Sandholtz Chapter 5

Chapter five titled, “Redefining Student and Teacher Roles” discussed how Teachers quickly discovered that students were becoming experts with the new technology in the classroom.   The ACOT teachers and students experienced a shift in their traditional roles.  Peer teaching became the norm in the ACOT classrooms. Students provided technical assistance, tutoring, and mentoring in the classroom and in their communities.  With their new found roles in the classroom, student’s attitudes began to change in regards to how they viewed themselves.  Students took ownership and pride in instructing and sharing their technological knowledge.

Some of the benefits of the role shift were: less motivated students stayed on task, hidden skills were tapped, and academically challenged students became high achievers by finishing projects early.  Students who were unpopular were seen in a new light because of their expertise on the computer.  Teachers provided praise and support for those students who stepped into their new teaching roles.

Students took their computer knowledge outside of the classroom by teaching family members at home how to set up and use the computer.  They passed their computer knowledge on to their siblings and other family members.  The school district hired students as technical support with new equipment and they were also hired as teaching assistants for summer professional development classes.  Teachers and students traveled to places like the state capitols, conferences, and symposiums to share their knowledge of technology in the classroom.

Reflecting on chapter five, the ACOT teachers and students shifted their roles and found success.  I’m sure it was not easy for the teachers to give up their roles as leader in the classroom.  I wonder what would have happened if the teachers resisted the shift?  I was happy to read how the teachers put their egos aside and let the students share their knowledge, especially the principal who learned how to use the electronic bulletin board.

Sandholtz Chapter 4

Chapter four titled, “Managing a Technology-Rich Classroom” focused on the first three stages of instructional revolution.  These three stages are important because it set the stage for ACOT classroom teachers to experience major achievements or disheartening failures in their classrooms.

    Chapter four discusses the entry stage as the first stage of concern with the ACOT teachers.  Because the technology was so new, teachers could not anticipate problems.  Issues such as student misbehavior and attitudes, the physical environment, technical problems and software management, and the dynamics of the classroom environment were unique problems that presented themselves to the classroom.

     Adoption occurs when teachers anticipate and solve problems to resolve the student misbehavior in their classrooms.  Teachers used tactics such as using technology itself to redirect the misbehaving.  Teachers used spreadsheets, databases, individual and group restrictions to discontinue student misbehavior. The physical environment was changed by adding more spacious classrooms, organizing equipment, and installing whiteboards. To handle technical problems, teachers recruited students as “peer” teachers to assist with technical issues.  Some teachers became technicians themselves by attending service training.

                In the adaptation stage, teachers used technology to their advantage. Teachers lessened their workloads by creating databases and spreadsheets, which reduced time spent on calculating grades. Teachers were able to keep track of scores, prepare IEP’s, update materials, and give immediate feedback to their students regarding test scores. Because of adaptation, teachers grew confident with their technology skills which decreased worries about their classrooms being technology centered. 

                As I reflect on chapter four, I found the section on classroom management extremely interesting. It was refreshing how the author pointed out the link between management and instruction.  Without classroom management, students would not stay on task and the classroom would be in total disorder.  I worked for a school district where the principals only concern for the teachers was if they passed their professional exams.  But passing those exams was not enough. In that school district, I worked with some of the finest teachers who motivated students to the point where they wanted to go to school.  Those same students even scored high on standardized test. Those teachers were truly gifted facilitators, but they could not pass those professional exams. What was wrong? Where was the gap? On the other hand, I witnessed teachers who passed their professional exams with flying colors, running out of their classrooms crying because little Johnny won’t sit down or students who could easily push buttons to get the teacher to “lose it” and the students would laugh hysterically upon their achievement.  I have even known teachers from other districts retire early because of the changing diversity in the classroom. They could not deal with the fact they no longer shared the same culture as their students. I have watched the teachers, who made a difference in the classroom, walk out with a packed box under his/her arm and the teachers, with no management skills, teach year after year in a classroom full of chaos and disruption.  So, I ask again, what is wrong?  Where is the gap?

Twitter Question

Twitter question: Professional Development is largely personal, what are some things you can do for FREE to improve your technology skills?

Yes, I agree that professional development is largely personal because I found myself unemployed for about a year.  Money was tight so I sought out free computer courses.  I found it was a great way of networking, learning new skills, and sharpening existing skills.  There was an added plus of filling in the gap of unemployment history so employers would not see that time as a negative mark against me. 

Here are some of my favorite free sites:

http://www.metrolibrary.org/mls/mls_news/2011/pdfs/dn_computer_classes.pdf http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/training-FX101782702.aspx http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses

Sandholtz Chapter 3

               Chapter Three titled, “The Evolution of Instruction in Technology-Rich Classrooms,” follows ACOT teachers and students as they embark on integrating technology in their classrooms. The first part of chapter three discussed different perspectives on learning and teaching noting arguments whether teaching is clinical pursuit, an enterprise, or like therapy.   

                The next part of chapter three, Sandholtz introduces the five stages of instructional evolution. The five stages are outlined as:  1. entry 2. Adoption 3. Adaptation 4. Appropriation 5. Invention.  The first stage entry, talks about how the ACOT teachers experienced problems with discipline, resource management and personal frustration.  The ACOT teachers had to let go of some of their beliefs in learning and teaching in order to launch the ACOT program successfully.  The second stage is adoption.  Teachers showed concerns about how they were going to adopt technology into their curriculum and how would students perform on standardized tests.  Parents also chimed with concerns relating to poor handwriting skills and developing skill sets that would prove non-useful in the real world.  In the third stage, adaptation, teachers reported the new technology increased productivity and quality in their classrooms.  The fourth stage is appropriation.  The author describes appropriation in the classroom as an individual, who comes to understand technology and use it effortlessly as a tool to accomplish real work.  Another way to look at appropriation as going from appreciation to a life changing milestone as witnessed from the teacher accounts in the chapter.  The last stage is invention.  The invention stage goes beyond appropriation where teachers not only found new ways of thinking and collaborating, but they made it better with the use of technology.

                My reflections of chapter three are:  the ACOT program was successful and the teachers received much needed support for the program.  Support is an immense factor for implementing innovation in the classroom.  I hope with the Common Core Standards, although some things are vague, teachers receive enough training and support to make it work in the classrooms.

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Video Project

Using Windows Vista Movie Maker 6.0 for my project.

Stay tunned for the final results!

Chapter 11

Chapter eleven titled, “Top Ten Rules that Govern School Authority Over Student Cyber Expressions,” makes a clear explanation of student’s First Amendment rights and the rights public schools have over those rights.  The chapter outlines the “Top Ten Rules of Govern” that has emerged from court precedents. Rule One: applies to First Amendment provisions where students have the right to express themselves freely on or off campus, but when those expressions, no matter how small, disrupt education, schools have the right to intervene.  Rule Two: schools may sanction or censor expression if school leaders feel the expression may cause a disruption in school activities. Rule Three: if the expression interferes with the education rights of other students.  Rule Four: school leaders have the authority to prohibit lewd, vulgar, or profane language.  Rule Five: school leaders have the right to prohibit expressions that are grammatically incorrect, poorly researched, and expressions that misrepresent the school.  Rule Six: school leaders may sanction school sponsored expression, including media material and field trips. Rule Seven: reinforces rule six giving school leaders complete authority over pedagogical purposes. Rule Eight: a school has no authority to regulate a student’s off campus activates. Rule Nine: schools have the right to instill the morals, values and norms of the larger society.  Rule Ten: schools have the right to restrict student expression outside the campus if there is a concern or threat for illegal criminal activity or moral conduct.

                My reflection on chapter eleven.  Because of today’s technology, I think these rules are needed more than ever.  School leaders must be careful they are not allowing students on or off campus a way to promote cyber bullying, hate crimes, and hurtful messages that can interfere with the education process.