I attended the January 21st web conference which began at 12:00. Throughout my experiences with Lamar, I have been most suprised at my progress in the use of my webcamera and audio device. I find that by participating in the webconferences I am able to obtain greater feedback in a timely and more efficient matter and through discussion with professors and colleagues via webconferences, I leave with a greater sense of community and collaboration.
Considering the depth of learning experiences that our children need to master and still be flexible enough to extend and apply new learning to new technologies, blogs and blogging helps our students rise to the challenges as 21st Century learners. The integration of blogging as an instructional experience offers a rich new media learning environment that can focus on higher level literacy practices that can lead to greater discussion, active inquiry, and exchange of valuable thoughts and ideas with a purpose. For the teacher, blogs become an easy and convenient way to improve efficiency and effectiveness of instruction and learning.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
EDLD 5352 Week 2 Blog Post #1
Texas Long Range Plan for Technology and STaR Chart
Our district takes the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology seriously. In fact, our campus STaR Chart indicated the Key Area III: Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support as our greatest strength, reaching Target Tech status. This does not surprise me. We have five instructional specialists on our Title I campus and an identified TL2 representative for each grade level; thus, I can validate this statement. Our instructional specialists and assistant principals are amazing when it comes to advocating technology. We receive weekly technology updates via email about available software and online resources, exciting websites, recent activities and articles to keep us informed and inspired. In addition, we also have a on our grade level team designated to serve as immediate support. Nevertheless, with their enthusiasm and instructional support, we feel more confident and prepared to implement the highest of technology standards which is evident in our continual progress.
Overall, STaR Chart data shows the we have achieved Advanced Tech status in the three remaining key areas: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, and Infrastructure for Technology. Again, this data supports our commitment to the TLRP. At closer inspection of Key Area I: Teaching and Learning, I recognized that classroom use and online learning had remained at a 2-- Developing Tech. According to the results, the majority of our teachers are still in the Developing stage of using technology to “direct instruction, improve productivity, model technology skills, and direct students in the productivity applications for technology integration.” At this point, most of our teachers feel comfortable with the use of technology to enhance student learning at the basic level of providing students with access for the use of research, communication and presentation. After discussing my find with my Assistant Principal, we came to the conclusion that the consistency of earning a Developing Tech status is not due to the lack of progress made by educators, but rather the introduction of additional student software applications and student project requirements with each new year.
Nevertheless, to help our campus move forward, I recommeneded that we be given time to explore the technology that we have available and plan for the use of technology in a real classroom setting during one Professional Learning Community session a month. We will ask all teachers to bring a laptop to the meeting and have teachers share how they are using technology in the classroom, share any technology student porjects and practice the use of software applications, digital powerpoint games, websites instructional videos, etc. in a safe and collaborative environment.
Our district takes the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology seriously. In fact, our campus STaR Chart indicated the Key Area III: Leadership, Administration and Instructional Support as our greatest strength, reaching Target Tech status. This does not surprise me. We have five instructional specialists on our Title I campus and an identified TL2 representative for each grade level; thus, I can validate this statement. Our instructional specialists and assistant principals are amazing when it comes to advocating technology. We receive weekly technology updates via email about available software and online resources, exciting websites, recent activities and articles to keep us informed and inspired. In addition, we also have a on our grade level team designated to serve as immediate support. Nevertheless, with their enthusiasm and instructional support, we feel more confident and prepared to implement the highest of technology standards which is evident in our continual progress.
Overall, STaR Chart data shows the we have achieved Advanced Tech status in the three remaining key areas: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, and Infrastructure for Technology. Again, this data supports our commitment to the TLRP. At closer inspection of Key Area I: Teaching and Learning, I recognized that classroom use and online learning had remained at a 2-- Developing Tech. According to the results, the majority of our teachers are still in the Developing stage of using technology to “direct instruction, improve productivity, model technology skills, and direct students in the productivity applications for technology integration.” At this point, most of our teachers feel comfortable with the use of technology to enhance student learning at the basic level of providing students with access for the use of research, communication and presentation. After discussing my find with my Assistant Principal, we came to the conclusion that the consistency of earning a Developing Tech status is not due to the lack of progress made by educators, but rather the introduction of additional student software applications and student project requirements with each new year.
Nevertheless, to help our campus move forward, I recommeneded that we be given time to explore the technology that we have available and plan for the use of technology in a real classroom setting during one Professional Learning Community session a month. We will ask all teachers to bring a laptop to the meeting and have teachers share how they are using technology in the classroom, share any technology student porjects and practice the use of software applications, digital powerpoint games, websites instructional videos, etc. in a safe and collaborative environment.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Texas STaR Chart--Nitsch Elementary
After much research and planning, here is my Texas STaR Chart powerpoint presentation for EDLD5352 week 2.
T ferrell starchart
View more presentations from Terri Ferrell.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Explain the importance of these four critical tasks:
1)Providing background information allows the audience to understand the purpose, relativitiy and transferability of the project study and findings.
2)Sharing the design of inquiry, helps others learn from the systemic thought processes used to describe what and how you did what you did.
3)Stating the learning and supporting statements with data helps the support the principle findings strengthening the argument where the audience can better understand the results.
4)Providing concluding thoughts serves as a wrap up of your project inquiry and can “generate additional questions and further areas of inquiry” (Dana, 2009, p. 168).
1)Providing background information allows the audience to understand the purpose, relativitiy and transferability of the project study and findings.
2)Sharing the design of inquiry, helps others learn from the systemic thought processes used to describe what and how you did what you did.
3)Stating the learning and supporting statements with data helps the support the principle findings strengthening the argument where the audience can better understand the results.
4)Providing concluding thoughts serves as a wrap up of your project inquiry and can “generate additional questions and further areas of inquiry” (Dana, 2009, p. 168).
Write about how you plan to share your Action Research Project Results:
This will be a short “simple” informal oral presentation that I envision could launch into a teacher professional development workshop opportunity utilizing the shared lesson ideas.
1) Provide background information:
I will create powerpoint slides illustrating the accumulated data findings that prompted the Action Research Inquiry, clearly identifiying the setting and the purpose of need for such inquiry.
2) Share the design of the inquiry (procedures, data collection, and data analysis):
I will share with my audience a copy of our online survey while utilizing a few powepoint slides to describe data collection, data analysis and data findings launching into the means at which our vertical team determined our role and responsibilities—the process and proceudures we followed.
3) State the learning and supporting statements with data:
I will share the findings of our post survey, assessment and student journal review by highlighting our three observational claims, supporting them with our data findings.
4) Provide concluding thoughts:
I will end the way I began with the title of the action research project. Vertical Teaming: Implications for Improving Consistency of Instructional Practices to Promote Conceptual Understandings for Greater Overall Student Performance. After presenting the full extent of the journay, I want to draw attention to my choice word of “Implications.” I want my audience to participate in sharing their perception of implications for my plan. What wonderings do they have? How do they plan on using this information? What are our next steps?
This will be a short “simple” informal oral presentation that I envision could launch into a teacher professional development workshop opportunity utilizing the shared lesson ideas.
1) Provide background information:
I will create powerpoint slides illustrating the accumulated data findings that prompted the Action Research Inquiry, clearly identifiying the setting and the purpose of need for such inquiry.
2) Share the design of the inquiry (procedures, data collection, and data analysis):
I will share with my audience a copy of our online survey while utilizing a few powepoint slides to describe data collection, data analysis and data findings launching into the means at which our vertical team determined our role and responsibilities—the process and proceudures we followed.
3) State the learning and supporting statements with data:
I will share the findings of our post survey, assessment and student journal review by highlighting our three observational claims, supporting them with our data findings.
4) Provide concluding thoughts:
I will end the way I began with the title of the action research project. Vertical Teaming: Implications for Improving Consistency of Instructional Practices to Promote Conceptual Understandings for Greater Overall Student Performance. After presenting the full extent of the journay, I want to draw attention to my choice word of “Implications.” I want my audience to participate in sharing their perception of implications for my plan. What wonderings do they have? How do they plan on using this information? What are our next steps?
Tell about the target audience to share your Action Research Project Results:
As I did implement my Action Research Project from January 2011 to July 2011, I did share my action research findings informally. When I went into this project, I knew that my audience was going to be the teachers on my vertical team, the leadership team and my administrative team.
*In terms of the Vertical team, I presented our pre-survey and post-survey data showing positive improvement in the areas of our focus. Our progress was shared weekly during Professional Learning Communities, and celebrated every three weeks in our vertical team community. The purpose of sharing the information with our vertical team was to allow for modifications and adjustments to our plan based on data and campus-wide feedback.
*In regards to the Leadership team, the specialists would provide updates of progress after meeting with the vertical team once every three weeks. I was not privy to the weekly meetings, but I was assured that the information was presented as part of the agenda. The purpose of presenting the informational updates to this team is because they were charged with holding true to the Campus Improvement Plan.
*In terms of the Administrative team, I met in two week increments for a brief debriefing of the challenges and progress. It was due to these debriefing sessions that my principal was impressed with the improvement and honored my project by implementing her own vertical teams for all subject areas to begin this upcoming school year.
As I did implement my Action Research Project from January 2011 to July 2011, I did share my action research findings informally. When I went into this project, I knew that my audience was going to be the teachers on my vertical team, the leadership team and my administrative team.
*In terms of the Vertical team, I presented our pre-survey and post-survey data showing positive improvement in the areas of our focus. Our progress was shared weekly during Professional Learning Communities, and celebrated every three weeks in our vertical team community. The purpose of sharing the information with our vertical team was to allow for modifications and adjustments to our plan based on data and campus-wide feedback.
*In regards to the Leadership team, the specialists would provide updates of progress after meeting with the vertical team once every three weeks. I was not privy to the weekly meetings, but I was assured that the information was presented as part of the agenda. The purpose of presenting the informational updates to this team is because they were charged with holding true to the Campus Improvement Plan.
*In terms of the Administrative team, I met in two week increments for a brief debriefing of the challenges and progress. It was due to these debriefing sessions that my principal was impressed with the improvement and honored my project by implementing her own vertical teams for all subject areas to begin this upcoming school year.
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