Starting next week I am going to make some more Technology Instructional rounds, as the 2nd semester is beginning at the HS and MS on Monday. I am hoping to get into most of the classrooms for 10-12 minutes to gain a better idea of what the students are learning, what the teachers are teaching, and how technology can better enhance/differentiate the learning and teaching in the classrooms to provide a well-rounded education for all participants.
My hope is to gather a least 1 piece of information from each class to be able to build upon and look into to better provide technology ideas to the teachers and students.
We will see what happens and what I can gain from listening to the teachers, watching the students and seeing what items on their walls will better help me understand their curriculum.
Showing posts with label hs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hs. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, October 3, 2011
Moving along with the Bulldog Byte Team
The Bulldog Byte Team (10-12 grade technology students) is moving quite along. We have had a total of 3 meetings since the beginning of the school year and since that time we have showcased 2 Tech Tuesdays and have met to establish Team Guidelines related to expectations, Tech Tuesday responsibilities, Experts in an Application, Printer Cartridge Recycling program, Tech Store ideas and information related to the Student Tech Fair. The expectations and Tech Tuesday responsibilities are set and we are going to vigorously work to get the Experts in an Application, Printer Cartridge Recycling program and Tech Store ideas up and running soon.
The Bulldog Byte team has only be in effect for the 2nd year, so allowing these students to better understand how they are setting the foundation for future Bulldog Byte team members is essential, and hopefully we jump more into the technology aspects of the meetings soon.
The Bulldog Byte team has only be in effect for the 2nd year, so allowing these students to better understand how they are setting the foundation for future Bulldog Byte team members is essential, and hopefully we jump more into the technology aspects of the meetings soon.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Gotta Chance to Teach Students Again
On Friday I was able to visit a few Middle School classrooms and a few Elementary classrooms, and I even had the chance in a 3rd grade classroom to teach the students again.
I first had the chance to show some assistive devices to a legally blind student's associate to better help him stay on track with the information, ideas and handouts his teacher was providing to the rest of the class. I am still trying to figure out the braille printer but I was able to download Natural Reader to provide the student and his associate an opportunity to highlight words from reproduced worksheets and have them read to him. Hopefully this better helps the student, as I am still in search of finding more assistive devices to better help accommodate his needs.
I then got a chance to work with a small group of Middle School students to help assist them in getting logged onto the laptops and into Skills Tutor which is a part of Skills Iowa that provides the students with extended activities to keep them on track and/or to advance them.
In the afternoon I was able to work with a 3rd grade classroom and actually taught the group of students, with the use of the laptops on the laptop cart, how to use BookFlix, which is a reading web site that is a part of the IowaAEAOnline web sites. It was awesome getting to know the students in the classroom, seeing how excited their faces were when I introduced the web site to them, and how eager they were to be able to use and explore the web site on their own. Once I finished showcasing BookFlix and allowed them to work with BookFlix on their own for about 15 minutes, the students were as quiet as a mouse and focused on reading a book online to themselves or better yet having the book read to them while they followed along with the highlighted words from the story.
To finish out the day I was able to watch HS students in a WebPage Development class showcase their web pages through the use of iWeb. The students had a few requirements they had to fill and you could see their passion with using the WebPage Development application and their passion with the information they were showcasing through the iWeb web pages.
Having a chance to explore all of theses opportunities really exhibits to me the excitement and dedication the teachers have in providing the students with the possibilities of exploring technology.
I first had the chance to show some assistive devices to a legally blind student's associate to better help him stay on track with the information, ideas and handouts his teacher was providing to the rest of the class. I am still trying to figure out the braille printer but I was able to download Natural Reader to provide the student and his associate an opportunity to highlight words from reproduced worksheets and have them read to him. Hopefully this better helps the student, as I am still in search of finding more assistive devices to better help accommodate his needs.
I then got a chance to work with a small group of Middle School students to help assist them in getting logged onto the laptops and into Skills Tutor which is a part of Skills Iowa that provides the students with extended activities to keep them on track and/or to advance them.
In the afternoon I was able to work with a 3rd grade classroom and actually taught the group of students, with the use of the laptops on the laptop cart, how to use BookFlix, which is a reading web site that is a part of the IowaAEAOnline web sites. It was awesome getting to know the students in the classroom, seeing how excited their faces were when I introduced the web site to them, and how eager they were to be able to use and explore the web site on their own. Once I finished showcasing BookFlix and allowed them to work with BookFlix on their own for about 15 minutes, the students were as quiet as a mouse and focused on reading a book online to themselves or better yet having the book read to them while they followed along with the highlighted words from the story.
To finish out the day I was able to watch HS students in a WebPage Development class showcase their web pages through the use of iWeb. The students had a few requirements they had to fill and you could see their passion with using the WebPage Development application and their passion with the information they were showcasing through the iWeb web pages.
Having a chance to explore all of theses opportunities really exhibits to me the excitement and dedication the teachers have in providing the students with the possibilities of exploring technology.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Day of Technology Professional Development
Wednesday was a busy day full of fixing technology, setting up and showcasing technology, and professionally developing the High School teachers to learn and reapply technology.
At the Middle School I had opportunities to fix a light bulb in a LCD projector and to wirelessly connect a LCD projector for teachers to effectively use. I also had the opportunity to setup 2 Elmo document cameras for 4 teachers to share. Document cameras allow teachers to set aside the old technology of overhead transparency projectors and replace them with document cameras hooked up to already mounted LCD projectors to be able to show transparency copies, paper copies, books, pencils, manipulative s, flash cards, hand-written stories and so much more.
In the afternoon I visited North Side Elementary and was able to discuss technology needs to more than half the teachers within the building. Teachers were interested in learning more about Pages through the use of Atomic Learning (need AEA username and password), and about purchasing LCD projectors to share and Promethean SmartBoards and/or MimioTeach to use to make their instruction more effective and differentiated.
While the students dismissed early, the High School teachers had a chance to learn more about effective Technology through their first Technology Professional Development session of the year. The theme was, "how to/forgot how to" to make sure the teachers' laptops and their resources were ready for the school year and to showcase effective tools for them to use throughout the whole school year.
Showcased to the teachers was:
How to use the LCD projector/remote effectively
How to access the online HS library catalog
Making sure each laptop was connected to the correct printer driver
Proper care of the laptop
Online copyright information
Seeing if Google Notifier should be installed for effective uses
Iowa AEA Online Student/Teacher web sites
Understanding Google Docs
Checking login into SchoolFusion
At the Middle School I had opportunities to fix a light bulb in a LCD projector and to wirelessly connect a LCD projector for teachers to effectively use. I also had the opportunity to setup 2 Elmo document cameras for 4 teachers to share. Document cameras allow teachers to set aside the old technology of overhead transparency projectors and replace them with document cameras hooked up to already mounted LCD projectors to be able to show transparency copies, paper copies, books, pencils, manipulative s, flash cards, hand-written stories and so much more.
In the afternoon I visited North Side Elementary and was able to discuss technology needs to more than half the teachers within the building. Teachers were interested in learning more about Pages through the use of Atomic Learning (need AEA username and password), and about purchasing LCD projectors to share and Promethean SmartBoards and/or MimioTeach to use to make their instruction more effective and differentiated.
While the students dismissed early, the High School teachers had a chance to learn more about effective Technology through their first Technology Professional Development session of the year. The theme was, "how to/forgot how to" to make sure the teachers' laptops and their resources were ready for the school year and to showcase effective tools for them to use throughout the whole school year.
Showcased to the teachers was:
How to use the LCD projector/remote effectively
How to access the online HS library catalog
Making sure each laptop was connected to the correct printer driver
Proper care of the laptop
Online copyright information
Seeing if Google Notifier should be installed for effective uses
Iowa AEA Online Student/Teacher web sites
Understanding Google Docs
Checking login into SchoolFusion
Friday, August 26, 2011
Making the Rounds
Today, I had the opportunity to visit SouthSide elementary, the Middle School and of course the High School.
I visited SouthSide Elementary in the morning and a little bit in the afternoon. In the morning I met with Mrs. White to figure out and discover her MimioTeach. The MimioTeach turns any whiteboard into a Smartboard, which allows students to draw on the computer screen through the use of a stylus pen, insert pictures, create venn diagrams and so much more. It was an awesome experience and something I hope Mrs. White uses extensively with her students throughout the different classes she goes into at SouthSide Elementary.
I also met with Mrs. Speake to discuss different ways to integrate and support technology at SouthSide. Some ideas came up related to: how to better use the 2 laptop carts, how to link grade level web sites to SchoolFusion, using Kidspiration, learning how to use the IowaAEAOnline resources, becoming more comfortable with the lcd projectors, and creating digital stories. All great ideas in which I hope to take full charge in integrating and showcasing to the teachers throughout the year.
In the afternoon I met with Mrs. Nelson to show her how to wirelessly connect to her projector and how ti more efficiently use her laptop with the projector for both teacher and student use.
In the afternoon I met with Mrs. Braun at the Middle School to discuss the First Lego League. This will be something new for me as I have not messed with Lego Robotics since college. I think it will be a great experience for her students and hopefully something that we can take a couple groups of students to compete against other Iowa students, in relationship to Lego Robotics.
Throughout the day at the High School I provided some web sites to teachers interested in interactive flash cards, and using interactive writing tablets in the classroom.
Awesome day and I am sure the rest will be just as good.
I visited SouthSide Elementary in the morning and a little bit in the afternoon. In the morning I met with Mrs. White to figure out and discover her MimioTeach. The MimioTeach turns any whiteboard into a Smartboard, which allows students to draw on the computer screen through the use of a stylus pen, insert pictures, create venn diagrams and so much more. It was an awesome experience and something I hope Mrs. White uses extensively with her students throughout the different classes she goes into at SouthSide Elementary.
I also met with Mrs. Speake to discuss different ways to integrate and support technology at SouthSide. Some ideas came up related to: how to better use the 2 laptop carts, how to link grade level web sites to SchoolFusion, using Kidspiration, learning how to use the IowaAEAOnline resources, becoming more comfortable with the lcd projectors, and creating digital stories. All great ideas in which I hope to take full charge in integrating and showcasing to the teachers throughout the year.
In the afternoon I met with Mrs. Nelson to show her how to wirelessly connect to her projector and how ti more efficiently use her laptop with the projector for both teacher and student use.
In the afternoon I met with Mrs. Braun at the Middle School to discuss the First Lego League. This will be something new for me as I have not messed with Lego Robotics since college. I think it will be a great experience for her students and hopefully something that we can take a couple groups of students to compete against other Iowa students, in relationship to Lego Robotics.
Throughout the day at the High School I provided some web sites to teachers interested in interactive flash cards, and using interactive writing tablets in the classroom.
Awesome day and I am sure the rest will be just as good.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
HS Student Laptop Orientation-1st Day of School
My first day of school within the Hampton-Dumont CSD consisted of having the former Bulldog Byte members (students interested in technology) showcase their "Taking Care of Laptops" skit to the whole student body at the very beginning of the day. They did an awesome job. I then had the opportunity to speak to each grade while they received their student laptops to keep. I talked to each grade about proper care and handling of their laptop, as a reminder from the previous year when they first received their laptops. I then had the opportunity to help the students get logged into their laptops, and to learn some new faces.
In the afternoon I was able to surface some ideas to get technology integration rolling for the Technology Professional Development sessions which will start next Wednesday.
On Friday I will be visiting South Side Elementary to help a teacher learn how to use her Mimio and will meet with another teacher on different technology concepts that the teachers would like to incorporate. I am also going to meet with a couple teachers in the afternoon at the Middle School to talk about Lego Robotics. Lastly, I am hoping to help out a High School teacher to create some google docs for voting for student council members for each graduation class.
In the afternoon I was able to surface some ideas to get technology integration rolling for the Technology Professional Development sessions which will start next Wednesday.
On Friday I will be visiting South Side Elementary to help a teacher learn how to use her Mimio and will meet with another teacher on different technology concepts that the teachers would like to incorporate. I am also going to meet with a couple teachers in the afternoon at the Middle School to talk about Lego Robotics. Lastly, I am hoping to help out a High School teacher to create some google docs for voting for student council members for each graduation class.
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