Chapter 2

Chapter 2
“Educational leaders ensure that curricular design, instructional strategies, and learning environments integrate appropriate technologies to maximize learning and teaching.”


How can we integrate technology into the class room?
It would seem simple to integrate technology into the class room. There are so many devices and forms of software to meet anyone’s diverse needs while supporting instruction. Even if we lack the needed skills to utilize new technology, there are always specialists who can assist. Technology can even be cost effective. Imagine not having to replace books on a yearly basis. Pencils and pens will be tools seldomly used (that might be good or bad but at least, cost effective). The old copier that always breaks down when you need it will become a dinosaur. Assignments, handouts, notifications, report cards….can all be placed onto the computer. But one important aspect of technology impacts my understanding and that of others; the change. It seems that once we master a certain software program that a newer version is produced. The technology is changing so rapidly that is seems impossible to keep pace. “Change causes people to experience a sense of disequilibrium, which is usually very uncomfortable.”

Formative Assessment

Teachers are using technology to for assessment and instruction. This usage can provide immediate feedback on student understanding.
Using various software programs, student progress can be monitored on a daily basis with everything being interactive. Using data collected to help drive instruction, a formative assessment is an important tool that can provide teachers with the information they need to help students achieve. "I believe that formative assessment involves not only measuring the students' progress, but also giving the students new strategies and teachers new focus areas of concern.
Web-based surveys, assessment software, digital video recorders (DVRs), blogs, wikis, online quizzes, and tests using virtual reality—are just a sample of the technologies are often used in classrooms where the funding and expertise is present Some formative assessment tools even align with state standards. While there are many benefits to using technology-based tools for monitoring students' day-to-day progress, educators should strategically choose and properly use the most appropriate tools for meeting the school's/students defined learning goals.

The Principal

Wanted: A miracle worker who can do more with less, pacify rival groups, endure chronic second-guessing, tolerate low levels of support, process large volumes of paper and work double shifts (75 nights a year out). He or she will have carte blanche to innovate, but cannot spend much money, replace any personnel, or upset any constituency.

Web sites

Being a math coach has allowed me to collect many web sites for students to use. Our districts employ 8 coaches. All the coaches have district computers and constantly do data processing and collection while continuing to improve the learning experience. Below are some web sites that we have collected.

http://www.freemathworksheets.net/

http://www.mcwdn.org/Geometry/GeoFrame.html

http://math.about.com/

http://www.pde.state.pa.us/

http://www.firstinmath.com/default.asp

http://sudoku.math.com/

http://guest.portaportal.com/

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

Big Brother is WATCHING

Can you believe the latest news to come from the Delaware Valley? Lower Merion School District is spying upon their own students. While in the privacy of their own home, Lower Merion is watching. Though the computers are given to the students from the school district, shouldn't there be limitations? How are students to be responsible users when the school leaders cannot?

Technology is a fantastic tool that really has escalated learning but, how do we control miss use? Even with firewalls and restrictions, people seem to be able to bypass controls and miss-use this great asset. I know that I would be lost without my computer. I often wonder if someone is watching.

Chp 1

I did enjoy the reading on "Best Practices." That seems to have been the pedagogical buzz word for years. On page 56, the author has 3 sites which are very informative: Apple Learning, Edutopia, and Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership. Another site of interest is the ASCD site. I just joined over the past week and found access to an infinite supply of knowledge. I have to admit, while reading the chapter (which is very long and intensive), I became overwhelmed by all the various organizers and surveys that were listed.

How far can we go?????

I was following a blog about the 21st century educator and started to realize that I am already developing technological habits. Currently I do a lot of data assessment while planning curriculum. Our school also uses many software programs to help enable kids who struggle with paper and pencil…. One program even allows students to write to one-another across the globe.

Being a person who did not grow up with cable, Playstation, or MTV, how far will technology take us and will there be a wall that we hit? Have the current types of calculators diminished our capacity to understand concepts or are we just concerned with results. Spell check is a great tool to help us write but, does it hurt how we spell or write when not on a computer? How far will technology take us before paper and pencil are obsolete? Is this our goal?

One major benefit of technology could be the economical reduction of material expenses. Could text books become obsolete? Will complete educational programs that cost a district around $80,000 be reduced to a mere $15,000? Paper notebooks and pencils will be replaced by key pads. Encyclopedias are already obsolete in favor of the internet; and now bloggers. L.C.D. projectors capture web sites from the computer and post them onto interactive white boards. Will chalk and slate boards disappear as did the dinosaur? We seem to have limitless possibilities though I hope we don’t forget the basics.