V Productivity and Professional Practice
Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice. Teachers:
A. use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.
B. continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.
C. apply technology to increase productivity.
D. use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.
V.A
Artifacts
Artifact #1: My Professional Development Plan
Artifact #2: Professional Technology Resources Portaportal This Portal is a work in progress.
Artifact #3: My TRT presentation given at the start of the year
Artifact #4: Online form for teachers to use to contact me (form discontinued)
Artifact #5: My WebPage
Artifact #6: Photo of my palm and digital voice recorder
Artifact #7: My most recent transcript
Reflection
Professional development plan includes short- and long-term goals that identify promising and emerging technologies and assesses the potential of these systems and services to address personal, lifelong learning, and workplace needs.
I have submitted my Professional Development Plan. In this plan I have included both short and long term goals. One of these goals was to provide on demand technology rich lessons that are pertinent to a teacher's current focus of study. In my first year, last year, I found that although email was a great tool, it was not always effective for all teachers. They would forget to provide some important information I would need to plan effectively. This year I will start off trying an online form. This suggestion was given to me by a web colleague. When the teacher emails me with a request for help, I will send her the form to complete. The form will automatically go to my inbox. Another of my goals was to expand my web site. This tool has been an awesome resource for both myself and teachers I work with. I have many emails daily from educators all over the world asking for information and providing resources I can use. I pass all information on to teachers in my district. To better help teachers in my district understand my role as an ITRT, I created a power point which I used at the beginning of the year. I like to be aware of new technologies. I have also included my Technology Resource Portal. This portal contains sites from workshops, NTTI colleagues, etc that I have come across. One idea that I want to explore more is the text to speech ability of newer model PCs. I heard Ferri Lockhart address this in a workshop. I decided to explore the potential of this tool. I came across an older digital voice recorded which will transcribe once a computer has been “taught to recognize speech”. In addition to ITRT, I am a mentor teacher in my district. These two roles often merge into one job. As I plan with teachers or meet to reflect, I have started using my digital voice recorded to record our conversation. I then go home and upload the conversation to my computer and it transcribes the conversation for me. I email the conversation back to the teacher so that she has a record of our discussion. This worked well last year since many teachers were asked to plan a lesson with me in place of a formal observation. My long term goals are very lofty. I want to continue to grow in skills so that one day I may be able to teach a methods class at the college level. I would also like to be employed as a curriculum writer in my division. To do this I need to attend workshops and stay abreast of the newest technologies. Again, my portal gives evidence that I am constantly learning and seeking information. My professional development plan also lists conferences that I attended last year. I have also included a photo of my recent transcript from classes I took last year on the graduate level. These classes were taken online through a distance learning program. I received an A in both classes. One class was on finance and the other on theories of school administration. Although on the surface level the classes may not sound like they would enhance my position as an ITRT, they absolutely did do so. The finance class provided me with an insight on how schools must deal with reaching goals in spite of limited funds. This helped tremendously when teachers wanted to know why we as a district could not just buy all the latest technologies. I was asked to explain the reasoning behind the money spending a lot last year. It was helpful to understand the laws and governing policies. I was also provided with many alternate ways of securing funds in the way of grants and was able to help with a couple of grants in my district. Theories of Administration provided me with ways of understanding how different teachers want a “leader” to respond. In a manner of speaking it supported the concept of differentiated learning except that it was about dealing with adults rather than children. The class helped identify my role more clearly since my county looks upon my position as a teacher leader.
Technology professional development plan identifies the capabilities and limitations of current and emerging technology resources, and assesses the potential of these systems and services to address lifelong learning and workplace needs.
In my professional development plan I have commented on ideas and technologies that I have gleaned from professional developments. To provide several specific examples, during the QTL conference I attended last summer we used Microsoft paint to “trace” and draw US maps. The presenters commented on how often we overlook the “freebies” that come installed on most PCs. I used Paint often last year. Teachers and students loved it! One teacher commented that she had never thought about the fact that Paint would be a suitable program for older students. Another example, one of my schools is a Reading First school. This school has a huge population of special needs children. Although the special ed teachers are adapt and knowledgeable about special technologies, the Reading Coach was not. She asked me for help. I am sorry to say, that at first I was not able to do so. I had sat under Ferri Lockhart’s presentation on special ed technologies during a NTTI training but had concentrated more on a lesson I was currently writing. At the time I was a classroom teacher in a school with a limited population of disabilities. I did email Ferri and got permission to provide the reading coach with Ferri’s email address. At the next conference following, I attended a workshop on special needs and how technology could support these needs. Last year in my beginning of the year address, I introduced my self and my position to my colleagues. I have included last year’s power point. This year two of my colleagues and I are working together on a power point concerning differentiation and technology where we plan on high lighting some of the new technologies coming into our county. Finally, since there are now 45 mentors and/or resource teachers in the county I am scheduled to hold a “round table” of some possible ways technology could support the role of the resource/mentor teacher. As I have said, one tool I use is a digital voice recorded, palm, and email.
I have also learned about some promising and emerging technologies at the various conferences I have attended. One that I have started exploring myself is podcasting. This is a concept that my own children have begun to show an interest in and I wanted to know more about the idea. This is a great way to allow students to review for tests and have access to missed classes. During class, the professor wears a recording device on his or her arm to record the lecture. Professors then transfer the lectures to a computer in a MP3 form. Students are able to download lectures that they missed or wish to review. Another technology that started gaining popularity in the past few years was the use of pda’s in the classroom. One of the benefits of PDAs is that they can be used at the site of instruction. That is, instead of relocating your classroom to a computer lab, PDAs can be utilized by students at their desks. Or, should the lesson take place outdoors or on a field trip, students can easily bring their PDAs along to assist in data collection. Also, when students are equipped with handheld computers, only one desktop or laptop computer is needed in the classroom as students download their assignments from their individual PDAs onto the computer via an infrared beam. A couple of years ago, TTI trained several of the master teachers in using PDAs. Each of the master teachers involved in the training was provided with a Palm to practice with. I spoke to the Informational Technology Coordinator for Amherst County to inquire about the purchase of mp3 players and PDAs for classroom use. I was informed that this would probably never come about in Amherst due to the ease of theft or loss for two such small devices.
Uses electronic resources to enhance knowledge and instructional strategies to improve student learning in several curriculum areas.
I love talking and planning with other educators! I feel there is absolutely NO WAY we could effectively plan for every student alone. We must work together with colleagues. I have submitted above my Resources Portal which deals only with Technology Resources; however, my colleagues and I have several other portals that we are working on together. Each of these portals is devoted to a specific content area. Each of us shares the login information so we all can post to the portal. We have provided the address of these portals to our entire district so that all our teachers can have access to these links. I am also piloting using an online form for teachers to complete when they want to plan with me to do a lesson. I am waiting to see how this works out. I love working on my web page! I belong to several “web rings”. I frequently browse through to see what other teachers are doing and have had emails from other teachers browsing mine. Through these web rings I have hooked up to do some very interesting online collaboration projects such as the Monster Project, virtual postcards, and online scavenger hunts. These projects are fun and motivating for students. Teachers have told me that students are remembering content much more easily. Using the digital voice recorder and palm for communication in conjunction with email has also cut down on miscommunication when planning with teachers. My online classes taken this year have not only served to help me define my role as ITRT but also helped me recall how learners feel with confronted with something new, both adult and children. I have become better at breaking technology down into step by step processes so that learners can keep up with me and feel successful. Succeeding in one area such as technology provides motivation for mastery in other areas as well. Many times this year I have run into situations where the students know EVERYTHING about the technology but need help with the content. Teachers know the content and absolutely NOTHING about the technology. It has been interesting seeing some of the “sages on the stages” (teachers) find out that sometimes they are nothing more than a guide and sometimes they are the learners. And I love seeing a struggling student be able to “teach” the teacher how to accomplish a task. Being able to share the responsibility of being a learner and a teacher above all will turn a classroom into a learning community and motivate students.
V.A was granted a meets expectation on 11/11/06
V.B
Artifacts
Reflection
Maintains a reflective learning portfolio, classroom technology integration plan, and professional development plan. Reflections discuss making informed decisions regarding the use of technology for productivity and to support student learning.
I have attached both my professional development plan and my technology implementation management plan. In my PDP I reflected on workshops I have attended and the technologies I gleaned from these workshops. I commented on how I applied the newly learned technologies to impact student achievement. In my TIMP, I reflected on the technologies I have available to use in my position as well as limitations and possible solutions.
Periodically updates action research projects, classroom technology integration plans, and professional development plans. Carefully selects professional development opportunities to support student learning and reflects on experiences to ensure alignment with student learning and professional development goals
As I stated above, I have included my PDP and TIMP as artifacts. Both of these document include my reflections. I have also included my research and the lesson plan I built around my research. I am a firm believer in multiple intelligences and brain based learning. As a mentor, my division has fully trained me to be a differentiation coach. When I moved into the position of ITRT, I wanted to attempt some differentiated lessons. I had knowledge of several strategies for differentiating but of all the strategies, using Sternberg’s triarchic intelligences was the strategy I was weakest in using. I decided to see if I could strengthen my understanding of triarchic intelligences by incorporating it into a technology rich lesson. The lesson was very successful! This upcoming year I plan on creating a technology based lesson using the differentiated strategy of tiering.
V.B was granted a meets expectation on 11/10/06
V.C
Artifacts
Artifact #1: 
lab_report.ppt template for a science lab report
Artifact #2: 
a9qm4DLH_ITLP.doc the document we use when planning with teachers: the Individual Technology Learning Plan
Artifact #3: LB44s2jC_webquest_template.doc my Webquest Template
Artifact #4: Online Form for Teacher Communication
Artifact #5: My Online Newsletters
Artifact #6: Photo of my palm and digital voice recorder
Reflection
Appropriately applies productivity tools to complete educational and professional tasks.
I was asked by a couple of fourth grade teachers to find a way for students to use PowerPoint to present a scientific experiment. I provided this template for the teachers to use. Students were also asked to either video tape their experiment or find an United Streaming clip to support their evidence. A slide was included to help them remember this part. The template is an example of an educational tool which will aid students in focusing on their task and increase the quality of the students’ reports.
Another ITRT and I did a workshop on webquests this year. After the workshop, teachers were very excited about the creation of quests to use with their students. Unfortunately, our division has not yet provided a means for classroom teachers to create online pages. The template was provided, teachers could fill it out and if they emailed it back to an ITRT we could post in on our intranet. The quests could be viewed and used like any online webquest but the quest itself could not be accessed unless teachers or students were at school. This is a downfall that the division is looking into changing. The webquest template is a professional tool designed to help teachers plan a lesson that would support and enhance student learning.
Last year I used email greatly to co-plan with teachers. This was hard since teachers often forgot to include information. I am going to try using an online form that teachers will complete. The form has specific information I need to plan. This way teachers will be less likely to forget important information. After receiving the form, I plan on touching base with the teacher either face to face or via telephone if clarifications need to be made. In developing the form I am demonstrating that I am continually looking for professional tools which will improve the quality of the services I offer.
Many newly hired teachers and some veteran teachers are familiar with technology and only need resources and ideas. Monthly I sent out a newsletter with links and ideas for the incorporation of technology. Often after the newsletter went out, I would receive tons of email asking for specific help using an idea gleaned from the newsletter. My newsletter is another professional tool I use to increase the quality of services I offer and since I send it out monthly teachers tell me they look forward to using it as they plan. Again, this improves the quality of education we provide to students.
Regular use of productivity tools increases the quality and quantity of the work produced.
Our Division wanted to make sure that ITRTs were used in our county so they included us in the professional development opportunities teachers could choose for recertification credit. We were “Option 14”. I was asked by my supervisor to develop a form that teachers could use to reflect on how they wanted to work with us in the incorporation of technology. I am submitting the form I created. This tool is a professional tool which helps both the teacher and myself to be more productive in integrating technology into content.
I use my palm and digital voice recorder during conferences with teachers. Being a strong auditory learner, I cannot focus well if I am concerned about taking notes. I record the conversations with the teachers, come home and transcribe them and then use that transcription to complete the form. I then mail the form and the transcribed conversation to the teacher. It works very well. This tool is one way that I increase my productivity.
V.C was granted a meets expectation on 8/4/06
V.D
Artifacts
Reflection
Understands how and when to use basic electronic communication tools and is able to create and publish simple Web pages,
I have included the Home Page of my web site. Off my site are links to my schedule, technology pacing guides, lesson plans I will use in classes with students during the week as well as lessons I have written for teachers. It also has links to archived newsletters and much more.
We have seven elementary schools in our division. I created and help maintain 4 of the seven web sites. I met with each principal and designed the pages according to the personality and needs of the schools.
I also put together the division Enrichment page. This page is loaded with graphics (with parental permission). The pictures not only bring excited comments from parents of gifted learners but also bring more families into the division as they are looking for schools that provide these enrichment services.
Participates in technology-based collaboration and telecommunications regularly as part of ongoing professional growth.
Off of my Home Page is a page that shows my schedule and has links to an online form teachers can complete if they wish to request my help with a lesson. I also post archived newsletters here so that colleagues always have access to previous communications. One of the best resources I have is the page with the web rings to which I belong. Each of these rings is a community of teachers with something in common. I regularly browse through these rings looking for online colleagues to share in projects. Past projects have included virtual postcards and the monster project. I really enjoy receiving emails from colleagues that come across my site. By participating in these rings and virtual projects I am demonstrating that I can collaborate and help my students collaborate using technology.
Halfway through the year I posted an online survey to glean information from my colleagues about my performance so that I could gage whether or not I was doing my job in the most proficient manner. This online survey was meant to allow teachers the freedom to say what they felt so although they could include their name, it was not required.
I have also included emails from colleagues that show that I am communicating regularly concerning their technology needs.
My most recent transcript is from two classes taken online via LU’s Distance Learning Program. These online classes demonstrate that I am capable of using technology to further my professional development.
I regularly receive many email newsletters from various educational organizations such as Mrs. Alphabet and RiverDeep’s Classroom Connection. I have listed all the email newsletters in my Technology Resources Portal. By reading these newsletters I stay abreast of the current trends in technology education specifically and education as a whole.
Regularly uses technology to communicate and collaborate with parents and the larger community on the status, activities, and achievements of students.
As an ITRT I do not have the privilege of communicating myself with many parents. However, I do have a student page on my home page which will provide families with activities they can use at home to support student learning. One of these pages is devoted to helping students with research. Parents have not communicated with me personally but teachers have reported that parents are excited over these resources. Too, the web pages created for each school are used for parental and community communication. Even though I do not get to speak to many parents, I feel that I play a huge part in parental and community communication since I designed and maintain the school web pages.
The Enrichment page is another tool that is used to communicate with community and parents. I designed and maintain this page.
Shows evidence that electronic communication with peers, parents, and community members results in development of improved student learning.
Off of each of the school web pages I maintain I have linked my student page. Too, the school web pages often use their sites to let parents know what is happening at the school and will highlight student work. Madison Heights even has a page dedicated to showcase student work called the Unicorn Spirit.
The Enrichment page keeps parents abreast of activities happening in the gifted program and brings in more parents to the community who are looking for schools which will build on the skills their gifted learners have.
I have included examples of emails from colleagues. One of these email specifically thanks me for the support of student learning and cites examples of lessons I did in her class.
V.D was granted a meets expectation on 11/7/06
sternberg.doc
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