Supporting Other Teachers

 

Within the two school districts I have worked, I quickly became the go-to person for technology integration. 

     In my first district I became a technology Leader, a stipended position created to help spred the word about technology in the classroom and support other teachers in using it. We were given a lot of tools, from iPods and interactive whiteboards to flip cameras and more. OUr job was to use them and show others how to use them. 

     The flip cameras were the biggest success as I used mine to record students reading aloud so they could see and hear their own fluency. After showing a few teachers the idea spread like wildfire and more ideas were suggested. Before the Christmas holiday break our principal had ordered enough for each grade level to have one and the Title 1 reading teachers to have two to share.

     More recently, I was working with our literacy coach on an argumentative writing project. We wanted to publish the student writing without a lot of fanfare and without having to take forever waiting for students to type their work. I suggested two iPad apps, Audioboo and Thinglink, that would combine into a single presentation. I then suggested we use Popplet as a way to present them all in a single place.

     The teacher liked the idea and soon began asking about other ways she could use these three resources. I showed her the mind mapping and story mapping my students had done and the way I used Popplet to present research projects. She was off an running, using Popplet with her Title 1 reading students to map out vocabulary connections and showing the story mapping to teachers taking a continuing education course she was teaching. Of course, she also passed the argumentative writing publishing idea on to other teachers who also loved it.

     The Math Curriculum LIveBinder I created will also be shared with other 3rd and 4th grade teachers. This resource will provide them with valuable resources for using technology to help in student learning and practice of skills. My hope is to build a similar resource for literacy.

     Whenever I can I offer practical and simple ways to use technology in the classroom and am always willing to help out teachers when they get stuck. Without that support teachers are quick to give up since they have so little time to figure out the technology they are intimidated by in the first place. 

 

Creating Technology Learning Communities

 

 

When I began teaching in my current school district, I introduced teachers to the Sumdog website. It is a fantastic resource for students to practice math concepts. Although the bulk of the program is free, the reporting and ability to create challenges are only available through a paid subscription. The teachers loved the site, but were very interested in the reporting feature. With the support of another 3rd grade teacher who loves technology, we presented our principal with a proposal for purchasing a subscription for both 3rd and 4th grade. She agreed and we got the subscription.

     That was wonderful, but now it was up to use to use it effectively and efficiently. I offered to faciliatate a few meetings to help each other discover how best to use these new features. Together we problem-solved issues that came up, built vacation challenges to keep students working and discovered new advantages to using the reports.

     This was not a situation where I did all the teaching, but instead one where we all worked together and I was there for support and guidance. 

     In the future, I see my roll among the teaching staff as a facilitator of similar learning opportunities. Many teachers have expressed an interest in learning to use new resources, but need the support of someone who can help when trouble arises. They have told me they like coming to me for help because I explain things in terms they can understand. I know most of them have more ability to integrate technology than they probably realize, so acting as a coach will be the support they need. Research shows this sort of professional development also is the key to successful integration of technology in the classroom.

 

 

Planning for the Future

 

 

     As we move toward full integration of the CCSS and the Smarter Balanced testing, keyboarding skills at the elementary level are going to be an important factor for success. Students as young as 8 will need to be able to type their ideas and answers onto their computer, but they will not be able to one-finger  type their way if they are to complete the testing in a reasonable amount of time. 

     With this in mind I recommended to our principal and Technology Director, a plan to introduce keyboarding skills in kindergarten and progress through the early grades to ensure students were ready for testing and other expectations of 3rd and 4th grade. My suggestion was to use a keyboard as kindergarten and first graders began to learn the alphabet. In the process, I explained to her, they would also become familiar with the keyboard.

     In second grade students would be introduced to home keys as they use typing practice websites such as DanceMat typing. By 3rd and 4th grade, students would then be ready to start increasing their speed and use their computers to complete more of their regular schoolwork.

     This is not a masterful plan, but one that can be integrated easily into both the computer and regular classrooms. I was informed at the end of last year this plan was being implemented in the computer lab. My next goal will be to help others see that it can be done in the regular classroom as well. 

     Moving forward, I see a responsibility to help the administration better understand the need for using technology on a regular basis and recommending ways it can be done in every classroom. The administration supports the use of technology, but they do not fully understand how it can be used. I will use my knowlege of technology to suggest plans for the future.