Sunday, March 20, 2011
Web Conference - March 12, 2011 - Dr. Kay Abernathy
This was my first experience with a web-conference and I have to say it was very educational. Not only did it allow me to have live contact with other students, it provided us with the ability to receive answers to questions immediately. Dr. Abernathy was able to answer many questions that we asked her, which cleared up some confusion we seemed to be having with regards to the class. One question that was posed dealt with the availability of the weekly readings. Dr. Abernathy discussed how we need to make sure that we are using APA properly when writing our assignments. Some students seemed to have questions about when we should use APA and if we needed to cite people from personal interviews. One student stated that she wondered whether the STaR chart surveys teachers have to complete actually indicate advancement in technology. She felt that most teachers complete the survey without really having an understanding of what the survey is really evaluating. Some teachers just complete the survey without really paying attention or analyzing each criterion. The web-conference then moved on to the use of Facebook and other social networks in the world of education. Some students indicated that such networks are banned by their districts and teachers are forbidden from becoming "friends" with students within their schools. The conference then moved on to discuss the use of cell phones within the school. With the availability of such a wide range of technology, it only makes sense to find ways to use the "Smartphone" in your instruction. Dr. Abernathy gave examples of books and other readings that would provide students with information that would allow us to implement this type of technology within our classrooms. I also think that teachers need to find some way to implement web-conferencing into their curriculum. This live form of technology is great for students to have hands on, one on one contact not only with one another, but also with their instructors. Again, I found it very educational.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Technology Action Plan
TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN
Professional Development Planning
(1) Goal for Improvement
Administration being able to provide technology (Eduphoria Aware) for teachers so that they can better assess student progress in individual content areas
Professional Development Activity
Teachers (a select few from each campus) will be given a hands on training seminar in which they are introduced to the Eduphoria Aware Assessment Software Program. A representative from Eduphoria will conduct the seminar and provide the attending faculty members resources to conduct similar seminars on their individual campuses.
Faculty Responsibilities
Curriculum & Instruction Director –provide curriculum standards and objectives and how they correlate to the implementation of technologies
Director of Technology – provide instruction and application of Eduphoria software and how it correlates to teacher/student technological progress
Campus Principal – provide professional development training opportunity for teachers and staff.
Teachers –attend hands on seminar / training on how to properly implement Eduphoria
(2) Goal for Improvement
Teachers and staff to be provided with technology (Eduphoria Aware) to better assess individual student progress in content areas.
Professional Development Activity
Selected teachers that attended Eduphoria Aware Assessment Software Program seminar will present colleagues and campus personnel with a hands on professional development training seminar to allow them the ability to better assess student performance
Faculty Responsibilities
Campus Principal – provide professional development training opportunity for teachers and staff.
Campus Technology Coordinator – coordinate with Campus Principal/Dir. of Tech. to make sure that campus technology infrastructure is set up for campus professional development training.
Teachers ( presenters)- present Eduphoria to teachers and staff and provide answers to problems /questions that might arise
Teachers ( learners) – attend professional development training to learn how to use Eduphoria Aware software program.
(3) Goal for Improvement
Teachers will use technology within the curriculum to better assess individual student progress in regards to specific content areas.
Professional Development Activity
Teachers will use Eduphoria Aware within their classroom instruction to accurately assess student achievement with regards to each objective covered by the TEKS. The use of the software program will allow teachers the ability to quickly grade tests and assessments and have instant access to disaggregated data.
Faculty Responsibilities
Teacher – administer tests and other assessments that have clearly outlined and identified TEKS for individual student assessment.
Students – complete assessments while providing teachers with an accurate way of determining mastery of individual objectives
TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN
Evaluation planning
(1) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Teachers will meet by department to see how technology can be used to determine student achievement by sub-populations
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Teachers will use AEIS and AYP data provided by the State of Texas to determine achievement of students by sub-populations
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Department chairpersons will present findings to campus principal and curriculum director to show whether each sub-population is meeting standards
(2) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Teachers will meet by department to see how individual students are meeting state standards on TAKS/EOC/STARR
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Teachers will use Eduphoria Aware software to disaggregate previous TAKS results for individual students and also disaggregate test data from bench-mark assessments
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Teacher will provide department chairs with an evaluation of their students and how they performed on standardized tests. These reports will contain information for each individual student and his/her progress.
(3) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Teachers will evaluate the effectiveness of technology within the district – STaR Chart Survey
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Teacher will complete the annual STaR chart survey to provide information in regards to the level at which the district is operating technologically
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Teachers with Dept. Chairs will evaluate previous STaR survey results and present current results to evaluate technology status
(4) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Need to use technology to provide students / parents access to curriculum with 24/7 access
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Training on how to develop GoogleSites, Hyperlinks, Blogs, access to Electronic Gradebooks and online study materials such as notes and texts.
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Provide a student / parent technology survey at the end of the year to see if needs are being met and take suggestions on what would be more beneficial for all stake holders
Professional Development Planning
(1) Goal for Improvement
Administration being able to provide technology (Eduphoria Aware) for teachers so that they can better assess student progress in individual content areas
Professional Development Activity
Teachers (a select few from each campus) will be given a hands on training seminar in which they are introduced to the Eduphoria Aware Assessment Software Program. A representative from Eduphoria will conduct the seminar and provide the attending faculty members resources to conduct similar seminars on their individual campuses.
Faculty Responsibilities
Curriculum & Instruction Director –provide curriculum standards and objectives and how they correlate to the implementation of technologies
Director of Technology – provide instruction and application of Eduphoria software and how it correlates to teacher/student technological progress
Campus Principal – provide professional development training opportunity for teachers and staff.
Teachers –attend hands on seminar / training on how to properly implement Eduphoria
(2) Goal for Improvement
Teachers and staff to be provided with technology (Eduphoria Aware) to better assess individual student progress in content areas.
Professional Development Activity
Selected teachers that attended Eduphoria Aware Assessment Software Program seminar will present colleagues and campus personnel with a hands on professional development training seminar to allow them the ability to better assess student performance
Faculty Responsibilities
Campus Principal – provide professional development training opportunity for teachers and staff.
Campus Technology Coordinator – coordinate with Campus Principal/Dir. of Tech. to make sure that campus technology infrastructure is set up for campus professional development training.
Teachers ( presenters)- present Eduphoria to teachers and staff and provide answers to problems /questions that might arise
Teachers ( learners) – attend professional development training to learn how to use Eduphoria Aware software program.
(3) Goal for Improvement
Teachers will use technology within the curriculum to better assess individual student progress in regards to specific content areas.
Professional Development Activity
Teachers will use Eduphoria Aware within their classroom instruction to accurately assess student achievement with regards to each objective covered by the TEKS. The use of the software program will allow teachers the ability to quickly grade tests and assessments and have instant access to disaggregated data.
Faculty Responsibilities
Teacher – administer tests and other assessments that have clearly outlined and identified TEKS for individual student assessment.
Students – complete assessments while providing teachers with an accurate way of determining mastery of individual objectives
TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN
Evaluation planning
(1) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Teachers will meet by department to see how technology can be used to determine student achievement by sub-populations
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Teachers will use AEIS and AYP data provided by the State of Texas to determine achievement of students by sub-populations
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Department chairpersons will present findings to campus principal and curriculum director to show whether each sub-population is meeting standards
(2) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Teachers will meet by department to see how individual students are meeting state standards on TAKS/EOC/STARR
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Teachers will use Eduphoria Aware software to disaggregate previous TAKS results for individual students and also disaggregate test data from bench-mark assessments
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Teacher will provide department chairs with an evaluation of their students and how they performed on standardized tests. These reports will contain information for each individual student and his/her progress.
(3) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Teachers will evaluate the effectiveness of technology within the district – STaR Chart Survey
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Teacher will complete the annual STaR chart survey to provide information in regards to the level at which the district is operating technologically
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Teachers with Dept. Chairs will evaluate previous STaR survey results and present current results to evaluate technology status
(4) Data and Analysis Campus Needs-Technology
Need to use technology to provide students / parents access to curriculum with 24/7 access
Monitoring reports – Professional development ideas
Training on how to develop GoogleSites, Hyperlinks, Blogs, access to Electronic Gradebooks and online study materials such as notes and texts.
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Provide a student / parent technology survey at the end of the year to see if needs are being met and take suggestions on what would be more beneficial for all stake holders
Sunday, March 6, 2011
National Educational Technology Plan
It is not uncommon for everyone to realize that education is the gateway for economic success. The fact that technology has such an enormous impact on our daily lives, it becomes essential that we understand that technology must be incorporated into the educational process. Not knowing how to include newly developed technologies, tools and strategies into curriculums is a disservice to today's students. Students must be taught how to become critical thinkers and complex problem solvers. Technology allows students to take control of their learning and the processes they use to gather information. In order effectively evaluate student learning, one must first outline cleary defined disired outcomes. They must also have collaboration to determine whether or not these newly developed processes are efficient, effective and flexible enough to meet the needs of the students and instructors. Educators must learn to embrace innovations and be willing to implement technological advances that will benefit themselves as well as those being taught. The fact that technological infrastrutures are growing within school districts proves the fact that these advancements are necessary to properly educate today's student. Teachers must be prepared and given instruction as to how they are going to initiate these new programs into their curriculum. The fact that there is a shortage in the funding of public education creates a situation in which one wonders whether the true educational needs of our students is being met and that they will be prepared to compete in a global environment. In order for students to be effective in today's society, they must have their educational needs met and this most definitely includes the incorporation of technology within their curriculum.
Long-Range Plan for Technology
State and National evaluations of the implementation of technology within the realm of education must be conducted yearly. In Texas, the STaR Chart survey is conducted by every school district. This survey is divided into four standards - Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support, and Infrastructure. The results of these surveys provide the state, as well as local administrators, with an annual snapshot of how the Long-Range Plan for Technology has progressed. The recommendations provided by the state for the implementation of these technologies have shown significant progress. Local school districts, with the assistance of Educational Service Centers and TEA, have worked diligently towards the initiation of the goals outlined in the Long-Range Plan. The collaboration of all of these stakeholders has brought about an environment in which technology is accepted as a major factor in adequately meeting the needs of today's students. The Long-Range Plan for Technology provides educators with a foundation in which to judge their progress and areas of need. The four standards previously mentioned allow the state and school administrators to assess their advancement towards these goals. Today's technology allows for 24/7 access to resources that can meet the many needs of not only the student but also the community. In order for this occur, districts must use state and federal funds to upgrade their technologies and develop a strong infrastruture. Administrators must then find time to allow their teachers the opportunity to learn how to properly incorporate these newly developed technologies into their instruction. There are many factors that determine whether or not technology is being effectively implemented within a school district, but the Long-Range Plan and STaR Chart provide an outline that can be used to evaluate yearly progress.
Educator Preparation and Development
The Long-Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020 has been developed to improve the implementation of technology within public education. Educator Preparation and Development is one of four standards that are evaluated yearly through the STaR Chart survey, conducted by individual school districts. The educator preparation and development standard is based on the process of providing educators with the proper training to implement newly developed technologies into their curriculum. Teachers are put through programs that model current technologies and are given professional development opportunities to educate themselves on how to better serve the 21st century learner. The advancement of technology has been extraordinary over the past few years and the leaders of education understand that these advancements must be incorporated into education. From the national level down to the local school district, it is evident that technology is major factor in the education of today's students. At China Spring ISD, our administration has put an emphasis on technology over the past few years. This can be seen by our STaR Chart survey results in which our faculty has determined that our Infrastructure Standard is at the advanced level. It is evident that the district is determined to serve the technological needs of their students, but we seem to be lacking in the process of getting our educators up to date on the current technologies and how to implement them into their instruction. I suggest that more time must allocated to professional development activities that provide teachers opportunities to become more familiar with these tools, so that they can integrate them into their curriculum.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Research Template
Action Research Inquiry: In what way(s) would the implementation of student derived illustrations and models, based on the objectives outlined by the biology curriculum, enhance student achievement and how would such an initiative affect the academic advancement of economically disadvantaged students.
Goals :
To increase the comprehension and academic success of economically disadvantaged students within the biology curriculum.
Objectives:
To determine whether or not the implementation student created illustrations and models into the biology curriculum increases student comprehension of state mandated objectives.
Activities:
1. Students will take a pre-course assessment to establish a baseline in which to evaluate student knowledge of subject matter.
2. Students will create illustrations / models that relate directly to units/objectives predetermined by the state/school district curriculum.
3. Students will take a post-course assessment (identical to the pre-course assessment) to evaluate progress
Resources and Research Tools:
1. District/State Biology course objectives
2. TAKS results to determine student prior achievement levels
3. Demographic information to determine student that are characterized as economically disadvantaged
Draft Timeline:
1. Aug. 23 – 27, 2010 (First week of school) – administer pre-course assessment
2. Aug – Dec 2010 – administer illustration/models assignments to experimental group
3. Dec. 14-17, 2010 – (Last week of fall semester) – administer post-course assessment
4. Jan. 2011 – collect and analyze data from pre-test / post-test scores
5. Feb. 2011 – Finalize research findings and determine effectiveness of research inquiry
Persons Responsible:
Kevin Pitts – Science Department Chair/Biology Teacher – China Spring High School
Process for Monitoring Progress:
I will compare pre-test data to that of the post-test scores to determine whether or not those exposed to the initiative had an increase in comprehension and knowledge of the biology objectives. I will also, throughout the semester, compare and contrast the academic achievement (6 wks grades) of those students involved in the research to see if there has been any significant change.
Assessment Instrument to Evaluate Effectiveness:
The post-test assessment will be the primary instrument used to evaluate the effectiveness of this inquiry. Giving the students the same assessment should determine whether or not there has been effective learning and by isolating a control group, I should be able to determine whether the implementation of the new initiative is effective.
Goals :
To increase the comprehension and academic success of economically disadvantaged students within the biology curriculum.
Objectives:
To determine whether or not the implementation student created illustrations and models into the biology curriculum increases student comprehension of state mandated objectives.
Activities:
1. Students will take a pre-course assessment to establish a baseline in which to evaluate student knowledge of subject matter.
2. Students will create illustrations / models that relate directly to units/objectives predetermined by the state/school district curriculum.
3. Students will take a post-course assessment (identical to the pre-course assessment) to evaluate progress
Resources and Research Tools:
1. District/State Biology course objectives
2. TAKS results to determine student prior achievement levels
3. Demographic information to determine student that are characterized as economically disadvantaged
Draft Timeline:
1. Aug. 23 – 27, 2010 (First week of school) – administer pre-course assessment
2. Aug – Dec 2010 – administer illustration/models assignments to experimental group
3. Dec. 14-17, 2010 – (Last week of fall semester) – administer post-course assessment
4. Jan. 2011 – collect and analyze data from pre-test / post-test scores
5. Feb. 2011 – Finalize research findings and determine effectiveness of research inquiry
Persons Responsible:
Kevin Pitts – Science Department Chair/Biology Teacher – China Spring High School
Process for Monitoring Progress:
I will compare pre-test data to that of the post-test scores to determine whether or not those exposed to the initiative had an increase in comprehension and knowledge of the biology objectives. I will also, throughout the semester, compare and contrast the academic achievement (6 wks grades) of those students involved in the research to see if there has been any significant change.
Assessment Instrument to Evaluate Effectiveness:
The post-test assessment will be the primary instrument used to evaluate the effectiveness of this inquiry. Giving the students the same assessment should determine whether or not there has been effective learning and by isolating a control group, I should be able to determine whether the implementation of the new initiative is effective.
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