blog would be best, allowing the teacher or principal to post information, but closing editing access to only the account holder and those who he or she grants access to. Facebook and Twitter are two examples of communication tools that can be sent with ease. Certain emergency situations can also be shared via this avenue. Imagine a principal gets to school and there is no water, and the district decides to close school for the day. The principal has 80% of his parents following him on Twitter, and in a split second, the principal can tell 80% of his campus not to come to school. As a band director, I could use it to let parents know when the band has departed its location to head home from a game, or also to let them know when there may have been a delay in getting back.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
PART 1
TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION CHART
School Board
- Elected by community
- Work with Superintendent on the direction of the district
Superintendent
- Manages district, following District Policy
- Works with School Board on daily issues
Director of Technology
- Oversee development of Tech Plan
- Develop AUP
- Build technology budget
- Advocate for technology
- Assess needs of tech in the district
Co-ord.-Instruction Tech
- Support campuses in classroom integration
Co-ord.-Adminis. Tech
- Oversee Admin technologies:
TANGO, Gradespeed, Eduphoria, Liquid Office
Co-ord.-Tech Training
- Plan tech in-services
- Ensure all staff have access to training
Internet/Network Specialist
- Oversee/maintain a reliable and safe internet connection for all campuses
Principal
- Support Dist. E-Plan
- Secure budget support
- Ensure teacher technology integration
Campus Tech Co-ord.
- Work w/ Principal on campus plan
- Support teachers in integration, professional development, and administrative issues
- Provide support and instruction for parents on internet safety and usage
Teacher
- Follow AUP
- Integrate tech responsibly
- Lead by example regarding internet usage and safety
Student
- Manages district, following District Policy
- Works with School Board on daily issues
Parent
- Support and encourage responsible technology usage
- Instruct children on safety
- Implement policies at home
PART 2
TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN
ECISD Technology Mission Statement“We are committed to enhancing the instructional delivery process with technology in all of our classrooms. The 3 Year Technology Integration Plan focuses on providing three key pieces of technology equipment to the teacher in the ECISD classroom; the laptop, the media projector, and the Interwrite Pad. We are currently aiming for at least a 5 year refreshing cycle for our laptops in the classrooms. All teachers receive training on the proper maintenance of their equipment in order to lengthen the life cycle of the equipment.” (http://www.ecisd.us, accessed Dec. 9, 2009)
Plan Goals
1. Increase the level of technology integration into the individual classroom.2. Increase the level of proficiency and awareness of the staff, in regards to instructional software and technology usage.3. Have a measureable increase in technology usage for collegial interaction and collaboration.
Technology Currently Available:
Multimedia computers
Document Cameras
Classroom Projectors
Digital Cameras
Video Recorder
DVD Burner
Interwrite Pads
· Smartboards (Limited Availability)
Current Integration of Technology:
Accelerated Reader
Voyager
V-Math
Computer Lab
Internet Access
Word / Excel / PowerPoint applications
Professional Development
Spring 2010
Technology Department creates and conducts a technology survey. The results would determine level (beginner, intermediate or advanced) of staff. District would continue to provide training on basic computer functions and programs. (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Gradespeed and Attendance software)
Before the end of this school year, additional trainings would be provided for beginner and intermediate users to “close the gap” on the advanced users.
Technology Department works with staff identified as “advanced” to develop trainings for beginning of 2010-11 school year. Send these teachers off to specialized trainings to allow them to become trainers when they return.
Summer 2010
Advanced trainings continue for future trainers. Certain high need areas would recive a stipend for their summer training and subsequent teaching of the professional development session.
Fall 2010
Since all teachers have laptops, they would use them during the first technology in-service to review the information used in prior trainings (Spring 2010)
Second technology in-service phase would involve the new trainers. They would lead their selected professional training session, allowing teacher the opportunity to try and use the programs they are explaining on their laptops. This will allow for immediate feedback and peer teaching as they develop and use the new programs.
Principal will implement a mandatory requirement that students turn in at least one assignment per grading period electronically. This could be done through an online teacher-managed blog, or via email. Documentation of this would be required of all teachers.
EvaluationThere are several ways to evaluate if the goals of this initiative are being met, both at the campus level as well as at the district level.
Using the survey given at the beginning, and retaking it a year later, the comparison of level advancement of staff.
Evaluate the STaR Chart results and determine if the campus/district has advanced in its ratings. Our campus ratings needed the most improvement in teacher training.
Technology Department can check the “meter” for bandwidth usage by teachers and students.
Administration must include technology and how the students are engaged during their weekly campus walk-throughs.
Campus Technology coordinator needs to walk through classrooms to see how technology is being used by the students.
TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION CHART
School Board
- Elected by community
- Work with Superintendent on the direction of the district
Superintendent
- Manages district, following District Policy
- Works with School Board on daily issues
Director of Technology
- Oversee development of Tech Plan
- Develop AUP
- Build technology budget
- Advocate for technology
- Assess needs of tech in the district
Co-ord.-Instruction Tech
- Support campuses in classroom integration
Co-ord.-Adminis. Tech
- Oversee Admin technologies:
TANGO, Gradespeed, Eduphoria, Liquid Office
Co-ord.-Tech Training
- Plan tech in-services
- Ensure all staff have access to training
Internet/Network Specialist
- Oversee/maintain a reliable and safe internet connection for all campuses
Principal
- Support Dist. E-Plan
- Secure budget support
- Ensure teacher technology integration
Campus Tech Co-ord.
- Work w/ Principal on campus plan
- Support teachers in integration, professional development, and administrative issues
- Provide support and instruction for parents on internet safety and usage
Teacher
- Follow AUP
- Integrate tech responsibly
- Lead by example regarding internet usage and safety
Student
- Manages district, following District Policy
- Works with School Board on daily issues
Parent
- Support and encourage responsible technology usage
- Instruct children on safety
- Implement policies at home
PART 2
TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN
ECISD Technology Mission Statement“We are committed to enhancing the instructional delivery process with technology in all of our classrooms. The 3 Year Technology Integration Plan focuses on providing three key pieces of technology equipment to the teacher in the ECISD classroom; the laptop, the media projector, and the Interwrite Pad. We are currently aiming for at least a 5 year refreshing cycle for our laptops in the classrooms. All teachers receive training on the proper maintenance of their equipment in order to lengthen the life cycle of the equipment.” (http://www.ecisd.us, accessed Dec. 9, 2009)
Plan Goals
1. Increase the level of technology integration into the individual classroom.2. Increase the level of proficiency and awareness of the staff, in regards to instructional software and technology usage.3. Have a measureable increase in technology usage for collegial interaction and collaboration.
Technology Currently Available:
Multimedia computers
Document Cameras
Classroom Projectors
Digital Cameras
Video Recorder
DVD Burner
Interwrite Pads
· Smartboards (Limited Availability)
Current Integration of Technology:
Accelerated Reader
Voyager
V-Math
Computer Lab
Internet Access
Word / Excel / PowerPoint applications
Professional Development
Spring 2010
Technology Department creates and conducts a technology survey. The results would determine level (beginner, intermediate or advanced) of staff. District would continue to provide training on basic computer functions and programs. (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Gradespeed and Attendance software)
Before the end of this school year, additional trainings would be provided for beginner and intermediate users to “close the gap” on the advanced users.
Technology Department works with staff identified as “advanced” to develop trainings for beginning of 2010-11 school year. Send these teachers off to specialized trainings to allow them to become trainers when they return.
Summer 2010
Advanced trainings continue for future trainers. Certain high need areas would recive a stipend for their summer training and subsequent teaching of the professional development session.
Fall 2010
Since all teachers have laptops, they would use them during the first technology in-service to review the information used in prior trainings (Spring 2010)
Second technology in-service phase would involve the new trainers. They would lead their selected professional training session, allowing teacher the opportunity to try and use the programs they are explaining on their laptops. This will allow for immediate feedback and peer teaching as they develop and use the new programs.
Principal will implement a mandatory requirement that students turn in at least one assignment per grading period electronically. This could be done through an online teacher-managed blog, or via email. Documentation of this would be required of all teachers.
EvaluationThere are several ways to evaluate if the goals of this initiative are being met, both at the campus level as well as at the district level.
Using the survey given at the beginning, and retaking it a year later, the comparison of level advancement of staff.
Evaluate the STaR Chart results and determine if the campus/district has advanced in its ratings. Our campus ratings needed the most improvement in teacher training.
Technology Department can check the “meter” for bandwidth usage by teachers and students.
Administration must include technology and how the students are engaged during their weekly campus walk-throughs.
Campus Technology coordinator needs to walk through classrooms to see how technology is being used by the students.
Monday, November 30, 2009
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