Final+Exam

=Final Exam..... An online discussion, conversation.=

Post your response on each page separately. Put your name first.... then your response.

Please take a look at this scenario and address according to the grade level you're interested in.

Add to the section that matches...... Primary K-2 Intermediate 3-5, Middle School 6-8, High School 9-12.
You are planning within your grade level team for a new curriculum initiative that includes the use of technology. What would you create as a team guide your principal in the purchase of equipment, planning or team session, or other issues to make this integration better for student achievement?

Karen- My response to this question is listed first. Go to next question (5 pages in all.)

Misha - Hmm..I do not understand "Add to the section that matches...." I guess I am answering all five questions as a high school teacher. Last summer, my principal e-mailed all math teachers after discovering algebra1.com. He thought it was a really good site to use in classrooms. He is a great supporter of technology in classrooms. We have calculators, calculator projectors, and computers on wheels. However, I would like to include smart boards in math classrooms. Administrators at my school already know about the benefits of smart boards. (we invited smart board representatives for a workshop) If I am the leader of tech team, I would focus on writing grants and host fund-raising events to buy smart boards.

I recently did some research on literacy and technology for my ELED 414 course and I came across a very interesting tool called the Teachermate Handheld Computer. This system was developed for the primary grades and it is aligned to most math and reading curriculums. It comes with a Classroom Managements System, which allows teachers to program each system according to the developmental level of each child. A Teachermate Handheld Computer cost $50 and it is the size of a Nintendo DS system. Furthermore, this system has been piloted in several Chicago Public Schools and has had positive impacts. In order to present this new technology to my principal and administration, my grade level team and I would create a PowerPoint presentation depicting the different components of this system. We would also point out the cost, which is not so high compared with other technology and we would emphasize how this system is a good tool for differentiation.
 * Vanessa Rivas - Primary K-2 group**

Our school district is actually making huge gains in technology for the next school year. Most teachers will receive a new Mac Laptop and all classrooms will have LCD projectors installed. Many teachers will also be getting an interactive whiteboard (Promethean). The expectation will now be that teachers who have the whiteboards in the room will make it a part of their daily instruction. I am actually getting the board and am very excited to start add this new dynamic to my teaching style. In fact, all of the language arts teachers in my grade level (sixth) will be getting one. I think it would be most beneficial for us to collaborate as a group and brainstorm ways in which we can utilize the whiteboard as a part of regular instruction. We usually talk about ways to be consistent as a grade level team, whether it is about assigning daily independent reading or a late work policy, so I would assume that we would also come up with ways to use the whiteboard in our content area. Besides the whiteboard, I think as a grade level we should have access to Ipod Nano's to use for various activites and skills. We have two teams for each grade level, so each team should have access to 4 or more Ipod Nano's. I think the Nano's would be especially affective for instruction because we will have access to programs like iPhoto, Garage Band, and more that could be used with the Nano's. We could work on fluency and vocabulary with the Nano's and increase student engagement. Also, I think it would be good for the grade level team to meet at least monthly about how they're using technology in their intruction and what is and isn't going well. This constant brainstorming and reflection would really help us become better teachers.
 * Abi Marlowe- Middle School Group 6-8**

As a technology-based team, we would formulate a 5 year plan in an effort to comply with the constantly shifting technological era. For this, we would have a team of teachers that would be responsible for reporting bi-weekly updates of the technology as it emerges. These teachers would be responsible for checking technology websites, weekly, then producing a bi-weekly report while cataloging each of the technological advances. Each semester, a new report would be submitted to the principal, with potential changes made at the end of each school year. Furthermore, to promote this 5 year plan to the principal, we would formulate the necessary information that would drive this technology hike in our school. We would show statistics from other schools that have benefited from a technology surge, and we would produce test scores that highlight this. Since our school has an issue with student test scores, our principal would be would more apt to comply with our requests. This technology wishlist for the team would also include providing several IMacs for each classroom. Even though computers aren't a must in this situation, our school would require Macs specifically, as this would help to advance our students' knowledge through the programs that are offered within this operating system.
 * Brad Reid - High School Group**

**Alexandra Pineda- 3- 5 Intermediate grades**- For a writing curriculum my team would introduce [|www.Myaccess.com] My access is a program which focuses in writing. The team will introduce the advantages of using this program. The students are given writing prompt or students write their own topic and the program grades their writing. This program motivates students to attain higher scores on state-wide writing assessments. One of the benefits of this program is the it has a scoring engine which grades students essays and provides feedback. Students are able to see their own data sheet which provides a graph showing their progress. Also, teachers benefit from this because they do not have to grade student’s writings and have more time in curriculum planning. The program is for intermediate and thru 12th grade.

Our grade level team has taken the initiative to create a plan to present to our principal for the new math curriculum that will be bought for next year. We have had several sessions in which we have investigated what programs other schools are using that incorporate technology as an initial part of learning. We also have applied for a grant to help out with the cost for the technology component for the curriculum. We used GrantsAlert.com and other websites that give ideas on how to apply for grants. As a team we made sure to know what equipment we already have in place in order to utilize and maximize the technology component part that will be bought with the grant. We invited the technology teacher to help guide and plan the project and give her input of new programs or software that can be use with the new curriculum. We know that next year we will have an additional COW (Computers on wheels) we will have more opportunities to use in class and for that we have to develop a plan as to when and how we all will be able to share the COW at least two times a week. From personal experience I know the children will learn even more because the instruction is giving in a different mode.a
 * Bany Marlowe - Primary K-2**


 * Miguel Parra - High School 9-12**

I am happy to see that Physical Education is back on the map as a critical high school subject. The United States of America is only second to Mexico in the overall obesity rankings and still number one in childhood obesity. After no child left behind many physical education programs around the country were cut and since then, childhood obesity has been on the rise.

Although I am not a teacher yet, I am prepared to lead my fellow teachers and create a physical education curriculum that includes the use of technology to enhance the current physical education track that most schools currently follow. It is important that the whole department understands how to incorporate technology into the different units so that we can convince our principal that technology is vital in taking back our students and making them understand how important physical and mental health is. The use of heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, body composition scales, stop watches, and sports watches are great tools to track progress and justify the cost of these tools. With charts and actual numbers from a trial period, it will be easy to show the principal the benefits of the components as part of the curriculum.

I would introduce the use of the iPod Nano in the classroom because this device also has a video camera and the ability to record voices. Students can build their fluency by recording themselves speaking and then go over it with me and we can discuss what areas they can improve. We can integrate different subjects together by video taping something and then turning it into a podcast or iMovie. I would sit down with my principal and show lesson plans that I have developed where the students will be using the Nano for different projects. The students can record each other reading stories, performing plays, or interviewing each other. They can then use GarageBand to make the iMovie or Podcast and then send it to iTunes. I believe I can work with the other primary teachers in my school by showing each classroom the podcast/iMovie projects. **
 * Anya Zaremba - Primary K-2


 * Ammara Ali- Intermediate 3-5**

I would like to create a curriculum that integrates technology in different ways. I think that a digital camera, digital voice recorder, and an Apple iPod touch are the key items needed to achieving this goal. These technology items will help students build positive learning experiences. They will help to provide students with listening opportunities, visuals, and hands-on experiences, all of which are essential for students with diverse learning styles. Digital cameras can be utilized to take pictures in order to make a slideshow, webpage, or podcast on GarageBand. Digital voice recorders can help English Language learners to practice pronounciation and increase vocabulary. An iPod touch is a great educational tool for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. In addition, all three technology items require students to actively participate and enhance learning in countless ways.

I would definitely promote the purchase and use of the iPod Nano, just like I did in my technology wish list and presented in my instgructional plan. The idea was given to me by one the assistant principals, and copies of my Technology Wish List and PowerPoint are being adapted to be used to write a grant right now. I don't mean to duplicate Anya, but the idea was given to me before our class got started this year. My reasoning for the Nano are along the same lines as Anya's, though. They would be a huge asset in the practice of reading aloud and recording voices to listen and build fluency. Also video recording and use those recordings for various project-based learning activities would be very fun and beneficial for students. With the instructional plan and wish list I already wrote in our class, I have some great basic tools to make a case for the English department with our administration. I would sit down with the other reading teachers in my school and work with them to create a presentation for our principal, using my instruction plan and PowerPoint if the group wanted to. This may happen, if a grant does not work out.
 * Lliane Blons- High School 9-12**