Empowering Students Through Blogging

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2014/08/empowering-students-through-blogging

Students writing for an authentic audience is a challenge many English teachers face.  An English teacher can spend hours preparing a writing assignment that promotes originality and creativity using the best writing techniques, but then receive mediocre writing from students because of the lack motivation for students to create their best work.  Students become fixated on the fact that only the teacher is going to read it, so they only need to write “good enough” to get the desired grade.  

According to Eric Patnoudes, a former teacher and instructional technologist, this result is due to the fact that students lack an authentic audience.  When most students write, they are only motivated to write “good enough” because it is only their teacher that is going to read their work. Patnoudes challenges this trend by recommending that teachers using blogging as a writing tool in the classroom.

In his article, Patnoudes relates an example of a teacher named Jeff using the public format of blogging in his classroom.  After obtaining the proper permission from parents and researching the implications of using blogging as a public forum, Jeff had his students create their own personal blog.  Then Jeff used a format to link the class blogs together and share them with other classroom blogs around the world.  

The results were encouraging.  Students took great care to create their best work since it was going to be read by others.  Students had an authentic audience which helped them consider subject matter, language, tone, and voice to appeal to their readers.  Students became more confident writers and learned from their peers.

Patnoudes stresses that blogging is not always appropriate for all classrooms, and it should not necessarily become the only focus of a class.  Instead, he stresses that incorporating it into a writing classroom can be beneficial to the writer and reader by providing motivation and engagement.

I feel that Patnoudes observations are very valid.  Facing a generation of students that are only motivated to “get by,” it is hard to promote excellent writing and the work it takes to produce it.  My only concern is that since it is a public forum, there can be issues with using blogging in the classroom.  There would definitely need to be communication with parents about the activity, practice or preparation with students before going “live”, and accountability or consequences if this forum is used inappropriately.  It would also be challenging to have to address issues of misuse with the other classrooms involved.

I could see this type of activity becoming beneficial in my school due to the lack of cultural diversity in my district.  Most of my students were born and raised on our small rural community, and their only reality is small town life surrounded by fields of grain.  This type of activity could really expose them to different global cultures.  In addition, they could easily share about their environment to other students that are only familiar with an urban or city setting or have a community outside of the United States.

I feel that Patnoudes hits an important issue that teachers face in today’s classroom environment: engagement.  The use of technology can definitely encourage motivation and engagement in the classroom by providing these avenues of dialogue that were nonexistent a few years ago.

How Technology Is Helping Special-Needs Students Excel

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2013/03/how-technology-helping-special-needs-students-excel

The main point of this reading is that technology really impacts the education of students with disabilities.  In the past only the most severe students could get the use of the technology, but now, anyone has access.  One of the programs, Dragon Naturally Speaking even has a free app that anyone can download onto their phones to use for everyday life.  Most of the newer technological innovations have been made smaller and more manageable, easier for students to not only use, but to carry.  Many devices are smaller so that their regular books can and will still fit on their desks.  If technology is used properly, students' learning can be greatly impacted.  
This is important because students with disabilities have such diverse needs and need things that the normal general education student doesn't need.  Students with disabilities often struggle with reading, writing and concentration.  These students, the ones who typically have a learning disability often need to be with their peers in a regular education class, but with their needs in the past have been removed.  
I agree with the use of technology with students with disabilities as long as it is used properly.  So many times students are given a computer and told to type.  If a student has motor skill issues, he or she may not be able to type at a rate that will make him or her successful.  If a student needs to dictate answers due to inability to write, or the focus needed to complete notes, recording notes works, but only if the student listens to them at a later time that is relevant.  
In our district we have technology, but we don't always have the right specific kind that our students need.  We can borrow for a short time some of the technology from the county special education coop.  What we really need is for our students to have e-readers with the text we use in the class.  Both of these needs cost the district money and due to that, our district often doesn't have the specific things and we tend to make do with what we have, which is not always what could work better with that student. However, the only way to find out if an accommodation works is to try it.  

Lifelong Learning: How Teachers Develop New Skills and Improve Their Practice

http://www.techlearning.com/features/0039/lifelong-learners-how-teachers-develop-new-skills-and-improve-their-practice/55247

Professional development is a major focus for administrators and teachers. Now, more than ever, there is a huge push for teachers to continue learning and improving their craft, especially since it is now tied to evaluation of teachers. This article looks at different ways that teachers can find professional development online for teaching and technology integration.

One such example was selecting professional development to support a digital transition. The case study comes from Des Plains, IL last year. The school district partnered with Discovery Education to allow teachers to design, implement, and share innovative teaching strategies while utilizing the technology tools in their classrooms. The professional development process spans across multiple years. Other than professional development online courses, the article looks at other ways that teachers can collaborate.

Teachers at a middle school in Clear Lake, Iowa created a Professional Learning Community or PLC. This is like a blog or social media group where teachers can collaborate with other teachers and professionals. In this case, teachers are implementing real world problem based learning. This allows teachers and students to communicate and collaborate with real world professionals in their areas of study. An 8th grade language arts teacher said that using Google Docs and Drive made it very easy to communicate with her colleagues.

Lastly the article goes into how when an administrator observes a teacher, the observation is immediately shared with the teacher, using Google Drive, including where the teacher should focus on professional development. The article ends with a list of tips for offering professional development.

This topic is very important since many schools are working to put a device in each student's hands. Teachers are expected to be experts in how the technology in their classrooms work and must be able to troubleshoot devices as well. Since this is an area that is constantly changing, there will be an ongoing need for teachers to learn new devices and strategies to implement the technology.

In my school district, one of the biggest areas teachers want to see improve is professional development for teachers integrating technology. I personally am in the process of creating a PLC for teachers using Google Classroom. The goal of this PLC is to allow teachers to share ideas and troubleshoot problems with Google Classroom. It will also make it easier for the IT department to communicate and see what the teacher/user end looks like. This is accomplished through Google Drive. This tool was chosen so teachers can become more familiar with Google's tools that Classroom will require prerequisite knowledge of.

Making professional development more meaningful to the teacher's own practice allows for greater implementation of the skills learned. PLCs offer a way for teachers to conveniently get help or learn new skills at their own pace and at their own time. The more convenient and easily accessible the PD, the more likely the teacher is to utilize it.

Secondary Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Technology Practice http://www.ijcit.com/archives/volume2/issue2/Paper020214.pdf

I chose this article because it deals with technology integration in a social studies classroom, which is something that I deal with on a daily basis. I was interested to find out if the author of the paper, and the teachers surveyed for the paper had some of the same issues I have. It turns out they are similar.

                The article starts with some of the barriers to successful integration that they found through surveys and interviews with teachers. The largest barriers seem to be lack of access to technology/ consistency of tech, not enough time/lack of technological skill. I would agree with these three, and I think it is important because in my opinion they are listed in order. The first barrier in my classroom we overcame was access to technology.  When I used to have to sign up for the computer lab, and take my entire class there, I often would choose to do something else I could get done in my classroom. After gaining access to tech, the consistency of the tech came in to play. We had to deal with problems like access to wifi, and the fact that our system couldn't handle all of the students online at once. We are in the latter stages of fixing that problem.  Finally, the lack of time/technological skill. I completely agree with this barrier. It is very hard for teachers to find the time to train themselves, or to be trained in new technology. Even if teachers can find the time, often times it is hard to find experts in the building to do the training. Once the teacher finally feels like they are trained enough to implement it in class, they have to take precious time away from content teaching to teach the students the new tech. All of these are barriers that need to be overcome.

                In my school, as I stated earlier, the access to tech/consistency of tech are being dealt with or are no longer an issue. The third is the biggest barrier. After the initial introduction to the iPad, we were basically told to train ourselves, or we were offered some very broad/vague professional development. According to the article, which I very much agree with, there needs to be technology experts on staff to help teachers integrate it to their classrooms. While we can all learn on our own, it is sometimes hard to find time between teaching, grading, and our personal lives to make that work. Having an expert around would help greatly.

                The article goes on to say that secondary social studies teachers believe that even though some of these barriers are tough to overcome, they should be overcome.  According to the article, technology in a social studies classroom can extends learning to the home, prepares students for citizenship in the 21^st century, offer access to content not available in traditional classrooms, enhance content, and increases communication among. I agree with all of these, especially access to content and increased communication. In my room, the students now have access to my PowerPoints, Youtube videos that I send them to enhance the lesson and other sites so they can learn more on their own. As far as communication, I actually had to set a time that the students were no longer allowed to contact me at night. Using the messaging app, or email, or the wall on Edmodo, students were asking me questions a lot more than before the technology was available.

                I agree with the majority of this article. It outlines the same problems I have been having, or had in my own social studies classroom. Once they are overcome, technology does enhance learning and communication and is in general a good tool. 

Digital Advances, Common Core Fuel New Testing Approaches

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/03/13/25execsum.h33.html?tkn=WQZFK9htsgDHjJWiIsqV4NF%2BPmt4fyZkZWuS&print=1

One of the main points of this reading is how technology in schools is being affected by online assessments being considered "the undeniable wave of the future."  With very little time before most states begin taking these online assessment that are aligned to the Common Core Standards, there are still quite a few schools who do not have the technology to support them.  Another key point made is in-class formative assessment is being discovered as a very powerful tool, but that teachers need to be careful to be sure that these digital game that have embedded assessments are being integrated in a thoughtful way that promotes learning.

This is important because of the very fast movement online assessments and the lack of funds that districts have to make it work!  Technology is expensive and (at least in Illinois) schools continue to get less and less money, which makes it much harder to keep up with the never-ending evolution of technology.

I agree with the movement toward technology based adaptive assessments, as they are a very handy tool in creating individualized instruction plans.  I disagree that this is how these tests always get used though.  One of the things mentioned at the beginning of the article was that the schools need a commitment to ongoing professional development for the use of digital tools to transform testing.  A lack of PD, a lack of money, as well as teachers lack of buying in to technology are all factors that need to be overcome for these technology assessments to become powerful!!!

In my school, I feel that we are a bit behind the curve, but mainly only in the number of devices category.  At Davenport Elementary, we only have one lab with 27 computers.  This lab is the only source that has devices able to use for MAP testing.  Each teacher has 5 iPads, but I don't feel as if the iPad would be a good testing device for MAP.  So three times a year, for two weeks each time, I work out a schedule for 25 classes to get in 2 different tests in the lab.  I don't teach during these times, but only proctor the test.  If we had more technology, even a cart or two of Chromebooks, we would be able to tackle this in a more efficient way.  I also feel that our teachers need more training on using the MAP data to individualize their instruction.

Other thoughts I have about this reading are on the mentioning of a "this too shall pass" state of mind.  I do think that there are still some educators that take that stance when it comes to technology.  My feelings are "WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!"  Technology is only going to grow into more places in our lives, it's not going away.  Try it and use it, and you will be amazed at what it can do!

The Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking, Simulations and How Teachers Can Leverage Them

http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf

     The article launches with a short list of desired student outcomes: student collaboration, project-based learning, students connecting globally, and immersion leading to higher order problem solving. Then the article proposes that teachers can achieve these outcomes by integrating technology into their classrooms. However, it's not just employing smart phones or Chromebooks. The main points of this article are the uses of digital games and social networking and simulations in the classroom to foster the desired outcomes. The authors provide a background about these technologies, they look at the implications of their use, they explore the challenges of implementation and strategies for overcoming those challenges, and what to expect in the future.
     This is important for educators because our audience, our student population, has grown up in a digital world. They play World of Warcraft. They use FaceBook and SnapChat and Instagram. Some are into simulations such as SimCity and Minecraft. To engage our learners we need to incorporate their interests into our teaching. The article gives several examples of teachers using games and sims and social networking to tap into students' interests or engage them in ways that would be difficult to manually create.
     I agree with the thrust of the article. There will be challenges as we change the way we approach teaching. For me, as a math teacher, changing over to the Common Core Standards is sensible, but we have seen in the news that even something so sensible can be challenged by the public. The public will likely not have a positive opinion about relying on the integration of technology into the curriculum. I worry about the vocal minority resisting the move toward digital games and social networking and computer simulations as key components in the classroom.
     In my school district this might be misconstrued as gaming instead of learning. Or, it might be seen as unnecessary socializing. Hopefully it will look like teaching to students' interests. If I were to incorporate these practices into my classroom I would invite parents and administrators to witness the effectiveness of integrating such engaging technology.

Technology and Teaching: Finding a Balance

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/technology-and-teaching-finding-balance-andrew-marcinek

As the title mentions, this article discusses finding a balance with the use of technology in the classroom.  This balance is discussed in a couple different ways.  For one, the teacher needs to find a balance to the amount of technology that is integrated into the classroom.  The author discusses how daunting technology integration can seem to educators so rather than trying to incorporate a huge number of apps and every new web 2.0 tool that comes along, he suggests finding a few to focus on.  His point is that the focus should be on the learning objectives and the tech tools should enhance the objectives.  The tech tools should not be the focus.  It is not about the quantity of the tech tools we introduce, but the quality of the ones we use.  They should develop a variety of skill sets.  He offered three suggestions, Google drive, Google sites, and Edmodo, which are tools he has used previously in his classroom.

The article also focuses on the responsibility that we have as educators to integrate technology and that the argument of technology being a distraction can no longer be used as an excuse to leave it out of the classroom.  Today's students will be entering a job market where technology skills are increasingly important.  Yet in spite of this, we must also teach them balance between technology use and interpersonal skills.  We are preparing our students for an ever changing job market that will require them to have a variety of skills.

This is important because sometimes as educators it is easy to be overwhelmed with all of the tasks that need to be completed and technology integration gets put on the back shelf.  A lot of teacher have good intentions of integrating technology but don't know where to begin.  It is something we need to make sure we take the time to do.  As the author mentioned, it is a vital skill that is essential to the future of many of our students.    

I do agree that technology integration can be a bit daunting at times.  For me it is the large number of programs that are available.  I started this program to force myself to become more aware of the options for integrating technology.  I do see the importance of it.  In the first few classes we were exposed to a large number of programs and tools to that end, but I have seen that it also takes the next step of trying them and not being afraid to have things not go exactly as planned.

I also think we owe it to our students to integrate technology if we are truly preparing them for their future.  It is hard to imagine what the job market will look like in the upcoming years, but we need to make sure our students have a skill set that will allow them to adapt.

I think our school is headed in the right direction with technology integration.  It seems that a larger number of teachers are on board.  The district has added more devices.  More training is always something that would help, but I think there are resources out there if you are willing to take the time to look.  The author's advice to start small is great advice.  

       

Why Mobile Will Transform Learning: The Classroom of the Future

http://spark.qualcomm.com/salon/why-mobile-will-transform-learning-classroom-future

The main point of the article was to discuss how mobile learning devices can tranform the way schools teach students. It stated that we are still using the "industrial-era model" of teaching and that is not the best fit for the needs of the next generation entering the work force. This is important to discuss because the article stated "The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 65 percent of grade school kids in the United States will end up in jobs that have not yet been created".  This projection tells us that we need to create learners who are able to problem solve in order to keep up with continuously developing resources.

A mobile classroom was defined as one in which students had constant access to a device that would connect them to information, their teacher, classmates, and different formats to show learning. The emphasis was to combine this technology with a curriculum that is more real-world based so students could have a greater connection to the content.

To test the impact of this style of learning, two studies were done on two groups of students. One group was of low-scoring, high school math students in the U.S. The other group was a third grade room in Singapore. The aim of both classes was to allow students to take responsibility of their own learning and make the teacher more of a mentor. The students used social networking to create podcasts, send instant messages, create videos, and more to show one another how to solve a problem. The teacher could post assignments and offer feedback as well. In both cases, the students experienced great success.

I agree with many points of this article, especially the importance of allowing students to problem solve using current resources. It is very important that they are given the opportunity to learn this way under the guidance of a teacher, as they will be required to do so on their own after they leave school.

Diving into this sort of learning head first at an elementary level may be difficult. However, parts can be adopted by giving students a topic, having them look up information that interests them online, and creating a presentation to show their understanding. The presentations could be a biteslide, podcast, Youtube video, etc. This could replace a teacher lecture format simply because the information is now avaible for them to find and interpret rather than the teacher being the only resource of knowledge.

I like that this article reminds us that we are preparing students for the future. The percentage given by the U.S. Department of Labor is a bit startling. It's amazing how quickly technology advances, it is very important we prepare students to enter this type of work force.

Technology in the Classroom: Helpful or Harmful?

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/effective-technology-teaching-child/?page=2

The main focus of this article is about the effectiveness of technology in the classroom. The article talks about how it is in the teachers and parents hands to make the use of technology meaningful and effective both at home and in the classroom. It discusses how many kids nowadays tend to gravitate towards technology so why not use that as an advantage and incorporate that into teaching. All of the information in this article is important because technology is constantly changing and is not going away any time soon, so instead of sitting back and continuing with old ways, why not embrace it and use it to its full potential?

I agree with this article because I do think there are several advantages to incorporating technology into the classroom. The article talks about how educators need to be educated in the technology they are using as well as teaching the students the appropriate uses. I completely agree that if teachers are receiving technology to use in their classrooms, then they first need to be educated in how to use it before being expected to use it in their classrooms. I think so often today school districts have these great ideas with several different forms of technology but provide little or no training for the teachers on how to use them. Teachers are just expected to know or learn for themselves and I think this is in part, why so many teachers are hesitant to try technology in their classrooms. The article also discusses that in order to successfully maximize children's tech time, parents also need to be involved and educated. I completely agree with this as well. I think more parents would be on board with technology if they knew how it was being used in the classroom and how they can use it to its full potential at home as well.

I think my school district does a great job in trying to encourage teachers to incorporate technology into the classrooms and has given us several different resources to use. I think we are headed in the right direction as far as technology goes, but I still think there are several teachers, at least in my building, who are not taking advantage of the various types of technology. I do think it is important to stress that technology should not replace the teacher, but should be used to enhance the students learning. I think the teachers in my building are not using it because they are not sure how to use it and implement it into their classrooms. My district does have early dismissals on Wednesdays once a month for staff development, but aren't really given time to learn and explore these new technologies being introduced. Each classroom teacher was given five iPad for their classrooms and there are teachers who use them solely for the internet and does not have a single app on the iPad for students to use. I think this is happening because teachers were not trained on how to use them or implement them. We were simply given them and expected to just go with it. Some teachers have no problems using them and implementing them but others are not using them at all. I think more teachers would be on board if they had proper training and were shown the endless possibilities on how to use them with their students. I think during our Wednesday early dismissal if we set a certain amount of time aside for a grade level or group of teachers to present an app of the month or show a way they are using them in the classroom, more teachers would be on board with using them in their classrooms.

Others thoughts, as mentioned earlier, technology is constantly changing, and instead of being apprehensive and afraid of these changes, why tackle them head on and find ways to use them for the better. Time is of the essence though, and in order for technology to continue to be an advantage in schools, districts need to set aside time for teachers to learn these new advances, have time to explore with others and have the proper training.

Computers in the High School Classroom

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech211.shtml

The focus of this article is on the importance of truly integrating or embedding technology into the high school classroom in spite of the challenges. One challenge discussed is that it is more difficult to integrate technology at the high school level than at other grade levels because of the demands of AP and other tests which are often a perceived indicator of the success of the entire district. Another is the definition of technology integration by some teachers. Unfortunately, many teachers think technology integration consists of using computers for PowerPoint presentations, research, and writing. The last challenge to fully integrating technology in every high school classroom is the lack of equal access to computers.

The article had three arguments for finding the time to fully integrate technology with the first being that students expect it. Technology integration also teaches important critical thinking skills, moving students from regurgitating information to creating. Finally, technology gives students access to experts all around the world.

These points are important because teachers cannot simply move projects from a handwritten paper to a paper produced in Google Docs or Word and call it technology integration. True integration would have the students collaborating in real time on the paper, skyping with an expert from across the world to get information for the project, and giving a multimedia presentation. Using online quizzes where students get immediate feedback is also an effective use of technology integration.

I agree with the points made in this article about the challenges of fully integrating/embedding technology in the classroom. It is important to work through those challenges because teachers need to teach using methods that correspond to the way students learn. Today's high school students have had access to technology for as long as most can remember. Today's high school freshmen were only nine years old when the first iPhone was released, and they were born after the internet.

I do understand the challenges presented by having access to technology. Dee-Mack is not yet a 1:1 school. While strides are being made in that direction with the recent purchase of a Chromebook cart, not every student has access to a device during the school day. There are also students who do not have consistent internet connections from home. In addition, there is the challenge of finding time for teacher training.  While it would be ideal for teachers to have enough interest in technology to learn it on their own, that just isn't the case.

I do sometimes become frustrated with the lack of interest in learning technology. Having always had an interest in new technology, I have a difficult time empathizing with those who do not embrace it. I am hoping that is about to change as our new principal really sees the value of technology integration, and we are working on ideas for after school classes to help teachers use the computer for more than research and paper writing.

Technology as a Tool to Support Instruction

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech004.shtml

  The very first thing that this article addresses is that technology is a tool to be used for instruction.  Using technology because it is cool and we think students should know how to use these cool new gadgets is the wrong way to approach technology within a school.  Technology can provide the opportunity to take instruction to the next level.  Not only can it stream line many processes, but it allows students to explore and create rather than sit and listen.
   The other main point is that educators need to take part in the process of designing and choosing tools.  In the past programmers designed software and teachers adapted their instruction to fit the software.  These days educators have become part of the development process.  Within each school teachers need to educate themselves on the technology tools that they want to learn about in their professional development as opposed to being told what to use.
  I agree that technology is just a tool to give students the opportunity to learn.  I do believe that they do pick up valuable problem solving skills as they explore and figure out how to use the technology they are given, but since technology changes so quickly the skill is much more important than the gadget they are using.  Technology allows students to do so much more, it really shifts the landscape of teaching.  The information is at the tip of their fingers, it is our job as teachers to show them how to sort through that information and create something from it.
   I also agree that teachers need to take ownership of the technology that they want to learn about.  Administration should not have to force technology tools onto teacher, I believe it is their responsibility to convince and motivate teachers to see the impact that technology has on their students.  Then teachers, the experts in their fields, can explore and direct where they want to go.
  In our district this would be showing teachers the research that shows the impact of technology in the classroom and holding teachers accountable to learning and experimenting with technology in their classrooms.  This looks like teachers modeling what they do in their classrooms at professional development meetings.
  I think that school is stuck in its ways because its tough to change.  I see teachers resistant to use technology because they do not believe that it will improve student learning.  Maybe I am impatient, but this frustrates me, but also motivates me to convince them otherwise.

The False Promise of Classroom Technology

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-11/the-false-promise-of-classroom-technology

The title of this article got my attention, which is why I chose to read it and comment about it in my first post. This article was found on the business week website and was published last fall.  The main point of this article is that we are in an educational crisis...again!  The author of this article (Charles Kenny) mentioned that this seems to be the case every year.  The difference now, is that one way schools are trying to solve the problem, is by throwing more technology into the classrooms in order to fix it.  It should come as no surprise to us, as educators, that computers/tablets etc. are still no substitute for good teachers, backed by a commitment from parents and the community.

Good teachers know, that technology should be used as a tool for students to further educate themselves, to give them opportunities to delve deeper into issues, or as a way to communicate with others and their teachers.  In 1996, Al Gore promised that every child would have access to technology by the new century.  It has been discovered, that having access to computers (if not used properly or with a clear purpose/outcome) has little to no effect on learning.  Some test scores actually were lowered among students who used computers intensively.

This article is not suggesting doing away with technology or to ban it from classrooms, but to train teachers on the best ways to use it (embedded within their plans) and to be used as a useful adjunct to teaching.  I agree with this whole heartedly!  We all know that technology can not or should not replace a teacher. For example, this year both of the elementary buildings I work in (Goodfield/Congerville) purchased an online reading program (leveled books)  for our students to use.  They can listen and read the stories at their level, and then answer questions about the stories.  We haven't started using it yet, but the plan is to implement it within our reading groups at certain times and dates.  Not everyday, but as a tool to get our struggling readers reading within or at their grade level.  I'm excited to start using these new tools and to try new things in my reading groups and to try new activites in the computer lab.  Of course, I will be there..all the way! :)

Teacher Development: Feuling Teachers to Go High-Tech http://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-teacher-development-technology

Teacher Development: Feuling Teachers to Go High-Tech

As elementary teachers, time is always an issue. Between having scarce prep periods and many subjects a day to prepare for, it is important to use time wisely. It seems like new ideas and ways of teaching are introduced frequently, especially in the way of technology. To many it can seem overwhelming with new material and a time constraint, therefore some elementary teachers opt not to integrate throughout the school year.

This article’s main points address these issues elementary teachers seem to have. Forest Lake Elementary School has worked hard to find a way for technology integration to seem more attainable to all ages of teachers. First off, whenever their technology team brought up a new idea to their staff, they made it a requirement instead of a choice. The team would set a reasonable deadline for all teachers on implementation. Next, the team made themselves extremely available to the faculty. During teacher prep periods, the tech team always had refreshments in their office for whenever staff would visit to ask for help on a particular tech tool. They wanted to make them feel comfortable. One particular woman on the technology team, a past teacher, made herself very available. Williams would assist teachers in making lessons using different tech tools, she would supply teachers with ideas on how to integrate, and she would also take a teacher’s upcoming lesson and model with that during institute days. Another way the school has tried to accommodate for teachers is by providing them with common time for collaboration on tech implementation. They can use this time to discuss their successes, their failures, and they can also bounce ideas off one another. Williams would take what was going on at these collaboration meetings and ask the groups of teachers to present the tools they felt useful at staff meetings in order to share.

It seems to me that this school is on a great path leading to successful technology implementation. All of the article information is important because the school as a whole is on the same page, and is being provided with resources, time, and a specialist who not only knows the field of technology but also has been in a teacher’s shoes. This elementary school has addressed all the obstacles in integrating in the younger grades. Because of the pacing this school has put in place, working with technology is less overwhelming therefore more exciting to work with and brainstorm uses.

I agree with all the points this article made. If we had a plan similar to this in our school, I know more teachers would be on board in being progressive in new technologies and program implementation. In the school I am working in, we already have an early out on Wednesdays for Professional Learning Community time. This would be ideal for grade level meetings to discuss experiences with integration, programs, and applications. At staff meetings, we could take turns each week giving a short presentation on the tool of our choice. Teachers could become “experts” on the tool or program and on institute days we could host mini seminars on what we have been using in our classroom so others could learn about it.

In other thoughts, as mentioned earlier, time is invaluable. In order for a majority of the elementary school to be excited about progressing in technology implementation, our leaders will need to set aside time for educating teachers, map out blocks of time for groups to meet, and have a professional in the building who can relate to teacher struggles and provide us with new, useful programs as well as examples of their uses.