 Principal's Coffee Topic of the Month: Technology
The area of focus at this month’s Principal’s Coffee, technology, is a timely topic of significant importance to the Baker community. Since many families have expressed interest in this topic, I am summarizing some of the key information shared during my recent presentation. Challenges at the Close of the School Year Toward the end of the 2010-2011 school year, it became apparent that additional classroom space would be needed due to growing enrollment. Potential spaces were identified using data collected the previous year by Baker’s Space Committee and through administrative conversations. Many possibilities were discussed, including the conversion of the computer lab into a classroom. This possibility was also discussed with the Technology Director, the Deputy Superintendent of Finance, the Site Council (parents and staff), and the Baker Technology Specialist. From these discussions, I recognized the need to articulate my vision for technology at Baker School. The possible removal of the lab would promote a profound cultural shift in how Baker School utilizes technology. Therefore, it would be imperative for our community to understand the direction in which our school would be moving in terms of technology and its application. Having spent
some time in another district as an instructional technology specialist and as
a recipient of a Massachusetts Lighthouse Technology Grant, my vision for
technology has been shaped by both current research as well as professional
experiences. My vision calls for the shift from utilizing technology primarily
in a lab setting, to one in which technology is integrated into the daily
educational experiences of teachers and students. When I shared this
information with the staff, some teachers were clearly excited by the possibilities
associated with this type of change. Their excitement was intensified when they
learned that each classroom teacher would be receiving a laptop at the start of
the school year to initiate our move to more classroom-based technology
applications. Moreover, the computers in the lab would be moved directly into
classrooms for daily student use.  Integration
of Technology To understand the paradigm shift associated with a more integrated approach to technology, one must first understand its basic tenets. L.B. Dias (1999) writes:
…technology is integrated when it is used in a seamless manner to support and ex- tend curriculum objectives and to engage students in meaningful learning. It is NOT something one does separately; it is part of the daily activities taking place in the classroom. (Integrating Technology. Learning and Leading with Technology, Volume 27, Number 3, pg. 10-21.)
In a lab setting, one often finds that all students are working on the same skill or completing the same project. In an integrated approach, learning expectations in a particular content area (science, social studies, language arts etc.) are communicated and students choose how they will meet that expectation. Students may choose to demonstrate their understanding through the creation of an iMovie, a wiki or web page, or choose a more traditional approach, which may be enhanced through an application of technology. Technology is the tool used to meet the learning expectation rather than the “main event.” The student paradigm shifts from “we are doing computers now” to “I will demonstrate my understanding of the hardships of colonial life in Massachusetts by creating a digital scrapbook of a family living in Plymouth in 1620.” The task would not be completed in a lab setting, but rather in the classroom. The instructional technology specialist could provide additional classroom support or direction if requested by the teacher. Laptops and other classroom resources would be made available to students while working on their individual or team projects.
|
The 2011-2012 School Year Over the summer, my professional development team and I met to plan learning experiences for the Baker staff. These experiences would focus on helping teachers to meet the needs of the wide range of learners through frameworks such as differentiated instruction and response to intervention. Our group also identified the importance of building teacher capacity to integrate technology into the classroom as technology can play an important role in providing differentiated learning experiences which also include intervention for struggling students. This school year, our faculty meeting time is devoted to supporting teachers in these important areas.  Moving Forward
Giving a laptop to a teacher does not ensure the effective use of technology; therefore, our community will continue to work together to share and learn more about best practice using technology. Many teachers have already expressed interest in using Student Response Systems (SRS) as a means of assessment and data collection. At our first faculty meeting in September, grade 2 teacher Josh Howe and I demonstrated this tool which allows participants to respond to prompts using a device that is similar to a clicker. At this meeting, I asked teachers to respond to various questions by “clicking” “A, B, C, or D” on their response tool. The data they entered were immediately transferred via laptop/projector to a screen which projected numerical values as well as graphs. Teachers were excited about the possibilities this tool could offer- especially in the area of assessment and tracking individual student progress. Moreover, tools such as the SRS also promote student engagement and can provide support for students with processing or auditory challenges. This year we have also created a Technology Advisory Committee. Under the leadership of technology specialist Ms. Emily Pelkey, the Tech Team problem solves current technology challenges at Baker School. The Team identifies and reviews potential hardware and software applications that may enhance teaching and learning in all content areas. They will also explore and recommend topics for professional development.  Some parents at my presentation were surprised that I wasn’t advocating for the immediate purchase of SMART boards (interactive white boards) for Baker classrooms. As I explained, over the last few years, there has been limited technology integration in Baker classrooms. To use a SMART board effectively, a teacher would need to be adept in the area of integration. While I definitely see SMART boards as a part of every Baker classroom in the near future, right now, I feel that our financial resources are better directed toward strengthening our infrastructure (additional access points) and increasing the number of projectors (connected to laptops) and document cameras (ELMO). Naturally, our priority is providing staff with the professional development needed to support the application of technology within the Brookline curriculum. Once we are stronger in these areas, we will be ready to use SMART boards in effective and innovative ways to enhance teaching and learning. Next Steps We have identified many areas in need of further discussion and exploration. For example, what technology tools and devices are best suited for our youngest learners? Technology specialist Ms. Emily Pelkey is researching and exploring options which only a few years earlier were not even topics of discussion. Ipads and ebooks may offer our students and staff exciting and purposeful learning opportunities that previously were not possible. We are certainly living in exciting times and it is easy to be swept away by the numerous gadgets that are flooding the market. My hope is that the Baker community can see that our approach to technology is thoughtful and purposeful. We will continue to research and explore options while also building teacher and student capacity to utilize technology in ways that will enrich their learning experiences. |