Building a Better Teacher
Even veterans need reminders about what makes an effective teacher. This article in the NY Times: Building a Better Teacher, details what makes a good teacher by hitting on a point that is sometimes forgotten- how to get the attention of students in class.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/07/magazine/20100307-teacher-videos.html#/readingaloud
I found this article extremely interesting and a good reminder about classroom management and how this huge to getting students to achieve.
Here are some videos of effective teachers in action.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/07/magazine/20100307-teacher-videos.html#/readingaloud
The Youtube Channel for Uncommon Schools:
Here is Mr. Lemov's organization with more information about it: Uncommon Schools
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Return to Sender
Schools continue to deliver new graduates into the workplace lacking the tech-based "soft skills" that businesses demand. Experts blame K-12's persistent failure to integrate technology.
In the 2007 report "Maximizing the Impact: The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System," a task force of leading employers, ed tech advocates, and educators concluded that schools were barely using technology, much less developing the tech skills needed of those entering the workplace.
"To a wireless nation," task force members wrote, "which relies on technology for ordinary tasks and extraordinary achievements, it is shocking and inconceivable--but true--that technology is marginalized in the complex and vital affairs of education."
The upshot of this neglect, the report goes on to say, is to leave students unsuited for a work environment in which knowing core subject content can be secondary to being able to use technology to demonstrate the so- called 21st century skills that employers now demand: "Even if all students mastered core academic subjects, they still would be woefully under prepared to succeed in post secondary institutions and workplaces, which increasingly value people who can use their knowledge to communicate, collaborate, analyze, create, innovate, and solve problems."
The report, published jointly by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), was a loud, disruptive clarion call to schools to move purposefully toward the use of technology to develop 21st century skills.
Or it should have been, anyway......more...
http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/03/07/return-to-sender.aspx
In the 2007 report "Maximizing the Impact: The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System," a task force of leading employers, ed tech advocates, and educators concluded that schools were barely using technology, much less developing the tech skills needed of those entering the workplace.
"To a wireless nation," task force members wrote, "which relies on technology for ordinary tasks and extraordinary achievements, it is shocking and inconceivable--but true--that technology is marginalized in the complex and vital affairs of education."
The upshot of this neglect, the report goes on to say, is to leave students unsuited for a work environment in which knowing core subject content can be secondary to being able to use technology to demonstrate the so- called 21st century skills that employers now demand: "Even if all students mastered core academic subjects, they still would be woefully under prepared to succeed in post secondary institutions and workplaces, which increasingly value people who can use their knowledge to communicate, collaborate, analyze, create, innovate, and solve problems."
The report, published jointly by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), was a loud, disruptive clarion call to schools to move purposefully toward the use of technology to develop 21st century skills.
Or it should have been, anyway......more...
http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/03/07/return-to-sender.aspx
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Visiting another school
Yesterday several members of our tech department including myself, went to Dubai to visit their school to see how they manage their tech infrastructure, tech integration, and to see how their new facility was coming along. We are preparing for a possible 1-1 laptop program, and a future new campus so were doing a bit of homework. It was definitely well worth the time as we spent all day visiting with their tech integration specialists. I have always felt that networking with peers is the most valuable part of any conference and this was well worth the time and drive to Dubai. We went with a list of questions to help guide our discussions that we sent ahead so they could be prepared for our "onslaught of questions".
We focused on how they managed their tech resources and laptop program. We asked what they would do differently in the implementation, what they would do the same, what integration techniques they used, and saw several examples of how they use their systems.
From this we learned some infrastructure tips such as:
Integration Ideas:
We focused on how they managed their tech resources and laptop program. We asked what they would do differently in the implementation, what they would do the same, what integration techniques they used, and saw several examples of how they use their systems.
From this we learned some infrastructure tips such as:
- Put the projector and speaker ports off to the side of screens (rather than below in the middle), and one in the back of the room and one in the front
- Put electrical outlets into lockers if possible
- Have outlets around the classrooms and hallways for charging
- Insight from Faronics to manage laptops
- Casper management software
- Document cameras in every classroom
- Put speakers in the ceiling
- Inklet- a mac trackpad drawing program
- Gpanel to manage Gmail accounts
- xroads internet load balancers/aggregators (like the Mushrooms)
- Palo Alto network security firewalls
- Power-Over-Ethernet cameras that are motion activated, and one can speak through them
- A VoIP system that has a component that can work with Skype to call outside of the UAE.
- They had developed a home-grown database system for report cards in elementary, and it also pulled grades out of PowerSchool for MS/HS. They called it "hafeel school" named after the gentleman from Sri Lanka who developed this system. It was very interesting how he pulled demographic information from PowerSchool into this system, that is web based and created using Microsoft .net. It then generates object reports. It also uses a Filemaker system to create a system that pulls grades into the object reports, then Filemaker emails them all out to parents.
- Train teachers early and get them on board
- Train parents and
- Get the AUP up to date
- Make them school-owned, and then issue them to the students.
Integration Ideas:
- Create teacher/staff proficiency skills checklist to let them see where they are
- Create a survey for staff to take to help guide our tech integration with individuals and departments
- Develop a student survey that lets them rate their tech skills based on our standards (or have them do a tech assessment)
- Let the MS be in charge of making their own yearbook section (Viper Vision)
- Elementary subscription to a typing website
- Require one transformational tech integration project per semester
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Shutting Up the Naysayers in Your PLC
From:
http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/01/19/shutting-up-the-naysayers-in-your-plc-5-questions-with-rem-jackson.aspx
This is a great article about how to effectively initiate PLC's in a school faculty community, that helps focus on student learning. A good point to make since many times PLC's start to help the faculty. Read the quote below:
THE Journal: Schools and districts seem overrun with seemingly arbitrary policies that can affect teacher performance, morale, and productivity. How can a PLC help address that component of the environment?
Jackson: Ironically, my previous comment answers that. In fact, I think too many PLC programs focus too much on teachers and teacher feelings and morale. But it's fascinating when you see teachers transition from a focus on teacher needs to student results. You start to see the cream rising to the top.
[In] PLCs that focus totally on looking at student assessment results and on strategizing how to help students meet the assessment targets, all the other stuff becomes less important. The true professional teachers step up and want to make sure their students make progress. They also start to see how this laser beam focus makes their instructional practice more efficient and gratifying. Some teachers will focus on making excuses, blaming policies, and complaining about expectations, but that only happens when the PLCs are organized in a way that enables that kind of behavior. It all goes back to developing a culture focused purely on student results.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2011/01/19/shutting-up-the-naysayers-in-your-plc-5-questions-with-rem-jackson.aspx
This is a great article about how to effectively initiate PLC's in a school faculty community, that helps focus on student learning. A good point to make since many times PLC's start to help the faculty. Read the quote below:
THE Journal: Schools and districts seem overrun with seemingly arbitrary policies that can affect teacher performance, morale, and productivity. How can a PLC help address that component of the environment?
Jackson: Ironically, my previous comment answers that. In fact, I think too many PLC programs focus too much on teachers and teacher feelings and morale. But it's fascinating when you see teachers transition from a focus on teacher needs to student results. You start to see the cream rising to the top.
[In] PLCs that focus totally on looking at student assessment results and on strategizing how to help students meet the assessment targets, all the other stuff becomes less important. The true professional teachers step up and want to make sure their students make progress. They also start to see how this laser beam focus makes their instructional practice more efficient and gratifying. Some teachers will focus on making excuses, blaming policies, and complaining about expectations, but that only happens when the PLCs are organized in a way that enables that kind of behavior. It all goes back to developing a culture focused purely on student results.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The importance of a Personal Learning Network (PLN)
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