Oct
19
Training and Learning Reflection
October 19, 2009 | | Leave a Comment
Learning and Training
Today I was offering a two hour training session to employees in the district that I labeled Digital Media – Digital Camera Basics. When I first decided to provide this training I really had no idea how I was going to conduct this training as it would be my first time conducting training on digital camera basics. All I knew was that I wanted to have a training on digital cameras as they are becoming more popular in our district and I have received a few emails asking me questions regarding digital cameras. So, I offered the training and let everyone in the district know about it via email and my online professional development calendar at the beginning of the month.
At first I was thinking about creating a PowerPoint presentation that would discuss the different types of cameras, the different types of memory cards, the different mega pixels, the different types of ways it would connect to a computer, etc. However I really didn’t want to do something like this because in my experience, PowerPoint type trainings have become really boring and I really wanted to do something hands on. The only problem I had was that I didn’t have enough digital cameras to hand out to everyone who was scheduled to attend the training; as a matter of fact, I only had two digital cameras. So, I decided that I would put a that PowerPoint together after all and go that route for the training.
However, come training day, I decided to take a chance and go with the hands on approach anyway and chuck the PowerPoint. I decided that I would just hand out the 2 digital cameras out and hope that others who signed up for the class would bring their own cameras; luckily that was the case. During the training I basically spent the first 20 to 30 minutes discussing some facts about digital cameras in general, similarities and differences, and I also discussed how they could be used in the classroom and the library as well (had some librarians attending the training). The next 10 to 15 minutes I had them look at the cameras I handed out as well as look at some of the other cameras that others had brought in as well to compare and contrast them. During this time, it actually extended to about 30 minutes because more questions came up about the differences and similarities about the cameras. This lead to conversations and “training” not only from me but from some of the more experience photographers in the session; communication. The next 30 minutes I had them take pictures with their cameras and the cameras I passed out. The teachers who actually brought their cameras were willing to share their cameras and swap with the ones I passed out just so they could learn a little more about the different cameras. The last 30 to 40 minutes of the session we discussed how to copy or move those images to a computer or laptop using the accompanying software from each camera; noting that each one will be different as well.
Overall, the training session was very successful and the teachers and librarians who attended seemed to enjoy the training as well. However, what made this training session memorable for me was that one of the teachers said “this was cool, it didnt even seem like a training session but more like a learning session.” What she said really caught my attention and made me reflect on some of my past training sessions and that in some cases I cant just “train” our teachers but give them more opportunities to “learn” how to use technology.
I hope you can reflect on this as well and think about how many times as a teacher do you provide your students opportunities to learn something rather than sitting up in front of the class and try to train them?
Sep
21
Will technology kill writing?
September 21, 2009 | Tagged 21st century students, cursive writing | 1 Comment
Cursive writing killed by technology?
As I was catching up on some of my tweets on Twitter tonight, one caught my attention, a post by EdTechSandyK. It read “Cursive Writing: IMHO it’s still needed…” and it lead to an article found on yahoo.com called “Cursive writing may be fading skill, but so what?”
The reason her tweet and the article caught my attention is because during the summer while I was conducting the districts 11th annual (my 2nd) Summer Technology Integration Program I spoke a lot about how technology is in my everyday life whether its at work, home or play. While I preached how great technology is, and I do believe its great, I would tell each session on the first day of the training that I use technology so much for almost every aspect in my life that I can actually go weeks without picking up a pen or pencil.
Why would I? I have desktop computer, a laptop and a Blackberry phone at work that all allow me to enter information via a keyboard at anytime and anywhere I want and are all snyched to each other. At home, its almost the same thing, I have a desktop, a laptop, a netbook and a Palm Centro phone that are all synched with the same information. At the stores I use my debit card to pay, no writing. If I need cash I make an ATM withdrawal, no writing. To conduct my online course that I am teaching at Our Lady of the Lake University I use any of my computers and logon to the Blackboard system, again, no writing.
In all honestly the only time I do write is when I need to sign something or when I need to pay the one lone monthly bill that does not accept online payments. Like I said, I can literally go weeks without picking up a pen or a pencil.
However, like I mentioned to those who attended my training during the summer, is my “ability” to go without picking up a pen or pencil a good thing or a bad thing? Sometimes I struggle to answer this question because I love technology so much to the point that I would be perfectly fine doing everything via a computer, Internet, the Cloud, etc. Besides, reading someones writing via a word processor is usually a lot easier to read than that of someone who used cursive or even print writing to write the same article, essay, book, etc.
The article really only talks about cursive writing being a fading skill and describes that it is a skill that is no longer really taught or emphasized but that most people are switching to a hybrid cursive and print style. However, I don’t think it goes quite far enough into considering some of the possibilities of the further future. It may be just me and my “post apocalyptic” way of thinking, but what happens if technology is pushed down to the Pre-K and Kinder levels so much so that writing altogether is no longer emphasized or taught? What happens if our grand kids grand kids no longer know how to write in a time when something catastrophic occurs and comes in and wipes out technology altogether?
I may be jumping the gun here and looking way too far into the future, but I think its something we really need to think about not only as teachers, principals, and leaders, but as human beings. Maybe we shouldn’t be so caught up in teaching 21st Century Skills, but teaching 22nd and 23rd Century Skills, whatever that may be! Fun to think about! :0)
Sep
15
National Hispanic Hertiage Month
September 15, 2009 | Tagged activities, heritage, hispanic, lesson plans, month audio, national | Leave a Comment
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/mexicanrev.htm
Did you know that September 15 marks the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua and it also marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Mexico then declared their independence the next day on September 16, also known as Diez y Seis de Septiembre .
If you are looking for resources such as lessons, activities, or videos to teach the National Hispanic Heritage Month you can visit two sites that will provide you with a lot of resources.
On the Thinkfinity website at http://www.thinkfinity.org/HispanicHeritageMonth.aspx. “Thinkfinity offers lessons, activities and more to celebrate the diverse history and important contributions Latinos have made to American culture.” No login is required for this site and the resources are free to use.
Sep
8
President Obama’s Speech to Students
September 8, 2009 | Tagged education, obama, president, speech | Leave a Comment
Aug
19
Adopt a Teacher
August 19, 2009 | Tagged pln, teamwork, technology team | 1 Comment
Team
As the new, and first, Instructional Technology Coordinator for my district, one of the things that I want to accomplish this year is to establish Campus Technology Teams. I strongly believe in communication and collaboration among teachers, administrators, students, parents, etc. While working with two other school districts in the past I have either been a part of or have created Campus Technology Teams and they have been very successful in my opinion. One of the things that I noticed while being part of a team or leading a team is that when we first start off, the team is very small, a handful of teachers if we are lucky, but by years end, the team has doubled in size.
The team I created at the high school while teaching consisted of 4 people originally; myself, the Librarian, an English teacher and a Social Studies teacher. My goal was to teach these teachers how to use different technologies at first and then how they could integrate that technology into their classrooms. This campus had a history and a culture that consisted of teachers fighting against whatever the principal asked of them, any new programs, and a lot of the teachers just didnt want the “extra” work.
However, with the Campus Technology Team, I didnt force the team members to push technology onto other teachers, I just asked that they make the other teachers in their departments aware of the technology they knew and used in the classrooms. If one of their colleagues bit on the technology bait, then I asked them to take that person in and show them how to use that technology or technologies. Slowly, but surely, they began to tell me that some of their colleagues began asking about the technology and how it works and how it can be used. By the end of the first year the Campus Technology Team went from the original 4 people and had grown to 8 people; myself, the Librarian, the English teacher, the Social Studies teachers, a Math teacher, 2 Science teachers, and an ELL teacher.
Therefore, I am hoping that the creating of Campus Technology Teams will work the same way in the current district I work for. I know it will probably be a great challenge but it is a challenge I am looking forward to. So, in the words of Tim Holt I ask you to consider this…
IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS YEAR…
Adopt a Teacher.
Take at least one teacher under your arm this year and assist them with and the learning of technology. It can be a teacher who has some knowledge of technology but just doesn’t know how to integrate it into their lessons or that one teacher who feels like she is the “dinosaur” of the group and is afraid to use even the smallest amount of technology. Even if you feel you are a novice with technology take what you know and share it with another teacher or teachers, communicate…collaborate…create.
Have a great school year!
