#5 Great Teacher Wanted

We all know that the quality of a teacher impacts student success. So what makes a great teacher? Are great teachers more likely to use the current resources and tools available to them to incorporate meaningful technology? When I think of the great teachers on my campus, one teacher ranks at the top of my list. To protect her privacy I’ll refer to her as Mrs. Smith. Even as a new teacher to my campus Mrs. Smith possessed a discernible confidence in her abilities from day one. Her confidence, however, doesn’t keep her from collaborating or learning from others. Technology is used in her classroom daily and I am often asked about specific tools after teachers have seen her use them. I sat down with Mrs. Smith and asked her a few questions to see if I could pinpoint what makes her a great teacher.

 

Student work displayed throughout room



Did you always know that you wanted to be a teacher?

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher since third grade. I actually found a paper that I wrote in third grade. The teacher asked us “What do we want to do when we grow up?” and I said that I wanted to be a teacher.

What do you teach? How long have you been teaching?

5 years experience - 4th grade math, 5th grade math, 3rd grade self-contained.  But mostly I teach math.

 

What was your proudest teaching moment?

My proudest teaching moment was two years ago I had a student that the mom swore up and down to me that she was not able to learn. That she was not going to get it. She just knew something was wrong with her baby. And I worked with her. I worked with her after school. I worked with her whenever I could. And she actually missed commended performance on TAKS by one question.

What technology do you use technology in your classroom.

I use Smart Notebook, Mimio Studio, the eInstruction clickers, the CPS chalkboard, PowerPoints and Alphasmarts. 





Mrs. Smith uses a variety of technology tools to make

the classroom engaging and gather data that drives

instruction.



What do you see as the biggest benefit to using technology?

It keeps the kids entertained. It gives them a different way to look at math. Using technology lets them see different ways to solve problems. Also data. The clickers make it easy to get information about the kids.

What is the biggest hurdle to using technology?

The biggest hurdle would be trying to make sure that you have time to use it. You can get overwhelmed with all of the stuff that you have to do. Technology kind of gets brushed to the side because of everything we have to do.

What can a campus technology support person do to help you use technology?

I would say introducing different ways to use what we already have. Maybe I don’t know how to use it in a different way. Giving ideas of different websites or ways to use technology helps.

What am I going to take away from this interview as a campus technology specialist? I need to be mindful of checking in with those teachers that I feel “have technology in the bag.” They are just as pressed for times as other teachers. I plan to begin sharing the way campus technology is used. Teachers often aren’t aware of what is going on in other classrooms. I have to remember that technology training must be ongoing. After introducing new tools to teachers they need not only several opportunities to practice but opportunities to discuss what's working or not working with each other. Connecting Instructional Technology Professional Development to Teacher and Student Outcomes  (Martin et al., 2010) suggests that quality instructional-technology professional development has a positive impact on both teachers and students. It’s my goal to make sure that teachers like Mrs. Smith have the technology tools they need to continue to impact students.

Reference

Martin, W., Strother, S., Beglau, M., Bates, L., Reitzes, T., & Culp, K. (2010). Connecting instructional technology professional development to teacher and student outcomes. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(1), 53-74. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.



#4 CyberBullying

October is National Bully Awareness  Month. With the increased access to mobile devices and the growing popularity of social networking sites among young kids and teenagers cyberbullying is a real concern at home and at school.  As teachers and parents we can raise awareness and do our part to curb this disturbing trend.

What is CyberBullying?

Cyber bullying is the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages or images done anonymously using a cell phone, chat room, instant message, website or email.

What Can We Do to Prevent CyberBullying?

Parents

Know what your children are doing off and on-line. Depending on the age of your child your should have access to all accounts including email and voice mail.

When you are talking about the family rules for cell phone and/or computer use be sure to address cyberbullying. Go over what it is, why it happens and what your child should do if they see it happening in their friendship circles. 

Be prepared for your child to be the cyberbully as well as the one being bullied. In their 2010 survey of more than 4,400 randomly selected 11- to 18-year-old students Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin found that 20 percent of the students indicated they had been a victim at some point and about the the same number admitted to cyberbullying others.

Resources for Parents

• Cyberbullying: Spotting the Signs from the National Crime Prevention Council click here
• Cyberbullying: Solutions for Parents: video from Common Sense Media click here 
• 5 Things You Need to Know About Cyberbullying from Common Sense Media click here

Teachers

Make sure that your students are aware of your school’s policy on cyberbullying and the consequences if they engage in such activity.


Address netiquette and the appropriate use of social web 2.0 applications.  As communication and collaboration technology tools take on an increased role in the classroom dialogue with students about how to use these tools in a responsible manner.


Take cyberbullying seriously. Raise awareness about cyberbullying with parents, colleagues and administrators. Don't wait for a serious incident to happen before becoming involved.

Resources for Teachers:

• Download the Educator’s Cyberbully toolkit from Common Sense Media click here
• Student interactive on cyberbullying from Childnet International click here 
• Cyberbullying: You’re Not Alone video from CyberSmart (great video for introducing cyberbullying to young students) click here

Reference

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2011). High-tech cruelty. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 48-52. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

#3 2011 Presidential Back-to-School Address

On September 28, 2011 President Barack Obama gave his annual back-to-school address. This year’s address let me know that he sees the challenges our changing society place on our schools, administrators, teachers and students. He recognizes that our high school students are preparing to be global citizens competing with the best and brightest from around the world.  The president says to students in attendance and those watching across the nation that “You’re this country’s future.  You’re young leaders.  And whether we fall behind or race ahead as a nation is going to depend in large part on you.” The President laid out steps he believes will help students meet this challenge.

1. Be the Best Student You Can Be

2. Explore and Take Risks

3. Continue Education Beyond High School

If we are depending on the next generation of high school students to make our nation competitive in the global market then this call to excellence is for teachers as well as students.

Be the best teacher you can be. We have to look at our classroom activities and instructional strategies and ask ourselves some questions. Are we planning lessons that require our student to think critically or solve real-world problems? Do we provide opportunities for our students to communicate or collaborate with each other? In the Global Achievement Gap Tom Wagner (2008) states that “effective communication, curiosity and critical-thinking skills are essential competencies and habits of mind for life in the twenty-first century.” 

Explore and take Risks. As teachers we are used to having control in the classroom and some of us are uncomfortable knowing that students often posses the technological know-how that we may not. It’s Ok to use the student’s knowledge to our advantage. There are several Web 2.0 technologies that are simple to use and provide opportunities for authentic collaboration and communication between students.

Continue your education. We need to be curious about the technological advancements that have educational value. We have to stay abreast of the tools that are available to us to engage our students and make our classes relevant. Most districts offer supplemental technology training and the online community has a vast array of resources available for teachers to network and communicate with other professionals.

If our students follow the three steps laid out by President Obama and we make sure our classrooms are preparing them for the twenty-first century our nation is sure to race ahead.

References

Wagner, T. (2008). The global achievement gap. New York: Basic Books.

Address transcript can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/28/remarks-president-back-school-speech