Part of being a leader is learning how to be a good manager of people. My new position has placed me in a leadership role, but I do not feel that I am a manager of people. I am learning that another huge part of leadership is listening and watching. This is especially true when you are new to the leadership position. To take on a new leadership role and come out with your guns blazing is not always the best choice. Now, there are situations where such tactics are needed and can be used effectively. But, my new position has called me to take on more of a watching and listening role. I need to discover how my new place of employment works and how the people within the place of employment interact and work. It has been an interesting experience and I've only been at it for 3 months.
The best part so far has been cultivating relationships with my co-workers. I had been at my previous job for four years. So, I haven't had to meet new people and develop new work relationships for awhile. Overall, it has been a fun experience. Our department is very diverse as is the school itself. But, if everyone was the same it would make for a very boring day, week, and school year. The thing that I come back to the most is remembering to laugh and not take things too seriously. Each new day is a chance for new start and a fresh outlook.
I am curious how the people in my department view me, though. I am the second youngest person in the department and probably have the least amount of teaching experience except for the person who is younger than me. This has added to my view of being a watcher and listener rather than a person who swoops in and seeks to make dramatic changes in the first year. I am still interested in how I am viewed. It would have been nice to know what each person was thinking the first time they met me in August. That thought alone makes me laugh because I was quite nervous.
The first 3 months have already put me face to face with some challenging situations. But, I am really enjoying the new position. I have been surprised that I haven't missed being in the classroom. But, that is partly due to the fact that I haven't had any time to sit and reminisce about being in the classroom. The one thing that I have noticed is that the students have no idea who I am. And, that is a very weird feeling because at my previous position I knew quite a few of the students. I hope that aspect changes with time. And, I am aware that I am the one who can make it change.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
MTT Classes in General
Looking back over the four MTT classes, I am genuinely amazed at the wide array of technology skills I have acquired and technology programs that I have learned about. I remember dropping a class in summer school during my undergraduate degree because it required me to make several PowerPoint presentations and work a little with Adobe Photoshop. I still don’t know much about Adobe Photoshop, but would gladly play around with it to learn. Dropping that class seems so silly to me now, but I distinctly remember being scared to death by it because I had NEVER made a PowerPoint presentation before. I was 22 when I took that class, how crazy is that?
The only technology class offered in my small private school was computer programming. I passed the class, but learned very little. I was much more interested in the boys that filled the class than I was in learning how to write a program. I remember very clearly not getting my final program to perform a specific task and simply throwing my hands up because “I hated computers.” Then, not six years later, I was teaching BCIS to high school students and assuring them that I could do it they could do it. The journey to Master Technology Teacher has been an interesting one, but well worth the trip.
Culminating Paper
This paper’s topic seems both the easiest and the most difficult to write about. The topic is on the fundamentals of mentoring, coaching, and leadership. I feel too young and inexperienced to write about such things. Obviously, the paper will be based on other peer-reviewed journal articles, but will require my insight as well. Just like my mentoring experience, I am afraid I am too green in the fields of mentoring, coaching, and leadership to provide any worthwhile information. I am looking forward to reading my articles and learning about these fields.
My new position calls for me to act as a mentor, coach, and leader for my department. I am still in a bit of shock that I was even offered this new position. I have only five years of teaching experience and I’m sure there were candidates with more. But, I was told that experience was not the chief attribute they were seeking in the next CTE coordinator. I have discovered that I love to be an encouragement to others and do my best to find the positive in all work situations. But, the idea that I am mentor or coach to these teachers still seems quite foreign and daunting. This feeling is doubled by the fact that half the department is my age or older. In fact, I think only one of the teachers is younger than me. I know this paper will help me greatly and yet it’s been the thing that I’ve saved for last in this class. I do hope to gain quite a bit of insight into each topic because I feel it will assist me greatly in my new position.
Professional Portfolio Collection
Collecting things for my portfolio has been a fascinating task. For some reason, I keep confusing production with artifact. And, it totally freaked me out to collect attestations. However, the attestations were actually the easiest things to collect. I was able to use pieces from my previous PDAS evaluations. And, at my previous position, we were required to keep a binder and one of the tabs was labeled “comments.” This tab stood for both parent contact and any kind of positive remark we received from administration, parents, and fellow faculty members. But, my favorite attestation is actually from my student-teaching days. On my last day of student teaching, one of the classes had a party and all the students signed a card for me. My most treasured comment on that card was from a student in the class who had recoiled from me the first time I walked up to help him and touched his shoulder. In the card, he wrote me a thank you for always helping him and being patient with him. That comment alone is why I have kept the card for six years.
The artifacts have actually been the hardest to collect. It has been hard because I’m not sure what will showcase the MTT classes the best. And, since I am no longer in the classroom I do not have access to student work. I also did not bring any student work with me from my previous position. So, I have had to rely on the MTT classes and my collection of activities from the teacher’s side of things. But, I will admit that being a BCIS teacher has made the task a little easier.
The productions have been the second easiest piece to collect. I have relied almost totally on the MTT coursework for these items. It was fun to make a podcast and to use Camtasia to record a tutorial for BCIS. Technology today makes certain things so easy!
Professional Portfolio Collaboration 1
The process of putting together my professional portfolio as a website has been fun. It has been fun because I have been working collaboratively with my younger brother. My brother is almost seven years my junior. And, it is difficult for me to think of him as an adult even though he turned 21 years old this past February. However, he is much more learned at using an Apple than I am. He has assisted me in making my documents PDF files and moving between screens at light speed. We have spent several hours together working on my portfolio and it is probably one of the first times that I have been able to really see him as an adult.
He is currently working toward a sound engineering certificate at Media Tech Institute in Las Colinas. He plans to start being a disc jockey if he can gain entry to the clubs in downtown Dallas. It has been very eye-opening to work with him on my portfolio because we have been more like partners in a project than our traditional brother-sister roles. He knows how to work his Mac like the back of his hand, but oddly enough had never used iweb until I came over to work on my project. So, it has been a learning experience for both of us. I have used iweb before and because of that have been able to show him a few things with it. I’m thankful for this assignment mostly because it has given time me time with my kid brother; who as it turns out is no longer a kid.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Exercise 9.5 Preparing for the Application of Learning
Briefly describe an educational program you recently attended.
PEIMS & CTE training at the ESC Region XI service center: the training was geared to assist CTE Directors and counselors on how to code CTE students for state funding and Achieve Texas guidelines.
Complete an individual plan, as outlined in the following chart, specifying how you will apply what you learned.
List knowledge; skills; problem-solving and finding capabilities; and/or attitudes, values, feelings learned: How to code CTE students for state funding purpose (V1, V2, V3); How to code CTE students in alignment with the Achieve Texas model (0, 1, 2, 3); Preparation for the changes with CTE that will take place in 2010-2011
Specify when, where, and how you want to apply what you have learned: Currently applying what I learned as I check every student coded and enrolled in a CTE course at the high school
Name people who could offer assistance, support: Previous CTE Director; High School Counselor; ESC Region XI CTE Specialist; Other CTE Coordinators in the area; PEIMS coordinator for the district
List other resources that might be helpful (such as books, training programs). Specify how you will know you are successfully using the new knowledge; skills; problem-finding or –solving capabilities; and/or values and attitudes: Handout provided in the training; PEIMS website; TEA website
I will know I am using the new knowledge successfully when I show the coding changes that need to be made to the PEIMS coordinator and she agrees with my suggested changes. I will also know that I am using the new knowledge successfully when I am able to catch those students who are coded incorrectly and make the necessary changes.
Specify a time frame: 2009-2010 school year
PEIMS & CTE training at the ESC Region XI service center: the training was geared to assist CTE Directors and counselors on how to code CTE students for state funding and Achieve Texas guidelines.
Complete an individual plan, as outlined in the following chart, specifying how you will apply what you learned.
List knowledge; skills; problem-solving and finding capabilities; and/or attitudes, values, feelings learned: How to code CTE students for state funding purpose (V1, V2, V3); How to code CTE students in alignment with the Achieve Texas model (0, 1, 2, 3); Preparation for the changes with CTE that will take place in 2010-2011
Specify when, where, and how you want to apply what you have learned: Currently applying what I learned as I check every student coded and enrolled in a CTE course at the high school
Name people who could offer assistance, support: Previous CTE Director; High School Counselor; ESC Region XI CTE Specialist; Other CTE Coordinators in the area; PEIMS coordinator for the district
List other resources that might be helpful (such as books, training programs). Specify how you will know you are successfully using the new knowledge; skills; problem-finding or –solving capabilities; and/or values and attitudes: Handout provided in the training; PEIMS website; TEA website
I will know I am using the new knowledge successfully when I show the coding changes that need to be made to the PEIMS coordinator and she agrees with my suggested changes. I will also know that I am using the new knowledge successfully when I am able to catch those students who are coded incorrectly and make the necessary changes.
Specify a time frame: 2009-2010 school year
Exercise 9.4 Completing and Instructional Plan
Using material from Exercises 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3, develop an instructional plan for a session for which you serve as the instructor.
Title: Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning and Engagement
Date and Time: August 19, 2009 8am, 9:30am, 12:30pm, 2pm
Learning Objectives: The participants will be able to…
1. Utilize surveymonkey.com as pre-assessments and to enhance student learning and engagement within the classroom.
2. Utilize GoogleDocs to enhance student collaboration, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
3. Utilize a jeopardy template in PowerPoint to develop engaging review sessions for the classroom.
4. Utilize www.edublogs.org to enhance student writing, journaling, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
Content Heading
1. Develop surveys online to use for pre-assessments of student knowledge
2. Employ GoogleDocs for student collaboration with projects
3. Develop a jeopardy game template to use for engaging reviews before assessments
4. Make use of blogging to improve student expression, writing skills, and preparation for state testing
Key Points to Emphasize
1. The ease of creating surveys with surveymonkey. The major features available in surveymonkey. The different types of questions that can be created in surveymonkey.
2. Document, Presentation, Spreadsheet, Form, Folder, Upload feature-Share feature
3. Create a jeopardy game template that participants can use over and over again in PowerPoint.
4. Blogging, Themes, Embedding, Managing student blogs, Import & Export abilities-Resources, discussions, and suggestions for educators
Instructional Techniques
For each activity, the following instructional techniques will be used:
-Teacher demonstration with learners working at individual computer stations
-Detailed handouts for extra support
-Q & A as the session progresses
Estimated Time: Each section will last approximately 20 minutes
Assessment Plan: pre-survey to determine direction of the session; post-session survey to evaluate effectiveness of session
Instructional resources and equipment needed:
For Instructor – computer connected to digital projector & pull down screen for demonstration
For Participants – computer lab for individual computer use
Room Arrangement Needed: Computer lab
Title: Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning and Engagement
Date and Time: August 19, 2009 8am, 9:30am, 12:30pm, 2pm
Learning Objectives: The participants will be able to…
1. Utilize surveymonkey.com as pre-assessments and to enhance student learning and engagement within the classroom.
2. Utilize GoogleDocs to enhance student collaboration, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
3. Utilize a jeopardy template in PowerPoint to develop engaging review sessions for the classroom.
4. Utilize www.edublogs.org to enhance student writing, journaling, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
Content Heading
1. Develop surveys online to use for pre-assessments of student knowledge
2. Employ GoogleDocs for student collaboration with projects
3. Develop a jeopardy game template to use for engaging reviews before assessments
4. Make use of blogging to improve student expression, writing skills, and preparation for state testing
Key Points to Emphasize
1. The ease of creating surveys with surveymonkey. The major features available in surveymonkey. The different types of questions that can be created in surveymonkey.
2. Document, Presentation, Spreadsheet, Form, Folder, Upload feature-Share feature
3. Create a jeopardy game template that participants can use over and over again in PowerPoint.
4. Blogging, Themes, Embedding, Managing student blogs, Import & Export abilities-Resources, discussions, and suggestions for educators
Instructional Techniques
For each activity, the following instructional techniques will be used:
-Teacher demonstration with learners working at individual computer stations
-Detailed handouts for extra support
-Q & A as the session progresses
Estimated Time: Each section will last approximately 20 minutes
Assessment Plan: pre-survey to determine direction of the session; post-session survey to evaluate effectiveness of session
Instructional resources and equipment needed:
For Instructor – computer connected to digital projector & pull down screen for demonstration
For Participants – computer lab for individual computer use
Room Arrangement Needed: Computer lab
Exercise 9.3 Developing an Instructional Assessment Process
For the same session you described in Exercises 9.1 and 9.2, describe the major reason or reasons for completing an instructional assessment.
I plan to complete both a pre-assessment and post-assessment for each session. The pre-assessment will serve to show me what each learner already knows about the topics to be presented. I do not want to waste time presenting information the learners already know about. The post-assessment will serve to show whether the learners felt the session was beneficial and utilizable for the classroom. The post-assessment is primarily information for the instructor whereas the pre-assessment will be used to guide the session.
Select and describe one or more techniques you will use to evaluate this instructional session.
Technique: survey at the start & close of each session
Description: each learner will complete a survey at the start of the session to determine what topic is of most interest to them; each learner will complete a survey at the close of each session to determine if the learner felt that the session was beneficial
Technique: survey sent out from the school district for each learner to complete
Description: the school district will also survey the learners to determine if the session was valuable
Describe how you will ensure that the assessment process exhibits the following qualities:
Clarity: the surveys used will be piloted by a series of individuals to ensure the questions and possible answers are clear
Specificity: the surveys used will be piloted by a series of individuals to ensure the questions and possible answers are in accordance with the learning objectives
Timeliness: the survey will be no more than 5 questions so that it can be completed quickly
Ongoing & Frequent: the surveys from the instructor and school district will be used to evaluate and critique the session
Accessibility: all learners in the sessions will have the opportunity to complete the surveys for the instructor and the school district
Be About Something Than Can Be Changed: the survey will include an area for the learners to suggest ways to make the next session better
Justifiability: the survey results will serve as examination of whether or not to hold such a session again
Stated with Care and Concern: the surveys used will be piloted by a series of individuals to ensure the questions and possible answers are stated with care and concern for the learners’ experience
I plan to complete both a pre-assessment and post-assessment for each session. The pre-assessment will serve to show me what each learner already knows about the topics to be presented. I do not want to waste time presenting information the learners already know about. The post-assessment will serve to show whether the learners felt the session was beneficial and utilizable for the classroom. The post-assessment is primarily information for the instructor whereas the pre-assessment will be used to guide the session.
Select and describe one or more techniques you will use to evaluate this instructional session.
Technique: survey at the start & close of each session
Description: each learner will complete a survey at the start of the session to determine what topic is of most interest to them; each learner will complete a survey at the close of each session to determine if the learner felt that the session was beneficial
Technique: survey sent out from the school district for each learner to complete
Description: the school district will also survey the learners to determine if the session was valuable
Describe how you will ensure that the assessment process exhibits the following qualities:
Clarity: the surveys used will be piloted by a series of individuals to ensure the questions and possible answers are clear
Specificity: the surveys used will be piloted by a series of individuals to ensure the questions and possible answers are in accordance with the learning objectives
Timeliness: the survey will be no more than 5 questions so that it can be completed quickly
Ongoing & Frequent: the surveys from the instructor and school district will be used to evaluate and critique the session
Accessibility: all learners in the sessions will have the opportunity to complete the surveys for the instructor and the school district
Be About Something Than Can Be Changed: the survey will include an area for the learners to suggest ways to make the next session better
Justifiability: the survey results will serve as examination of whether or not to hold such a session again
Stated with Care and Concern: the surveys used will be piloted by a series of individuals to ensure the questions and possible answers are stated with care and concern for the learners’ experience
Exercise 9.2 Selecting Instructional Techniques
For the same session you described in Exercise 9.1, develop two alternative ways the material could be taught. Keep in mind the focus of the learning outcomes, your expertise, the backgrounds and experiences of the learners, and the context for learning.
Alternative 1: This session could be recorded using software such as Camtasia and then viewed by the learners. The learners could listen and watch each section, then practice on their own. Once the learners felt confident practicing on their own with one section, they could watch and listen to the next section and then practice on their own with that one.
Alternative 2: Instead of demonstrating at the front, the session could be set up to have each learner work at his or her pace with the handout. The handout could be provided at the start of the session, and the instructor would be there simply to assist when questions arose. It would be a totally independent learning experience for each learner as each learner worked through the handout.
Alternative 3: This session could be set up as purely lecture in a traditional classroom. The learners would simply watch the instructor work with each of the programs and demonstrate at the front of the room. It would be a one-way presentation where the instructor provided information and the learners received it passively.
Alternative 1: This session could be recorded using software such as Camtasia and then viewed by the learners. The learners could listen and watch each section, then practice on their own. Once the learners felt confident practicing on their own with one section, they could watch and listen to the next section and then practice on their own with that one.
Alternative 2: Instead of demonstrating at the front, the session could be set up to have each learner work at his or her pace with the handout. The handout could be provided at the start of the session, and the instructor would be there simply to assist when questions arose. It would be a totally independent learning experience for each learner as each learner worked through the handout.
Alternative 3: This session could be set up as purely lecture in a traditional classroom. The learners would simply watch the instructor work with each of the programs and demonstrate at the front of the room. It would be a one-way presentation where the instructor provided information and the learners received it passively.
Exercise 9.1 Developing Learning Objectives
Describe briefly an educational program for which you will act as the instructor or be part of an instructional team.
The week prior to the start of the school year when teachers return to prepare, I have been asked to act as a facilitator for 4 sessions during the day designated as professional development for all teachers in the school district. I will be presenting each hour and thirty minute session to teachers from across the school district and grade levels. I will be able to choose my topic and objective for the sessions. The only guidelines I have been given are that the sessions need to be student centered, relevant, and geared toward enhancing student engagement. My session will be titled: “Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning & Engagement”
Develop a set of learning objectives for your part of the program using the following format. Complete each part for each objective, as appropriate.
The Learner, Action Verb, Content…
The learner will be able to use surveymonkey.com to enhance student learning and engagement within the classroom.
The learner will be able to use GoogleDocs to enhance student collaboration, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
The learner will be able to use a jeopardy template in PowerPoint to develop engaging review sessions for the classroom.
The learner will be to use www.edublogs.org to enhance student writing, journaling, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
Conditions under which the learning is to be demonstrated …
The session will take place in a computer lab so that the facilitator can demonstrate and the learners can practice as the session progresses.
The session will be hands-on, real time application of what is being learned.
Criteria for Acceptable Performance…
The learners’ ability to make use of each part of the session within the classroom will be the criteria for acceptable performance.
The purpose of this session is to provide the learners with additional technology tools to use in the classroom to make learning more engaging and relevant to the students.
The week prior to the start of the school year when teachers return to prepare, I have been asked to act as a facilitator for 4 sessions during the day designated as professional development for all teachers in the school district. I will be presenting each hour and thirty minute session to teachers from across the school district and grade levels. I will be able to choose my topic and objective for the sessions. The only guidelines I have been given are that the sessions need to be student centered, relevant, and geared toward enhancing student engagement. My session will be titled: “Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning & Engagement”
Develop a set of learning objectives for your part of the program using the following format. Complete each part for each objective, as appropriate.
The Learner, Action Verb, Content…
The learner will be able to use surveymonkey.com to enhance student learning and engagement within the classroom.
The learner will be able to use GoogleDocs to enhance student collaboration, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
The learner will be able to use a jeopardy template in PowerPoint to develop engaging review sessions for the classroom.
The learner will be to use www.edublogs.org to enhance student writing, journaling, learning, and engagement within the classroom.
Conditions under which the learning is to be demonstrated …
The session will take place in a computer lab so that the facilitator can demonstrate and the learners can practice as the session progresses.
The session will be hands-on, real time application of what is being learned.
Criteria for Acceptable Performance…
The learners’ ability to make use of each part of the session within the classroom will be the criteria for acceptable performance.
The purpose of this session is to provide the learners with additional technology tools to use in the classroom to make learning more engaging and relevant to the students.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Professional Development Project
This is the scariest thing about the last MTT class for me. The thought of having to get up and present to a group of teachers is worse than working one-on-one with a teacher for the mentoring group. Thankfully, I had to bite the bullet and get this part of the course over with at the beginning of August. I was asked to present four sessions during the week of professional development for teachers at my new school district. Because I am a part of the curriculum and instruction team it was decided that each member of the team needed to start the year off by being a facilitator/presenter during the district's day of intervention sessions.
I was asked to present during four of the five session times offered. Since I am working toward being a Master Technology Teacher, I felt that my sessions needed to be technology focused. I came up with what I thought was a great title: "Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning & Engagement." I wrote a little blurb to accompany the session title and began planning how to use the hour and twenty minutes during each session.
Each session started with a survey to determine the participants' greatest interest. The survey asked about how much they would like to learn about any of the following: using surveymonkey.com, using Googledocs, using Edublogs for student journaling, and creating a jeaporday game template in PowerPoint. The survey results guided each session so that every session's focus was different. I showed the participants the survey results because I used surveymonkey.com for their survey. Then, I began working through session starting with the area of greatest interest.
At the close of each session, I had the participants take on survey about the session itself. The survey asked questions about the quality of the presentation, the preparedness of the presenter, and the quality of the handouts provided. A few days later, the district surveyed the participants too. Both surveys allowed me to see the strengths and weaknesses of the presentation. Overall, it was a great experience.
I was asked to present during four of the five session times offered. Since I am working toward being a Master Technology Teacher, I felt that my sessions needed to be technology focused. I came up with what I thought was a great title: "Using Technology to Enhance Student Learning & Engagement." I wrote a little blurb to accompany the session title and began planning how to use the hour and twenty minutes during each session.
Each session started with a survey to determine the participants' greatest interest. The survey asked about how much they would like to learn about any of the following: using surveymonkey.com, using Googledocs, using Edublogs for student journaling, and creating a jeaporday game template in PowerPoint. The survey results guided each session so that every session's focus was different. I showed the participants the survey results because I used surveymonkey.com for their survey. Then, I began working through session starting with the area of greatest interest.
At the close of each session, I had the participants take on survey about the session itself. The survey asked questions about the quality of the presentation, the preparedness of the presenter, and the quality of the handouts provided. A few days later, the district surveyed the participants too. Both surveys allowed me to see the strengths and weaknesses of the presentation. Overall, it was a great experience.
Mentoring Jitters
I plan to begin my mentoring project this week. I have to admit that I am pretty nervous about it. The teacher I will be working is incredibly kind and was more than willing to work with me on this project. However, it is scary mainly because she is my peer. Teaching students is much easier because they aren't your peers. But, presenting something to a teacher who has been teaching for many, many years is alittle daunting. I know the project will go well, but the first session will be the hardest.
In our sessions, we will be working through some of the projects I used as a BCIS teacher in my classroom. We will be looking at projects in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher. Some of the projects are combined into packets that I would give to the students as a culminating project for the six weeks. And, some projects are individual assignments that would take multiple school days to complete. I always enjoyed seeing the students showcase their skills as we completed a program in the Microsoft Office Suite.
I hope to also get some ideas from my mentee about how to tweak the projects to make them the most effective for the students in my current school district. I want the projects to be used as effectively as possible. I know I tweaked one of the projects I used for PowerPoint every year I used it and sometimes based on each class period and mixture of students. The learning objectives remained the same, but the assistance I provided and the extra support given would change based on the needs of the students.
In our sessions, we will be working through some of the projects I used as a BCIS teacher in my classroom. We will be looking at projects in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher. Some of the projects are combined into packets that I would give to the students as a culminating project for the six weeks. And, some projects are individual assignments that would take multiple school days to complete. I always enjoyed seeing the students showcase their skills as we completed a program in the Microsoft Office Suite.
I hope to also get some ideas from my mentee about how to tweak the projects to make them the most effective for the students in my current school district. I want the projects to be used as effectively as possible. I know I tweaked one of the projects I used for PowerPoint every year I used it and sometimes based on each class period and mixture of students. The learning objectives remained the same, but the assistance I provided and the extra support given would change based on the needs of the students.
Being Data Driven
I attended a training yesterday for the software my district uses to collect data on test scores and learning standards. The district I work in uses a program called Aware, and after yesterday's training I am a proponent of the program. Aware collects data on TAKS test scores, school benchmarks, and then correlates the results to specific learning standards that teachers should be covering and students should be learning. You can look at results from test scores by teacher groups, by various student populations served, or you can look at individual students scores. You can run reports to show teachers what learning standards the students in their classes are passing on benchmark tests and then plan interventions accordingly.
Our presenter said when she began working as the data controller for her previous school district all of these reports and tests were sent off to companies who compiled information based on what they thought a school might want to know. She said she would receive reports back after benchmarks and it would take her weeks to prepare information that the teachers in her school could actually use. Needless to say, she LOVES the aware software.
She loves it because it allows you to target the problem areas. A teacher is no longer left guessing about what his or her students need assistance with or reteaching on. You can look up specific SEs and see how your class performed. We were told anything below a 70% is something that needs to be retaught. But, it's a specific standard not a huge chunk of information. I was very impressed. Schools are becoming increasingly data driven and this software / program allows a district the ability to target interventions and tutorial sessions to be the most effective.
Our presenter said when she began working as the data controller for her previous school district all of these reports and tests were sent off to companies who compiled information based on what they thought a school might want to know. She said she would receive reports back after benchmarks and it would take her weeks to prepare information that the teachers in her school could actually use. Needless to say, she LOVES the aware software.
She loves it because it allows you to target the problem areas. A teacher is no longer left guessing about what his or her students need assistance with or reteaching on. You can look up specific SEs and see how your class performed. We were told anything below a 70% is something that needs to be retaught. But, it's a specific standard not a huge chunk of information. I was very impressed. Schools are becoming increasingly data driven and this software / program allows a district the ability to target interventions and tutorial sessions to be the most effective.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)