Tools of the Trade

Since taking a course on digital technology in the classroom, I have been spending a lot of my time thinking about technology.  This week I was thinking about how digital technology is a tool for teachers to use and like any other tool it can be used well, for its intended purpose; or used poorly, perhaps for an unrelated purpose; or simply forgotten about and left unused.  

Computers and tablets and interactive whiteboards are tools and not an end in themselves.  Simply having this technology will not make us a better teacher.  In fact, it is quite possible that it makes us a worse one.  Consider the scenario of a teacher who only uses their digital resources for "drill and kill" activities.  Or the teacher who spends a disproportionate time in their class trying to solve technical glitches thus losing valuable teaching time.  On the other hand, using something new such as a new digital resource can help us reflect on our teaching, help us reach students in different ways and may reinvigorate our lessons.

Recently I read a blog post (read it here) that had the following quote,

"No one who ever bought a drill wanted a drill. They wanted a hole. It's the task that matters."

As soon as I read this quote, I felt the figurative light bulb go on.  That is how I feel about digital technology.  I want it to DO something for me to improve my teaching. I can make "holes" right now without any digital tools, but if I get some new tools will my "holes" be better or easier? 

 The blogger rephrased this quote to read:

 "No teacher who ever bought an iPad just wanted an iPad. She wanted an engaged learner. It's the student that matters."

This made me pause.  Is this what I think?  I definitely want my students to be engaged in their learning.  I want to make learning easier, more effective and more enjoyable--but that is not all.  I teach in a Christian school.  The reason that I teach is to bring covenant children to a greater understanding of God and His creation.  It is God that matters. I don't mean to split hairs, in the end, I do agree with her quote.  The student also matters because God created them and they are image-bearers of Him.  

I want to be conscious of how I teach and why I teach.  I want to use technology to improve my teaching and I want to be wise in how  I use it.  If my school invests money in digital technology then I want to be a good steward of that and use it to its potential.  That will take time and practice.  I want to do this because when I teach well I serve God and honour Him.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.  Revelation 4: 11

Professional Development (part 2)

If you read my first post or my profile you will know that I am a part-time SERT.  I job-share with another woman and in addition to the two of us, we have four Educational Assistants (EAs) at our school.  We have students who are withdrawn from the regular class to work on a modified or alternate program and we go into classes to offer support within the classroom environment.  I love my job for many reasons but I particularly like working with a team of people. 

When I first started teaching I had my "own" classroom and while I enjoyed it, I sometimes felt isolated.  I would have loved to have a mentor or even another teacher who taught at the same level as me to bounce ideas off of (I started in a very small school with split grades).  When I started in the Resource Room I felt as if I was a first-year teacher all over again.  The learning curve was huge.  The difference this time was that I had another SERT to mentor me and a group of EAs to share ideas, difficulties and successes with. 

This year I am leading our own TRDP sessions for the Resource Room staff.  (Previously we had joined the rest of the staff.  I am leading them because my co-SERT has one of her days off on TRDP days.)  The primary reason that we are doing our own topic is that the classroom teachers are working on curriculum mapping and we in the RR don't have the same set-up.  Most of "our students" have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for a modified program and the IEP  is our curriculum map. The IEPs are the responsibility of the SERT but since the EAs have daily contact with their students they have valuable insight and have been a great help in developing the IEPs for the students that they work with.  Our TRDP sessions have generally consisted of three parts: 1. instruction on how to write a component of the IEP (done by a SERT)   2. opportunity to write goals/accommodations/etc. in consultation with me 3. discussion about reading strategies from this book.

This is the first year that we have had such direct input from the EAs on IEPs.  I think it has been a great success.  I am not sure if it would have been possible if we had not had the time to collaborate together at school on such a regular basis.  Our discussion on the reading strategies and our opportunity to share our experiences really helped us in our teaching but also had a team-building effect.  Our EAs have repeatedly expressed how much they have enjoyed the sessions this year.  Last year they did not feel that all of the topics were relevant to them but this year is quite the opposite.

Now I am planning for the next term--TRDP will start again in March.  I had originally planned to continue working with IEPs and the monthly plans that correlate with them and was also planning to do some sessions on mathematics instruction.  However, since starting this course, I am thinking more and more about the possibility of incorporating more technology into our instruction.  I am thinking of sharing the resources that I have learned about and using our time to try out some different digital lesson ideas.  I am even thinking about how to better lead these TRDP sessions--perhaps by using this blog or perhaps a webpage (which I don't yet know how to do).  Definitely lots to think about.  Any suggestions?

Ongoing Professional Development

I wrote in my last post that I am taking a course on Digital Technology in the Classroom as part of my own professional development.  What I didn't share is that I teach at a school where ongoing professional development is encouraged in somewhat of a unique way.  At my school, we have two 10-week sessions of what we term: Teacher Resource and Development Program (TRDP).  Once a week, for 10 weeks at a time, we dismiss the students one hour early to allow the teachers regular and ongoing professional development.  The rationale for this is that, while PD days are often enjoyable and informative, there is seldom time to implement and develop the ideas that we learn during these workshops and seminars.  TRDP allows for learning new ideas (often we get speakers in for the first week or two) as well as time to spend in our classroom working these new ideas into our lesson plans.  Generally we meet together as a staff for the last few weeks to share what we have done.

This year my school is spending most of our TRDP sessions on using an online curriculum mapping program.  This is quite a large undertaking since what has previously always been in the teacher's binder in now being uploaded online.  The benefits of curriculum mapping are that more sharing can take place between teachers; either of the same grade, or for teachers who would like to know what their students have learned in previous grades or will learn in later grades.  The program that we are using (Atlas Rubicon) allows us to not only share with teachers within our school, but also share lessons and lesson ideas with teachers from around the world.

Admittedly, not all teachers on staff are thrilled with using online curriculum mapping.  Several would prefer to stick with their trusty binders and not spend all of this time transferring the information onto the computer.  However, our principal and our Education Committee are looking at the long-term benefits of this program.  When I read the document Essential Conditions
for using technology for learning I immediately thought of our TRDP sessions.  Not only does my school have a shared vision, but by providing regular time to work with this program they are providing teachers with guidance and training (and technical support) so that teachers are able to implement the vision into their curriculum and planning practices.

Next time I will write about my own TRDP experiences and plans for the next session.

It begins

Well, after much trepidation I have started a blog.  I have read blogs, contributed to other blogs but this will be my first venture in putting myself "out there".

My name is Marsha.  I am married to the perfect man for me, mother to four wonderful kids and a part-time SERT (Special Education Resource Teacher).  I love teaching and I love staying at home so I really have the best of both worlds by teaching part-time.  I love to read and I have a wide variety of interests.  Some of my passions in education include: children's literature (I am always reading kids books to look for good additions to our library); language arts instruction (I am always striving to help students work on improving their fluency, comprehension and enjoyment); working in collaboration with occupational/physio/speech therapists (I have learned so many things from these professionals and the students benefit so much when their therapy is incorporated into their school life); IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) and how to make them relevant and helpful to classroom teachers.

I have just started taking a university course on "Digital Technology for Learning" as part of my professional development (and thus the impetus of this blog).  I am not going to lie, I was pretty nervous about starting this course since I am pretty old-school when it comes to technology.  I prefer books to e-readers, I don't have Facebook or Twitter, I just got a cell phone about two year ago and I don't even know how to text.  However, I love to learn and I figured that this was an area that I could definitely learn and grow in.  I also figured that it will have a direct impact on my teaching (new skills and resources) and improve my ability to relate to my students who love digital technology.

I firmly believe that technology can either hinder or assist in learning depending on how it is used.  There is nothing inherently good or evil about digital technology but it can be used for good or evil.  (For a good read, check out The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies.)  What I am concerned about is how the use of technology is changing our brains and our ability to sustain deep thought and concentration. (see links at the bottom of this post).  I know that technology has a place in education--I am not a technological Luddite--but at this point in my career, I am not certain to what extent I am comfortable with it (thus another reason for taking a course on the subject).  I guess I am looking for the right balance.

-http://www.challies.com/writings/books-e-books/the-next-story
-http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html
-http://news.cnet.com/Why-cant-you-pay-attention-anymore/2008-1022_3-5637632.html