Cyber bullying

I think cyber bullying is an important topic.  We try to teach smaller children how to be "polite" at young ages but as a society as a whole, I feel politeness isn't modeled.  So much of what students see and hear in the news (politicians for example), and through social media (celebrities especially), isn't politeness at all.  So much of the "norm" in society is giving opinions, tell what one thinks, and telling others what is "right" and "wrong" that for student to know what is truly "bullying" and what appears to be the societal norms can appear to be contradictory.

As an administrator, this can be difficult to monitor.  I do think that character education at the elementary level and character expectations as students continue to get older is important.  I think that as long as social media is so prevalent, teachers and administrators will have their hands full trying to monitor and address each incident of cyber bullying.  Things have got to change outside of the school environment before what the schools do can be 100% effective.

Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is rapidly becoming a ubiquitous situation that is synonymous to a car with no brakes.  At one point in time, students had to be in the presence of one another for bullying to occur.  As such, school administrators were often able to make logistical changes to schedules as a means to stem the tide of bullying that might occur to a specific student.  Unfortunately, the same safeguards cannot be said of bullying in the cyber form.  Students are now able to taunt and damage each other with nothing more than a keystroke.

For the administrator, this presents some serious challenges as students often bully each other from home regarding situations that occurred at school.  As a future administrator, I believe curbing bullying must begin with a school sponsored program that addresses cyber bullying in a way that not only makes clear the damages that come from cyber bullying, but allows students opportunities to voice their concerns and needs regarding cyber bullying.  When these practices are put in place effectively - not in a way that seems phony to the students - then teens who bully may begin to take their actions seriously.

7/18/16 Class

Cyberbullying may not be an immediate threat to the first grade students I teach, but the truth is that they are going to face cyberbullying at some point in their lives and I feel compelled to prepare them to be responsible digital citizens. There was a major case of cyberbullying in the media these past few days as an actress from the new Ghostbusters movie (Leslie Jones) was bullied on Twitter. The comments made were hateful and wrong, and very hurtful to the actress. This made me think about our class and how we need to be aware of the reality of cyberbullying and start at an early age to teach kindness as well as responsible technology use.

As we looked at the NETS standards for Teachers and Students, it can be overwhelming to think about all the expectations laid out for technology use. I think it is important to know that technology can support our other content areas and meeting those standards and technology use doesn't need to be in addition to what we already do. I could see teachers being overwhelmed by adding more standards, but hopefully technology can be used to support  and enhance learning across the board.

ISTE Student Standards

I found the ISTE Student Standards to be surprising because so many of them focused on incorporating Digital Citizenship lessons into technology assignments in all curricula. Our former professor said that there should not be a "Technology Class", but rather that proper use of technology should be taught by all teachers as it applies to their subject area. The ISTE Student Standards seem to reinforce this concept, and I believe it is a good idea to hold students to high standards in all aspects of education.

Cyberbulling

It seems that cyber bullying is something that we beat to death but unfortunately I believe that we are at the front of it.There are reasons why we don't allow young people to make decisions because we know that they are not always capable of rationalizing in order to do the right thing all of the time. We are now at a time when a 5 year old is given phones that can connect to anything in the world and we expect the best. Parents use these things as babysitters and then get mad when they find out the child has been doing something that they should not be doing.

Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is an important topic and one that needs to be handled, but I feel like the school is expected to be more involved than they need to be. Bullying has become a term that students and parents use frequently and most of the time they are coming into the school demanding that actions be taken against the bully. I believe that there is importance to making students and parents aware of what bullying is and how to handle bullying situations, but like many of us said in class today, it sometimes feels like we are promoting bullying accusations.
We have spent some time in other classes looking a discipline policies and student handbooks that are now including cyber bullying and I believe that adding it is necessary. When adding the policy in the handbook many schools have not only added the definition of cyber bullying, but they have gone above and beyond by explaining that it has to be intentional, repetitive and hurtful to the victim. Many people do not understand that bullying is an ongoing issue not just an isolated incident.
I understand as an administrator that it is important to take any and all accusations seriously, but I also feel that we have gotten too far away from the days when parents would say "kids will be kids" or would want their child to "toughen up" and be able to defend themselves. I worry about how we are making life to easy in school for these kids!

Technology in the Classroom and Cyber Bullying

Learning about the technology tools that can be used in the classroom was extremely interesting to me. The one that I enjoyed the most was Plicker. I feel this tool could implemented in my classroom because we worry about how quick our students get into activity. We are still required to pre-test and post-test along the way which takes class time away. I feel this tool can be used when I am quizzing the students over different topics as I scan the room and then monitor if I have to spend more time on that topic or if I can move on. 

With our district looking to move to 1:1 learning about these quizzing tools would be extremely helpful for teachers in our district. I have not heard many teachers discuss the different technology tools that they use because we are limited in the technology, but we are also unfamiliar with the different tools available. I know I did not take a technology course in college which I think could be helpful for aspiring teachers especially when technology is becoming common in schools. 

Technology in the Classroom and Cyber Bullying

As schools continue to focus on 1:1 technology in school, I believe that administrators need to take a look at their current bullying policy to incorporate cyber bullying and the consequences that will be issued if it is done on school property. I believe that it is also important to teach students what it means to be a bully and when it is important to report. All incidents in my opinion should be reported and documented.

With not having much technology that the students have to access in the classroom, when our school moves 1:1, I would like to incorporate or as a future administrator model the use of the go formative so students can answer questions and receive immediate feedback. I believe that by receiving immediate feedback the students are more likely to retain the information that was just presented to them. It also gives me the opportunity to use different forms of assessment to evaluate students and get them more engaged in the classroom.

Class 7-18-16

Today in class it was interesting for me to learn about the different types of formative assessments that are out there. In the past two years of teaching I have not had a wide range of technology available to me. I have had three classroom computers, my computer, and an iPad. We have access to the computer lab, but I am required to allow time for my students to complete our school programs, Lexia Core 5 and IXL. By the time we complete those programs we do not have time to venture out into other types of technology. This year, however, I am receiving multiple classroom iPads.

I hope to incorporate quite a few of these sources of assessments we discussed today this year. I definitely plan to use plickers this year, especially because it does not require a lot of technological resources. I think the students would enjoy getting to use a more "fun" and different type of assessment.

Along with that, I hope to be able to use Go Formative as I can collect results and give feedback to students! This will be great to have as data as well. I love the idea of having the results on the computer, rather than just the grade in the gradebook.

I hope to also explore other assessment options such as Kahoot, Socrative, Seesaw, and Go Soap Box eventually. I believe all of these would be great options to engage students and take aware from the stress of paper/pencil assessments!

New Teacher Tech Sites!

Today I was extremely excited to learn about all the new websites available for formative assessment use! I have used Kahoot a lot in my room, but I think it would be pretty exciting for my students if I used a variety of different options!
Options that were new to me included Plickers, Formative, Socrative, and GoSoapBox. I really like the idea of GoSoapBox because it is similar to Kahoot, but students can get 100% feedback and use it to study. To my knowledge, Kahoot doesn't offer that option, or at least not without doing some work first! I also thought Plickers was cool. The students would probably be really into holding up the sign. I can see its advantage over Kahoot because when students are using devices to click answers in, their screens come up green or red depending on whether or not they got the answer correct. This makes it easy for other students to see who got the answers wrong, which can lead to other issues. Plickers makes it a lot harder for "snooping." The other two sites are great as well, just as a way to mix things up and keep the students on their toes! Who knew there was so much available....and all for free!? :)

7-18-16 class

Today I learned a lot about different technologies to assess students. I am so excited to try some of these such as SeeSaw for student portfolios, Clickers and go formative for assessments in class. I think my students will enjoy them and it is a great way to incorporate technology and use formative assessments to determine learning in the classroom. As a future administrator, these are great websites and apps to keep in mind to encourage teachers to use for assessments and sharing student achievement or work.

I also enjoyed looking at the NETS standards for teachers and students. I was unaware of these standards and am going to make that my goal this year to teach more from their guidance and incorporate more technology into my classroom.  In a leadership role, I will make sure the staff is aware of these standards and push for a higher use of technology in the classrooms and school as a whole. 

Formative Evaluation and Technology

The new technology being made available to evaluate students is exciting. Not only will it help to make life easier for the teacher, but I believe it will also increase student engagement. As soon as students get to interact more and be involved in the actual assessment I have found that students become more interested and willing to participate in the task.

eRate

        I had never heard of eRate before today.  I was surprised that the program existed because I had never heard of any district that used the program.  I think this is a great program for all districts.  I don't know how this program is advertised to the districts or if it is but I feel all districts should take advantage and apply for as much assistance as they can qualify for.
        I also love the idea of the custom searches.  I realize they are similar to the idea of Symabloo but I feel that the custom searches are more age appropriate for high schoolers.  I say this because I think some of my students might view the tiles on Symbaloo as juvenile and too simple.  I also think the custom searches would be helpful when doing small group work where each group focuses on a different aspect of a topic.  Listing the custom searches for each group keeps the research focused for each group.

The Speed of Technology

I thought the video we viewed today on the speed of technology was absolutely fascinating.  I regularly hear about how quickly technology moves through our society, but I had never before witnessed it in such an interesting manner.  For example, it's difficult to comprehend that a college freshmen's coursework may not be applicable by their junior year due to the rate of knowledge.  It begs the question:  how will humans "keep-up" with technology as it continues to unfold at such a rapid pace?  I'm not sure anyone can answer that question, but time will certainly tell.

In addition to the rate of technology, the video portrayed human intelligence geographically.  It's interesting - and possibly scary - to consider that the top 25% of Chinese students make-up a larger population than the entire United States.  If that's the case, then it's fair to assume that the United States may no longer be a global leader in many technological aspects, as emerging markets bring a stronger brain trust to the future of invention.

Data Generation

The video from the beginning of class today about the new Data Generation brought up a point that I was not aware of previously. The video pointed out that by reading the New York Times for 1 full week, one would present the brain with more information than previous generations would have received in a lifetime. Prior to this generation a person had a considerable amount of time to process new information before receiving another new piece of data. Our brains are now trained from birth to receive exponential amounts of data and process it instantaneously, so that when the next information comes out we are ready to receive and process all over again. This creates a generation gap between teachers and students because teachers must train their brains on how to process all of this data, while students are born with the expectation of processing it. This reinforces the importance of the principal providing leadership and professional development in technology for the teachers to help them adjust to processing all of the current data and technology relevant to classroom learning. Even though students can process the data faster, the teacher is still vital to each student's learning because the teachers introduces concepts and inspires students to discover more on their own.  By showing teachers how well technology and teaching can go hand-in-hand, a principal can create a shared vision for technology and empower the entire school community.

I loved the " Do you know" video that we viewed today in class, I may have it on repeat during conferences next year. I believe that we all realize that technology is moving at a rapid pace but when numbers are presented in a way that the video does, it seems staggering and overwhelming. Education is changing faster now than it ever has. I have to believe that steps are being taken to revamp the way that we are going to educate young people who want to go into education. The days of making college students take courses that really don't have anything to do with education have got to go away.

Technology: Scary or Exciting

The new technology video from the beginning of class was both exciting and terrifying all at the same time! It was amazing to see what is coming and to think not only about how cool a lot of that stuff will be in our personal lives, but how amazing technology application can be in our classrooms/schools. 

However, as a PE teacher watching that video caused a lot of concern. I believe only 2 of the 10 presented technologies allowed for people to actually move. Today I often watch students chose to be completely inactive while having their noses glued to the device of their choice. As professionals we need to take this into consideration. Face to face social interaction, movement and exercise are all critical components of the health of our students. As professionals we need not only choose which devices we use but the Apps, programs, and the ways in which we use them. 

Overall I am excited about technology and the ways in which student engagement significantly improves because let's face it kids love when technology is included in their learning. We just have to remember that it is our professional responsibility as educators to remember all components of a student’s education and health and find ways to use this ever evolving technology in the most effective manner.

Forward Thinking

After watching the video about the newest technology, I was inspired to start investigating what new technology is available to use. I am excited to order Google tech and begin exploring the educational possibilities associated with the virtual world. Many of my students have not eaten at local fast food restaurants, let alone visited zoos or museums. If I could take them to those places through a virtual world, then they would at least be able to gain surface knowledge of those specific places.
Much like what was mentioned in class today, I am too fearful of virtual reality vs. actual reality. I believe that I need to promote and model the latest and greatest technology and teach digital citizenship at the same time. Many students do not have access to technology at home and many other students do, but it is not monitored as it should be. If I can teach students how to use the internet and technology as a tool, then hopefully they will be able to find a balance. Advancing in technology is an exciting and scary path that we are headed down!

Thursday's Class 7/14/16

I thought it was really useful today to look at ISTE's Essential Conditions. ISTE states that these elements are "necessary to effectively leverage technology for learning." After reading through each condition, I couldn't help but think that all of these elements are so important in most educational endeavors. I went back and tried to reread each of them, taking out the word technology and all of the elements were applicable to everything we do as educators and leaders. We try to have a shared vision. We want student centered learning and engaged communities. Yes, the descriptions of each element are specific to technology, but it really shows how technology seamlessly integrates with what we are already doing in schools- seeking the same outcomes with new engaging tools. At the end of the day, we are all in it for the kids and integrating technology in learning will only benefit their overall learning experience.

Virtual Reality

Of all the items we discussed today in class, I found virtual reality to be the most interesting. I can see lots of pros and cons!
I liked Natalie's ideas in class about the option of taking the students in her classroom on virtual field trips. This would be a fantastic alternative to the time and money it would take to actually get on a bus and go somewhere to see it. The virtual realities in this case can bring students opportunities they never would have had otherwise and can provide students with rich learning experiences. I also think that students may be more engaged in what they are learning due to the "cool" factor that virtual reality provides.
On the other hand, virtual reality may eventually cause a threat to society. I worry that children and even adults will have the ability to live in a different world that is fabricated and lose sense of reality. This could cause violence outbreaks in communities, and have an even greater negative impact on society than video games have had. Unlike video gaming, virtual reality can seem entirely real, causing people to think they are capable and okay with doing things in real life that they can do in the virtual world.
If used wisely, virtual reality can be a wonderful learning tool. However, our society does need to use caution in proceeding with this kind of technology.

Take Away points 7-14-16

Future Principals:

Wow, a lot of valuable information was presented to us today in class from the introduction to new technology over the course of the next year to copyright infringement. With the first video we watched, it is absolutely amazing how far we have come with creating virtual technology that will allow kids to get up and start moving. As educators, we can use these resources in a positive light to get our all of our students involved in activities. For example, I think of it in the eyes of a science teacher who is having issues getting a student to dissect an animal in class, with now having "google cardboard" and downloading a simple dissection app, you can have that student be involved with the dissection to help enhance their learning experience. My issue with virtual technology is how it quickly it is evolving and capturing the attention of the younger generation. We rarely seeing a person walking around outside without being attached to a cellular device and now we  possibly are going to allow our students to use such devices in the classroom? The question that I have been asking myself, is after the introduction of technology tools, how do we reel them back into reality and gauge in on what is to be taught in the classroom?

I really enjoyed talking about the essential conditions that need to be met to have a successful technology plan put into place. We have to understand that as future principals, it is our role to promote and model technology and tools that can be used to enhance the learning experience for out students. We can then start a top-down affect to get all other stake-holders involved with the process and create a shared vision for implementation. Through our group collaboration I learned that schools are able to use E-Rate. I think that this is a great tool for school to use as a resource to get technology into the schools for school districts that have low poverty rates to get a means of alternative learning in the classroom. I was not aware that East Peoria High School applied for this grant to get the Wifi put into the school.

Custom Search Engines

Today in class I was excited to learn about creating the custom search engines. I was unaware that this type of search engine existed and I am eager to take it back to my school for this upcoming school year.

The search engine was extremely easy to create and I think that with one explanation of it, most teachers will be able to use it in their classrooms.

I can definitely see this being used at all grade levels in schools. By creating custom search engines teachers can allow students to still be responsible for their own research, but they are able to monitor their searches. I see this being valuable in my classroom to help students with learning how to research at such a young age. Then, as students get older they will be more comfortable with searching for and using a variety of different websites for their sources in papers.

As an administrator this is one tool that you can use to help staff members have a more clear vision of how to facilitate in their student's research. Along with that, administrators may use this with their own staff members in different meetings or in completing different tasks. I can also see this being used when looking to buy specific materials. You can simply customize the websites you like to purchase materials from and then search to find the best deals.

Overall, I think the custom search engines will be beneficial to administrators, teachers, and students in a variety of ways and I am excited to incorporate it into my school.

Advanced Technology

As we have been discussing, technology is on the rise changing every year to almost daily. New products and applications are developing faster than one can keep up. I am excited to see that companies are developing products that will benefit the health industry by creating products that can scan and track food while creating a rings that collect heart rate and physical activity data. I believe products like those may enter the school system in the Physical Education department if the price is suitable for a budget. This product is great for students not only because students in this day and age are custom to numbers and physical data but because the obesity rate in the United States is currently increasing. The ring reminds me of the current heart rate monitors used in Physical Education classes but students complain about the comfort level and sharing it with others, where the ring would eliminate some of those complaints. I find this as an exciting time as an educator but also very nerve racking as a member of our society.

I worry that products such as the virtual reality will become a danger to society because kids will become so wrapped and involved into the video games that some might believe that it is true. The amount of time that the children play video games is excessive and I believe that virtual reality will only allow for that number to increase. I worry that instead of using these products to learn and grow as members of our society children can and I'm sure will use it to cause harm to others around them.

One Takeaway 7/14/16

Learning about the copy right laws today was interesting. I knew there were copyright laws but I didn't realize how much they are actually broken. I reflected on my own usage of documents, music, videos and I think I need to tweet how I go about using the items 😬

As a future administrator, I think it is very important to know these laws and make sure you and your staff adheres to them. Avoiding legal fees, problems, and the reputation associated with that would be best.

Tech Plan Process

The process of writing a technology plan for a district is long and time consuming, but can be a valuable tool when it is implemented and updated. Our teach plan was originally created because of the state mandate. That is no longer the case, but we kept our plan and we continue to use it and update it. We have new goals every three years and we are slowly catching up to technology. 

I think the biggest part of completing the tech plan is the time that has to be invested. Gathering facts and information and choosing strategies that are aligned with standards all take time to do. That is a majority of the process and time. The part that I think needs more attention is the monitoring portion of the process. Often times, especially when the plan isn't mandated, the follow up is not done well or at all. It is important to complete the whole process, re-evaluate and make changes as needed. 

I also believe that it is important for everyone in the building to be aware of the tech plan, not just the members of the committee. Technology is becoming more and more prevalent in our schools and classes and it is important for the teachers using it to be aware of the school's vision and policies/security measures. 

NETS for Administrators

Being on the technology committee at EPCHS, I am able to see more of the standards at work than other people in my building. Our team created a tech plan and we continue to revise and update it at our meetings each month. We are currently working on the deployment of 1:1. Our plan doesn't call for full deployment for at least another 2 years, but at least the ball is rolling. There is no question, we are behind in the times and we need to catch up with the age of the digital learner.
Looking at the standards, we have some work to do. As an administrator, it is important to model and promote the use of technology in the school. As a teacher, I don't feel that technology is being promoted or modeled as well as it could be in my school. Other key aspects that we could improve upon are the accessibility of technology in our school in every department and inspiring the purposeful change into the digital age. It seems to many that we have been dragging our feet through the technology movement. Hopefully we will get our pilot groups started this year and begin implementing technology in classes.

Tech Plan Process

This topic was very interesting to be because our district is currently going through the process of creating a technology plan while moving one to one. I knew there was an ample amount of planning that would have to go into this but I think taking the time and reading through the process maybe we're not "dragging our feet" as much as I want to believe. The process of a technology plan should include those who are knowledgeable about technology such as head of the IT department, someone who understands the districts funds such as the superintendent or the CFO and someone who will be on the front line of using the technology such as a teacher. While other people may and should be involved those three people are the most important people that you must have on the committee to establish a successful technology plan.

When the word technology is brought up in conversation in the school system, the first thing that comes to mind for some is "what about misuse? What about the bullying?" This may be one reason that some districts are slow to get into the world of technology, I know that's a reason for ours. The answer to those questions are right in the technology plan, we must have a filtering system and we must monitor student use. Having a filtering system is not one hundred percent bullet proof, but it is a good start. The filtering system will not allow students to access websites that can cause harm to themselves or others. While teachers must held accountable for monitoring their students while keeping them on task during class instruction.

Nets for Administrators

The ISTE Standards for Administrators emphasizes administrators must promote all aspects of technology. They must promote and inspire stakeholders to utilize the technology that is available to them while also promoting the safety and proper use. Technology can be a territory that not everyone wants to enter and it is the administrators who must display the importance by inspiring those around them to not be afraid to try new things, and to take risks that may fail.

I believe that technology can also be misused if it is not taught properly and if professional development is not lifelong that it can easily turn into a negative learning tool. Not only can certain sites be misused but also the tool of technology if misused can turn into a search engine. Instead of students using technology to create projects such as videos or blogs if it is misused they will just use the technology in front of them to search questions they do not know the answer to.

While administrators must use technology to collect data on student achievement, it is extremely important for those administrators to teach and encourage teachers and staff to do the same. Children in this day and age are number orientated, they need to see with numbers that they are improving or declining which is why data collection is even more important. While technology is changing every day one person cannot stay one hundred percent up to date, therefore, administrators must be willing to collaborate with all stakeholders to maximize student learning with the use of technology. If administrators and teachers collaborate together on data collection I believe that they will find that the amount of data collected will grow substantially.

Tech Planning Process

When looking into the technology planning process, I recognized many of the details that went into my own district's technology plan. Having not been a part of this process before, it was insightful to look into the many factors that were considered behind the scenes for the personnel involved. I think it would be really interesting to be on this planning committee.

One thing that stood out for me was the thought that there should be no more than two goals. Sometimes I think we get ahead of ourselves with technology as it changes so quickly. We think of all the things we "should" be doing and aspire to do all of them, but in a large district that much change can take time. I like the thought that a district should focus in on two achievable goals and actually make them happen, then anything additional is just a bonus to what has been achieved from the plan.

Leading By Example

I've been a teacher for nine years and, in that time, I have always been impressed by administrators who strive to lead by example.  It's easy to fall back on the old adage, "do as I say - not as I do", and for administrators it must be tempting to rely on that at times, especially when it comes to technology. 

All districts want to witness student achievement that derives from technological innovations, but this can be challenging when even district leadership is uncertain about the possibilities that exist with regards to the use of computers and online services.  Further, if administrators have not been stakeholders in providing a vision for technology at the building level, then teachers will likely fail to provide a similar vision to students at the classroom level.  The result is a school district that had great intentions but got lost at the crucial point of implementation because of weak leadership.

The most important piece of information I received today came from the idea that I will need to be a strategic and thoughtful leader of technology in both design and implementation.  I will need to serve as a model, so that teachers can witness my own "buy in" and thus feel more inclined to accept the challenges associated with an ever-evolving classroom.

NETSA

NETS-A does a great job of providing administrators with guidance for understanding and implementing technology changes within their school districts.  It was interesting to consider our initial thoughts regarding specific technological knowledge administrators should possess and then realizing how different and better developed the standards were in comparison.  As such, the standards provided a more comprehensive and leadership directed process for modeling and implementing technology into the classroom.  In fact, the standards seem careful not to get "bogged down" in the mire of specifics, while providing an excellent tool for analyzing technology from a more holistic perspective that is applicable at both a building and district level.

Tech Plan

I did not realize the volume of what went into the outline of a tech plan and then the start up of that plan. I also find it odd that schools had to have a plan and now that we are in a push for technology in the classroom, a plan is no longer required.

Our school does not have a tech team and as of right now, we have an outdated plan. I have contacted our principle and will begin to assist her in putting a plan together as soon as he gets back from vacation. It would seem that a solid plan is essential.

Tech Plan Process

I found it interesting that the guidelines currently in place for establishing a technology plan are extremely thorough and detailed. The first guideline is to research the district's data, specifically the school report card, before moving forward with any other steps in the planning process. I believe this is the most important step in the process, because each district has vastly different needs for their students, teachers, and communities. It is vital for the Tech Plan Committee to have a clear understanding of the gaps in the current learning environment before they can begin to decide what types of technologies can address those gaps.

Another important factor in any Tech Plan is to consistently reevaluate the effectiveness of the plan. Technology changes so quickly that it only makes sense to change the Tech Plan in order to adapt. This requires a considerable amount of flexibility on the part of the principal because the Tech Plan will never feel "set in stone", but if the principal models this flexibility with ease I believe the students, teachers, and community will follow suit.

Once a Tech Plan is in place the school must provide professional development to ensure that staff knows how to use the new technology to improve education. This is why it is important for a principal to be well-versed in the different grade levels and content areas within their building, and how different technologies apply to those demographics. Setting up effective professional development is a priority, and it cannot be done without background knowledge on the part of the principal.

NETS- Admin

     I was not aware of technology standards for administrators.  The one thing that resonated with me was the fact that the standards ask that administrators take action, not just help write the technology plans and then sit back while implement the plan.  The standards include words like implement, integrate, facilitate, advocate, model, and promote.  These words require action by administrators.  I think an administrator that takes action and models implementation policies and plans has a better chance of their staff following and trying to help the administrator implement the technology plan (or any plan or policy).

Technology Plans

     While discussing the technology plans today I was surprised at how much data has to be considered, first, before the plan can be written and implemented.  I was not surprised that student population, tests scores, and other "student centered" data was considered. I was more surprised by the gathering of data that related to what type of data the district already had, both hardware and software, and what they were looking to accomplish.  Although I was surprised, I think it is important that districts were required to analyze where they were coming from (what do they have, what do they need, what do they want) in order to write a good plan.   I think this is important information to analyze because technology is extremely expensive and uses a lot of resources within a district.  This specific data, can help guide a district in a positive direction for student learning and also with the spending of funds. 

       I was also surprised to learn about CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act).  This act is important and a very good idea.  Safety and protection of students should be a priority with districts.  This act should also be a tool to putting parents at ease when introducing technology to students and parents having concerns.

District Technology Plans

After today's class I was able to have a better understanding of the tech plan process that districts should have in place. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that there would be eight full pages of guidelines just to write a technology plan. First of all, I didn't even realize every district was supposed to have a technology plan (maybe because our district doesn't)!
Now that I think about it I can see why a technology plan would be an important component to any district. If there is not a plan for the money, where is the technology going to come from? And if there is no plan for where the district is heading technology-wise, then how can anyone know how much to try and save? These are questions that should be discussed within a committee and mapped out to ensure best practice.
On a side note, I also never knew that there was such a thing as a Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). CIPA is a smart idea, as it protects schools from students getting a hold of inappropriate material on the internet. Without CIPA, schools these days could start encountering law suits. I did know that most schools invest in fire walls and programs that block certain sites, I just didn't realize it was a law now. I sure am glad it is though! :)

Tech Plan

The idea of technology plans are very interesting to me. Throughout my student teaching at Rankin, I sat in on technology meetings where different types of technology were discussed and ideas were brought to the table, but there was never a specific plan put into place. Two years later, Rankin has integrated a lot of different technology into our building, but there is still no specific plan put into place. I am glad that we were able to discuss the topic of technology plans today and I hope that I can take my knowledge gained from this course and put it to use in our district.

In the future when developing a technology plan, I will use the information learned today. First of all, I will be sure that our team takes a look at our district data. We will look at the school report card and local assessment data and be able to summarize and analyze the data to draw conclusions. We will use these conclusions to develop an action plan. This plan will have a couple goals that are set in a timeline with a process of how the goals will be completed. Then, once the goal is set, there will be monitoring and evaluations by the administrator that take place to assess the effectiveness and use of the technology incorporated in the plan.

I am a firm believer in the idea that technology is an important aspect of teaching and learning in today's society. I also believe that with that technology there needs to be a shared vision that can keep all teachers and administrators within a district on the same page. I hope that I can help my district to develop a technology plan in the near future and I can continue to manage and develop technology plans as I further my career as an administrator.

Tech Plan Process

Learning about the components of the tech plan was very interesting topic! I knew that our school had a tech plan that was going to be put into place, but was not aware of all of the different components that need to be brought together for the success of the plan to meet the needs of all diverse learners withing the district. I was not aware that in the past the district needed to look at the plan and update every three years and resubmit to ISBE, I thought that it would need to be a yearly due to advances in technology. I found it very interesting that the school district is monitoring the community demographics to help with the implementation of technology plan to ensure that all students needs are being met and the plan is student-centered.

I learned that when making a district technology plan that is important to have goals "key initiatives" that are aligned with the needs of the students. We use the S.M.A.R.T acronym to make sure that the goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and done in a timely manner. With having the goals, they need to promote learning that can be tied to substantial and continuous growth along with students who receive safe harbor. With the implementation of a district technology plan, they need to implement time in which faculty can take time to be introduced to the plan and how they will use it in the classroom to benefit the needs of the students.

NETS-A

I believe that as an administrator is it our job to promote and get our faculty involved in professional development to implement technology in the classroom to get students engaged. By promoting faculty to go to professional development, we are able to create a learning environment where faculty members can teach each other the importance of incorporating different techniques into the classroom for student success. I also believe that as a future administrator it is also important to allocate resources and time for faculty members to keep update on the current trends as technology is changing to ensure the safety of our students.

The one thing that sticks out in my head from  modeling from NETS-A is, "Model and promote the frequent and use of technology and learning." As an administrator it is essential that we promote and model appropriate uses of technology in an ethical manner so that faculty members can model this behavior in the classroom for appropriate use. As a future administrators, we can model the different types of technology that can be used in the classroom through school meetings, or daily e-mail to get the news out. NETS-A  also states that it is important to create environments that are "learner-centered" to meet the needs of all diverse students. All students learn at a different rate and it is essential that we provide technology that reaches all students at different levels.

Administrative Technology Standards

The article we read regarding principal technology was very eye-opening. I thought it was interesting that all of us came up with specific programs and pieces of knowledge that we felt we should have when asked, yet the ISTE stared objectives that were very different for administrators.
According to the article we read, principals need to allocate time and resources for their teachers rather than just simply knowing how the different resources worked. Although it may be difficult, providing the time for teachers to attend conferences and other PD opportunities is crucial to technology success in any school building. Organizing before and after school meetings, working with the budget to find money for these resources, and allowing teachers the time to acclimate to these new tools are other important ways that principals can provide the support necessary in a school setting.
Aside from all of these crucial expectations in the principals' technology standards, administrators also need to model what they want in their buildings. In my mind, this is the most important aspect of all. If a principal wants his or her staff to be using all Google communication, yet he/she is sending hand-written letters to classrooms via carrier pigeon, the response from teachers will be poor. This is obviously an outlandish example, it is true that principals should not be walking around to take notes with a pen and a pad of paper while preaching for teachers to use iPads and laptops. Bottom line, if you want your staff to jump on board, you, as an administrator, should be the first one on the train!

Filter

I'm not really sure why, but during our law class I remember reading that for a school to receive funding they must have a filter on all of their devices to protect students from inappropriate material that may pop-up on their device or that they may even attempt to search. So when we discussed the raise you left hand and turn off the monitor with your right hand technique of "filtering" it really made me think about how far technology has come in such a short time, and how far it has yet to go.

With this in mind it is critical as an administrator that if we are providing technology to our students then we also need to protect them. The technology plan that is established needs to recognize the dangers as well as the benefits technology has to offer and needs to continuously ensure that the filter they have is capable of keeping up with the ever changing technology and offering our students the safest environment possible.

Abby- NETS-A

The most interesting part of the NETS-A was that the principal is supposed to be the symbolic leader for technology implementation in the school. Teachers are in the trenches doing the daily mechanical work as they find efficient ways to incorporate technology into lessons. Principals are there to inspire the entire school community in order to create a shared vision for change. The principal should be the wind beneath the wings of the staff in the effort to help technology boost student success.

The NETS-A also specifically outlines that the principal is supposed to advocate for technology funding at the state level. This requires the principal to know the full scope of the needs of staff and students in order to create a more effective learning culture through technology. Without knowing what the school needs, the principal cannot properly advocate for technology funding. The principal must make it a priority to have regular contact with staff members and students about what is working and what is not working with the technology currently in place.

The final point on NETS-A that I found interesting is the depth to which the principal must be abreast of the constantly-changing technology updates, changes, and programs and how those can or cannot be useful in a classroom setting. The principal must take into account all grade levels within the district, as well as all content areas, and be up-to-date on the technology that can be useful to those specific learning environments. This can feel like a daunting and exhausting challenge because of how quickly each program changes and new programs are released, but with good PLN's, it is a challenge that all principals can achieve together.

Tech Plan Process 7/12/16

Learning about the tech plan process was something I had never thought of before. To be honest, I didn't realize school districts had tech plans! I just assumed it was open ended and school districts essentially incorporated what was popular or would be the most beneficial to student learning.  I think the idea of having a tech plan is a great idea to keep districts on track and outline a goal with technology. Of course the plan can be modified as you go but to have an outline of where you want to go is great!

I found it interesting to learn about the process in forming a proper tech plan. One the most important pieces I think is to ensure that you have a committee or team that has knowledge of technology ands ranges of experience. For example, you don't want s committee of only K teachers or teachers with little tech knowledge. The committee should be well balanced with members of a variety of grade levels, teaching experience, and technology comfort levels to ensure everyone is being represented not the plan. Don't forget about those teachers who are not comfortable using technology because they should be represented as well. You might need to have something on the plan as simple as learning to email for teachers who are not tech savvy.

A tech plan is a great way to set goals, figure out what you currently have, and what you think you may need. I like that the plan incorporates finding out what you already have and trying to continue using it and then adding to it as well.

NETS-A

When we looked at the ISTE Standards for administrators I recognized how the standards encourage administrators to become involved in the technological process by promoting the use of technology through demonstration and by providing teachers and staff with opportunities to become acquainted with technology. One way that administrators can do this is by demonstrating their leadership throughout the process of implementing technology in schools. Creating a shared vision with staff members is the first step in doing so. After creating the vision, the administration should engage in the process of implementing technology and communication the process to others. Lastly, administrators should advocate the technology in which they are pushing within their schools. By demonstrating leadership and being involved in the process, administrators can help staff members to implement technology into the school.

When this shared vision is created, administrators must then help to carry out the technology plan. Through this, administrators must stay up-to-date on research and be aware how to help their schools. With this, comes allowing time and resources for professional developments, PLCs, and collaboration between staff members. By doing so, administrators are allowing all staff members to become acquainted with the technological resources being learned within the district.

By looking at the ISTE Standards for administrators today I learned that it is the administrator's job to encourage and promote the use of technology in their buildings by creating a shared vision and being an active member in carrying out that vision through the use of collaboration and teamwork.

7/12/16- NETS-A

Something that stuck with me from the NETS-A was the piece on facilitating technology practice in school staff. I initially thought about my own administrators and their ability with technology, but as we have discussed in previous classes it is not the job of the administrator to know everything, but to be able to facilitate experiences for teachers. I think it is great for administrators who are not as strong in technology to reach out to staff members who are to share out their knowledge. This is empowering to those teachers and also inspiring to other teachers who relate to someone who is actually using technology in the classroom.

Another important aspect is of course modeling. I think so many administrators fear technology use for various reasons and just shut down. Especially when it comes to social media, there is a feeling that it's just easier to stay off of it. In reality, if many of your staff members are going to be using social media- it's best to be out there so you can not only see what is going on with your staff but to model appropriate use. Just as administrators should try to be seen in social situations (an after school happy hour, etc.) behaving appropriately, modeling appropriate behavior on social media is an effective way to connect with school staff and model expectations.

Using strategic plans when it comes to a shared vision in starting a new technology plan it paramount for the success of of that plan. To begin with it should be understood that not everyone is going to be excited about something new or different that they are now expected to do. As the leader of the team we should model and provide any assistance to the group that may be needed. Once people in the group have established themselves as someone who is flourishing, have them begin to assist in support of others in the group who may still need some help. Often times staff members are more willing to take help from those that they see as "on their same level."

NETS 7/12/16

I found the NETS standards to be very interesting. I never knew that they existed but I appreciated the points that they made. I think it's very important to be a visionary leader and encourage technology in your leadership. I think that NETS made a great point in saying that a leader should model technology usage and stay active in the technology community. For example, using technology during staff meetings such as padlet for collaboration or blogger to write about a concern they have in the building. These are great ways to promote technology and show teachers different ways to use technology in their own classrooms. A leader should also promote technology usage during evaluation meetings and provide examples for how it can be used. A leader needs to be an advocate for technology in their building and have a basic knowledge of how the technology works. For example, if you are implementing Chromebooks, you should know how to use it properly and how to connect to Wifi or where the access points are.

 I also like that in the NETS they stated to provide professional development opportunities for staff and recruit/retain staff that are tech savvy essentially. Always staying on top of technology yourself but bringing that information to the staff is important and trying to find staff who has a passion or interest in technology is a bonus. I also think using technology in efficient ways is necessary. Showing staff how it can be used for data collection and analysis might be one way. I also really liked that in the standards it stated to model appropriate use and encourage Internet safety with staff and students. This is something that can be overlooked sometimes but is important to model approproiate usage especially with social media.

Overall, I thought the NETS for administrators was interesting and provided great guidelines for me to try to follow and incorporate in my leadership in the future!


Tech Plan Process

Modeling:

The number one thing that stuck with me today and keeps echoing in my head is the fact that an administrator has to model what they are trying to promote; and not only model but enthusiastically model the initiative they are trying to establish within the school.

This really rings true in my professional career because I am able to see an administrator who does not utilize technology nor promote the use or expansion of technology and at times bad mouths its use to colleagues. I believe that this is one reason why "traditional teachers" or "established teachers" also do not want to use or incorporate technology into their classrooms and are so dead set against it. Since technology use is not modeled from the top it does not trickle down.

 I honestly believe that as an administrator if technology is fully embraced, used, and there is a sense of excitement about it then others will begin to get on board with you.