Paula Abdul sang a song about taking two steps forward and three steps back. The music video had a cartoon cat dancing with her. I am starting think that dancing with cartoon characters must be similar to working within a school district. This year, our district seems to always be walking around a corner where someone (the budget) is waiting with an ACME mallet. Needless to say, this makes working on GAME plans and graduate studies a little trying at times.
Good News: I was able to meet with my curriculum head and administrator to discuss issues with the common assessments currently being used. Besides voicing my own opinion, I was expected to collect information from other teachers in my grade level. This allowed me to take a leadership role while working on the creation of assessments as well as designing the computer implementation of the tests. I am scheduled to meet with the technology instructor in our building to review a prototype for a computerized version of the common assessments. The science department will be the guinea pig subject before other subjects are given computer-based tests.
Bad News: The option of collaborations and workshops developed by teachers has been eliminated for next year. While there was a survey sent around for general interest in particular areas of professional development, all the days have been planned out for the upcoming academic year. They will all focus on grading programs, common assessments, and interpreting data from standardized tests in order to influence instruction with the school goal of obtaining annual yearly progress (AYP) which we did not get this past year.
So to answer this week’s questions:
Q: Are you finding the information and resources you need?
A. Yes, I have worked with colleagues in several areas to advance my GAME plan in the realm of assessments.
Q: Do you need to modify your action plan?
A. As long as it is not an immediate action plan, I can continue with what I had started. I can still ask other teachers about the procedure for developing workshops while planning my topic area. I might not get a chance until next year to present it, but the effort will still be worth it.
Q: What have you learned so far?
A. Action plans need alternative route options if they are to succeed. I still have the same goals, but I need to adjust the actions I choose to obtain them.
Q: What new questions have arisen?
A. I am wondering if obtaining leadership roles is easier when the district is not in a major budget upheaval. I have often heard of people complaining that they are not chosen because they do not have experience, but the only way to get experience is if they are chosen. I understand wanting tried and true leaders in a time of crisis. However, I wonder how long I will have to wait to get my turn.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
GAME plan set up
As everyone who enjoys the cinema knows, you cannot have action without first cueing the lights and camera. Likewise, one cannot attempt an educational action plan without determining the necessary components of such plan. This week’s assignment essentially asks what I need to accomplish my GAME plan (tech resources, collaboration, and specific actions). As my game plan focuses on developing assessments and leadership skills, my greatest need will be for research. This will involve both paper and online searches of current educational journals for the varying standards used in assessments in the state. Collaboration with grade and content level colleagues would provide the most useful information, but other teachers within my district are also a valuable resource in discussing the success and failure of different forms of evaluation. In terms of leadership, I believe the greatest resource would be my department head as he could help in identifying core curriculum that could be addressed through technology. Furthermore, he has the experience of creating professional development workshops and collaboratives for the past few years.
One specific piece of additional information I need is how computerized testing is actually implemented. My school was able to get a computer program set up this year, but it was only for the multiple choice math assessment. I wouldn’t feel comfortable designing a test that involves technology that I have never used before. Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2009) note the increased reliance upon data to develop and modify instruction. Lessons are supposed to be altered to raise scores. However, if the test and/or answer sheet is created incorrectly, the data becomes skewed and instruction suffers as a result.
I would also need to learn the process that one has to undertake in order to create a workshop program. Creating an informative and worthwhile presentation would be rather futile if I was unable to gain permission through the proper channels to run the program.
Currently, I am part of the planning commission to review the common assessments used by our district. Since they were only implemented within the past two years, I am on the same level of understanding as the other teachers within the group. This has helped my confidence in suggesting changes and discussing complaints from myself and other teachers who give the tests within my building. While I see success with these first steps, I know my leadership goal will be harder to attain as our professional development program is being completely revamped by our administration for the upcoming year.
My learning strategy will be based upon opportunity. Not only will I become involved in collaborative groups that I have avoided in my first years of teaching, I will also seek out opportunities to broaden my technology information base. This will help me develop the skills to think in new terms and practice flexibility in my professional life. Having a set time to research and contemplate novel ideas is not necessarily the best or only method.
Reference:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
One specific piece of additional information I need is how computerized testing is actually implemented. My school was able to get a computer program set up this year, but it was only for the multiple choice math assessment. I wouldn’t feel comfortable designing a test that involves technology that I have never used before. Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer (2009) note the increased reliance upon data to develop and modify instruction. Lessons are supposed to be altered to raise scores. However, if the test and/or answer sheet is created incorrectly, the data becomes skewed and instruction suffers as a result.
I would also need to learn the process that one has to undertake in order to create a workshop program. Creating an informative and worthwhile presentation would be rather futile if I was unable to gain permission through the proper channels to run the program.
Currently, I am part of the planning commission to review the common assessments used by our district. Since they were only implemented within the past two years, I am on the same level of understanding as the other teachers within the group. This has helped my confidence in suggesting changes and discussing complaints from myself and other teachers who give the tests within my building. While I see success with these first steps, I know my leadership goal will be harder to attain as our professional development program is being completely revamped by our administration for the upcoming year.
My learning strategy will be based upon opportunity. Not only will I become involved in collaborative groups that I have avoided in my first years of teaching, I will also seek out opportunities to broaden my technology information base. This will help me develop the skills to think in new terms and practice flexibility in my professional life. Having a set time to research and contemplate novel ideas is not necessarily the best or only method.
Reference:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
GAME plan
Once again, I am enrolled in a graduate course that utilizes blogs as a means of communication and sharing between classmates. For this particular assignment, the students have been asked to develop ways to become more efficient in meeting national education technology standards and performance indicators for teachers (NETS-T). The idea is you use the “NETS” to catch yourself from inappropriately or inadequately using technology. Well, truthfully, that may not have been the actual goal of the acronym, but it definitely makes sense.
I was required to identify two standards I feel weak and/or less confident in. After review the five major objectives, I would say that I could use improvement with:
1) Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
2) Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
I have underlined the areas of those standards where I need improvement. I’ll admit that I never feel completely confident in my ability to master technology, but I never worry that I won’t be able to figure it out. Since I am still new to teaching, I generally find myself behind the curve in many teaching situations. However, unlike some other new teachers, I am more than willing to ask for help. The natural result is that I rarely take a leadership position. Furthermore, my weakest area of instruction has been designing assessments. I teach four classes of heterogeneously grouped students. Therefore, I am often making assessments for students who can barely read along with assessments for students who test into elite private high schools such as Choate (where the Kennedys, Trumps, and various others have attended).
My action plan has already been put into place. Our district has recently increased professional development days. The teachers were polled to find interest in certain topics. I have already signed up for assessments and technology. In addition, I plan to work with the library media specialist along with the computer resource person in my building to utilize the new Smartboard technology we have gotten to develop more technology interactive lessons. Students could be tested for both content and technology skills within the same lesson. As for leadership, I still do not feel comfortable taking the lead. However, I would not mind developing a collaborative for one of the professional development days. I would be responsible for creating the goals and objectives for the programs as well as explaining the desired outcome.
The best way to monitor my progress would be through two major numbers: the class average and my blood pressure. As my assessments become more varied and efficient, students should have more opportunities to exceed. As I learn to take on leadership roles, I would hope that my confidence would rise to a degree where I am not always worried that I’ll teach the wrong way. I definitely could use less stress and more success.
Evaluation would involve determining if my efforts had produced the desired progress. If not, I would need to rethink my action plans for development. If I am successful, I would hope to extend my learning through discussion with colleagues as well as available technology classes. With an ever-changing area, there is always room to improve.
I was required to identify two standards I feel weak and/or less confident in. After review the five major objectives, I would say that I could use improvement with:
1) Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
2) Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
I have underlined the areas of those standards where I need improvement. I’ll admit that I never feel completely confident in my ability to master technology, but I never worry that I won’t be able to figure it out. Since I am still new to teaching, I generally find myself behind the curve in many teaching situations. However, unlike some other new teachers, I am more than willing to ask for help. The natural result is that I rarely take a leadership position. Furthermore, my weakest area of instruction has been designing assessments. I teach four classes of heterogeneously grouped students. Therefore, I am often making assessments for students who can barely read along with assessments for students who test into elite private high schools such as Choate (where the Kennedys, Trumps, and various others have attended).
My action plan has already been put into place. Our district has recently increased professional development days. The teachers were polled to find interest in certain topics. I have already signed up for assessments and technology. In addition, I plan to work with the library media specialist along with the computer resource person in my building to utilize the new Smartboard technology we have gotten to develop more technology interactive lessons. Students could be tested for both content and technology skills within the same lesson. As for leadership, I still do not feel comfortable taking the lead. However, I would not mind developing a collaborative for one of the professional development days. I would be responsible for creating the goals and objectives for the programs as well as explaining the desired outcome.
The best way to monitor my progress would be through two major numbers: the class average and my blood pressure. As my assessments become more varied and efficient, students should have more opportunities to exceed. As I learn to take on leadership roles, I would hope that my confidence would rise to a degree where I am not always worried that I’ll teach the wrong way. I definitely could use less stress and more success.
Evaluation would involve determining if my efforts had produced the desired progress. If not, I would need to rethink my action plans for development. If I am successful, I would hope to extend my learning through discussion with colleagues as well as available technology classes. With an ever-changing area, there is always room to improve.
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