Standard+5

__** Enhancing Core Teaching Skills with Technology ** __

#5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
=== Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers: ===


 * participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
 * exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
 * evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning
 * contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community

===My artifacts demonstrating this standard (What?)=== = Summarization on Filtering of School Websites = =The problem of blocked web sites seems to be a common problem with all of us. Trying to use technology as a resource in the classroom, only to have it unavailable when needed, is frustrating. The filtering system can be a barrier to the instruction in our classrooms. The solution is to have desired sites preapproved by the administration. Spontaneous opportunities can be lost, but with careful planning, the sites and lessons can be accessed. Another barrier to this preapproval is the time it takes outside of the classroom to explore the many, many sites available to us. I believe teachers become teachers realizing that their work does not end at 3:00. Like all good teachers, we take our work home with us. Plus, being savy in the global world of technology, we will have the ablility weed through all of the information on the web, find the sites, use them and save the site for another year. I agree with the idea to meet as a group, share the sites we are using or need and list them to be approved by the administration. As professionals we must come up with strategies, so we can continue to use digital tools and resources in our schools and community. We must come up with creative ideas to improve student learning and model this lifelong learning. We have the responsibility to develop the technology and to be leaders in our schools and communities.= []

= Critical Thinking Skills Reflection = Not enough of my current classroom practices are project based. I have a few reading stories that evolve into projects. We just completed a Korean project. The class learned about the Korean culture. We read our story, viewed a unitedstreaming video clip on the location and monsoon seasons, used a website to learn how to speak Korean and write Korean, customs, created a banner, and held a Korean supper with traditional Korean foods.

Did we value this learning experience in our classroom? YES! Did the students experience Blooms Higher Order Thinking (HOTS) YES!

Why don't I do it more? I do not mind the time it takes to plan. As a teacher it is rewarding to see the students actively involved in their learning. One reason is that our reading stories do not always have the content that would evolve into a project. Another downside is the pressure to complete your curriculum in the assigned time periods. Not to mention the time you have to prepare your students for the PSSA.

Our Social Studies and Science are supposedly integrated into our reading units. We are seeing a weakness in this area. This would be an opportunity to use more project based learning in my classroom.

One of the tools I have recently learned about to enhance the projects in the classroom would be the global connections to other classrooms around the world. If we wanted to learn about saving our environment, we could join a project from another classroom or start one of our own. If we wanted to learn about another culture, we could start communicating with another classroom across the globe. We could share projects, do voice threads, videos, emails or blogs. Having the students collaborate on the design and content of the projects would involve the critical thinking skills and team work required of them to succeed as young adults in the world. [] colette@edtechvision.org

= Resources for Integration Plan = = and = = Social Bookmarking  = = [] =

This will be a good way to organize information for my students. Having the resources listed and bookmarked will enable my students to make informed choices on the 100 Year Celebration Project. The diigo will also be helpful to the parents.

I was surprised to find so many Austin websites. I am comfortable accessing google and when I specified my searches to Austin PA plus the specific topic, I found the site immediately. After looking at Boolean, I learned about narrowing down your search using AND, OR, NOT and NEAR. This will help me navigate the information in a quicker way, I thought. I tried the same searches, using the above and was more comfortable with the google search. I will keep trying. I liked the idea of Boolean to limit my search for the students. This might make it easier for them. I also found a google cheatsheet of search terms. I was hoping to find an old newspaper clipping of the Austin Dam break, but you have to subscribe to the Proquest Historical Newspaper Collection. I also found a search media on Boolean. I am hoping to find a video clip of the movie about the Austin Dam break. This would be a good addition to my upcoming Glogster on the 100th Year Celebration.

= Learning Communities Forum = by [|Karen Graham] - Saturday, December 4, 2010, 12:24 PM || I will use this online community in my role a an Instructional coach. Two examples of information I will be using is the top 3 student engagement stratigies used by IUs across PA and what a highly effective classroom looks like. I will be using our Ning to keep in touch with other coaches that I only see 3 times a year, to post questions about coaching and share ideas and information. An additional benefit of the Ning is that it is free.
 * Nings
 * || After reading about global learning communities, I remembered I am a member of a piicning. Piic is PA. Institute for Instructional Coaching. When our group meets we talk often about posting on the Ning. I have never logged in. So I did. Many of my fellow members had posted discussion forums from our Oct. meeting. The topics were follow ups from questions unanswered, workshops, and testimonials focusing on strategies used in their classrooms. It is a private online network set up to assisst Piic members. It's purpose is to continue communication, collaborate, add content, post discussion threads, chat and contact members individually or as groups.

You are right Barb and Rebecca, a ning is an excellent way to keep touch in touch with professionals in similar teaching communities like kindergarten teachers. We are in a remote area where collaboration is difficult. Especially in our unique situation, we do not have other grade level or content area teachers to share with. In addition, it is also a valuable resource tool. || []

= My Reflection on meeting this standard (So What?) = = =

= My Future Learning Goals related to this standard (Now What?) = =Standard 5 is another favorite goal I have. I would like to collaborate with my fellow teachers to begin an Austin Area Classroom Wiki site. Each participating classroom could have a link to communicate with fellow students, teachers, parents and communities on the learning projects that are being accomplished within our classrooms. I have heard most of the teachers in this class mention the desire to start a classroom wiki. We could to it together, demonstrating leadership skills and the effective use of digital tools and resources within our school.= = =