Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Re: New faculty and laptop programs

Hi Tami,

When do new faculty receive computers, email accounts, website accounts,
etc.? - As soon as they are hired.=20

Are any of you sending new faculty to technology conferences, such as
the Lausanne Laptop Institute in Memphis to prep for 1:1? - Our teachers
usually choose to attend the national subject area conferences. Funds
are always an issue. We host a Summer Tech Conference each year and many
of our teachers share best practices and teach sessions during this
2-day event.

How much time is spent training teachers on how to access school
resources (network and cloud) via computer? - Most of this has been
moved to our "Orientation Wiki" which includes instructional videos. We
previously spent a few days doing "New Faculty Orientation". We have
found that it is much more effective to focus on showing teachers where
to go to find the answers as the need occurs. Most don't remember how to
add a test to the test calendar until they need to do so. Standard
expectations for teachers now include proficiency with Moodle, DyKnow,
Google Apps, etc and it is a challenge to get new teachers up to speed.
We try to offer a multi-faceted experience depending on the learning
style/preference of the teacher. Teachers help each other, we schedule
individual training, etc. It doesn't happen overnight.

Are things such as classroom management with laptops, student
expectations, etc., part of the discussion? Yes. This is covered again
in a variety of ways. We hold mandatory student/parent meetings before
laptops are issued to make sure we are on the same page with the
expectations piece. We have put together tips for classroom management
and teachers often share during monthly tech meetings or dept meetings.

Is technology proficiency a job requirement? If so, how is it assessed
during the interview process? No. We need to work on this. An assessment
may help but we can usually get strong teachers up to speed
technologically if they have a lifelong learning perspective. Our
directors communicate that fairly well. We have had a 1:1 program for
over 10 years so I think we attract teachers who are excited about using
technology as a tool to enhance instruction.=20

Is ability to effectively integrate technology a job requirement? If
so, how is it assessed during the interview process? Yes. It has taken
years but we finally have integration and incorporation of 21st Century
Skills as part of the yearly teacher evaluation instrument. It makes a
huge difference because it then becomes part of each teachers PDP
(Professional Development Plan) if there is a deficiency.

Good luck Tami!=20

Connie

Connie White
Director of Technology & Media
Lakeview Academy
Gainesville, GA 30501
770-531-2605
Twitter: cwhitetech

Good morning,

As we start the new school year, I was hoping to do a quick survey
(happy to share results if asked) about how schools with laptop programs
prep new faculty. I realize it's too late to help most of us for this
school year, but as many of us have a handful of new faculty starting in
the next few weeks, it seemed a good idea to discuss while it's fresh so
we can plan accordingly for next summer.

Questions:

* When do new faculty receive computers, email accounts, website
accounts, etc.?

* Are any of you sending new faculty to technology conferences,
such as the Lausanne Laptop Institute in Memphis to prep for 1:1?

* How much time is spent training teachers on how to access
school resources (network and cloud) via computer?

* How much prep time is given to new faculty to work on
integration - work with integrationist, teaching team, etc.?

* Are things such as classroom management with laptops, student
expectations, etc., part of the discussion?

* Is technology proficiency a job requirement? If so, how is it
assessed during the interview process?

* Is ability to effectively integrate technology a job
requirement? If so, how is it assessed during the interview process?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Tami Brass
Middle School Technology Coordinator
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
1712 Randolph Ave.
St Paul, MN 55105
http://www.spa.edu<http://www.spa.edu/>
(651) 696-1444


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