What tools, software, operating systems, and equipment are available in your school and classroom? (Including but not limited to: videoconferencing, streaming, photos sharing sites, video sharing sites, document sharing sites, podcasts, blogs, wikis, social networking sites, etc) Because we are a school-within-a-school, there is actually not technological parity across all classrooms. Therefore, it will be important to note the difference between technology within the International Baccalaureate program and technology within the greater school campus.
The International Baccalaureate program has a laptop per student and a separate experiential/science/computer lab available.
School-wide, there is approximately a 3:1 student-device ratio, and access to 3 computer labs.
All students are equipped with unique log in credentials to allow for easy access across multiple devices.
All teachers have a mobile device (iPad or similar)
The district has invested a lot of money into integrating the Google platform into our classrooms – particularly the Google suite of Office-type products. In addition to Google Drive and Hangouts, the district is also encouraging the use of Canvas, Augmented Reality, Edmodo and others.
Students do not have access to Facebook, but a similar feel is accomplished via Edmodo.
We do utilize DropBox and Google Drive for document and project sharing.
How does your school make use of school and/or teacher websites? There is no prescribed mandate regarding the use of school and teacher websites, aside from having one. The principal’s secretary maintains our school website and updates it frequently with news for parents. Teacher websites can be used however the teacher desires. Ideally, as we do in the IB program, the teacher website is a primary communication vehicle between school and home, clearly delineating current class projects, units and activities. In addition to this, students can use the teacher websites to post on boards or collect assignments. There is a separate (secure) website that also functions as a grade book so that parents have up-to-date information; this is more of a mandate from the school and district that the gradebook be frequently updated.
How are you currently utilizing technology for learning? Technology is implicit in all of my instruction. We begin with warm ups on student devices, their responses posted to Google Drive or Edmodo. Students conduct research, collaboration, the writing process, project creation, and assignment submission via their devices. We try to loop into interdisciplinary study whenever possible, and so we are also frequently consulting the textbooks of other disciplines online in order to accomplish this. Students are able to learn from technology, and then prove what they’ve learned through technology.
From the list of global e-learning sites included below, which are available and which sites are blocked by your firewall? All of these sites are available to all teachers with their credentialed log-in.
Skype
iEarn
ConnectAllSchools
Peace Corps Speakers Match
ePals
Global Nomads Group
Omprakash
Primary Source
Edutopia
Outreach World
Global Education Conference
Online Newspapers
What sites and tools are colleagues in your building using? Colleagues are primarily using the district’s web platform for calendar creation and assignment distribution. Many teachers are using Edmodo; many still are using the Google Suite as appropriate.
Is there a system for evaluating student technology literacy in your school? There is no system for evaluating student technology literacy in my school, at present.
Gather suggestions from students on their idea of integrating technology into their learning.
What tools are not presently available, would help to achieve district objectives? The most effective tool that would help the district achieve their objectives would be comprehensive technology training for all staff members, and then coaching them through their new found skills to ensure implementation. You can throw 100 computers in a room, but if the teacher does not know how to use it themselves, they cannot teach a student how to use it appropriately. Additionally, some teachers would benefit from training in classroom management in light of the integration of technology – demonstrating how setting expectations, modeling, checking for understanding and assessing in light of the presence of technology would help getting teachers to actually use it.
Using your Digital Learning Environment Inventory, develop a solution or suggest an improvement customized to your circumstance and curriculum. Create, implement and evaluate one change in a globalized lesson plan to use technology for learning in a meaningful way. The change I will make to a globalized lesson plan to use technology for learning in a meaningful way would be having students research to find a key item or symbol of a civil rights movement, and then using technology to elaborate upon the symbolism and importance of the item. They can Google to search for the item; use the databases to elaborate upon it; and then use Augmented Reality to present their findings (of course, with a works cited page as created in NoodleTools!)
What tools, software, operating systems, and equipment are available in your school and classroom? (Including but not limited to: videoconferencing, streaming, photos sharing sites, video sharing sites, document sharing sites, podcasts, blogs, wikis, social networking sites, etc) Because we are a school-within-a-school, there is actually not technological parity across all classrooms. Therefore, it will be important to note the difference between technology within the International Baccalaureate program and technology within the greater school campus.
The International Baccalaureate program has a laptop per student and a separate experiential/science/computer lab available.
School-wide, there is approximately a 3:1 student-device ratio, and access to 3 computer labs.
All students are equipped with unique log in credentials to allow for easy access across multiple devices.
All teachers have a mobile device (iPad or similar)
The district has invested a lot of money into integrating the Google platform into our classrooms – particularly the Google suite of Office-type products. In addition to Google Drive and Hangouts, the district is also encouraging the use of Canvas, Augmented Reality, Edmodo and others.
Students do not have access to Facebook, but a similar feel is accomplished via Edmodo.
We do utilize DropBox and Google Drive for document and project sharing.
How does your school make use of school and/or teacher websites? There is no prescribed mandate regarding the use of school and teacher websites, aside from having one. The principal’s secretary maintains our school website and updates it frequently with news for parents. Teacher websites can be used however the teacher desires. Ideally, as we do in the IB program, the teacher website is a primary communication vehicle between school and home, clearly delineating current class projects, units and activities. In addition to this, students can use the teacher websites to post on boards or collect assignments. There is a separate (secure) website that also functions as a grade book so that parents have up-to-date information; this is more of a mandate from the school and district that the gradebook be frequently updated.
How are you currently utilizing technology for learning? Technology is implicit in all of my instruction. We begin with warm ups on student devices, their responses posted to Google Drive or Edmodo. Students conduct research, collaboration, the writing process, project creation, and assignment submission via their devices. We try to loop into interdisciplinary study whenever possible, and so we are also frequently consulting the textbooks of other disciplines online in order to accomplish this. Students are able to learn from technology, and then prove what they’ve learned through technology.
From the list of global e-learning sites included below, which are available and which sites are blocked by your firewall? All of these sites are available to all teachers with their credentialed log-in.
Skype
iEarn
ConnectAllSchools
Peace Corps Speakers Match
ePals
Global Nomads Group
Omprakash
Primary Source
Edutopia
Outreach World
Global Education Conference
Online Newspapers
What sites and tools are colleagues in your building using? Colleagues are primarily using the district’s web platform for calendar creation and assignment distribution. Many teachers are using Edmodo; many still are using the Google Suite as appropriate.
Is there a system for evaluating student technology literacy in your school? There is no system for evaluating student technology literacy in my school, at present.
Gather suggestions from students on their idea of integrating technology into their learning.
- “Instead of focusing on the devices, let us use our cell phones!”
- “Science should use GPS for geocaching and stuff instead of just learning in the classroom”
- “We should use less technology because the way we’re tested for benchmarks, we can’t use computers”
- “Instead of writing creative stories or narratives, I think we should use cameras to film the story instead of just writing it”
What tools are not presently available, would help to achieve district objectives? The most effective tool that would help the district achieve their objectives would be comprehensive technology training for all staff members, and then coaching them through their new found skills to ensure implementation. You can throw 100 computers in a room, but if the teacher does not know how to use it themselves, they cannot teach a student how to use it appropriately. Additionally, some teachers would benefit from training in classroom management in light of the integration of technology – demonstrating how setting expectations, modeling, checking for understanding and assessing in light of the presence of technology would help getting teachers to actually use it.
Using your Digital Learning Environment Inventory, develop a solution or suggest an improvement customized to your circumstance and curriculum. Create, implement and evaluate one change in a globalized lesson plan to use technology for learning in a meaningful way. The change I will make to a globalized lesson plan to use technology for learning in a meaningful way would be having students research to find a key item or symbol of a civil rights movement, and then using technology to elaborate upon the symbolism and importance of the item. They can Google to search for the item; use the databases to elaborate upon it; and then use Augmented Reality to present their findings (of course, with a works cited page as created in NoodleTools!)