Module 3 - Amanda Smith

1) Where do the ISTE, NBPTS, and WVPTS "speak" to or promote teacher leadership, particularly leadership for technology integration?

ISTE-
The ISTE standards require teachers to meet several leadership and technology geared standards. Some of which include design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments, promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility, and engage in professional growth and leadership.

NBPTS-
Out of the Five Core Propositions, the one that I think speaks more toward teacher leadership is number four, Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience. I think this because it goes on to say that "Striving to strengthen their teaching, accomplished teachers critically examine their practice, seek to expand their repertoire, deepen their knowledge, sharpen their judgment and adapt their teaching to new findings, ideas and theories". To me, this is an excellent idea of who a teacher leader is and what they do.

WVPTS-
I think the best  line that speaks on leadership is found in Standard 4: Professional Responsibilities for Self-Renewal. It states "The teacher is actively engaged in learning with colleagues in a way that models collaboration and collegiality to improve his/her practice, addressing questions and issues related to the school and student achievement". A good teacher leader should be working together and helping others as part of a group; not just their students, but their fellow teachers and administrators as well. And as a teacher leader, this is something they should WANT to do, not just something they do because it is required.



2) If you were designing a program or professional development intended to prepare teacher leaders to take advantage of these multiple pathways, what would it look like? What learning experiences would you include?

If I were designing a program for professional development for teacher leaders. I would take the "mix it up" approach, which engages teacher leaders in a variety of experiences to build necessary knowledge and skills. I agree that "one size fits few teacher leaders", and because of that, and the fact that there is more than one way to actually BE a leader, there should be more than just a lecture about how to be a teacher leader. I would follow the approach by 'using a variety of strategies to address the needs of teacher leaders' prior knowledge and experience, diverse learning styles, interests, areas of strength, needs, and levels of engagement'. I like the idea of teachers getting to choose which pathway they would like to follow, so in order for them to make that decision, they need to be informed and have an idea of what each pathway actually entails. I would use lecture/Q&A, hands on activities, mock lesson plans, as well as having veteran teacher leaders from all pathways making appearances, speaking, and answering questions. This would allow teachers a better hands-on learning experience. The better they are informed, the more likely they are to make a good decision based on how involved they want to be in teacher leadership.



3) Share at least one strategy you will use/are using to assess the technology needs of your context (how will you document needs, what kind of data will you use, etc.).

One strategy that I will definitely use to determine the technology needs for my department is to conduct interviews with some of the math department staff. Full time professors, as well as adjuncts. Sometimes, I feel adjuncts don't necessarily get all the tools and training and options that full time folks do. Thinking along this line, I could poll adjuncts to see where they stand on certain topics, for example, office space. There are a lot of adjuncts particular this semester and something there is no room in the inn. Another need that I can think off right away is simple more full time people to teach these new, ever growing math support classes.

Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms and Changing Times

Chapter 5 - Communication:

Describe how leaders can harness the power of free resources to improve communication and ultimately improve their overall effectiveness and efficiency.

The Internet offers many different social media that schools and teachers can use for free! I feel that if leaders really want to harness the power of these free tools to improve communication, they need to do a few things. First of all, they need to realize that they need to make a change. They need to have a nice mix of traditional communication as well as use of social media to have an effective two-way communication system with their stakeholders. Next, I think that they need to use more than just one social media. There are social media tools that complement one another and allow for more people to see the information. Twitter and Facebook are excellent examples of such tools. Lastly, but not necessarily the ONLY other thing leaders need to do, is to make sure to meet their stakeholders where they are. For example, if only half parents that you are trying to reach has a Facebook, then maybe try another type of social media in an attempt to reach more people. Never stop trying to better your ways of communication. Always keep thinking of new, faster, better ideas.

Chapter 6 - Public Relations:
Describe your current position and how social media efforts are used to promote transparency and engage stakeholders.

In my role of grad student, I use blogger a lot (and not just for this class). I have created several YouTube videos as well. In addition to being a graduate student, my current position is a graduate assistant here at FSU in the Math department. I teach a Math 1107 lecture class and two math 1007 support labs. Honestly, I don't use social media in any of the classes that I teach, and I never have. I do, however, use the discussion board on Blackboard. Currently my class is reading a book about personal finance, which includes information about debit and credit cards, personal health and car insurance, FICO credit score, paying bills on time, baking information, etc. After every two chapters, my students are required to create an original post discussing their thoughts and personal experiences. They are then required to comment on two other posts from their classmates. This is the first semester that I have done this assignment and so far, I am very pleased with the results. Students are really opening up and talking to each other, something that I don't see a lot of during class.

Worth Your Time to Read - What's on the Five Year Horizon for K-12 Schools?

http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-k12-EN.pdf

Which trends and technologies will drive educational change?

Module 3 - Laura Funk

1.  Where do the ISTE, NBPTS, and WVPTS "speak" to or promote teacher leadership, particularly leadership for technology integration?

This question has multiple ways of being answered, but for me, when looking into each page more closely, I began to notice how the web page and group kept linking “leaders” to specific areas.  For example, ISTE immediately offers options on their page to connect, advocate, lead, explore, search resources, and look specifically at the standards or learn more about them as an organization. 

They break down the standards for teachers, coaches and administrators.    One can look into their “leadership team” and other global collaborations.  Perhaps most engaging is the spot on the main page that links you to their “standards in action” where you can see how these technology standards are being successfully implemented.  Every page has an “about” section where they explain their purpose, but for me it is more engaging to see the standards activated and being utilized in productive ways. 

NBPTS focuses on advancing teachers into leadership paths and making them a part of the more “elite” in their schools.  The process of becoming a National Board certified teacher has been compared to me in the past as that of one seeking approval for one’s thesis in a Masters Program.  It is not easy or immediate.  It is a process worked on and built up over time and preparation.  For this group, I think the area they reference where it “speaks” to leadership more specifically is in the “spreading the NBCT expertise.”  They mention teachers taking up leadership roles in their schools and being more actively involved in the running of the school and content.  They mention “technological facility” as an overarching competency in their goals, so they advocate it with their teachers, but as more of a collective part of the whole. 

WVPTS site shares the what and why very well.  I was interested particularly in the “Why are the WVPTS important?” – this section does a nice job explaining the importance of aligning ones curriculum to the overarching goals of the WV standards.  It references the 21^st century teacher, not technology specifically, but in this modern teaching age it is implied that teachers integrate technology frequently to enhance instruction.  Links are also provided for additional research and resources, which will eventually link you up to technology integration strategies and methods.  I liked this page the best of them all because it is straight-forward, and all the relevant information is there.  The page is focused and simple and easy to maneuver, which I appreciate. 

2. There are typically three pathways to teacher leadership for practicing teachers: a pathway for teachers who leave their classrooms to move into formal administrative positions as school leaders, a pathway for teachers who remain in their classrooms to develop and share a deeper knowledge base about teaching with their students and colleagues, and a pathway that bridges the two previously mentioned paths, that is for teachers who spend part of their time in a classroom and part of their time taking on additional administrative and professional development responsibilities. If you were designing a program or professional development intended to prepare teacher leaders to take advantage of these multiple pathways, what would it look like? What learning experiences would you include?

I immediately began thinking on the same lines as Sean.  I would want teachers currently in those various pathways with firsthand experience to share their stories.  I rather think I would create an introductory video of each pathway, that could be shared with groups in the future considering which path would best suite them.  I think creating a film would make it much easier to share with groups instead of always bringing in those teachers when needed.  Perhaps one real body would do well to function as a question and answer portion towards the conclusion of the training day, but it would depend heavily on availability of everyone involved.  I think I would also have teachers currently working in those pathways posting to a public blog that is centered around giving teachers additional questions to think about before pursuing a pathway and also being a sound board for potential questions or concerns from my teachers considering their path.  I would also establish the new teacher with a mentor in the path of their choosing to help guide and inspire them along their journey.  The mentors would facilitate communication through email correspondence, phone calls, web-chats, or face-to-face meetings.  Whatever method of checking in and collaborating that the two involved decides is best suited for them and their needs.  The mentorship would last for one academic year.

The learning experiences would come from the firsthand experience teacher stories, the blog reflection posts and the other various resources shared on the blog intended as preparatory measures for my teachers in the course.  I think all of these methods along with the mentorship program would prepare a teacher sufficiently for their desired pathway. 

3.    Share at least one strategy you will use/are using to assess the technology needs of your context (how will you document needs, what kind of data will you use, etc.).

A survey is a concise way of gathering information based on what a group of participants feels proficient in or where they need more work and training.  A survey also helps you narrow down the focus of training topics and skill proficiencies.  I think it is always helpful to also survey after the integration has be completed to assess the level of comfort that is now placed on the participants.  Surveying before and after can give you a good range of growth of the participants and to gauge how meaningful and impactful the training or plan was in retrospect.   

Chapter 5 Communication

4. Describe how leaders can harness the power of free resources to improve communication and ultimately improve their overall effectiveness and efficiency.

Remind is an app used in communication between teachers and students, or administration and teachers – really between anyone.  Remind is a free messaging app platform where numbers remain confidential, and basic information is exchanged.  An example of the effectiveness of this tool is that my school is utilizing it as a means of communication throughout the school to inform teachers if a “lockdown” is in fact a drill or the real thing.  This helps the efficiency of the school immensely because it leaves no cause for speculation.  We are communicated the facts directly and can plan accordingly and remain calm.  Remind could also be used to inform the school of schedule adjustments, cancelations, meeting locations, etc.  If everyone opts to sign up it is an invaluable tool for efficiency and clarification. 

Group pages and profiles can be used to communicate functions in the school and encourage participation.  Facebook is a great tool because of the sheer mass of people active on it and twitter is very quick and to the point.  Many of these free services are functional and can be efficient, depending on the desired goal or outcome. 

Chapter 6 Public Relations

6. Describe your current position (workplace, student, etc…) and how social media efforts are used to promote transparency and engage stakeholders.

I work at South Middle School in Morgantown WV.  Our student population is constantly growing – we are bursting at the seams.  Every classroom is utilized during almost all periods of the day.  We have many teachers without classrooms, who must travel room-to-room all day to utilize other teacher’s classrooms during their planning periods. 

South Middle School has several informative pages on Facebook.  Primarily teams or clubs in the school utilize facebook groups as a means of communicating events, times and other pertinent information.  The cross-country team utilizes instagram to post student photos congratulating successes at various events throughout the season.   The basketball team is active on twitter in the same fashion.  Celebrating successes and communicating game information. 

As far as I am aware there is not one generic page for all South Middle specific information besides our actual school webpage.  I know teachers active on facebook that use it as an active source for communication, the exchanging of ideas and networking, though it is not a school-wide endeavor, just case-by-case involvement for those of us proactive in our use of social media.  I do think we could benefit from having facebook, twitter and instagram, but it really boils down to the question of who is going to manage the content.  It is a big job that would require constant monitoring.  Because of that I do not see it being unanimously used. 

Here Comes Module 3!!!

Where do the ISTE, NBPTS, and WVPTS "speak" to or promote teacher leadership, particularly leadership for technology integration?

ISTE promote teacher leadership in technology right in it’s mission statement. It says that it goes beyond just using learning how to use the new tools in the classroom, but rethinking how we teach and learn.

NBPTS focuses on teacher leadership by analyzing the teacher according to the five core propositions and having them nationally recognized as some of the best teachers in the nation. This does not explicitly reference technology, but teachers that use technology can be described by all of the five core propositions.

WVPTS has teachers applying their 21st century skills to the classroom environment. The 21st century learning skills are skills in technology so the WVPTS are promoting the use of technology in the classroom.

There are typically three pathways to teacher leadership for practicing teachers: a pathway for teachers who leave their classrooms to move into formal administrative positions as school leaders, a pathway for teachers who remain in their classrooms to develop and share a deeper knowledge base about teaching with their students and colleagues, and a pathway that bridges the two previously mentioned paths, that is for teachers who spend part of their time in a classroom and part of their time taking on additional administrative and professional development responsibilities. If you were designing a program or professional development intended to prepare teacher leaders to take advantage of these multiple pathways, what would it look like? What learning experiences would you include?

If I were designing a program or professional development intended to prepare teacher leaders I would have an in depth review all three of the pathways. By this, I mean that I would give examples of what each of these entails. I would bring in people that participate in all the three of these pathways to talk about their experiences and job descriptions. These people and their experiences will shed light on the advantages and disadvantages of each, while giving the participant the information they need to make the decision of which path they would like to follow.

Share at least one strategy you will use/are using to assess the technology needs of your context (how will you document needs, what kind of data will you use, etc.).

I am partial to the Likert scale in this type of situation. Having the participants fill out a survey that is on a Likert scale can turn a survey into a number system that can help determine a census of the majority concerns and needs of the group. This is a quantitative method and when doing data analysis I prefer that type of approach.

Chapter 5 Communication

Describe how leaders can harness the power of free resources to improve communication and ultimately improve their overall effectiveness and efficiency. (Post to blog)

With free resources, like social media, we can improve communication and the overall effectiveness and efficiency in and out of the classroom. Social media is a fast and easy way to communicate with other staff members and students. Using Facebook to create private groups can open up a place where teachers can share ideas and resources while also having discussions about important school related topics. It can also help organize fundraisers and other social events the school could be hosting. There are many other programs and social media sites that can do the same thing and leaders can use them to help everyone communicate effectively and efficiently.

Chapter 6 Public Relations

Describe your current position (workplace, student, etc…) and how social media efforts are used to promote transparency and engage stakeholders. (Post to blog)

I am a graduate assistant at FSU and we don’t really use social media directly. The college does use facebook and other social media to promote school events. Email is used the most by FSU and by my immediate workplace to communicate with others. There is some addon that looks a bit like facebook that is attached to microsoft office 365 that was just implemented for the graduate committee so we are starting move a little into the social media realm. So we don’t deal too much with social media, which should be utilized more.

Excellent and Informative Posts and Comments!

Thank you for creating a dynamic blog!  I have learned so much from reading your posts and comments. I truly appreciate your dispositions and ability to actively synthesis the information and respond to colleagues.  Looking forward to Module 3!

Module 2

A leader that I was able to observed that was able to implement a major technological integration would be my former music theory professor. When he first got the position one of the things he pushed for was to get a mac lab for the students, so that we would have the tools to compose, record, edit, and produce the music we were creating. He knew that this technology would be an invaluable tool for us during our education. Another important is that he came into the job with experience in music technology, being a composer who creates multi-media works, which involves sight as well as sound elements.

My score on the leadership skill assessment was an 82. According to the test my skills are in Emotional Intelligence and My Motivation and Support. My worst performances were in Managing Performance Effectively, in which I received a 6 out of 10, and Self Confidence in which I received an 8 out of 10. I want to be the kind of leader who inspires people to always adapt to change and use all the tools they have available. I want to be able to objectively see my deficiencies and take steps to improve on them.  

Connect Peers With Purpose 

The text says about Connecting peers with purpose: Purposeful peer interaction within and beyond the school is crucial. Student learning and achievement increase substantially when teachers work in learning communities supported by school leaders who focus on improvement. It is also essential to develop relatable goals and associated outcomes with every change initiative. The why and the how need to be clearly articulated to the staff, and they need to be active participants in the change process. Purposeful peer interaction allows teachers to have a voice in the decision-making process and to craft how policies and mandates will be implemented 

It is very important to connect with all of your peers in the school. The student’s education depends on their teacher’s ability to use all the tools at their disposal. This includes working with peers in order to build and scaffold on each other’s work. It is also important because it allows teachers to have a voice when deciding on school policies.

  

Learning Is the Work

The text says about Learning Is the Work: Professional development (PD) in workshops, courses, and online environments is only one input to continuous learning and precision in teaching. Successful growth itself is accomplished when the culture of the school supports the day-to-day learning of teachers engaged in improving what they do in the classroom and school. Leaders must not only be creative in finding time for teachers to engage in PD during the day, but they also must consistently model lifelong learning themselves. Digital leadership dictates that learning is first and foremost.

Engaging in personal development is one of the most important things in my mind. Having school leaders work on creating special personal development programs for the schools will increase the teacher’s dedication. These goals can be furthered by school officials and teachers using technology.  

What is your philosophy of how schools can/should use social media?

In my opinion schools using social media is a dangerous slope. On the one hand it creates an excellent way for schools to get information out to the parents of the students, as well as the community at large. It also allows for the school to hold large scale discussions of importance issues with parents and the community. When it comes to more personal social media interaction things get blurry. As long as communication is in the form of mass classroom announcements I don’t think there is a problem, but I am against sensitive information being sent over social media. 

Shout-Out to Laura!

I copied and pasted this from Laura's Module 2 Post - "I have since sent her an imploring email fighting my case on the relevance and daily use of the ipads for my art class.  She has since changed her mind about it and is giving me permission to order 17 more devices to complete my classroom set of 30 ipads.  A win for me!  Yes!   " - Laura funk