Today I received my monthly alumni newsletter from The University of Southern Mississippi. Because I am in PA, I enjoy reading about all of the things going on at Southern Miss (I really do hope to return one of these days). The University has a new president, a female and an alumna. The president’s message was available in the email I received, along with an invitation to read the president’s blog, ( and so I did. Each entry was a short update about what the president is doing, or what is happening at Southern Miss. You can check it out at http://www.usm.edu/blogs/president
I really began to think about how this blog was a great way to let the community know what is happening, and wouldn’t it be great if I could get our Superintendent to begin a blog about the York Suburban School District. So many “big” things are happening in the district--CELT group’s technology consultation, elementary housing project, budgeting, etc. This would provide Dr. Kate with a way to reach out to the community. If I can get her to start a blog, then maybe each of the Asst. Superintendents could start one, and then each building principal, and then the teachers, and then the students.
However, the key is getting it to work from the top down. If this is the kind of “technology integration” we want our teachers and students to be using, then it has to be important enough for our leaders to be doing it on a regular basis.
I’m going to meet with the Superintendent and bounce the idea off of her. Wish me luck…who knows, my next post could be the URL for Dr. Kate’s blog.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Join In
So much has happened in the past week, and I haven’t had time to put it all in writing, and I realize events will be out of order, but it is important that I get it down in writing.
On Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the 4th grade teachers at Indian Rock asked me to come and review the Solar System Unit with their students. I decided to take my JoinIn TurningPoint student response system and create a review game for the 4th graders.
The pressure was on, because it also happened to be Parent Visitation Day for American Education Week. In the first class I handed each student a “clicker” and immediately their eyes lit up. Right then and there they could tell that this was not going to be the usual paper/pencil review sheet.
I projected my questions onto the screen and the students quickly buzzed in their answers. After each question, we analyzed the percentages each answer got, and then revealed the correct answer. The students clapped and when 90% of them had voted for an answer, and then the room erupted with cheer when it was finally revealed that 100% of the students had voted for an answer…could it be…yes every student selected the proper answer. All students were actively engaged, actively participating, and in the end took much more away from the interactive review game then they would have with a paper/pencil worksheet.
Several parents, stopped to let me know how much they enjoyed the review game, and commented on how actively involved the students were in the class. It was even nice to have my assistant superintendent present for one of the sessions, as her son is a 4th grader. Afterwards, she told me that she is really beginning to get it. She sees how today’s students have come to depend on the technology, and we need to embrace it and use it on a daily basis.
On Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the 4th grade teachers at Indian Rock asked me to come and review the Solar System Unit with their students. I decided to take my JoinIn TurningPoint student response system and create a review game for the 4th graders.
The pressure was on, because it also happened to be Parent Visitation Day for American Education Week. In the first class I handed each student a “clicker” and immediately their eyes lit up. Right then and there they could tell that this was not going to be the usual paper/pencil review sheet.
I projected my questions onto the screen and the students quickly buzzed in their answers. After each question, we analyzed the percentages each answer got, and then revealed the correct answer. The students clapped and when 90% of them had voted for an answer, and then the room erupted with cheer when it was finally revealed that 100% of the students had voted for an answer…could it be…yes every student selected the proper answer. All students were actively engaged, actively participating, and in the end took much more away from the interactive review game then they would have with a paper/pencil worksheet.
Several parents, stopped to let me know how much they enjoyed the review game, and commented on how actively involved the students were in the class. It was even nice to have my assistant superintendent present for one of the sessions, as her son is a 4th grader. Afterwards, she told me that she is really beginning to get it. She sees how today’s students have come to depend on the technology, and we need to embrace it and use it on a daily basis.
You Don't Know What You Don't Know
On Wednesday, November 14, 2007, I was asked to do a 45 minute presentation at each of our elementary buildings. One building is (K-1) and the other 2 buildings are (2-5). As I sat at 11:00 p.m. Tuesday night preparing for the presentation, I really struggled. What do you show a group of elementary teachers in 45 minutes? I decided not to “teach” them a specific item, but instead to use the 45 minutes to give them a smorgasbord. My hope was that something would spark and idea. That they would be able take one of the items I showed them and connect it to their curriculum.
The first session at our K-1 building lasted an hour and 15 minutes. The teachers had lots of questions and were extremely interested in what I showed them.
The 2-5 building presentations also went over and they were extremely interested in what I had to share with them.
In all of the presentations it boiled down to the fact that we continue to expose our teachers to new technology, but we never provide time for them to actually put their hands on them. Or if we do provide them with the time, there is now follow through. As a result, I have made it my mission to make sure that when the district plans their summer workshops and next year’s in-service programs that the district provides these opportunities for teachers.
I have received lots of feedback from our elementary teachers. Many of them were glad they had the opportunity to see what is out there, and to know that my help was available for them if needed.
I believe the biggest impression was made at the K-1 building. I have 3 meetings tomorrow to discuss the integration of technology into projects, and this morning one of the Kindergarten teachers stopped me to let me know that she found a Thanksgiving cartoon on unitedstreaming that was perfect for her kindergarten students. While a unitedstreaming video may not be all that fantastic, 1 week ago, she didn’t even know that it existed. One step at a time…they want to use technology, they just need to know what is available and then how to use it.
When I get frustrated and have bad days…It is days like this that help me on my journey through education with technology.
The first session at our K-1 building lasted an hour and 15 minutes. The teachers had lots of questions and were extremely interested in what I showed them.
The 2-5 building presentations also went over and they were extremely interested in what I had to share with them.
In all of the presentations it boiled down to the fact that we continue to expose our teachers to new technology, but we never provide time for them to actually put their hands on them. Or if we do provide them with the time, there is now follow through. As a result, I have made it my mission to make sure that when the district plans their summer workshops and next year’s in-service programs that the district provides these opportunities for teachers.
I have received lots of feedback from our elementary teachers. Many of them were glad they had the opportunity to see what is out there, and to know that my help was available for them if needed.
I believe the biggest impression was made at the K-1 building. I have 3 meetings tomorrow to discuss the integration of technology into projects, and this morning one of the Kindergarten teachers stopped me to let me know that she found a Thanksgiving cartoon on unitedstreaming that was perfect for her kindergarten students. While a unitedstreaming video may not be all that fantastic, 1 week ago, she didn’t even know that it existed. One step at a time…they want to use technology, they just need to know what is available and then how to use it.
When I get frustrated and have bad days…It is days like this that help me on my journey through education with technology.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Some People Do Get It!
Today I had the pleasure of attending the Dance-A-Thon in our K-1 building. The PTO did an incredible job organizing the event and it raised over $14,000. Using my digital camera, I took pictures of each group (five total) during the dance-a-thon. I quickly returned to my office and downloaded the pictures and used animoto and freeplaymusic to create videos of the event. I then emailed each teacher a link to their class's video and included the building principal Mrs. Ketterman. Mrs. Ketterman quickly emailed the link to her parent email list. With in the hour, she received many numerous comments about the video.
Tawn, I am thoroughly impressed that we are now technologically savvy enough to be able to put something like this out to parents with this kind of turnaround! I was there this afternoon, and the event was great. I also think that your communications with parents via email are a fantastic idea, and I am so glad that you are taking the time out of your schedule to do them.
LOVE the video!Dancin' with the kids was a BLAST!:)Look forward to doing this
again!
Very fun. This was a great way to share with our out-of-town family members. :)
While it didn't take long at all to throw the videos together, it was the fact that the building principal realized how easily she could share with the students' parents. My favorite comment was about being able to share the event with out-of-town family members who probably helped sponsor the students.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The Journey Begins
Well, I’ve decided the time has come to begin to put down my thoughts and experiences about my journey through education with technology. Prior to this year I have been a business education teacher for 16 years. It has always been my job to teach the students how to “use” the technology, to aid them in their journey through high school, but I never really taught them how to integrate it into their daily life.
Currently I am serving as the K-12 Technology Integrator for the York Suburban School District. This is a one year position to see whether we really need an integrator. I assure you that we DO!
My journey to this position began three years ago when I returned from attending my first Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference in Hershey, PA. I attended a hands-on workshop led by the Technology Integrator for the Milton Hershey School. It was at that moment that I knew what I wanted to do with my career. I wanted to integrate what I had been doing in the classroom for 13 years with other teachers. I believe students need that connection. They also need the technology. The world they live in is totally different then the world I grew up in. I shared my vision with my principal who eventually became our Assistant Superintendent, and after some convincing, here I am. I plan to use this blog as a place to share what has worked and what hasn’t as I integrate technology in our district.
The big question was where do you begin. You have 3 elementary buildings, a middle school and a high school. We (administration and I) that I needed to spend the majority of my time in the elementary buildings, because they had been ignored for so long. In addition, the high school received a Classrooms for the Future Grant and would be receiving a “Coach” to help them integrate technology. (I’ve really come to enjoy working with Aly one of our English teachers and our CFF coach. I think together we make a great team! I’ve learned a great deal from her already this year.) Would I really have enough to warrant a full-time position? I used our district on-line message board and asked any teacher who had a project or idea, or wanted me to work with them to create a project idea to email me and we’d go from there. I was really worried that I was going to have to go looking for work, but the email began to arrive and I’ve been busy ever since. In the next day or so I will begin to share some of the projects that I’ve been working on.
Currently I am serving as the K-12 Technology Integrator for the York Suburban School District. This is a one year position to see whether we really need an integrator. I assure you that we DO!
My journey to this position began three years ago when I returned from attending my first Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference in Hershey, PA. I attended a hands-on workshop led by the Technology Integrator for the Milton Hershey School. It was at that moment that I knew what I wanted to do with my career. I wanted to integrate what I had been doing in the classroom for 13 years with other teachers. I believe students need that connection. They also need the technology. The world they live in is totally different then the world I grew up in. I shared my vision with my principal who eventually became our Assistant Superintendent, and after some convincing, here I am. I plan to use this blog as a place to share what has worked and what hasn’t as I integrate technology in our district.
The big question was where do you begin. You have 3 elementary buildings, a middle school and a high school. We (administration and I) that I needed to spend the majority of my time in the elementary buildings, because they had been ignored for so long. In addition, the high school received a Classrooms for the Future Grant and would be receiving a “Coach” to help them integrate technology. (I’ve really come to enjoy working with Aly one of our English teachers and our CFF coach. I think together we make a great team! I’ve learned a great deal from her already this year.) Would I really have enough to warrant a full-time position? I used our district on-line message board and asked any teacher who had a project or idea, or wanted me to work with them to create a project idea to email me and we’d go from there. I was really worried that I was going to have to go looking for work, but the email began to arrive and I’ve been busy ever since. In the next day or so I will begin to share some of the projects that I’ve been working on.
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