January-February, 2008

Tech Resolutions for 2009

As we start the new year there is a fresh air of excitement and engagement with technology at DISES.  K-8 classes are off and running with a pilot of Lexia Reading.  Lexia helps students develop essential reading skills and provides teachers with data about student reading skills to enhance individualized instruction.  The pilot is intended to help teachers learn how to best apply this powerful educational resource and to consider how to integrate it as a regular part of instruction.  The increased use of technology by classes has provided a spark for other technology integration efforts at the school.  It has been nice to reach a point where the demand for technology has stressed the available supply of technology assets in our school.

The 4th and 5th grade will begin formal keyboarding lessons in February, using Type to Learn.  Type to Learn is an online program that leads students through self-paced keyboarding lessons.  It certainly is different than I remember my own typing lessons to be.  Type to Learn is highly engaging and challenging for students and is rated as the leading keyboarding program for children.

Middle Level classes have been building on technology skills learned during first semester.  Students in Social Studies classes have made brochures and multimedia slideshows for their Country Studies projects.  Language Arts students will be conducting interviews with local residents, recording and editing interviews with Island residents as part of their Maine Studies project.

Middle Level students are also starting Health class this semester.  This class will be an innovative approach to student learning.  We have created the Health Links web portal to help guide student/parent learning about health topics.  The portal provides access to information and resources they can use to explore and talk about health related issues.  The structure of the course seeks to have students take greater personal responsibility for learning and provides encouragement to parents to partner in the learning process.  The online portal provides a look at how online environments can help structure and guide learning for students.

Our 2009-2010 budget will seek to build on these technology integration advances and provide infrastructure and integration support that allows teachers to expand the use of technology to support student learning.  With the nation's slumping economy we will seek to find uses of technology that increase efficiency and enhance student learning, parent involvement, and engagement with the world outside of our school.

Upcoming Technology Integration Work

• Keyboarding curriculum implementation for grades 4-5
• Supporting Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
  
• Teacher Tech Tuesdays
  
• Parent/Student Tech Tuesdays
  
• ES School-wide Learning Theme (Islands)
• Lexia Reading Pilot
• Health Links - Middle Level Health Class
• Student Publications (School News)
• Three-year Technology Plan
  

Technology Integration Idea Sparkers
Check out the following link(s) and let me know if you have any questions or if you find an idea you would like to have me support.

Old Dog, New Tricks: Tips for Technophobic Teachers

Have a Heart - Scavenger Hunt

Fertile Ground: Lesson Ideas from an Educationally Growing State

   

    SUPERSITE LINKS
    Artopia: An amazing place where art comes to life
    DinoZoo: Dinosaur zoo for kids
    Arty the Part-Time Astronaut: Kids explore space
    Etch-a-Sketch Online: Etch-a-cool!!
    Gamequarium: The site swimming with learning fun
Fun with Spot: A great K-2 site!
World of Peter Rabbit: A wonderful interactive site for kids and teachers
LIFE Photo Archives on Google: Amazing images from TIME-LIFE
New York Times - Student Connections: Lessons, Grades 6-12
Virtual Field Trips: A huge assortment to choose from
WOWIO: Free online books


    MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
    Martin Luther King Jr. (Wikipedia)
    MLK Online
    The Last Days of Martin Luther King Jr.
    Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story
    Historic Speeches and Interviews



    BLACK HISTORY MONTH LINKS
    Patchwork of African-American Life
    Our Shared History - African American Heritage
    National Civil Rights Museum
    The African-American Mosaic
    Afro-American Black History Museum


PRESIDENT'S DAY LINKS
The Presidents
POTUS
President of the United States (Wikipedia)
The Presidents (PBS)



This month THE Journal has included a list of Web 2.0 tools for students. The Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Children provides descriptions of an assortment of online tools that students can use to enhance learning.
JANUARY EVENTS:
1/7:    Tech Committee Meeting (Make-up)
1/13:  Tech Tuesday Mini-Workshop (HS)
1/20:  Lexia Reading Teacher Workshop
1/21:  Tech Committee Meeting
1/27:  Tech Tuesday Mini-Workshop (ES)
12/17: Technology Committee Meeting

FEBRUARY EVENTS:
2/10:    Tech Tuesday Mini-Workshop (HS)
2/11:    Tech Planning Team Meeting
2/24:    Tech Tuesday Mini-Workshop (ES)
2/25:    Tech Planning Team Meeting