The best outcome of this specialization at Walden so far has been the confidence it has given me to break out of my “digital immigrant” shell and embrace the technology and digital tools that are available to me- both in my personal and professional life. I have experimented with some digital tools, but have not yet fully embraced them- in either aspect of my life. It is time to keep moving forward.
My district has a program that allows teachers to have personal web pages plus use blogs, podcasts, and file sharing. Up to this point, I have made a poor effort at using my web page as a communication tool. I kept it simple- background information about me and the class I teach. I have only made minor changes to it each year. I want to change that. I think my web page can be a great way to keep parents informed of what is happening in the classroom.
My goals are: (1) to communicate relevant information and ideas to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats; and (2) demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. More specifically, I want to use my web page the blog as a communication tool between my students and parents. I would like to post a calendar with assignments and due dates. I want to use a blog as a way to explain what has been happening in class (i.e.- skills taught, stories read, writing topics). Eventually, I hope to use what I learn with my students in the classroom.
The action I will take to achieve this goal is attend “Tech Thursdays”. These are workshops hosted by my technology department. The focus is on the digital tools we have available and how to utilize them in our classrooms. We bring our laptops and learn firsthand how to set up and use the various programs and tools- such as our web pages, blogs, file sharing, and podcasts. Attending these workshops will allow me to better understand how to set up my web page and utilize the tools in the manner I wish.
I will monitor my progress by analyzing what I have completed at the end of each tech session. Is my blog set up? Do I know how to post to it? Is my calendar set up? If I do not feel comfortable working on my own or have completed something to my liking, then I will know I have to attend another session.
I will evaluate my success at the end of the semester in January. I will ask myself: did I keep up with weekly blog postings? Did I keep an updated calendar of assignments? Did parents access my webpage and use it to keep informed? The answers to these questions will determine how I proceed- if the answer to any of these questions is “no”, then I will have to make adjustments. If all goes well, I can go forward with my plan to use blogs or other digital tools in my classroom where I can transfer my knowledge and experience to my students.
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Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteOh, I am definitely an immigrant right along with you. I am fascinated by technology, but learning about it and learning to use it takes a great deal of effort and concentration from me.
Your plan to increase the use of your website as a communication tool is an excellent one. We know that students perform better in school and in learning when they have a caring, connected teacher or adult involved in their lives. The technology of a website provides a new, student friendly method of making and maintaining that connection. Students are already familiar with the technology itself, and will appreciate having your communications and information available to them when they are most receptive to it and ready to learn. That may include a point in time that is outside of the traditional school day. Growing accustomed to communicating and learning without the physical contact of a classroom in a school building is simply a reality that is emerging; take for instance, the flu pandemic that became a real possibility a few years ago. In many parts of the world, the climate or geography (and even culture) can also impede the ability to bring students and teachers together physically in the same location. This style of interaction and the accomplishment of work (learning work or paid work) is also a style that will likely be common in their adult lives as workers. They will have websites that they will need to use to seek information from, or host themselves, to complete their work tasks with their colleagues and customers or clients. In increasing the use of your website, you are not only utilizing technology to promote student engagement and achievement, you are designing learning experiences and your school to meet society’s needs for creative thinkers with 21st century skills.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteOur school district allows us to use portals to communicate with students and parents. This is probably very similar to what you have with your personal Web pages that you have posted general information on. My biggest advice with this is to start slow. I am not sure how long it takes for you to get through a unit, however, I currently try to update my portal every unit and give assignment due dates and updates on a unit-to-unit basis. Trying to update the portal daily or even weekly can sometimes be a bit too much to try right away. I hope this helps. Good luck!
Thank you for your advice, Matt. I usually plan out my units on a calendar and they take 3-4 weeks, depending upon the strengths and weaknesses of the students. My thought is that I can post a similar calendar with the assignments and due dates. I was planning in doing this at the beginning of each unit and would edit as necessary.
ReplyDeleteInger,
ReplyDeleteWith each class we have together, it becomes more clear we are very similar in our approach to technology and education.
My hope with my web page is for parents to be more aware of what is happening in the classroom. I do have parents check their child's grades, so I am hoping they will be interested in checking my website as well. Another goal is that parents and students can see what was missed if absent.
"Back-to-School" night is this week! My goal is to have a calendar posted and a blog with an introduction post so I can direct the parents to my website that night (or maybe even show them if I can get an in-focus projector). Wish me luck!