Reflecting on Course Content

Technology Integration 101 has introduced and reinforced many technology in the classroom concepts. In particular, there are three areas that impacted me from this course.  The first area is that of 21^st Century Skills.  Although I had heard of them, I certainly had not taken time to really reflect on how my practice of using technology in the classroom was addressing these skills.  The second area was that of flipping the classroom.  I currently flip my advanced science courses and although my reasoning was to increase time for labs in class, I continue to reflect on ways to move towards mastery and a more student centered approach to flipping.  The final area that impacted me was that of data collection.  As a scientist by trade, I love data and evidence and have always felt that education doesn’t quite get it right most of the time on collecting evidence.  And although I do not have a definitive answer for the best way to access whether technology integration is working, I have new resources that will help our tech team as we work to create tools to collect this data. 

I appreciated the practical information from this course.  In particular, the lesson on Special Circumstances has already helped pave a path for our corporation as we begin to come up with a plan for substitute teachers in technology.  In the past, subs were not allowed to access the technology and now as a 1:1 system we have to come up with a plan.  Discussions that I started with our Technology Integration Specialist are now going to the superintendent to determine what training and tools we need to provide our subs.  This was great practical stuff.

Moving forward I want to continue to reflect on lessons that I am creating and see if they are helping students to collaborate and communicate with each other.  Am I creating lessons that are in the modification and redefinition levels of SAMR?  Am I creating lessons that are student-centered rather than teacher-centered?  One of the greatest things about PD such as this course for a reflective teacher is that it forces us to stop and take time to reflect and throughout this course I have done just that.  I feel that the tools along with the reflective piece will lead to some great new opportunities for my students and me.

Shifting Focus

Four years ago our school made a major shift in science instruction.  Previously we had been very teacher centered with lecture, textbooks and some labs to support the topic of instruction.  However, four years ago we were presented with the opportunity to be a pilot school for the Indiana DOE’s Science Initiative Inquiry Based Instruction.  This was a HUGE shift in our instructional practices.  For a few of our teachers, they really felt out of their comfort zone.  We all participated in 2 weeks of professional development in inquiry based science instruction the summer prior to the pilot.  

We returned to our classes that fall excited to see what the year would bring and anxious about the thought of turning over the reins of much of our class to our students.  We had some bumps that first year.  Some of the teachers really wanted to go back to what we had done before, but for the rest of us and more importantly for the students we knew that we could never go back.  

Teaching in this inquiry based, student centered environment is not easier, but it is somuch better.  The first few years we never felt like we would catch up.  Every time we thought we had the units figured out the students would come up with another way to look at things.  Four years down the road and most of us feel pretty comfortable with this type of instruction.

As we implement 1:1 into our classes I feel that the inquiry instruction that we received as science teachers and the curriculum that we have been using has prepared us well for the integration of technology.  Research and collaboration which are such a big part of the science instruction are so much easier now than before.  Of course we are once again being pushed out of our comfort zone, but we have seen the fruits of this type of discomfort and are a little more willing to take risks than some of the other teachers in the building because of our experience.  

Classroom Management Challenges

The biggest challenge I have had with our 1:1 rollout is students’ technology issues.  My 7^th grade students have Netbooks that are on their 3^rd year and they are beaten up.  Our tech people are amazing and are constantly working on individual problems. We are fortunate to have a lot of loaners, but we still have issues with accessing the network, losing documents and other technological difficulties.  I am very big on modeling and teaching procedures at the beginning of the year.  I take a lot of time instructing students and allowing them to figure out how they will be using their devices in my class.  But no matter how much frontloading I do, there are always a handful of students that can’t get to where they need to be or find what they need to turn in.  With classes of 30+ and only 44 minutes to teach science per class, I don’t have a lot of time to troubleshoot.  I do have student techies in each class, but if they are helping a student that takes away from their instructional time.  Honestly I think it is something that I will just have to work with because it’s like the olden days when kids didn’t bring their supplies, a good teacher just has to have contingency plans.  Often I have them work with a partner or print out a pdf if they can’t bring it up on their computer.  I don’t want to lose instructional time so for now it’s what works.  

Communicating with Stakeholders

If I were to put together a presentation for stakeholders in Yorktown I would focus on the following three things:

1. Reasons for Integration

a.       Parents, teachers, school board members and the community need to understand the need to prepare students for the 21^st Century Global Community.  Many adults who have not been exposed to the rapidly changing need for 21^st Century Skills may not understand that we cannot continue to teach the way they were taught and expect the outcomes to be students prepared for the challenges of learning and living in today’s digital world.

2.  How technology will change day to day lives at home with homework, grades, etc?

a.       One of the questions/statements I get most often is; I liked it when my child brought home papers with grades.  Now I have to get on the computer if I can remember my password and look at a calendar and then find a link for schoolwork.  It’s so much more complicated.  Is there any way to make this easier?

b.      The answer to this is Yes and No.  Doing school is going to look and be different.  Providing training and workshops to help parents adjust to these changes is as important as the training to use the devices is for the students. 

3. Where to go for help?

a.       I believe this is the key.  If parents know that there are resources available to help them learn to use the technology such as short instructional videos, step by step instructional guides and a place to send questions and concerns than I think parents and teachers as well as all stakeholders will feel more comfortable with the transition. 

For many corporations funding as well as other concerns might be in the top three areas to address, but I believe for our community and schools providing the reasons for integration, how this change will impact them and how to find help would be the most important concepts to address with our stakeholders.

Role of Technology in My Personal Life

Technology simplifies my life both personally and professionally.  In addition to being a full time teacher and mother of three, I own a veterinary practice with my husband.  So I basically have three full time jobs and if it weren’t for technology each of them would require well over 40 hours per week.  Technology has allowed me to multi-task due to remote access.  Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many GREAT aspects of technology, but for me remote access is key.  I can attend a sporting event and watch my children and while waiting I can access email, Powerschool or my veterinary clinics remote desktop and work on files or whatever is needed.  I can go on vacation and make sure that things are going smoothly at the veterinary clinic as well as transact necessary business. I usually don’t take schoolwork on vacation because I vacation on breaks. 

There is a downside to this and that is, if you are workaholic like me, sometimes you can never disconnect.  That is why I have had to come up with rules like no texting, cell phones, ipads, or laptops at the dinner table.  I’ve had to force myself to limit the amount of time I spend remotely connected when I am away.  My ultimate goal is to go on a completely technology free vacation, but I’m not a camper so staying away from the internet and phone would be a challenge.  I do scuba dive and at least when I’m underwater I don’t have the internet, but I do have a dive computer so even in the ocean I find I love technology.  Learning to balance my love and dependence is challenging and something I constantly have to work on.  But I have been happily married for 27 years and have three great well-adjusted college aged children who all love technology.  So I must be doing something rightJ

Philosophy of Education

Although I am a Science teacher, I have come to learn that being a teacher is not about the subject you teach.  It is about the students you teach and how you teach them. It is about teaching students to think for themselves.   Today’s students are tomorrow’s future.  They deserve the best that society has to offer.  As a teacher, I believe it is my job to offer my best.  In partnership with the student, parents, and the school, I believe all students can learn when taught well. 

            I believe in order to successfully teach students to be life-long learners a teacher must also be a life-long learner.  Learning didn’t stop with the completion of my Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree.  It continues both formally with further coursework and reading in current educational practice as well as readings in the ever changing world of Science.  Even more important than the formal learning opportunities are the informal ones.  The opportunities to be reflective about my own teaching and what works and what can be improved are what really motivate me.  I can’t expect my students to want to continue to learn and be challenged unless they see me continuing to learn and being challenged.

            Science may not be for everyone, but everyone needs science. As a science teacher, I believe it is my responsibility to prepare students for the world and their future, and understanding science is one of the keys to their preparation for becoming a contributing member of our 21^st Century Global Community.  Students require skills which inherently fall within the study of science and technology.  I believe the role of technology in the classroom should be two fold.  The first is to simplify tasks which has always been the role of technology in society.  The second is to be a resource for research and discovery which is essential for true scientific inquiry to take place.  Through scientific inquiry students learn to question, use field study and lab work to test their hypothesis by designing experiments and investigating questions. This allows the student to take responsibility for their own learning.  From these investigations students will become more proficient in making observations, solving problems and forming theories based on their research. These scientific skills are essential for use in learning both now and in the future.  And hopefully in the process, my students will discover just how much fun science can be.

Reflections on Tech Integration101

·  What are you most excited to learn about?

This is my first year teaching in a 1:1 setting and I am really excited to gain additional tools to make this a true learning experience for my students.

·  In which areas might you serve as a leader or "expert" for your coursemates?

I have always been successful with classroom management and prior to teaching science I taught computer courses and feel confident in my management skills in this setting. I know there are always new ideas and things to learn, but I know I have some things I can share.

I also feel very confident with inquiry learning.  I have had significant training in inquiry learning especially as it relates to science and STEM and feel I have a good grasp of this type of learning environment. I love inquiry learning in the science classroom.

I currently am using the Flipped Classroom Model in my Advanced Science Classroom and love the freedom and time that it frees up for doing labs and inquiry instruction during the class period.  I know I have a lot to learn as this is only my second year of flipping, but I really have found it to work well in this particular setting.

·  In which areas will you need to spend more time exploring and getting ideas from your coursemates?
I don’t want to just use technology for curriculum management and to move towards a paperless classroom.  I want to get additional ways to enrich the curriculum without overwhelming the curriculum.  There are so many awesome resources out there that sometimes it almost is too much to determine what works and what doesn’t.  I look forward to hearing from others what is working for them and what is worth investing my time and my students’ time in learning.