The program that is working incredibly well for us is the use of
classroom teachers as technology integration mentors (TIMs). This is
our first year, and it has been incredibly successful. The teachers
that received Smartboards this year (6 of them) were all pretty unsure
about how to use them in their classrooms. We asked for volunteer
teachers that already had Smartboards. We paired up the teachers with a
teacher receiving a Smartboard, in a grade level as close as possible.
(K with 1, 3 with 2, 4 and 5 with the middle school teachers.) =20
The mentors meet with the teachers at a scheduled time for 30 minutes
each week. They are also available to answer questions during the week.
What has happened, is that 90% of the time is focused on the teaching
not the technology. Two of these teachers that never used laptops on
their own last year, have used the laptops with their students several
times this year. I almost fell over when I walked into a 2nd grade
class and saw half her class using laptops. I asked what was going on,
and she said the 3rd grade teacher shared with her a great website on
math, and she is having small groups use the laptops while she works
with others on concepts they need help with. Not once did this teacher
ever use laptops on her own before this.=20
I thought the TIMs would just be there to help with technical issues
related to Smartboards, and it has totally turned into collaborative
lesson planning. It has only been going on for two months, but it has
been amazing.
Renee Ramig
Seven Hills School
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Seth Battis
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 12:48 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Technology Standards
I think it's tricky to figure out how to bring in that last 12%. We can
get
into trouble when we bring them along simply to make them the same same
as
everyone else. We need to be able to articulate reasons for change that
reflect not just an abstract understanding of technology and pedagogy or
curriculum, but actually the concrete goals of a specific classroom. We
don't keep moving forward like sharks just to survive. We keep learning
because we are members of a learning community, because we're modeling
learning for our students, and because we always, always want to be
providing the best possible learning experience for our students.
Really,
process is as important as the end-result here (as in so many places).
I'm engaged in a series of classroom observations from the vantage point
of
our Education Technology department right now. In the end, as we think
about
going 1:1 in the next couple of years, my goal is to have been in every
high
school teacher's classroom, and to have had a discussion with that
teacher
not about technology and teaching, but about teaching. Teaching. Period.
Full stop. _Of course_, when I talk to teachers, we end up talking about
technology and education -- it's what's in the air, and I'm who they
identify with technology -- but the conversation starts with a
discussion of
what's going on in the classroom now, and then we can branch out into
places
that that teacher would like to explore, is nervous about, is wondering
about, etc.. The hope, of course, is that this discussion and class
visit
will be the first of many, not the last.
Renee really hits the nail on the head in describing the need for
immediate,
personal support for teachers who are wrestling with technology -- as we
should also be providing immediate, personal support for teachers
wrestling
with other aspects of teaching and learning, from classroom management
to
lesson planning to assessment. Anecdotally, my experience has been that
teachers who are able to engage in a real conversation about their
teaching
are much, much more likely to be willing to experiment with new
techniques
and approaches as part of that conversation.
Of course, this puts an enormous onus on the school leadership, from
senior
faculty on up, to be engaged in this sort of support of our faculty, in
addition to the manifold responsibilities of raw logistics, day-to-day
management, etc. that are on their/our plates.
-- S
Seth Battis / http://battis.net / seth@battis.net / @battis / (323)
638-7384
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