Lutheran Educators' Guild » Personal Learning Networks

Proper Preparation for Tech Integration

Perry — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:19:38 +0000

My wife works as a technology coordinator for a public school and has a K-8 endorsement to teach math and science. Working as a technology coordinator for 15+ years, the training and task of integrating lessons with technology has always been a challenge with an aging teacher core. One of the important aspects of technology integration that has been neglected by staff and teachers is proper preparation.

Here are the troublesome issues often seen over the past 15 years and even yet occurs today. Some teachers fail to have backup plans for lessons that are reliant on a service that may be slow or fail to provide timely instruction. Secondly, unprepared teachers are the same people who do not test out their lessons with technology prior to bringing large groups into a computer lab. Lastly, there are teachers whom prepare technology distractions the same day as classes begin, hoping to find something to take accountability away from their teaching duties.

The first issue is one which was witnessed by my wife in a computer lab just a week ago and has been happening since the school’s first year of Internet access. See if this sounds familiar. A teacher finds a website like BrainPOP, which is heavily laced with Adobe’s Flash animation and video technology, and decides to bring a class of 25 students into the computer lab to access this website to do a lesson and take a quiz. The speed of the Internet website slows to a crawl and ruins the teacher’s timetable. Frustration results and the teacher complains to the technology coordinator in the middle of the computer lab period. What do you see wrong here?

The teacher did not understand the technology’s potential limitations
The teacher did not test the website with a smaller group to iron out issues
The teacher did not think about the poor pedagogical practice of each student doing the exact same exercise on separate computers.
The teacher did not have a backup or fall back plan to teach the lesson.
The teacher shifted responsibility and accountability for the problem to a person (i.e. technology coordinator) for his/her own failings listed above.

Considering the problems addressed in the example here, how might we as teachers consider how to improve the technology integration process?

Teachers need to know the strengths and potential weaknesses in technology.
Knowing the weaknesses, teachers should test teaching with technology in smaller groups.
Teachers should have a backup plan for teaching a lesson with technology operating at below expectations or failing (i.e. projector bulb blows).
Teachers should work with technology coordinators to prepare for lessons where they are unsure of the processes success or failure.
Teachers should consider pedagogical changes when integrating technology. Example: work in groups of 4 members where roles are assigned.

Today, I learned of another example of poor teacher preparation and accountability shifting in preparing curriculum. A teacher is responsible for a 2 week May term class which started last Thursday, May 20. Today, May 24, the teacher calls the technology coordinator and asks for the firewall to be adjusted to allow all math educational games to be unblocked so he can browse and pick some for his May term class to use.

See if you can apply the lessons learned above to this example. Go ahead and comment on the problems you see and potential solutions.

PLN Course still accepting applications

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:33:43 +0000

Just a quick reminder that the PLN course at learn.lutheraneducators.com is still accepting applications for the first session of the course which will begin on April 5, 2010 and run through May 3, 2010.

By participating in this course, you will

Identify the benefits of having a PLN
Describe ways to construct and manage a PLN
Select and use tools to construct a PLN framework
Select PLN sources from a categorized list to initially populate their PLN
Design a plan to locate new PLN resources
Recommend additions to the PLN starter list
Explain the importance of PLNs to their peers

To successfully complete this course, you will need basic Web browsing and search skills. You will also need basic knowledge of RSS feeds and presentation software.

You will need a broadband internet connection and the following software installed on your computer:

Modern Web browser (Latest version of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari)
Adobe Flash player
Apple QuickTime player
Word processor
Presentation software

The course is largely self-directed but it is important that you complete each “assignment” to the best of your abilities and interact with the other participants.

The course is divided into two units which are open for two weeks. Completing the various tasks each unit will likely take 2-3 hours.

I recognize that many of you will likely be on Spring break during the first week. If that is the case, please consider enrolling for the second session which will be announced soon.

Join the forum discussion on this post

Guild PLN Course still accepting participants

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:04:20 +0000

There is still plenty of room available in the personal learning network course for more participants. If you are interested, please email me at webmaster@lutheraneducators.com.

I heart PD

Coachburk — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:01:10 +0000

Why do YOU need professional development?

I am sitting in the Vegas airport, hoping my battery doesn’t die before I finish this, but waiting for my flight back to LA. I spent all day at Faith Lutheran Jr. High and High School in professional development. No one is making me go. Well no one but me. My school didn’t say I had to go, I wanted to go.

This past Thanksgiving week I got very sad, because I was not able to go to our annual Lutheran Educators Conference (LEC). Our school didn’t have the money. I am also guessing they didn’t have the love for their teacher or students. I was told the conference was “optional” and not “mandatory.” Everyday we ask our students to learn, but do not ask it of ourselves. Professional development is MANDATORY! In a recent survey of Lutheran educators it reveals that professional development for information, media, and computer literacy is a PRIORITY. Dr. Perry Bressman shared this thought, “Who wants to go to a surgeon who hasn’t learned anything new in he last 10 years?” Why should parents send their kids to us, if we are stuck in our teaching methods that are outdated.

So the only thing that can come from PD is good things. (even if the conference sucks)

I love going to LEC for numerous reasons. It is a time to relax (vacation time for my family), it is a time to learn, and it is a time to interact. Although our staff does interact with each other during the rest of the school year, it is always nice to sit down as a staff for a nice meal. It is a time to bring each other closer to each other. As you may know the Lutheran school system is actually very small in some terms. I have taught at 3 different Lutheran schools and have made connections with other teachers, which is always nice to catch up with at these conferences. I meet new people who in turn can become part of my PLN.

I love going to the sessions and learning new concepts and applications. If I could I would go to a conference every week to learn something new. But, it is also a way to refuel my tank. I can get excited and can’t wait to be back in my classroom to try something new. It helps you from getting burnt out. Most Lutheran teacher burn the match on both end. We need time for ourselves. Mary Irish, principal, talked to this very statement about how we need to make sure we take care ourselves so we can take care of others. Mary compared it to taking an airplane. They always tell us on flights that if we need to put on oxygen mask to make sure we put ours on first before we help anyone else. It is nice to be at a great place. For this SLED conference we were at the Red Rock Resort in Vegas. It was so relaxing. The room was great and peaceful.

What are you doing for PD?

If your school is like mine, you might not get the opportunity to go to conferences, because it is too expensive. But, you should not worry. You can still learn and interact. You need to take your ownership in PD as I mention in earlier post about this being your year. Create your PLN and learn from them.

Here is what you should do.

Go to http://blog.cuw.edu/21cle/archive-2009-presentation-recordings/ and listen to the different presentations from last year 21CLE. Then, make sure you mark your calendars for this years conference – February 25th, 26th and 27, 2010!

Finally you need to keep reading here on Lutheran Educator’s Guild.

Fall in love with your PD.

Join the forum discussion on this post

PLN: What does yours look like?

jbiddle — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:44:28 +0000

The term “Personal Learning Network” (PLN) has been a buzzword in educational circles for nearly a decade now, though they have only become popular in the last five years or so. One of the first sets of articles on the Lutheran Educators’ Guild addressed the basics of PLNs and provided a list of resources to use in your creating or expanding your own. We here at Guild HQ are curious about how you are managing your PLNs, where you look to find new sources of information, and how you make use of your PLNs.

Let us know either in the comments below or via our new forum.

Join the forum discussion on this post

2010: The Year of the Lutheran Teacher

Coachburk — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:21:58 +0000

I love Lutheran Schools! I do believe they can offer the best education for children. Spiritually or Academically Lutheran schools are top notch. But, I do know we are failing. We need to change. We need to transform. Do you see this need also? Or do you think you are just good enough?

Jim Collins talks about becoming “Good to Great.” One of his beliefs is getting the right people on the right bus in the right seat. Now he doesn’t always come from an education view, where in a business place it would be easier to move people around or fire them. In Lutheran schools that is tougher, besides “The Call” issue, just harder to move teachers to places that will make them more effective.

But, what if you are not the right person or in the right seat?

There are two options here, quit or put yourself on the call list. You should be honest with yourself and know that if something isn’t working, you need to make a hard decision for the betterment of the students. The other option is the “Rudy” option. Rudy did not belong on Notre Dame football team. He did not belong in the position he wanted. But, Rudy won the hearts of everyone on the Irish football team by giving his best every day and working to change.

If your not right for your seat on the bus, make yourself the right person!

HOW?

This is where the Year of the Lutheran Teacher comes in. Dedicate yourself (even if you are in the right seat on the right bus) to improve yourself. You will see that improving yourself will spill over on your students, in your school, and will empower others.

What do you need to do?

I would say the first step is to pray! We can always pray more. We need to remember who is in charge here.

Next, create a PLN (Personal Learning Network). You can and should have someone locally that you can go to, but don’t sell the internet short. I personally use Twitter as my main PLN. I started out following other Lutheran Educators. Which I still use as my main source for learning. After I figured twitter out I started to see who they were following and started to follow those people. So now, I have a list of Educators that I can share information with, who can answer my questions, who will share resources with. It is a must for me.

Another huge start in my learning of what others have to offer were blogs. Again I started with Lutheran Educators. I then started to go to the other people I follow on twitter with blogs. Lastly I started to write. I am by no means thinking I am a great writer or that 1000 of people will be inspired by my writing. It is almost for selfish means. Although people do read my posts (as you are reading this now), but it is for me to grow and help me to grow professionally.

http://techls.ning.com/ is a great place for Technology resources, but there is also a list of Twitter Names of Lutheran educators.

So Now What?

GET TO WORK! Start learning. Read and Write Blogs. We all need to use each other to learn. Not because we are not good teachers, but because we need to be doing this for the Students and give the glory to God. It is hard for a teacher to look at themselves and say, I struggle in this area. We don’t want anyone questioning our teaching ability, the students question that enough. Parents might question your ability from time to time. We dread seeing our principal walking into our room. We jump into some type of engaging activity that we didn’t plan for.

We need to show our students that you are never too old to learn. That even as a teacher, we might not know everything. That we as a teacher can learn new things.

Make this YOUR YEAR! Make your resolution now if not before, that you will learn new things. You will try new things. You will connect with new people. You will allow others into your classroom so you can improve.

If you need someone to be a mentor for you, let me know, I personally can be an accountability partner or there is a list of Lutheran Educators who are willing to help. They have helped me learn so much in the last few years.

2010 is the YEAR OF THE LUTHERAN TEACHER!

Introduction to PLNs

jbiddle — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:09:07 +0000

Several of our articles recently have included information about Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). Today’s article is a brief overview of just what a PLN is and how to create one for yourself.

PLN Tools Tutorials

jbiddle — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:30:28 +0000

Here are some helpful video tutorials for three popular PLN tools.

Twitter:

How To Use Twitter on Howcast

Google Reader Feed Reader:

Apple iTunes:

Podcasts Tutorial
Introduction to iTunesU

PLN Starters

jbiddle — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:53:28 +0000

Here is a wiki-ed list of resources for educators who are creating or adding to their Personal Learning Networks. Resources that begin with an “@” are links to Twitter pages.

Because this post is a wiki, approved users have the ability to add or update resources. Please use the “login” link under “Site Functions” to the right to create a user account. Then use the contact form under “Contact Us” to request access to the site’s wiki functions.