Implementation
Staff development will take place in week 1 once per six weeks. Teachers will attend the staff development for one hour in the computer lab on Tuesday of the first week. The campus MTT will conduct a training session on a Web 2.0 technology that can be used in the classroom. Teachers will have the opportunity to spend 15-20 minutes working hands-on under the guidance and supervision of the campus MTT.
1st Semester Staff Development: Teachers will be provided with two 30-45 minute training sessions using Wordle.net as an alternative to word walls in the classroom.
2nd Semester Staff Development: Teachers will be provided with two 30-45 minute training sessions using glogster.edu to create interactive posters that students can explore during their computer lab time.
Connection to student learning.
Web 2.0 tools will allow teachers to use technology such as Wordle.net and Glogster.edu to teach concepts and skills with technology as a supplement. The Web 2.0 tools will better engage the students and peak their interest in the subject matter at hand.
Hands-on Technology Use:
After being introduced to a new Web 2.0 tool, the teachers will have about 15-20 minutes to create or “play” with the technology. The goal here is to give the teachers enough time to become comfortable with the tool and hopefully feel confident in implementing into their lessons.
Variety of learning experiences:
Adult learners acquire knowledge in different ways. It will be the goal of the presenters to provide diverse methods of instruction using visual, oral, and hands-on strategies. First the teachers will be provided with the visual in the form of a presentation using PowerPoint, Prezi, or similar alternatives. Second, teachers will be allowed to provide feedback and voice opinions or commentary on the presentation. Finally the teachers will have the opportunity to use a hands-on approach with the technology that was introduced.
Presenters and/or campus MTT’s will be available to mentor teachers following the trainings. Additionally, there will be at least two staff development sessions dedicated to the implementation of a new tool to provide teachers with ample opportunities to master the technology.
Curriculum specific applications:
Word walls became in a major initiative in the 2012-2013 school year at Progreso North Elementary. The Presenters can use this initiative to explore how Web 2.0 tools such as Wordle.edu and Glogster.edu can supplement or even replace existing word walls. The presenters will demonstrate creating Wordles using high frequency words, spelling words, story words, commonly misspelled words, etc. This will provide the foundation for teachers to expand on the uses for Wordle in the classroom and hopefully share new ideas with other teachers and the presenters.
New roles for teachers:
Campus MTT’s and presenters must not only be knowledgeable in their subject areas but have great communication skills. It will be important for the presenters to build trust with the teachers as a reliable source for information on integrating technology in the classroom. The campus MTT and/or presenters can achieve this by meeting with teachers on a one-to-one basis during conference periods throughout the semester. This will allow more reluctant learners opportunities to voice concerns they might not have had a chance to during the regular staff development workshops.
Campus MTT’s will also seek out teachers within the grade levels with and aptitude for technology that can act as a support system for assisting teachers with technology when the MTT is not available.
Collegial learning:
Teachers will be assigned the task of generating at least one new idea for the use of the technology being used that will be shared at the next staff development workshop. This assignment will provide the presenters and teachers with even more ideas and uses for the technology being implemented.
Active participation of teachers:
Since the staff development sessions will occur with no more than 15 teachers per presenter, one-to-one assistance and active participation will occur more frequently. Teachers will be assigned the task of generating and sharing at least one new idea for implementing the technology at hand.
Ongoing process:
Since all professional development is an ongoing process, teachers will have opportunities to provide feedback and get assistance with problems encountered during the implementation of the technology. It is not expected that the teachers master the technology in one 45 minute session but rather develop the ability to use that technology effectively over the course of the school year. It will require multiple staff development sessions and additional mini sessions during off hours to reach the goal of successful integration of technology in the classroom. Hopefully the teachers will be willing to devote their time and effort outside school hours to develop their abilities in integrating technology and help each other reach personal and campus goals.
Sufficient time:
Time will be set aside during and after staff development sessions for Q & A. Since the staff development will occur during each grade levels conference period, there should be sufficient time to achieve staff development goals. In the event that teachers are unable to attend, there will be a wiki or similar web tool available with staff development information that can be used as a guide to exploring the technology on their own time.
If the staff development workshop is scheduled in such a way that it interferes with another engagement, priority will be decided on by an administrator. If it is found that the staff development cannot take place at the scheduled time, the presenter will postpone the training.
Technical assistance and support:
Technical assistance and support will be important to avoid teacher frustration with the problems that can arise from using technology. Problems with technology can and will happen but may be minimized through effective training. The Campus MTT and presenters will have to rely on teachers within the grade levels that can assist in dealing with some of the more common problems when using technology. The presenter can mitigate this problem by providing troubleshooting tips during staff development trainings. The goal here will be to provide teachers enough assistance so that they will not give up due to frustration.
Administrative support:
No technology plan can be successful without the support of administration. Not only does the administration decide on what technology is used by whom, they also must approve of any meetings that will take place on campus. While getting an administrator to agree that integrating technology is important won’t be hard, getting that administrator to agree with your plan for integrating technology will be the challenge. One way to achieve this is by showing the administration how similar plans have been successful in the past. Another way will be to invite administration to the staff development and provide them the opportunity to participate in the learning process with the teachers. They will also be encouraged to provide feedback to the Campus MTT or presenters.
Adequate resources:
The resources required to conduct the staff development and successfully integrate technology are already present on campus. Since the Web 2.0 tools are free, no funding will be required to execute the technology plan. Administration will however need to approve the use of the computer lab to conduct these sessions. The approval to check out or borrow computer projectors and laptops for presentation purposes will also be required.
Continuous funding:
One of the greatest reasons to use Web 2.0 tools for integrating technology is that they are free. Getting the administration on board with a technology plan that won’t cost anything will be much easier. The teachers and presenters can use the technology that is already assigned to them such as computer projectors and desktop computers present in the lab. Additionally, many teachers have their own laptops that won’t cost the district any money to operate or maintain.
Built-in Evaluation:
Evaluation will be important to fine tune the staff development. Standard practice is conducting a survey and collecting data of the success of staff development goals. Teachers will also be asked to share ideas using the technology and provide anonymous feedback on their surveys. Informal interviews with teachers and staff will provide additional evaluation based on how successfully they were in implementing the technology in the classroom. All of the information collected through these methods will be used to improve staff development throughout the year.
1st Semester Staff Development: Teachers will be provided with two 30-45 minute training sessions using Wordle.net as an alternative to word walls in the classroom.
2nd Semester Staff Development: Teachers will be provided with two 30-45 minute training sessions using glogster.edu to create interactive posters that students can explore during their computer lab time.
Connection to student learning.
Web 2.0 tools will allow teachers to use technology such as Wordle.net and Glogster.edu to teach concepts and skills with technology as a supplement. The Web 2.0 tools will better engage the students and peak their interest in the subject matter at hand.
Hands-on Technology Use:
After being introduced to a new Web 2.0 tool, the teachers will have about 15-20 minutes to create or “play” with the technology. The goal here is to give the teachers enough time to become comfortable with the tool and hopefully feel confident in implementing into their lessons.
Variety of learning experiences:
Adult learners acquire knowledge in different ways. It will be the goal of the presenters to provide diverse methods of instruction using visual, oral, and hands-on strategies. First the teachers will be provided with the visual in the form of a presentation using PowerPoint, Prezi, or similar alternatives. Second, teachers will be allowed to provide feedback and voice opinions or commentary on the presentation. Finally the teachers will have the opportunity to use a hands-on approach with the technology that was introduced.
Presenters and/or campus MTT’s will be available to mentor teachers following the trainings. Additionally, there will be at least two staff development sessions dedicated to the implementation of a new tool to provide teachers with ample opportunities to master the technology.
Curriculum specific applications:
Word walls became in a major initiative in the 2012-2013 school year at Progreso North Elementary. The Presenters can use this initiative to explore how Web 2.0 tools such as Wordle.edu and Glogster.edu can supplement or even replace existing word walls. The presenters will demonstrate creating Wordles using high frequency words, spelling words, story words, commonly misspelled words, etc. This will provide the foundation for teachers to expand on the uses for Wordle in the classroom and hopefully share new ideas with other teachers and the presenters.
New roles for teachers:
Campus MTT’s and presenters must not only be knowledgeable in their subject areas but have great communication skills. It will be important for the presenters to build trust with the teachers as a reliable source for information on integrating technology in the classroom. The campus MTT and/or presenters can achieve this by meeting with teachers on a one-to-one basis during conference periods throughout the semester. This will allow more reluctant learners opportunities to voice concerns they might not have had a chance to during the regular staff development workshops.
Campus MTT’s will also seek out teachers within the grade levels with and aptitude for technology that can act as a support system for assisting teachers with technology when the MTT is not available.
Collegial learning:
Teachers will be assigned the task of generating at least one new idea for the use of the technology being used that will be shared at the next staff development workshop. This assignment will provide the presenters and teachers with even more ideas and uses for the technology being implemented.
Active participation of teachers:
Since the staff development sessions will occur with no more than 15 teachers per presenter, one-to-one assistance and active participation will occur more frequently. Teachers will be assigned the task of generating and sharing at least one new idea for implementing the technology at hand.
Ongoing process:
Since all professional development is an ongoing process, teachers will have opportunities to provide feedback and get assistance with problems encountered during the implementation of the technology. It is not expected that the teachers master the technology in one 45 minute session but rather develop the ability to use that technology effectively over the course of the school year. It will require multiple staff development sessions and additional mini sessions during off hours to reach the goal of successful integration of technology in the classroom. Hopefully the teachers will be willing to devote their time and effort outside school hours to develop their abilities in integrating technology and help each other reach personal and campus goals.
Sufficient time:
Time will be set aside during and after staff development sessions for Q & A. Since the staff development will occur during each grade levels conference period, there should be sufficient time to achieve staff development goals. In the event that teachers are unable to attend, there will be a wiki or similar web tool available with staff development information that can be used as a guide to exploring the technology on their own time.
If the staff development workshop is scheduled in such a way that it interferes with another engagement, priority will be decided on by an administrator. If it is found that the staff development cannot take place at the scheduled time, the presenter will postpone the training.
Technical assistance and support:
Technical assistance and support will be important to avoid teacher frustration with the problems that can arise from using technology. Problems with technology can and will happen but may be minimized through effective training. The Campus MTT and presenters will have to rely on teachers within the grade levels that can assist in dealing with some of the more common problems when using technology. The presenter can mitigate this problem by providing troubleshooting tips during staff development trainings. The goal here will be to provide teachers enough assistance so that they will not give up due to frustration.
Administrative support:
No technology plan can be successful without the support of administration. Not only does the administration decide on what technology is used by whom, they also must approve of any meetings that will take place on campus. While getting an administrator to agree that integrating technology is important won’t be hard, getting that administrator to agree with your plan for integrating technology will be the challenge. One way to achieve this is by showing the administration how similar plans have been successful in the past. Another way will be to invite administration to the staff development and provide them the opportunity to participate in the learning process with the teachers. They will also be encouraged to provide feedback to the Campus MTT or presenters.
Adequate resources:
The resources required to conduct the staff development and successfully integrate technology are already present on campus. Since the Web 2.0 tools are free, no funding will be required to execute the technology plan. Administration will however need to approve the use of the computer lab to conduct these sessions. The approval to check out or borrow computer projectors and laptops for presentation purposes will also be required.
Continuous funding:
One of the greatest reasons to use Web 2.0 tools for integrating technology is that they are free. Getting the administration on board with a technology plan that won’t cost anything will be much easier. The teachers and presenters can use the technology that is already assigned to them such as computer projectors and desktop computers present in the lab. Additionally, many teachers have their own laptops that won’t cost the district any money to operate or maintain.
Built-in Evaluation:
Evaluation will be important to fine tune the staff development. Standard practice is conducting a survey and collecting data of the success of staff development goals. Teachers will also be asked to share ideas using the technology and provide anonymous feedback on their surveys. Informal interviews with teachers and staff will provide additional evaluation based on how successfully they were in implementing the technology in the classroom. All of the information collected through these methods will be used to improve staff development throughout the year.