Session 10

Focus Question- Summarize the class, what did you learn, what was interesting about the class, what have you taken from the class, what have you learned about your role as a potential technology leader in education?

First of all, I have to say when I found out that this class was all online I was not excited. This was because I have never taken an online class before so it was a whole new experience for me. I was always afraid because I like the face-to-face experience and with online classes you don't have that. This was an experience and I learned a lot from this class.

The class overall was a learning experience. In this class we learned the difference between management and leadership, the three fundamental aspects of technology, technology hierarchy, the Rodgers diffusion of innovation model, the best practices technology integration, technology barriers, the Ed Norman syndrome, and data driven decision making. Along with these topics that we learned in the class, I learned how to create a blog. This was my first blog and hopefully not my last.

I have learned that I my role as a potential technology leader is what I am doing now and will do. I recently fell into this job of being a Computer tech/teacher. I knew nothing about computers two years ago. Now I have learned to work with them and be able to learn how to use them. With my teaching background I am learning to teach others how to use computers, from kindergartners all the way up to senior citizens. I even have people asking me my opinions on technology they plan to buy. I see myself as an early adopter in Roger's diffusion of innovation model because I first have to see the technology and learn about it, then if I think it is good and something I could see being beneficial, then I drive right in. This is how I see me as a potential technology leader, I like technology and all, but I am not one to spend money on something I don't plan to use much. I have had one recent experience when a teacher wanted to buy a site license for an online program and they asked me to look into it and give my opinion. I researched and tested out the site and I found out that it was a good program, but I didn't see the school spending money on this program because it was limited and only beneficial to a small percentage of the school.

Everything I have learned in this class has affected my job. I have seen the Ed Norman Syndrome and I have seen best practices with technology integration, among other things pertaining to the class. I even noticed that I started like Ed Norman, but I learned from my experiences and now I am better at what I do. I even learned from other students in this class how to handle some of my teachers and how to improve my technology working conditions. I enjoyed this class and I hope everyone got as much as I did out of this class as I did.


Activity Log:
3/18/09- Downloaded podcast, posted blog
3/19/09- Helped a teacher with technology idea of blogs for the teachers
3/22/09- Responded to three students blogs

Project Webpage

Please take a look at my webpage and projects and let me know what you think!  I'll do the same for you if you wish!

ETEC623 Projects

Session 9

Focus Question- Describe a good professional training and a bad professional training and talk about some similarities and differences about them.  Then discuss some characteristics of effective training that you want to see in the future.

I haven't been to a lot of technology meetings, but I have been to other types of meetings which I did enjoy and learned a lot from.  Other than being a Computer Technician I also help run the after-school program.  For this job I was asked to attend a two-day training in Palm Springs.  At this conference there where vendors selling products that we were there to learn about.  The great thing about this training was that you had a choice of what you wanted to learn.  For example, they had training for discipline of disobedience children all the way to how to organize outdoor activities without money.   So depending on your preferences, you choose what you want to be trained in. Each training was about an hour and a half long with thirty minutes in between training. I needed help with outdoor activities, so I chose that training.  At this training they got everyone involved, or those who wanted to participate.  This made it more interesting for me because I imagined myself teaching students these activities instead of watching a video about the training and taking notes.  I think this conference had great examples of professional training which were very effective.  This is one characteristic I see as essential for an effective training.  

One ineffective training I went to was to learn how to manage the district website for my school.  I was excited about this training because it was while I was taking one of my college classes for this program.  I went to the training expecting to get a lot of the work done and learning about how to build the website.  I was wrong.  My co-worker and I went to this training and I have to say that both of us came out of that training more confused then before.  We had hands-on training, but the fact was that we were able to submit things to be put on the site, but ti had to be approved by an administrator.  We spent more time sending items and waiting for them to be approved then we did on actually on the website.  What I mean if we have the materials to put on the website, we are not able to actually put the them on the website right away because it has to go through the administrator.  So in the end I felt like I learned nothing and I never put the knowledge to use because my co-worker and I never did anything with the website because we didn't have enough privileges to insert anything, not to mention being there from 8:00am to 4:00pm making it a long day to be sitting in front a computer.  We got discouraged and gave up. Now after 6 months, the district wants us to do something with the site. They finally gave us administrator access, but we lost interest by this point.  This training had potential, but it wasn't thought out and planned properly.  One aspect that they needed to change was that the permissions needed to changed before the training in order for us to get the full benefit of the training.  This goes back to the ED NORMAN syndrome and restricting the population from the technology.  

In the end, everyone has their own ways they liked to be taught.  As I remember it, don't quote me on this, there are three styles of learning; kinesthetic, visual, and auditory.  Some learn by doing, some by seeing, and some learn by listening.  In a training people should have the choice to participate in the activity, others could watch and listen to the training if they do not feel the need to participate.  Also a great training needs to be well-planned and not intensive. The idea of short mini-training throughout the day made it more relaxing and made it feel less extensive.  I don't know about anyone else, but I like to be taught little by little then to try to learn everything at once. 

Activity log

3/9/09- Downloaded podcast, worked on my project presentation webpage, e-mailed Dr. Newberry, thought of training I've been to, found pros and cons of each training

3/10/09- Found out a teacher I work with is in this program, discussed our classes, wrote my blog, try to sleep not thinking about projects and work

3/11/09- Worked on posting my projects

3/12/09- Commented on students blogs, e-mailed Dr. Newberry about my reflections (Hopefully I did them up to par), continued working on my third project.

Session 8

Focus Question- Think how Data Driven Decision Making might be used in your world or area in education. Think of a positive and negative use of data driven decision making. How does leadership factor in to both positive and negative examples.

Since I work as a computer technician, I see I see a lot of data driven decision making and I have a positive and negative example of this. My first example deals with the on-line program called Headsprout.  The teachers use this program as a way to "get rid of" or as a tool for the kids to interact with, not for educational use. They put the students on for twenty minutes every time they come to the lab.  It is a great tool for those students who need help learning the letter sounds and blending, but not for those who do not follow the rules.  Teachers look at the data it produces, meaning they look at what level they are on.  Just looking at what level they are on is not an effective way to determine their progress because of different factors.  One factor is the student's progress based on how well they performed, not at what level they are currently at.  For example if they are well into the program doesn't mean they are doing well.  Teachers need to look at how long they have been on the program, how many clicks they have done, and how accurate they are at answering the questions.  Some students just click around until they get the right answer, so they do not really learn the content.  Plus, teachers need to watch the students while they interact with the program because some students concentrate and improve by using this program, but others are not inspired and they do not get the benefit of this program.  I, as the person who observes the students while they use the program, inform the teachers as much as I can about the students who aren't benefiting from the program.  This is hard because they just want the time away from the students to get other work done or just for time away to think, so they want all the students on the program.  The principal backs the teachers because she pays for the program and wants all the students on it.  I think the students who benefits from it should use it and the other students should get other kinds of instruction.  This is a negative example of data driven decision making because teachers only look at part of the data and not all the data.

There are positive data decision making with on-line programs.  My positive example involves the on-line program called Achieve3000 or KidBiz3000.  This program assesses students at the beginning of the school year and after each trimester.  With this program, the students read an article each day, or two days a week, and they have to answer multiple choice questions, interact with a poll, complete a math problem, and complete a written response to a question about the article.  The purpose of this program is to increase the child's reading level.  Teachers are able to assign specific article to tie into what they are learning in class.  This program also gives teachers assessments about each student and as a class.  Teachers are also able to raise the students reading level if they want to challenge the student, or if they believe the child could have done better.  One example I have seen involved a fourth grader who was going to be held back because of her reading level among other factors.  Her teacher looked at the data, all of it, and it proved that the student increased her reading level two grade levels.  The teacher then factored this data into his decision to promote this child to the next grade.  Now, more teachers are using this program to increase their low readers.  This is a positive data driven decision making because it with this and other examples got the principal to buy the program for the school to help other students.  

Data is a good thing to have in these example because teachers could just print out reports on the students without lifting a finger.  The one example shows that just pulling data is sometimes not enough and there needs to be more data collected.  In the other example when all the necessary data is collected it can provide a very useful tool for teachers.  

Activity Log:

3/4/09- Download podcast, start my blog, read Dr. Newberry's e-mail

3/5/09- Finish my blog, e-mail Dr. Newberry about project, read other student blogs and respond

Session 7

Focus Question: If you have or if you would run into a situation like the Ed Norman Syndrome, what would be the issues be? As an educated leader, how would you solve the issues?

As a Microcomputer specialist I can relate to Ed Norman. When I first started my job a couple years ago I felt the same way. I thought I was hired to keep the computers in good shape. As I started working with students and teachers, I started to get the feeling that I needed to restrict privileges because I believed they were messing up the computers. I started on that track, but I learned new ways to restrict privileges without restricting usage. I found ways to restrict students from "messing" with the computers without restricting their usage. For example, I restrict them from setting up printers and the control panels, which I set up for every computer, this way they can't mess with the computers and they have access to the computers. With Macs it is a lot easier to control, I think.
Now that I have experience and I have set-up a school full of computers that I don't have the problems of restriction for students or teacher. Sorry, I lied, some teachers don't have problems with this, but some do because I have some teachers who "think" they know what they are doing when they go into their computer preferences. What they end up doing is messing up their computer so much that I have to go repair it! Anyways, I have started working at another school where there is a BIG Ed Norman syndrome problem. I have walked into this school and found issues. Most computers at this site do not have a printer hooked up to it because the previous tech wanted to control printing to save paper and ink and didn't want the students printing out anything they wanted to. Another issue is the fact that the wireless has so many different passwords, that no one knows what they are anymore. He was the only one to know, but now he doesn't remember them. He did this to restrict anyone who came onto campus from using it. Now no one knows the passwords and no one is able to use the wireless until I am able to repair them.
As a technological educational leader one thing I am doing is going through the computers and setting them up to be able to print to the nearest printer. This way teachers and students are able to print out their work. I set up the printers and this way they are restricted to the preferences, but doesn't restrict their usage of the computer. To make the wireless easier for the teachers to use, I am making the passwords easier to remember for the teachers to use. This way they are able to use their laptops wireless with ease.
I think most who are in charge of computers in a school setting start off like Ed Norman because they are told by "the powers that be" that they want these computers to last. So they put the restrictions on the computers that they believe are necessary to keep the computers "in good shape." As soon as these people work with the teachers and students and find out what programs they need and what they don't have access to, then they change their ideas and change settings based on what is necessary for the students and teachers to have in order to access what they need. Unfortunately, some do not change because they do believe if they are keeping the computers in working order and doing their jobs, even if the teachers and students are restricted from certain things like printing. It's sad, but true.

Activity Log

2/23/09- Downloaded podcast, wrote blog, finished project one.

2/26/09- After two days of trying to remember how to put something on a website, I finally posted my project one and project two (Hooray for me).

3/1/09- Responded to three fellow student's blogs.

Session 6

Focus Question- What common barriers to technology integration do you experience or hear about in your particular practice of education at your school or district. Which of these are actual barriers and which of these are proxies for something else?

     As a Computer Technician I hear all kinds of barriers to technology integration at the sites I work at.  Some of the barriers I hear about are; not enough computers, not enough help, can't connect to the internet, and others.  Some of these are important, but some of these are excuses for not using technology in the classroom.

     As Dr. Newberry stated in the podcast, one of the major barriers that was recorded in 1999 was lack of computers and now in 2009 teachers are still naming this as one major barrier for technology integration.  At this site, each class has at least four computers in it.  This is enough to have rotations of four or five students, maybe one student who is good with technology and trustworthy for support.  I've seen it done before in other classrooms.  Some teachers think they need one computer for each child.  That is a good idea, but only possible when the class comes to the computer lab once a week.  Even then most of the teachers do not use the lab for lessons, but for a place they can leave their students so they can get lesson planning done.  I think this is a proxy to excuse themselves for using technology in the classroom.  In fact, I have seen teachers with four computers integrate technology in their classrooms.

     Some teachers say it is hard to integrate technology without extra help and support.  This might be a barrier because some things could be hard to do when there is only one adult in the room.  One example, I have a fifth grade teacher who let some of her high achieving students use the computers to research and create a presentation on an animal of their choice.  She couldn't give them her help, so she asked me and the computer teacher to help these students when we had time.  On the other hand, I have a teacher who lets his students go on the computer and type up a paper, or research for their science project, or work with the online program kidbiz300.  With this teacher, I have installed a program on his laptop called Apple Remote Desktop which allows the teacher to watch over the student's computers in his classroom so he can monitor those students and still manage the class.  I believe he hasn't reached the potential of integrating technology, but he is one that is coming closer to the goal.

     I have a lot of teachers who love to hook their projectors up to their laptops and show their students material that is on the internet, or a slideshow of some sort, but a lot of them have trouble connecting to the internet.  At first it was the district's fault because they installed new technology without properly training the technicians.  Once I got a handle on the problem and had all the teachers up and running, I showed them some simple ways to troubleshoot some problems that are simple fixes.  Some took the information in and use it, but some still are dealing with the same troubles.  This is sometimes a barrier because there are problems that come up where teachers can't fix and that is a problem.  I think the real problem here might be the fact that everything is not perfect, even computers, and if something doesn't work once doesn't mean you should give up on it.  I've seen teachers use technology in the classroom, but when something goes south, they give up ad stick with something more dependable, booklets.

     For the most part, I think barriers are more in our head then anything else.  Lets look at the metaphor: There's a million ways to skin a cat. (Sorry but it was the only one I could think of) ME OW   There are different ways to integrate technology, you just have to find a way that fits the best within your classroom.

Activity Log:

2/17/09- Been sick, trying to do as much as I can on projects, listen to podcast, wrote my blog, praying I feel better to work tomorrow.

2/19/09- Continued with the projects, made comments on three students blogs

Session 5

Focus Question- Identify a Technology Integration Best Practice you use. How did you learn about this best practice? Describe how you accomplished it. Why isn't everyone doing this Best Practice?

Identify- Using e-mail to communicate with teachers
How? How I learned about this best practice is by listening to others. First I have to explain that I am not a teacher, but I am a computer tech. The way the teachers use to communicate with me was through messages sent with students, or when they see me in the hall, or messages left in my mailbox. It was not very sufficient because I would lose the messages or I would forget who sent what message. In my district we have tech meeting every month where all the computer techs meet up and discuss problems or issues we have in the district. I overheard some of the others talk about receiving e-mails from the teachers. At that time, I thought about having the teachers at my site start communicating with me through e-mail.
Accomplish? The way I accomplished it was simple. First I created a flyer, the way teachers use to communicate with me and others, and I put one in every mailbox. What it contained was how to contact us ( the technology techer and myself) and it told the teachers that e-mail would be the better way to contact us. We even offered to set-up Microsoft Entourage on each of their laptops. This way there is no excuse to turn this idea down. At first the teachers thought of this as a way to avoid talking to the teachers and they thought it was a joke, but some have learned it is the better practice because they do not have to worry about finding me somewhere on campus to get their problems solved. Some even wondered why this wasn't done earlier. I even asked one of the teachers who helped me come up with the idea send out a letter to all the teachers telling how effective it was and how fast I responded to his e-mail.
Why not Everyone? Why some people are not using this best practice is because they are fine and comfortable with the way they communicate with eachother at their school site. Some are even afraid to change because they are comfortable with the way it is now. For example, I am going to start working at another school site this week and I am told the way they communicate with the previous computer tech was to write their name and room number down on a clipboard, and then the computer tech collects the clipboard and goes around and completes the tasks on the clipboard. I already see flaws in this system and I want to change this system to use the best practice of e-mailing to communicate with me.

Activity Log
2/9/09- Listen to podcast, e-mailed Dr. Newberry
2/10/09-Post my Blog, continue with my projects

Session 4

Focus Question: Which type of person in Rodgers Diffusion of Innovation Model do you most relate yourself to?

If you ask my co-worker/mentor he will tell you that I am a gadget freak/ addict. We joke about it all the time, but I think in this model I would be considered an early adopter or innovator. Now I don't know if Dr. Newberry wanted to know if we relate to the model in a professional way or in a personal way. I have examples of both to show that I am somewhere around an early adopter.

Well I was one not to jump on the ipod bandwagon, but once I had money to buy one that was the end of that. Once I bought my first ipod shuffle, I was dragged or pushed into it. You can say I was a late majority at that point because I had to know the benfits of the ipod and how to work it. Well my brother did his homework and got me to buy one. When I got it home and started using it I found out useful it was compared to caring CD's around. When the little shuffle grew out dated and did not have enough room to fit all my music, I then decided to get an ipod nano, which is bigger, but not the biggest one. Once that one got too small, I then bought the biggest and best one. To make a long story short I have gone through two other ipods after that, plus I'm now waiting for my sixth MP3 player. An ipod touch to be exact. This is because I want to have the new electronic of this time and I can't wait until I get it.

Now when I started this job I was a newbie to Macs, especially computer work altogether. I knew nothing about installing software or repairing computers. One day I was asked if I knew anything about iMovie. The reason was a teacher was leaving and she wanted a movie of her last class at this school and the last one she would have in this state because she was moving out of state. This perked my interest because it sounded fun and interesting to do. So without knowing anything I took on the job. Once I got started with it, I could not stop. I had to have the latest laptop with the latest version to work on it at home. Soon enough I finished it and I had everyone wanting one made for their class. I even did one for my friends and I. I wanted the lastest and best version. Now there are people at the school who use it to make the school video yearbook and some teachers use it to make a class video. So in this aspect I think I am an innovator because I started a trand at my job site.

I also think in order for anyone to be an innovator or an early adopter is they have to have an interest in the innovation. One example I have is when I was asked to repair some pictures with PhotoShop. Still to this day I am hestiant to use the program because to me it is too difficult to understand because I don't have all the knowledge about JPEGs and photo language. It all depends on the technology and the interest of the person involved.

Activity Log:
2/3/09- Started looking for word tutorials and other manuals out there, sent e-mail to principal about trainings
2/4/09- Listen to podcast, wrote blog
2/8/09- Still working on projects, posted comments on fellow student blogs, found out I have to use Microsoft 04 for project because of complications with Word 08.

Project Proposals

ETEC 623 Project Proposal 1

Your Name: Bill Myers

Project Title: Increase Knowledge of Microsoft Office

Project Focus: Using Technology


Project Description:
(Explain what the project is, what it is to do, why it is important, why you chose it. Explain what you expect to learn by doing this project. Be sure to relate your learning to the class topic.)
I intend to learn how to use the drawing toolbar in Microsoft Office (Microsoft Word will be the specific program). So many times I have seen teachers wanting the kids to do art on the computer, but always get discourage and turn back to paper and pencils because they don’t have all the answers. I want the teachers to see that computers are more than just tools to get information and more then a game system. I chose to use Microsoft Office because all the computers in the school have the program installed and there is no need to spend money to purchase any software like PrintShop or PhotoShop. The students already are learning to use Microsoft Office to type their final drafts, but they print it out and draw a picture with pencils to go along with it. If they were to type their final drafts, then draw on their final draft using the drawing toolbar this would show their knowledge of computers, not to mention their artistic creativity. By learning how to use the drawing toolbar, I intend to be able to teach both teachers and students how to use the drawing toolbar with what I learn from completing this project.

Project Artifacts:
1. I will create a page designed by using the drawing toolbar in Microsoft Word to show what I have learned.

2. I will use my page that I designed as a quality indicator.

3. These artifacts will accurately and appropriately reflect my engagement because first I must show that I am able to complete a piece of work with the program Microsoft Word.

Project Timeline:
I will start this project February 1, 2009, and I will finish this project by March 1, 2009. I plan on watching any tutorials on Microsoft Word and start manipulating the program by February 7, 2009. I will have an idea of what I want to create for my final project by February 14, 2009.



ETEC 623 Project Proposal 2

Your Name: Bill Myers

Project Title: Technology Training

Project Focus: Communicating about Effective Technology Use

Project Description:
(Explain what the project is, what it is to do, why it is important, why you chose it. Explain what you expect to learn by doing this project. Be sure to relate your learning to the class topic.)

I am going to create a PowerPoint that will help teachers learn the basics of using the draw tool in Microsoft Word. This will help teachers with using technology in the classroom, particularly with using technology as an art tool. I will show the different tools on the toolbar and describe what each tool does.

Project Artifacts:
1. I will use my PowerPoint Presentation to show the teachers how to use the draw tool on Microsoft Office.
2. I will use the slideshow as my quality indicator.
3. These artifacts accurately and appropriately reflect my engagement because this tool could be used for anyone who wants to learn how to use the draw tool.

Project Timeline:
I start my project February 1, 2009. I will have an idea of how I want to design my PowerPoint by February 3, 2009. I will have a basic outline by the 7th of February. I plan to give teachers my project by March 3, 2009. I will finish my project by March 8, 2009.


ETEC 623 Project Proposal 3

Your Name: Bill Myers

Project Title: Training Educators

Project Focus: Supporting technology

Project Description:
(Explain what the project is, what it is to do, why it is important, why you chose it. Explain what you expect to learn by doing this project. Be sure to relate your learning to the class topic.)

This project will survey the teacher’s ideas of trainings, meaning how long do they think it should last, what they need training on, etc. I will study the results of the returned surveys. I chose to do this because I want to know what teachers think of trainings and how can I make it better to improve training, especially on technology.

Project Artifacts:
1. I will post my findings with intent of finding a procedure to train educators.

2. My quality indicator will be the findings I receive from the surveys.

3. These artifacts accurately and appropriately reflect my engagement because I want to find out how to train educators.

Project Timeline:
I plan to start the project by February 7, 2009. I will get approval from the principal by the 14th of February to send out a copy of my survey to all teachers at my site. Review the returned surveys starting February 21, 2009. Report my findings and finish the project by March 15, 2009.

Session 3

Focus Question- Can technology integration in American classrooms adequately or correctly be expressed as a hierarchy? Why or why not?

I think in today's classrooms the technology integration hierarchy still exists. It might have gained some size in the middle area, but the proportions are still the same. There are more down at the bottom with using less technology than there are at the top with using a lot of technology. I do have to admit that in the passed three years I have been working in the schools I have seen teachers use more technology as the use of it grows. For example, One teacher started to use an on-line program for reading tests. The next year some teachers saw that it was helpful in testing the students and helping raise their reading level. Now all the teachers are using the program and they now are looking into drill and practice programs for math. Even though the teachers use computers for a way to test students, they still only use computers as a reward for good behavior or a way to keep them busy when they are done with their work. I have noticed that a lot more teachers are using their laptops more than just to do report cards. I use to never see the laptops until it was report card time. Recently I have seen the teachers, in Dr. Newberry's hierarchy, using it as a teacher tool which they keep it near them or on their desks.

Bonus:
The only thing I have to say that has changed about the technology integration hierarchy is that the shape of the diagram. I would have to say with the changes in technology and they way things are done in the present time, it is hard not to use any technology in school. For example, grades now are mostly done electronically and that is hard to do without a computer for the teacher. I think the hierarchy in the present time would have to look like a trapezoid where the top would be getting wider and the bottom slowly getting smaller. That's how I see the hierarchy today and transforming as technology grows more important in schools.

Activity Log:
1/28/09- Listen to blog, followed the hierarchy web page, posted blog, thinking about finally project, thinking of e-mailing to the professor to see about projects, sleep and thinking zzzzzzz....
1/31/09- E-mail Professor Newberry about topics, still confused about number three, Respond to student blogs.
2/1/09- Finished proposals, watched SuperBowl (Go Steelers)

Session 2

Focus Question- Management versus Leadership

First of all, I have to see if I understand correctly the difference between management and leadership. To put it in short terms, a manager makes sure everyone is doing their job, but it takes a leader to guide and improve performance. I see that they both are great to have, but I think schools have a lot of mangers, but not enough leaders. Not to say that having all the managers is bad, but leaders are good to have to promote growth and improve performance.
One example I have is that one school has a wonderful principal in which could stretch a dollar a mile long. Which means she is able to pull money out of thin air. Now by the definition given on the podcast I do not know what to consider this principal. She can be considered a leader because she is known for getting money for programs or equipment that she considers to be essential to improve learning. When I hear the would leader I imagine a person who suggest and encourages new ideas which are proven to improve performance. She gets the money needed to purchase the equipment, but others have to have the drive and motivation to present the ideas to her and then she chooses to buy or not to buy. That is what I thought of as a manager because when she does consider buying equipment, she tries to find the best cost effective way to get it, but not necessarily the best equipment on the market just to have the equipment to meet the status quo.
I have seen some teachers that have the leadership in them. One example I have is a teacher that has shown me hope in the growth of technology in learning. This teacher has taken any technology that he has and put it to use. For example, he got brand new alpha smarts this year. He read about them and learned all about them, but he didn't know how to set them up or how to run them. He showed interest and a drive I wish more teachers have for using technology. He asked me for help in which I was glad to do just that. Once I set up the lab and gave him a short lesson on the little information I knew about them, he took off with it. He took it home, played with the equipment while he was off track and came back with enough knowledge to be confident enough to use it in the classroom. This teacher was also one of the first to test an on-line program called Accelerated Math in our district, which he became the one who taught and guided other teachers to incorporate the program into the classroom. He even taught me how to use it. This trait is one I see in a leader.
Managers are ones who like to control the environment, but leaders are those who encourage and want to improve the environment and willing to do extra to help.

Activity Log-
1/20/09- Listen to podcast, went to sleep to think of management and leadership
1/21/09- Observe principal and teachers. Think of examples of leadership and management.
1/22/09- Write the blog.
1/25/09- Respond to fellow student blogs.

Session 1

Focus Area 1- Using technology to increase our personal effectiveness in our own role.

I think when we say to use technology to increase our personal effectiveness in our own role we mean that we are able to use technology in our lives and make tasks more effective and potentially easier. What I mean, for example, is for a teacher to find teaching materials without technology like computers, they would have to go to stores to search for the different materials they might need. With computers, teachers are able to search the web for many varieties of videos and resources for the classroom, which might be available otherwise. This example can go even farther by stating the fact that there has been an increase in on-line shopping in recent years. Another example, is that I use the Internet for information on a daily basis. When I come across a problem that I can't solve, then there are a few things I do. First I search the web and see if anyone on the Internet has had the same problem I have had. If that doesn't yield any results, then I e-mail other technicians in the school district to see if there is someone who can help and that usually is where I find the help I need. So in a way I use technology to grow my knowledge base in order to improve my effectiveness in my career. These examples are only some of the examples of how we can use technology to increase our personal effectiveness.

Focus Area 2- Communicating to others information about the effective use of technology.

I am a computer tech at my school, but that is not all I do. I also try to teach all that I can, even the small things. I try to teach students all I can about the computers in the thirty minutes I get with them each week. Even if the teachers just use me as a babysitter while they get away for a bit, I try to teach the students tools they can use on the computers. Teachers never give them a specific task when they send me their students, so when the students run into a problem I show them what went wrong and how to fix it. Don't get me wrong, some teachers do have assignments they want the students to do, such as, search for a news article in another country, or a science project they might want to do. I don't just do this with the students, but I also try to do this with the teachers as well. I have to say the students are more willing to learn then most of the teachers. The teachers just usually answer with the phrase, "Can you fix it?" and "How long is it going to take?" I try to show the teachers how to do simple fixes, but either they get too frustrated or they think it's my job and they just want it done yesterday. Teachers use technology, but not to it's potential. They use it to find information, but they use it as a reward for the students to play on instead of using it as a resource or a tool in the classroom.

Focus Area 3- Supporting the effective use of technology through planning for technology use and promoting technology use.

I see technology as the new subject in school. It deserves to be taught in the classrooms and planned. It needs to be put to use more than once a week and be a learning experience with specific goals and objectives. One example which I experienced recently was a teacher who took it upon herself to learn PowerPoint by experimenting with it at home. She learned just enough that she taught the students how to complete the task and let the students "play" with the program to complete the task. It turned out the students amazed the teacher and even myself with their final work. Another outcome that was amazing was students showed talents we never knew they had. I want to see more teachers like this one.

Learning Contract: As of right now I am going to try to do all three.

1- Learn PowerPoint to increase knowledge.
2- Create a PowerPoint or short instructions on how to use PowerPoint and incorporate it in the classroom.
3- An infrastructure plan???? Unsure

Activity Log:

1-14-09 Listen to Podcast, sign-up for a blog site and call it a night to think of all the work ahead in the class.
1-15-09 Contact Professor Newberry to try to get an understanding of the projects that are due.
1-16-09 Complete blog and try to figure out projects.
1-18-09 Finish Learning Contract and comment other blogs.