Thursday, November 5, 2009

Greetings Classmates!
Welcome to our post-synchronous chat activity. We are sure that you have many thoughts spinning in your heads… So, upon reflecting on our whole group chat on Levels of Technology Implementation Framework as well as the “chatting” process, please respond to the following questions. Visit the blog throughout the week and reply to any questions posted to your response. We appreciate your participation. Looking forward to a fruitful discussion!
-The Google Dolls
1. What was one new method that you learned during the chat about using Levels of Technology Implementation Framework in classrooms? What impressed you about this approach?
2. What was one new strategy that you learned during the chat about gaining faculty buy-in when implementing Levels of Technology Implementation Framework? What impressed you about this strategy?
3. What topics did you enjoy that were not covered in the chat?

31 comments:

  1. Thanks for a great chat tonight...We were the smoothest one this week-Way to go Section 2!
    Deb

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  2. The new method that I learned during the chat was most classmates chose exploration 36% use of technology in their disticts. Eventhough most felt this is where schools were as far as their technology use most say they still need room for improvement. What impressed me about this method was there is always room for improvement to intergrate techonolgy in schools and it can start by raising the framework for Loti.

    The new strategy that was learned during the chat about gaining faculty buy-in is start small and work their way up the framework for LoTi. Also to have open communication and collaboration to make the adjustment for improvement for technology usage. What impressed me about this strategy is how it can keep ways of learning technolgoy moving forward.

    The topic that I enjoyed that was not mentioned during the chat was in the article entitled "Educator's Acceptance of Computer Technology" how the statistics of computer usage 97 percent of students said they owned at least one computer and were connected to the residential network and 23.8 percent reported computer use was an integral part of their high school learning most or all of the time, while 31.5 percent said they rarely or never used a computer. This is why LoTi can be a help to use technology in schools.

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  3. 1. One method that emerged through the chat but that was not so obvious in the LoTi materials themselves was the notion of getting administrators to participate. Teachers may be more inclined to invest themselves in the LoTi Survey and the follow-up PD activities knowing that their principal has completed or will complete the survey right alongside them and engage in subsequent PD. It's likely to boost morale of teachers seeing that their school leader has room to grow in the area of technology, and may even be in need of some guidance from those teachers who tend to be more tech savvy. We've always got more learning to do!

    2. Action research has been a focus of our study in this course and it came up again in the chat. I think this approach geared toward technology integration may be something worth exploring in schools, because it will emerge from identified needs of the school, (not something imposed from above or outside), and it has the potential for involving ALL staff and students in a focused area, such as the NETS*S strand, "Communication and Collaboration," that scored high with our group. There may even be funds available to apply toward the action research; these might be directed to leave time, subs, stipends, tech tools, books, etc., and might be the lure that some teachers need to get involved in their school's tech integration effort.

    3. I enjoyed the side conversation that started to take off about the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, which emphasizes cross-curricular planning. This program seems to lend itself to technology integration because subject area teachers plan together, and a tech coach or integration specialist could be at the table planning with the other teachers. In this way, technology would not be something that teachers get to later or apply when they're ready or proficient, but all along the way. I'm anxious to read and learn more about this as the middle schools in my division are prepping to apply for IB.

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  4. P.S. The dog barking was pretty enjoyable too! Good thing my mic was off because I was truly LOL!

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  5. The new method that I learned about, I have a feeling that I missed this portion with my late arrival to the chat, but based on Nancy's response, I can say that my district is just starting to explore the possibilities of technology. I love the idea of discovery learning but it has to be supported discovery learning or my staff will not "discover" anything on their own.As I have stated several times lately my district is barely on the LoTi scale. I would love to see another way to assess this area that is more a way of dividing up my current learners, more of a beginning scaffolding effect.

    The faculty buy-in idea that I liked was the idea of showcasing your top learners not necessarily as trainers but as a model of Best Practices. It would be great to have an archive of best practices to share that showcased our own staff in their own classrooms, not some random person who seems to exist in another world.

    I too loved that article about the Educator's Acceptance of Technology, those data points really show why we need to force the issue of integrating technology with our staff. 97% own computers...why aren't we capitalizing on this amazing tool to leverage changes in instruction?!?! I need the data to support the special ed population before it will make a difference to my staff. Sigh...I think LoTi is a great framework but as stated before I still need a different type of assessment based on my learners.

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  6. I couldn't agree more with Paul! Admin have to be trained too! We are having serious issues because Admin is responsible for teachers carrying out Project Read and yet they were never trained so they have no idea what they should be looking for!...I suggested they be invited to training and was told that would be a waste of "their" time because they are not teachers...aren't all supervisors still teachers to those they supervise?!?! Ok...climbing off my soapbox now...

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  7. I found parts of the discussion quite interesting. I am not sure I have a list of three "new things I learned," but there were some things that stood out to me.

    I have to agree with Paul and Anne that the idea that school leaders should also be able to lead the way in the use of technology. I love my current principal, but she, like many admins, is a proud luddite. This can be really frustrating and actually interferes with teachers at lower LoTi levels who are trying to become comfortable and see the benefit in using technology for small things like calendaring etc.

    Our discussion about possible PD programs to increase LoTi levels was interesting, but it was also a bit depressing that after all these years, schools are still throwing spaghetti at the wall trying to see what sticks. It is sad to think that in a place full of students, the institutions themselves have such trouble learning and evolving.

    I also enjoyed the side discussion about IB and the comic relief from the dog.

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  8. 1- The discussion about strategies for using the LoTi framework in a school setting did not so much reveal new ideas to me so much as confirm some best practices. During our dialogue, I heard mention that many schools are using and many of my classmates recommended peer coaching as a method for implementing the LoTi framework (as well as similar initiatives). It was good to hear my initial reaction to that question confirmed and to know that it does work for other schools!

    2- I mentioned it during the chat and I will mention it again here, I really liked Teresa's point that you must find the internal motivations of your teachers in order to best gain buy-in. In my education experience I have not only worked as a teacher but as a salesperson of sort for education purposes. To make a sale, you must first listen to your customer to know what THEY want and then present them with that solution. The solution you present is your product, but you modify the product and your wording to match the customer's needs. It is the same in "selling" PD activities and school initiatives to teachers. As administrators we need to know our teachers' goals, wants, and needs so that we can relay to them how the PD activities will help them get those.

    3- Though question one of our chat, "What strategies could you use to move to a higher level of technology implementation," began this discussion, I would have very much enjoyed a deeper discussion here. I think during the chat our class took a different direction to the question, and that direction led to helpful and productive dialogue, but it would have been interesting to explore how things like peer coaching, action research, lesson studies, and critical friends could specifically help implement the LoTi framework.

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  9. 1. I strongly believe that administrators should participate in anything they ask their staff to do. Administrators need to be transparent in respect to their comfort level with technology. They must also be willing to allow teachers with a higher LoTi score to lead others in the building.

    2. Stakeholder buy-in starts at the top. When administrators can be models for effective strategies, others will follow. I know I'm repeating myself here, but using teacher leaders inthe building and differentiating their professional development based on LoTi levels is vital.

    3. I wanted to know about how technology is integrated in everyone else's buildings. I hear that (and this came up for a second last night), that computer classes don't exist and that technology is integrated into every class. My school still runs a computer lab and all 7th graders get computer class for half the year. Is this outdated? (I'm figuring "YES!")

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  10. Melissa, that is funny you ask the question about computer labs. Our school still has then. We seen to use them when we do not have access to technology in our own rooms. Which in my case (health and PE teacher) is the low man on the poll to receive technology. My students made a comment the other day to me by saying my technolog is out dated. I said do me a favor and tell the administation that comment.

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  11. 1. I think the concept of teachers reflecting on their professional development using journals/blogs, etc. was intriguing. This is not a method we employ often and even if we do it is not a deep reflection (like a 3-2-1 at the end of the session or meeting). I was impressed to think districts utilize teacher reflection as a way to have teachers dig deeper into their understanding and to plan for future PD offerings. I am left wondering the best way to implement this method and how my faculty would react.

    2. The concept of differentiation we know is of value for our students, and when the students are adults, this concept is still valuable. Creating different levels of professional development for faculty will create a valuable situation for all learners. This might entail providing different modes of professional development like online or self-paced activities or looking for opportunities outside the district like conferences or specialized classes.

    3. I would like to learn about ways teachers and PD providers are LoTi in their practice. Are there suggested or concrete ways that others have found success with moving teachers from one LoTi level to a higher level? As Brady said, it is frustrating that in 2009 we are still trying to figure this out.

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  12. Great chat and I enjoyed the discussion and reading the comments. What a great tool for collaboration.

    1. I think the one thing that I reflected upon was the point that Teresa made about people being motivated to use the technology. From all that we have learned about school culture and professional development, it so important to have teachers come in at the implementation of the initiative and have a voice in the decision-making process. After writing about the NSDC standards, the collaboration piece is essential. I think this would be the one strategy that would work with introducing and working with the LoTi survey for professional development.
    2) I think that having an administration that is proficient and supportive of technology integration would help teachers buy-in because they would know this is important goal and vision for the school community. Most likely, this would also ensure them that the resources and time would be given to staff to acquire the skills they needed.
    3) I would have like to hear from everyone about what type of professional development they use in their school and what seems to be working. Although I have read about peer coaching, I have not heard any real time comments about how it actually works in the building. It would have been neat to discuss in more depth the methods everyone is using in implementing technology based on their LoTi level. New project ideas might have been shared and insights regarding implementation.

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  13. I am loving this discussion...I just keep nodding my head as I am reading it's great to finally be validated!~

    1) Computer Labs - We just built a new school and I questioned why we were building a lab when we have laptop carts and we want to model best practice. I was told the teachers needs that plan time and the students still need to learn the skills....Really?!? Seems to me the students understand the tools it's the teachers who still think and apparently the admin that a computer is necessary for a teacher break...come on people!

    2)Intrinsic motivation- I totally agree that teachers need to be motivated by a will to learn and succeed, if they are being paid to be some where, they will only be there they won't carry over what they learn.Our teacher receive nothing but CPDU credit for attending after school trainings and the majority of my classes still have people who consistently sign up.

    3) Journaling/Blogging is a great way for teachers to reflect...the trick is getting them to follow through

    4) I hate when the admin portrays that they support tech and then they freak out when you send them an email instead of a written memo...top down is difficult to obtain when people talk the talk but then fail to walk the walk.

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  14. Most of the discussion during our chat seemed to relate to LoTi’s potential impact on professional development, which in turn should have an impact on what happens in classrooms. I liked how my classmates shared a strong support for differentiated professional development in order to continue to move all staff members forward on the LoTi scale. Without differentiation, staff development can often be above or below individuals’ capabilities and interests and the result will be a lack of carryover into the classroom.

    I was really surprised that many people either are or have been in the past on faculties that offer stipends to participate in professional development. I am more of the experience and understanding that educators are lucky when they don’t have to pay for PD, themselves! Ultimately, though, what seemed to be more common is the need for providing PD at all to help teachers implement tech tools that become available in their schools (such as Promethean boards).

    One method of engaging staff members in technology-oriented staff development that we all seemed to support was having administrators present and active during these PD sessions. I think many of us looked at this from a teacher’s point of view, but we should all remember this feeling when we, ourselves, are the administrators ordering up the PD.

    -Teresa Diehl

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  15. Stephanie,

    Thank you for your support on the topic of internal motivation. :-) I've been reading Michael Fullan for a while and find him refreshing to go back to when I need motivation, myself, or even a reminder of the tremendous privilege and responsibility that come with being an educator.


    You said, "To make a sale, you must first listen to your customer to know what THEY want and then present them with that solution. The solution you present is your product, but you modify the product and your wording to match the customer's needs. It is the same in "selling" PD activities and school initiatives to teachers. As administrators we need to know our teachers' goals, wants, and needs so that we can relay to them how the PD activities will help them get those."

    I agree completely that business models can be very beneficial when viewing aspects of school organization and the implementation of change. "Selling" PD and viewing teachers and staff as customers in this respect can go a long way towards achieving positive results.

    My question, then, is what is one or two ways you would go about finding out what the teachers' "goals, wants, and needs" are?

    -Teresa

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  16. Teresa, Great question! I think there are a lot of ways to gain insight into teacher motivations through a better understanding of their goals and such. In my opinion, the best and most direct way is simply to ask. One opportunity to do so would be during conferences related to observations and walk-throughs or during orientation for new teachers. My previous sales training taught me that you ask a lot of questions (open, closed, qualified, etc.). Listen well and restate what you hear.

    While that is the best way, there may be alternate methods for the administrator who has a lot on his or her plate; he or she could do a paper or email survey of some sort with questions related to teacher professional goals. Then, when a particular teacher is putting up resistance to a PD activity, the administrator would have that information as a dialogue starter during the conversation to gain that teacher's buy-in.

    Finally, I think administrators can gain some of this information more indirectly. I can learn much about a teacher's motivations through my observation of his or her class time, observing his or her interaction with students and colleagues, and through conversations with others about the teacher.

    Anybody have any other ideas? :-)

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  17. Judith~
    It is very interesting when districts uses their teacher's reflections on their personal growth to see if the district can improve their plans for the future PD offerings. One way we said in our district is we need to collaborate more and we got more time to talk to each other as a group. Sometime we have to much time where we could be planning more for our classroom.

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  18. Anne, thank you for your thoughtful comments.

    You said, "The faculty buy-in idea that I liked was the idea of showcasing your top learners not necessarily as trainers but as a model of Best Practices. It would be great to have an archive of best practices to share that showcased our own staff in their own classrooms, not some random person who seems to exist in another world."

    Are you familiar with SharePoint? Tech goddess that you are, I'm sure you do. :-)
    We've just started using it at my job as a way of bringing all the great resources teachers use to the attention of every other teacher in our system. The potential is huge if it is used the way it is intended. Have you thought about something like this as a way of tailoring PD to your specific district's needs?

    -Teresa

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  19. 1. What was one new method that you learned during the chat about using Levels of Technology Implementation Framework in classrooms? What impressed you about this approach?
    I would have to agree with Melissa on this one. “Practice what you preach!” If you’re going to ask staff to do something you have to either being willing to learn it with them or should be able to do it yourself. You must lead by example. There have been many instances where administrators require staff to use certain devices and they themselves can even turn the device on. It is so much more motivating when the people who are encouraging you to take a course or learn something new is joining you on your journey or has been on the journey already.
    2. What was one new strategy that you learned during the chat about gaining faculty buy-in when implementing Levels of Technology Implementation Framework? What impressed you about this strategy?

    The strategy that I learned during the chat about gaining faculty buy-in is using collaboration and listening to your staff members. Far too often teacher’s ideas and thoughts are overlooked and it’s always a great feeling to know that I am being heard. It is so critical with technology integration because you are trying to move ahead and collaboration and ideas is a must.

    3. What topics did you enjoy that were not covered in the chat?
    I really enjoyed how everyone was considerate of the fact that not all schools have access to technology and offered alternative solutions of technology implementation. I also like how there were suggestions on how to motivate teacher without monetary incentive to do in house trainings. Some schools feel that for a teacher to understand and use technology they have to spend lots of money and go off school campus when they can learn from each other.

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  20. Brady~
    You touched on some great point. As I mentioned in my post it's hard to be positive and optimistic if the people in charge (ie administrators) are not on board with moving forward in the technological world that we live in. In addition, I agree that schools not having some sort of technology advancement or current technology in place is depressing. What's even more depressing is that in some school districts some schools have a vast amount of technology in place and in the same county some schools have none.

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  21. 1. One new method that was identified and briefly discussed during Monday’s chat concerning using the various levels of the LoTi Framework in the classrooms was the accountability that administrators must have in order to hold teachers accountable for using various teaching and learning strategies in their daily lessons and assessments. I am impressed by this approach because if administrators, who are the supervisors and evaluators of a school’s staff, are on the same level of learning as those who are being supervised then they can not only provide assistance to their staff but also have the background knowledge for what is expected. When it is transparent to all stakeholders the expectations, implementation of strategies and model are inevitably facilitated and followed-through upon. With the Talent Development school reform model that I currently work with, I am currently teaching administrators about the fundamentals of the model and identifying through classroom visits and student work what is expected through implementation of the model. Now administrators know what their teachers know and there is an accountability for optimal and proper implementation.
    2. One strategy discussed during the chat about gaining faculty buy-in when implementing Levels of Technology Implementation Framework that I can see using in the future is differentiating professional development for teachers. I was impressed by this approach because it not only provides teachers with the information that they need at a level where they can find success, but this also provides an opportunity to model for teachers strategies for differentiation that they can use in their classrooms. I have found that when teachers are provided with actionable strategies they are more likely to use them.
    3. What I enjoyed about the chat process was the medium that was used to facilitate the chat. Other chats that I have participated in have seemed a little chaotic and therefore frustrating to participate in. As a result, I found myself disengaged and not fully participating. I plan to share the approached that was used with my job. Perhaps we may begin using this type of medium to facilitate meetings with colleagues that live and work across the country. It may actually save the Center money in the end.

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  22. Hi Patricia-
    The program that I work with in Chicago uses a peer coaching model. We have very positive results with our model in providing consistent in-class support to teachers. The most challenging aspect is to get teachers to open their doors and welcome another “expert” into their classroom. Another challenge is making sure that the coaches not only are proficient in their content are but also in 21st century skills and methods of delivery. Question – is a coaching model being used in your school or district? How is PD offered to teachers?
    Thanks for sharing.
    -Van

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  23. Hi Paul-
    I totally agree that administrators need to be the educational leaders of their schools on all fronts. When they are invested and lead their staff and are invested in teachers as life-long learners, teachers seem to want to invest their time and efforts in not only supporting students but everyone in the building and community. Question – do you have any inventive methods for getting administrators on board and seeing themselves as life-long learners? It seems like the further adults are away from students, the less likely they are to see themselves as “educators.”
    Thanks for sharing.
    -Van

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  24. What was one new method that you learned during the chat about using Levels of Technology Implementation Framework in classrooms? What impressed you about this approach?

    One strategy that I found to be particularly useful was the concept of differentiating Professional Development (PD) for teachers. We tend to use that term a lot for student instruction, but something seems to get lost with staff PD. This is the first year in my school where I have even heard the term used in conjunction with PD, so I see hope for change. I think the LoTi can be very useful in assisting trainers and administration plan and provide appropriate PD for targeted audiences and LoTi scores will also be useful to help teachers create meaningful Professional Development Plans, which in turn, drives PD from that angle.

    What was one new strategy that you learned during the chat about gaining faculty buy-in when implementing Levels of Technology Implementation Framework? What impressed you about this strategy?

    I think the concept of pairing up teachers up so that they can model/guide/assist each other in attaining a higher level on the LoTi scale is a technique that would encourage buy-in. So often, teachers are isolated in their classrooms and this creates a collaboration situation that is a winner for all. The teacher would not feel like they are on their own in increasing their use of technology in their instruction and even for the stronger teachers who are acting in more of a "coaching" role, the shared collaboration and partnership will produce more ideas than if left to their own devices. As I heard at a conference recently, "The room is smarter than the individual." I think we have to be careful when introducing the LoTi levels so that teachers don't feel like they are being targeted individually, but feel like it will assist them in recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and help everyone form Professional Learning Communities where instructional practice can be discussed and strengthened.

    What topics did you enjoy that were not covered in the chat?

    While the concept of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) was brought up briefly in the chat, I would like to hear more about it when talking about technology integration. I mentioned it in our group discussion prior to the chat and would like to hear what other schools are doing in that area. In my district, we are at the beginning stages of encouraging library media specialists to form PLCs that are focused on standards so that new curriculum strategies can grow from the partnership of the PLC. I see great opportunities, but this introduction phase is going slowly and I would like to hear from my classmates if they have any experiences in this type of PD.

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  25. I did want to mention that I chuckled when I read Anne Truger's comment about administrators not being able to read an email....when I applied for my position in this school 6 years ago, I sent the principal my resume as a PDF document. She was unable to open it and requested that I send it to her via US Mail! Unfortunately, she has not progressed much beyond that capacity! That was my "sign" of things to come!

    Judith--my comments also echo your thoughts on differentiation. Until teachers recognize that administrators and trainers value each teacher as an individual and consequently plan for each teacher's growth by planning appropriate Professional Development, then the teacher's won't buy in to PD.

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  26. 1. What was one new method that you learned during the chat about using Levels of Technology Implementation Framework in classrooms? What impressed you about this approach?
    I was impressed with the discussion about differentiating PD with staff. We do it with students, why not with teachers, especially since we try to be good role models for what goes on in the classroom. Currently, many of our staff tend to become frustrated during our PD opportunities because the course is too advanced or too simple. By offering beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of PD offerings, I think we can greatly improve our staff development program.

    2. What was one new strategy you learned during the chat about gaining faculty buy-in when implementing Levels of Technology Implementation Framework? What impressed you about this strategy?
    I had some trouble hearing during the call, but I agree with Anne that showcasing exceptional work can really help with faculty buy-in. I have seen it work in my district. A resistant teacher sees something really great that another teacher has done, and all of a sudden he comes to me and asks about learning how to use the tools to do that project with his students. I think that strategy is an exceptional one for helping with faculty buy-in.

    3. What topics did you enjoy that were not covered in the chat?
    Did anyone see the Loti Sniff Test? I found this tool interesting and would have been interested to see what others thought about it. Other than that, I thought it was an excellent chat! (At least the parts I heard!!) :-)

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  27. 1. Administrative accountability is critical in staff development. With technology integration this is even more important. As is the case with many of my classmates, my school would be leveled as “exploration.” Our administration is not seen as a model of or even an advocate for technology implementation. The typical attitude is that technology is important but there is little effort to create learning opportunities to increase proficiency. Initially, I saw this as an opportunity to build relationships with administration based on knowledge and training. After a few interactions I learned that the general proficiency level bordered somewhere between knowing how to type and being mildly proficient in MS Word. Our focus has shifted from application to comprehension. I am working to show the potential and power of technology on education so that I can gain their buy-in. Hopefully this will provide the encouragement needed to support a vision of school wide integration.

    2. I enjoyed discussing the use of action research as a strategy for identifying professional development opportunities. With the busy schedules and responsibilities associated with teaching it is important to make the most of professional development. Using surveys and other data collection tools to identify what individuals want to learn as well their proficiency level will ensure that workshops are meaningful and speak to the school’s vision of technology. Once this data is collected it is easy to level workshops so that all participants achieve success.

    3. A topic for further evaluation is how to gain teacher acceptance. After gaining administrator buy-in how do we reach our teachers? Our students know and use technology daily. Why aren’t we requiring teachers to be as proficient as if not more than those we are teaching?. The fact that our students know more than we do can be intimidating to some teachers. Perhaps this is an opportunity to promote student leaders just as we discussed showcasing teacher leaders.

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  28. Great discussion! Lots of food for thought. There have been several mentions of laptops in classrooms vs. labs. I love our laptop cart at my school, but it isn't automatically better for all situations. If the cart doesn't have enough laptops for each student then there are occassions where booking the lab is helpful. For elementary students especially, there are times when getting the laptops are a pain: getting them from the previous teacher, finding that some are not recharged, getting them distributed, logged into a finiky wireless network, etc. Computer labs with software to control all of the students' computers etc, can be a powerful enviornment for some activities/lessons. Fact is, I want both laptops and labs.

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  29. Brady,

    My "classroom" is the computer lab. In addition to working with teachers on technology integration I teach technology to grades 2-8. Elementary students come to me once a week. Middle school students come to me every day for 14 week cycles. Having this structure allows me to intrioduce and reinforce skills so that students have some level of proficiency when they use technology "occasionally" with there teachers. This allows the teachers to focus on the content of the project or assignment instead of being hindered by the mechanics. I use NetSupport, a management software, in the lab to send and receive files as well as manage student activity. If nothing else, it provides a level of consistency and efficiency. I am not sure how effective laptops would be in our school with such low level of technology proficiency. I fear it would have myself and our technology director acting as full-time tech support. I guess I agree with you in that I want them, I am just not sure it would be a practical use of our minimal budget.

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  30. Carissa~
    In my district we are very slow moving to create our learning environment to be more proficient with technology. Our principal does not know technology and is learning herself. Our students do know more technology then the teachers do and yes it can be intimidating. Hopefully things will get better in your district. Good Luck.

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  31. @ Van...one thing I do is invite, invite, invite. I send an email to principals for every PD I am doing on tech integration. I also lead a group of middle school teachers in a PD program called Teacher Leadership Project which is yearlong and hybrid online and face-to-face. We give them a great toolkit including wireless slate, LCD projectors, document camera, clickers, and digital camera. I've proposed that we offer a similar group for administrators, OR, at least open up the teacher group to them. Admin's use of technology will differ somewhat from teachers, and as tech leaders, we have to be able to offer them things useful to their job/responsibilities.

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