TechQuest:
Applying Technology to a Problem of Practice in Education

The Problem of Practice: A Need or an Opportunity

§ What is the important educational need that you are seeking to address?

§ How would you know you were successful?

The Setting: Basic description of each of these areas and important characteristics of these areas as related to this project

§ Teacher

§ Learner

§ Subject Matter

§ Setting

Technology-Integrated Solution

§ Brief Summary: In 1 paragraph, provide a compelling description of the solution to the problem of practice where technology is an integral part of the solution

§ Rationale: A few paragraphs that provide the basis for believing that this solution will not be a change without difference.

§ Logistics of solution: For example…

What is the scope? (e.g., when and where will tool be used and for how long? Who all will use it?)

Implementation Journal

Today was the last of our adminstrator  academy.

I am always amazed at the frenzy and blur of the end of the school year. So much happens in such a small amount of time. As I look back on the school year, I see a lot of progress that has been made in technology integration.

Here are just a few of the examples:

We had five classes involved in video conference projects.

• One group that went to the student technology showcase in Lansing.
• High School and 4th/5th grade video projects were created and were very impressive. I loved the fact that they created videos that would be used in real ways. The 4th/5th grade made a video for the 3rd grade students to help orient them to the new school they would attend in the fall. High school students did videos promoting the school blood drive and lock down procedures.
• We had four teachers who started to Moodle for creating online learning experiences.
• Math and broadcasting teachers at the high school created a webquest to use for Pi Day
• We had several grants written and some excepted for technology. People received LCD projectors, CPS systems and Podcasting equipment.

That is just the tip of the iceberg!

Then of course there is the excitment of looking to the future. What a big year we have coming up. We open a new high school and start a one to one laptop program for incoming freshman. I can’t wait to see what we do with all the opportunities we will have.

So kudos to the Pennfield Staff for a job well done, even if it is a blur!

It seems we focus a lot on curriculum content and how to teach the benchmarks and standards. Logically, the other item we focus on is how to assess the learning. But what about the rest of the skills that we need to be teaching. I have read many articles about “21st Century Skills” and what that means to be teaching, learning and preparing students today. In recent surveys, the following six catagories have been identified as the framework for building a 21st century classroom: Core Subjects, 21st century content (such as global awareness, civic literacy and many others), Learning and thinking skills, Information communications technology, Life skills, and assessing the above 5 areas.

Wow, that is quite a task. How do we do all of this? What does it look like in a classroom? What do you think?

Here are a few links about this topic:

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The framework from the above site

21st Century Skills

Question: How does CIPA fit in with online applications that are now available? Google has a ton of applications that will enhance any classroom. There is YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, online video creation, picture sharing, and the list goes on… As a school district, we want all the new resources available online to enhance education. It is our goal to prepare students for the “global workplace” and that means using these types of tools. But we certainly can’t guarantee that something may slip through the filters and rules of CIPA. So what is the answer? I would love to know what you think.

Another example, what if we have students create Google accounts to use the applications and they get an e-mail with that. Are we responsible under CIPA?

Then there is the looming threat of government taking CIPA and stepping it up six steps. That certainly won’t help the learning environment. AHHHHHHH, What do you think?

After a lot of research, discussion, testing and inquiry, we have decided to go with Gateway as our vendor for next years PUL (power up learning) program. We narrowed it to Gateway, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, and Apple. Most if not all of us were most impressed and intrigued by the Apple proposal. The issue was timing and money. Bottom line was we stayed a PC shop and Gateway gave the best all around offer. As much as I would have liked to work with Apple, I am also excited to apply what I know to the PC platform.
Since then, my focus has been setting up the Professional Development for the freshman teachers that will be in the PUL program and the remaining high school staff that will have new technology in their new classrooms. Slowly, a plan is coming together. I also need to balance PD for the rest of the K-8 staff. I actually look forward to the challenge.