I loved the list of 50 ways to integrate technology. Some were familiar to me, but many were new. I think having a handy list of tools available to make it easier for teachers to experiment with the tools is very helpful. I think this would be most effective after the technology integrator met with the teacher or team to share their unit or objectives. At that point, the technology integrator can discuss then compile some ideas and share them with the teachers. Once the teachers have decided what they would like to try, I think being available to model, co-teach or just advise the teachers would be effective. An idea might be to use an iPad app like www.showme.com to create tutorials for the teachers to view at home or off hours at their convenience. This is a quick way for the technology integrator to give some support. They are easy to create and the links can be emailed and no download is needed to view. Also, the teacher can use this same tool as a way to share information with parents about homework or other specific task that might be confusing in a written email.
Using game show websites like Jeopardy can be fun in a classroom setting. I think it would be effective to use these as part of staff meetings as a way to introduce the technology to the teachers. The games can be created and tailored to meet your specific needs. While using these in class is the goal, having the opportunity to play the games as part of meetings allows the teachers to experience how fun they can be. I hope you like my quick attempt at a Jeopardy game.
Helping teachers create rubrics that align to their lessons helps ensure that the lessons are aligned to the objectives being taught. Sites like iRubric are easy to use and are a good way to help align what is being taught and assessed. In the article posted by Jukes, the 4 ways to ensure that a student is learning were noted. This information can be helpful as teachers are trying to determine the purpose of the lessons and the methods in which they are teaching. We need to ensure that the students are actually learning and not just experiencing the bells and whistles of technology. These strategies could be applied to all lessons, not just the fun and exciting ones. What are the objects of the lesson? Can they show mastery of the learning objective? Do we evaluate the process not just the finished project. This is especially important as students learn to collaborate with each other and share their work with their peers and teacher.
Frankly, I think if the administration is not only supportive of integrating technology into the classroom setting but also shares these success stories with other schools, it is good for morale. The administrators are so busy, I know, but it would be nice to have them come visit and really see what is going on in the classroom. I’m not talking about planned visits, but more pop in visits. They won’t always see the most exciting lesson (I taught the letter i today (yawn..) but if they frequent the class often, they will see some amazing learning going on.
References
Branch, J. (2010). 50 Ways to Integrate Technology In Your Classroom Tomorrow. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/anchortechnologytomorrow/home/50-ways-to-anchor-technology
Jukes, I. (2013). 4 Ways to Ensure Students Learn While Creating. Retrieved from http://fluency21.com/blog/2013/10/01/4-ways-to-ensure-students-learn-while-creating/?fb_source=pubv1
Motivation Teachers to Use Technology. (2013). Education World. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin310.shtml
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many lists of tech tools and apps. I can understand why it is overwhelming to classroom teachers, sometimes it is too much for me to digest. Two similar apps to Showme are Educreations and ExplainEverything. As tech integrators we have to sort through the piles of options and find the right tools for the teachers. I love Starfall too, and the letter i is an important concept to learn, so it shouldn't be dismissed as boring! You were teaching what the students need to learn and the visitors would see a great learning tool being used.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the apps. I will check them out. I use Showme with parents when I want to explain a child's thought process when completing a task. Starfall is a huge hit with my class, I use it whole group right after I introduce each letter. Yes, I know i is necessary to teach (although I think we should teach e before i but that's a different conversation. Thanks for the apps.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of having a list of tools available for the teachers and allow them to experiment with them is a great idea, but you also have to have a group of teachers that are independent and self-directed learners. Technology Integrators must also be able to help and support the teachers who lack confidence or basic proficiency with technological tools. A good learning community will also take some of this burden away as teachers who creatively integrate technology on a daily basis could serve as models and leaders for their colleagues.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Harry. We have Tech Thursday once a month before school to share ideas. It's a great, quick way to see what people are doing in their classrooms. We all bring our iPads and have a SMART Board so we can demo on the spot. The whole meeting lasts 20 minutes, is NOT mandatory and we serve coffee!
ReplyDeleteJenn,
ReplyDeleteI also loved the list of 50 tools and think your idea of making mini-tutorials is awesome. That way teachers can watch and revisit parts of the demonstration at their own pace. Funny how I use that for my students, but hadn't thought about using it to show adults. Do you think they'd be receptive to watching the videos on their own time? I still wish we could have tech. days. Our district did have a Google Day for one of our inservice, but that was because we were dropping First Class and moving to Google - the powers that be felt that was a justifiable use of the day. Since, however, teachers are expected to learn the technology on their own time. For example, our 2nd - 6th graders just got 1:1 laptops, and the teachers had to take release days or the summer technology class in order to set up the ground rules and parameters.