Significant and long‐lasting changes occur when a school’s “policies, practices, culture, and funding” are structured to facilitate the integration of educational technology. The distributed leadership model is a way to continue supporting teacher leaders and implement shifts in teaching strategies. Continue reading PD for Technology Integration: Best Practices
While studying the needs of teacher professional development in a digital age, I wondered what is the optimal way in which to promote digital age best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment. One knows the school leadership establishes the goals and develops the process that supports and sustains the environment that allows teachers to innovate classrooms with digital learning. Considering this, how can administrators increase and promote digital learning in the classroom and school. Continue reading Systems Framework for Digital Environments
Computer science education has shifted its focus to improving human-computer interaction(HCI) to improve student learning. The invention of new technologies like “Blocky” programming, allows us to move beyond teaching computer interfaces– to improving comprehension and knowledge. Through the adding of tools that adapt to learners abilities and choices, technology designs are making it easier to use learner centered instructional strategies by supporting the integration of scaffolding, modeling and additional tools. Continue reading Professional Development in a Digital Age
In the Educational Leadership journal of February 2009, Jason Margolis writes about strategies that teacher leaders can embed to engage their colleagues and realize the benefits of instructional changes. While there were a number of presentations reviewed, the strategies below produced “observable teacher engagement”. The one constant in these researches is that teachers value the knowledge, innovation and leadership of their peers. Continue reading Adult Professional Development
Technology can bring benefits to the classroom, and can be used to provide authentic learning activities. One way to help educators is to show them how to effectively use technology in their classroom, in the same way as we would our students, in authentic learning activities that are integrated as part of professional development. Increasing the effectiveness of professional development with authentic learning, integrating technology has the potential of increasing teacher performance. Continue reading Technology embedded Professional Development
Using PhotoShop, I created a poster based on Digital Citizenship. I found several resources, most helpful was NetSmartz, a website with information on Digital Citizenship. The website presented the information with several different focus, such as educator, tweens or parents. My focus is my curriculum, and what emphasis I use with students in my high school classroom. Even though that seemed to encompass all areas of Digital Citizenship, I focused on what I specifically taught. As a Computer Science/Computer Technology teacher, I have never taught less than 4 different classes in a semester and up to 7 different classes in a year, which creates a need for a broader focus. Continue reading Digital Citizenship Poster: Presenting information in an appealing way
Question for ISTE Standard 4: How can I promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information? The articles I found the most compelling were Educational Leadership in an Online World: Connecting Students to Technology Responsibly, Safely, and Ethically, by M. Ribble and Navigate the digital rapids by J. Lindsay & V. Davis. I found the article by Dr. Ribble to accurately describe the needs that school leadership and staff must address. He presented Nine Elements for digital citizenship with class examples and implementation suggestions. I found a treasure trove of resources on his website, Digital Citizenship: Using Technology Appropriately, http://www.digitalcitizenship.net. Continue reading Digital Citizenship: Norms of Appropriate, Responsible Technology Use
