A few days after completing our last class for the term, I had to take my Mac into the Apple store to replace a hard drive. During those few days where I did not have my main computer, I still had a Mac Notebook Pro laptop, an iPad, and iPhone. We also have a Dell PC at home. But for some strange reason I did not feel as comfortable as I do now that the Mac is back. This caused me to reflect on how and why Apple is so successful with drawing people towards their product, and then cultivating this loyalty that is very apparent when you visit an Apple store or talk to Mac owners. All along they have used the personal computer and tried to personalize the experience of technology with all of their products. If we as educators and leaders could do the same with students, I believe students would teach themselves much in the same way Mac users experiment and learn new things on their own with their devices (i know I am much more willing to experiment with different forms of media and technology due to my Apple products). I see the iPad as the next step in this development, as Apps allow us to "go look" in ways that computers haven't allowed us to in the past.
Our past course has also allowed a different perspective with access of technology. This week I created emails accounts for both of my boys, who are in first and second grade respectively. My second graders has been asked to blog, and turns his homework in through Dropbox. They now check their emails to see if I have written them (I send them little notes every day), and this course allowed me more comfort in both the access of technology and the comfort of using it (I created their accounts in gmail due to my nee level of comfort with Google products). I feel like Google and Apple are on the same page with a lot of what they are doing to personalize the computing experience.
I will look to better personalize education in hopes of develop life-long learners much in the same way Apple and Google are developing life-long customers. I know there is a lot out there for everybody....
Friday, December 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Review of article "What Leading With Vision Really Means"
http://www.fastcompany.com/3003293/what-leading-vision-really-means
I was looking for a way to summarize what I had learned from my present course in my doctoral program (EDLD 760) at CSUSM when a professor sent me this article that does an excellent job of conveying some of my new-found ideas and practices. This article does an excellent job of summarizing what I learned because it doesn't give just an answer, but also provides a path to continue my learning.
The answer it does give (I was looking for a way to describe how I feel now that I have "drank the Kool-Aide" of this course):
"A leader must not only be able to articulate his vision: he must also live it."
This quote summarizes how I have changed my way of thinking. This blog you are reading is a perfect example of my wanting to share my experience with an article instead of just reading it and trying to remember how to incorporate what it has to say into my leadership. I opened up my blog and designed a review in a way that I could both remember later and share with people who could also benefit from the sharing of knowledge. I now go to my Tweetdeck every morning along with my different email accounts to see what is out there, and I am learning how to communicate through these on-line methods (as I review how much better this post is to my first as far as being able to share with the world). I am becoming a resident instead of a visitor (See previous post for this reference) and believe it is important to continue these practices even after this class is over. I have conquered my fears (for the most part) about security and 'putting myself out there' in the cyberworld.
The path this article provides for learning includes the book referenced at the end, which I will purchase (Leading So People Will Follow). It also provides clarity that the path I am going down with attempting to implement technology is the correct one. A question that will help me become more of a farsighted leader is:
"What is something that is not accessible to many due to materialistic structures, but could be if all obstacles were accounted for?"
As I look to answer that question, and more importantly I see how iPad Implementation can answer that question, I will have a sense of security that I am not getting caught up with a passing fad. I realize that technology is moving at an exponential rate and it is more and more difficult for schools to keep pace and find something that will be around for a generation. Like the article that mentions cars, computers, and telephones that were once thought of as novelty items, is a table the next things that everybody will have and will be something people can't live without? It is just a bigger smart phone or smaller tablet (the iPad mini?)? With the limited funding of schools, and the continual pace of students coming into middle school each and every year, we don't have time to be wrong.
I was looking for a way to summarize what I had learned from my present course in my doctoral program (EDLD 760) at CSUSM when a professor sent me this article that does an excellent job of conveying some of my new-found ideas and practices. This article does an excellent job of summarizing what I learned because it doesn't give just an answer, but also provides a path to continue my learning.
The answer it does give (I was looking for a way to describe how I feel now that I have "drank the Kool-Aide" of this course):
"A leader must not only be able to articulate his vision: he must also live it."
This quote summarizes how I have changed my way of thinking. This blog you are reading is a perfect example of my wanting to share my experience with an article instead of just reading it and trying to remember how to incorporate what it has to say into my leadership. I opened up my blog and designed a review in a way that I could both remember later and share with people who could also benefit from the sharing of knowledge. I now go to my Tweetdeck every morning along with my different email accounts to see what is out there, and I am learning how to communicate through these on-line methods (as I review how much better this post is to my first as far as being able to share with the world). I am becoming a resident instead of a visitor (See previous post for this reference) and believe it is important to continue these practices even after this class is over. I have conquered my fears (for the most part) about security and 'putting myself out there' in the cyberworld.
The path this article provides for learning includes the book referenced at the end, which I will purchase (Leading So People Will Follow). It also provides clarity that the path I am going down with attempting to implement technology is the correct one. A question that will help me become more of a farsighted leader is:
"What is something that is not accessible to many due to materialistic structures, but could be if all obstacles were accounted for?"
As I look to answer that question, and more importantly I see how iPad Implementation can answer that question, I will have a sense of security that I am not getting caught up with a passing fad. I realize that technology is moving at an exponential rate and it is more and more difficult for schools to keep pace and find something that will be around for a generation. Like the article that mentions cars, computers, and telephones that were once thought of as novelty items, is a table the next things that everybody will have and will be something people can't live without? It is just a bigger smart phone or smaller tablet (the iPad mini?)? With the limited funding of schools, and the continual pace of students coming into middle school each and every year, we don't have time to be wrong.
Futures Scenario- iPad Implementation Plan
This Blog will outline a future scenario for an implementation issue at my school site. I currently work in a middle school where we have SMART Boards in every classroom, and teachers are encouraged to use technology to highlight and enhance their instruction. There are two major issues with SMART Boards. The first is the amount of training needed by staff to become efficient in its use so that it becomes a tool that is embedded with the learning, and not just a big screen TV. The second is that it does not promote student-centered learning as well as other technology tools. As I investigate other educational models, the use of iPads to help with the delivery of instruction has become a major undertaking in many districts and schools, and appears to be a model we can incorporate that will make the learning more student-centered while still empowering the teacher to conduct an interactive lesson.
For me to lead this disruption, I would need to become more proficient in the use of the iPad, and attend a training designed to specifically implement this tool into classrooms at the middle school level. While some of the excitement would be for teachers to learn along with students, I still believe that a certain level of support (aka, expertise) is needed if for no other reason than to be able to identify where we would need to go depending on what support is needed once these devices are in the classroom.
Skills that will be needed from my teaching staff include flexibility, a wiliness to learn and take risks, and a level of efficiency with the implementation of the iPad into the classroom learning environment. Everybody (students, teachers, and parents) will need to understand that these devices are to enhance learning, and not for 'play'. They will be used to produce, not consume (taken from High Tech High). With deep implementation, hopefully the difference between 'work' and 'play' will mean the same thing.
I truly believe that we are as prepared for this shift as any school who has taken on these types of educational endeavors. Our school is going to be upgraded this year with wireless capabilities, and separate clouds are being installed for students and teachers. We have a support PTO and district and hopefully successes from other schools will help sell this iPad implementation plan to the stakeholders at our school.
If I could get feedback from teachers regarding their thoughts on the limitations of the SMART Boards, and then I was able to help those concerns with the iPad, I could prime them into thinking that using iPads would be a valuable resource to help student learning.
Taking lessons learned in the past two years, implementing a new technology plan at my school will take time, resources, data to support the plan, and a group of teachers willing to be the positive spokespeople needed to reach the entire staff.
Time
Similar to what happens in our EDLD 720 class when we are presented with new tools and websites, teachers will need time to 'play' with the iPad, experiment with different apps, and get comfortable with the navigation so they feel more efficacious when they are working with the students.
Resources
The initial phase will be iPads for those interested in being Early Adopters. Allowing them to use iPads with certain apps for their classes will help spread the word to other teachers that this technology is a tool to enhance and promote learning in any subject. The second phase will consist of iPads for the entire staff after a training they must attend to in order to receive their iPad. The third phase will be iPads for certain grades and /or subjects.
Data to Support the Plan
Articles collected from other districts will be helpful. Also, if I were to be a pilot program for the district (with middle schools, since elementary schools are already moving forward with this), I may not need as much hard data to get this implementation off the ground.
Early Adopters
I can identify a group of ten teachers in different grades and subject areas who would be willing to incorporate these devices into their instruction. They would be willing to go to the training before receiving their iPad, and this is probably their second iPad. The best way to support these teachers is to provide guidelines and resources (have the iPads already installed with the apps needed to immediately improve instruction in their content area) and then get out of their way.
Step 1: Identify Implications
While a weakness of implementing any technology would include the possibility of that technology becoming obsolete, iPads offer a stable and user-friendly way to incorporate technology, and the possibility of technology moving completely away from tablets is not anticipated by any research I have read.
Step 2: Develop Options
To prepare for this implementation, I outlines above steps needed to complete. These included time fro early adopters to 'play' with the iPads, training for the early adopters (and all other teachers once the roll out has begun), accountability in the forms of writing journals by the teachers and other data-rich assessments of student learning, and feedback from both teachers and students.
Step 3: Monitor Trends
I would monitor trends in use by feedback given by both teachers and students. Along with their feedback, having a system of app development would be beneficial. I spoke with a parent who is attempting to put together some apps for his children to work on by subject (an issue I discuss in the next paragraph). This parent pays his son $10.00 per app that the parent deems exceptional and will use. Out of the 25 apps his student has shown him, he has used one. This parent has a doctorate in education and has been an assistant principal and principal at different levels. Now retired, he has time to research the application of iPads with classes, and I would use him as an additional resource in the development of the curriculum.
As I work through these steps in the process, I see an avenue for profit. If there were a package of apps sold by grade and subject area, a more targeted approach could be used both with teacher training and with students in the classroom. While apps change on a daily basis, having a foundational set of apps for all teachers in grade and subject area would help them with their efficacy, and could also provide a guide for parents to help students at home with projects and questions that students may have.
Step 4: Take Action
Presenting this to my principal and district officials will be a unique experience based on my specific situation. The principal is retiring soon and takes great pride in the installation and use of SMART Boards in the school. It will not be an easy proposition to sell him on changing the type of technology used because of all of the resources that went into the SMART Technologies of the school. There is also a teacher at the school who has been a tremendous help with our technology needs and issues, and he is also a trained SMART Instructor. He has poured a lot of his time and efforts into helping teachers become proficient with the SMART Boards, and I would not want this iPad implementation to affect his attitude on how instrumental he has been to get the school to their current level of technological proficiency.
The district officials present another completely different set of issues. Since most of the research with iPads has been at the elementary level, a pilot program at the middle school level would usually mean that our site would be responsible for the purchasing of the iPads. While we have the PTO support to begin this, I would seek an agreement to match our purchase from the district. With or without this agreement, I would disperse the iPads by grades and departments. Hoping that the English-Language Arts and Math Departments would volunteer, I would want the department with the most early adopters to have the first batch of iPads. A roll-out plan consisting of a timetables, costs, and training would be created to help with logistics, and would start with sixth grade, so the students would have three years with the devises. This amount of time would help with data collection regarding improved test scores and quality of projects as they go through sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. There is also the possibility of students having prior experiences with iPads in the feeder elementary schools, which would add to the positive impact of these devises on our campus.
This Blog is the first step in an implementation process that would bring iPads into a middle school. This technology would help create a more student-centered environment, which will benefit them with skills they will need in the world outside of their K-12 educational experience. While there are many hurdles in any implementation, one of this magnitude takes monitoring and adjusting at every micro-step behind the screens, so that teachers and students can reep the rewards in the classroom. Training, money, curriculum guides, and feedback are vital for the long term success of a program like the one described above.
For me to lead this disruption, I would need to become more proficient in the use of the iPad, and attend a training designed to specifically implement this tool into classrooms at the middle school level. While some of the excitement would be for teachers to learn along with students, I still believe that a certain level of support (aka, expertise) is needed if for no other reason than to be able to identify where we would need to go depending on what support is needed once these devices are in the classroom.
Skills that will be needed from my teaching staff include flexibility, a wiliness to learn and take risks, and a level of efficiency with the implementation of the iPad into the classroom learning environment. Everybody (students, teachers, and parents) will need to understand that these devices are to enhance learning, and not for 'play'. They will be used to produce, not consume (taken from High Tech High). With deep implementation, hopefully the difference between 'work' and 'play' will mean the same thing.
I truly believe that we are as prepared for this shift as any school who has taken on these types of educational endeavors. Our school is going to be upgraded this year with wireless capabilities, and separate clouds are being installed for students and teachers. We have a support PTO and district and hopefully successes from other schools will help sell this iPad implementation plan to the stakeholders at our school.
If I could get feedback from teachers regarding their thoughts on the limitations of the SMART Boards, and then I was able to help those concerns with the iPad, I could prime them into thinking that using iPads would be a valuable resource to help student learning.
Taking lessons learned in the past two years, implementing a new technology plan at my school will take time, resources, data to support the plan, and a group of teachers willing to be the positive spokespeople needed to reach the entire staff.
Time
Similar to what happens in our EDLD 720 class when we are presented with new tools and websites, teachers will need time to 'play' with the iPad, experiment with different apps, and get comfortable with the navigation so they feel more efficacious when they are working with the students.
Resources
The initial phase will be iPads for those interested in being Early Adopters. Allowing them to use iPads with certain apps for their classes will help spread the word to other teachers that this technology is a tool to enhance and promote learning in any subject. The second phase will consist of iPads for the entire staff after a training they must attend to in order to receive their iPad. The third phase will be iPads for certain grades and /or subjects.
Data to Support the Plan
Articles collected from other districts will be helpful. Also, if I were to be a pilot program for the district (with middle schools, since elementary schools are already moving forward with this), I may not need as much hard data to get this implementation off the ground.
Early Adopters
I can identify a group of ten teachers in different grades and subject areas who would be willing to incorporate these devices into their instruction. They would be willing to go to the training before receiving their iPad, and this is probably their second iPad. The best way to support these teachers is to provide guidelines and resources (have the iPads already installed with the apps needed to immediately improve instruction in their content area) and then get out of their way.
Step 1: Identify Implications
While a weakness of implementing any technology would include the possibility of that technology becoming obsolete, iPads offer a stable and user-friendly way to incorporate technology, and the possibility of technology moving completely away from tablets is not anticipated by any research I have read.
Step 2: Develop Options
To prepare for this implementation, I outlines above steps needed to complete. These included time fro early adopters to 'play' with the iPads, training for the early adopters (and all other teachers once the roll out has begun), accountability in the forms of writing journals by the teachers and other data-rich assessments of student learning, and feedback from both teachers and students.
Step 3: Monitor Trends
I would monitor trends in use by feedback given by both teachers and students. Along with their feedback, having a system of app development would be beneficial. I spoke with a parent who is attempting to put together some apps for his children to work on by subject (an issue I discuss in the next paragraph). This parent pays his son $10.00 per app that the parent deems exceptional and will use. Out of the 25 apps his student has shown him, he has used one. This parent has a doctorate in education and has been an assistant principal and principal at different levels. Now retired, he has time to research the application of iPads with classes, and I would use him as an additional resource in the development of the curriculum.
As I work through these steps in the process, I see an avenue for profit. If there were a package of apps sold by grade and subject area, a more targeted approach could be used both with teacher training and with students in the classroom. While apps change on a daily basis, having a foundational set of apps for all teachers in grade and subject area would help them with their efficacy, and could also provide a guide for parents to help students at home with projects and questions that students may have.
Step 4: Take Action
Presenting this to my principal and district officials will be a unique experience based on my specific situation. The principal is retiring soon and takes great pride in the installation and use of SMART Boards in the school. It will not be an easy proposition to sell him on changing the type of technology used because of all of the resources that went into the SMART Technologies of the school. There is also a teacher at the school who has been a tremendous help with our technology needs and issues, and he is also a trained SMART Instructor. He has poured a lot of his time and efforts into helping teachers become proficient with the SMART Boards, and I would not want this iPad implementation to affect his attitude on how instrumental he has been to get the school to their current level of technological proficiency.
The district officials present another completely different set of issues. Since most of the research with iPads has been at the elementary level, a pilot program at the middle school level would usually mean that our site would be responsible for the purchasing of the iPads. While we have the PTO support to begin this, I would seek an agreement to match our purchase from the district. With or without this agreement, I would disperse the iPads by grades and departments. Hoping that the English-Language Arts and Math Departments would volunteer, I would want the department with the most early adopters to have the first batch of iPads. A roll-out plan consisting of a timetables, costs, and training would be created to help with logistics, and would start with sixth grade, so the students would have three years with the devises. This amount of time would help with data collection regarding improved test scores and quality of projects as they go through sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. There is also the possibility of students having prior experiences with iPads in the feeder elementary schools, which would add to the positive impact of these devises on our campus.
This Blog is the first step in an implementation process that would bring iPads into a middle school. This technology would help create a more student-centered environment, which will benefit them with skills they will need in the world outside of their K-12 educational experience. While there are many hurdles in any implementation, one of this magnitude takes monitoring and adjusting at every micro-step behind the screens, so that teachers and students can reep the rewards in the classroom. Training, money, curriculum guides, and feedback are vital for the long term success of a program like the one described above.
Friday, November 16, 2012
iPad Implementation Resources Needed
Hello,
If you are reading this, thank you for answering my tweet (I am new with some of this PLN stuff). 160 characters just wasn't enough.
I am looking for resources related to the implementation of iPads into the curriculum and classrooms of middle schools. If you only have K-12 resources, I will take those as well. My goal is to develop a presentation regarding the cost-benefit analysis of iPads as interactive learning tools for middle schools students. This presentation would be made to my Principal, District Office Administration, and possibly our Board.
Foreseeable questions I would need help with:
1. Why are iPads the platform I chose?
2. What data supports your project goals?
3. Timeframe for implementation?
4. Teacher training/PD questions....
Thanks again!
Gary
If you are reading this, thank you for answering my tweet (I am new with some of this PLN stuff). 160 characters just wasn't enough.
I am looking for resources related to the implementation of iPads into the curriculum and classrooms of middle schools. If you only have K-12 resources, I will take those as well. My goal is to develop a presentation regarding the cost-benefit analysis of iPads as interactive learning tools for middle schools students. This presentation would be made to my Principal, District Office Administration, and possibly our Board.
Foreseeable questions I would need help with:
1. Why are iPads the platform I chose?
2. What data supports your project goals?
3. Timeframe for implementation?
4. Teacher training/PD questions....
Thanks again!
Gary
Disrupting Class
While working on a project for a course I am currently taking in my doctoral program, I needed to comment on the dynamics of a collaborate groups trying to work together within a doctoral program. There are some pre-cursors to these observations:
1. This was a large group (over 10) of K-12 educators.
2. All of these educators had made the conscious decision to spend thousands of dollars on an advanced degree, and therefore have a certain level of drive that is above the average professional.
3. All are leaders in their respective fields, are highly motivated, and highly intelligent.
So with those perimeters of the group dynamics in mind, anyone want to guess how things went?:)...................
At first, it felt as though we would be stuck in purgatory forever. All cooks and no dishwashers in the kitchen (I would use another analogy but it could be taken as offensive to Native Americans and I do not want to offend any member of a group of people that has been murdered and oppressed by my ancestors and our government for generations). But I digress.....As I listened to the conversation, and I admit that I was part of the mess as we tried to sort ideas, the process was disruptive in a more primitive sense. But as people though out loud, some realized the need to reserve comments, and one wonderful lady agreed to start washing dishes, things slowly....and painfully slowly for a Type A, list-oriented, goals driven person to handle....slowly, the project started to take shape. Dealing with frusteration, making sure I knew my role, and the late hour of night, I could not reflect on the experience that day. But now having time to step back, seeing a group come together that is so used to being dominant and leading was an accomplishment in iteself. While the end-product remains to be seen, the amount fo disruption the process has created in the proposed lesson that was generated is something to be proud of, even if the lesson does not work out to everybody's expectations come this Saturday. The group used the larger notion of Disruption to create a disruptive lesson that will hopefully add to the success of the fist exercise (coming together as a group to achieve a common goal).
Stay tuned.....
1. This was a large group (over 10) of K-12 educators.
2. All of these educators had made the conscious decision to spend thousands of dollars on an advanced degree, and therefore have a certain level of drive that is above the average professional.
3. All are leaders in their respective fields, are highly motivated, and highly intelligent.
So with those perimeters of the group dynamics in mind, anyone want to guess how things went?:)...................
At first, it felt as though we would be stuck in purgatory forever. All cooks and no dishwashers in the kitchen (I would use another analogy but it could be taken as offensive to Native Americans and I do not want to offend any member of a group of people that has been murdered and oppressed by my ancestors and our government for generations). But I digress.....As I listened to the conversation, and I admit that I was part of the mess as we tried to sort ideas, the process was disruptive in a more primitive sense. But as people though out loud, some realized the need to reserve comments, and one wonderful lady agreed to start washing dishes, things slowly....and painfully slowly for a Type A, list-oriented, goals driven person to handle....slowly, the project started to take shape. Dealing with frusteration, making sure I knew my role, and the late hour of night, I could not reflect on the experience that day. But now having time to step back, seeing a group come together that is so used to being dominant and leading was an accomplishment in iteself. While the end-product remains to be seen, the amount fo disruption the process has created in the proposed lesson that was generated is something to be proud of, even if the lesson does not work out to everybody's expectations come this Saturday. The group used the larger notion of Disruption to create a disruptive lesson that will hopefully add to the success of the fist exercise (coming together as a group to achieve a common goal).
Stay tuned.....
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
What The Internet Knows About You
In this TED Talk, Eli Pariser discusses the filtering that is now a part of the internet, especially search engines such as Google. He describes how the internet is filtering items to better meet what they believe you want to see. His concern is a valid one regarding the problematic approach this process assumes. Not only do we not have a say in what is being filtered, but we do not even see what they have choose to filter. He compares this new phenomenon to when editors of the newspapers and other media were the gate keepers of the information. The difference between then and now is that these new algorithmic gatekeepers do not have the ability to use morals and ethics in their judgements about what t keep and what to discard. BIG PROBLEM.
Reminds me of a song by Tim McGraw. I will try to find it and link it to this blog....this will be my first time embedding something, so please be patient.....Tim McGraw's Who Are They?
Reminds me of a song by Tim McGraw. I will try to find it and link it to this blog....this will be my first time embedding something, so please be patient.....Tim McGraw's Who Are They?
Re-Defining the Journey
Yep, another 4am post...The great thing about these posts at this time in the morning is that they are becoming more natural. I just spent the last hour setting up my Diigo account and adding some feeds I found by following different twitter feeds. Who would have thought that sentence would have come from me 2 months ago?
Yesterday was a different day in my educational journey. I defended my dissertation proposal and advanced to candidacy. (I should be working on my IRB right now!) Today I am feeling better about my place in this journey, but different than what I thought I would feel. It is not an end by any stretch, and I don't even feel like it is significant in itself. The significant part was the feedback I received from my committee. And boy was there feedback. Looking back now, I wish we could have one of these brainstorming sessions about once every 6 months as our studies progress, but I know that is unrealistic. While it changes some of the 'bones' of my reseearch methodology, it was definately worth the 2 hours.
So, my journey has been re-defined in the short term due to the changes. It has also been changed for the long-term. I realize the completion of this doctorate won't even be the end. While it may not ahppen every day, I really think a change in me has occurred, and I will be up at 4 am after this is done. Too much to learn from others, and too much to do in education these days to sleep the day away. And the great part is that it won't be difficult to get up early when I know that I will find enriching things to read, tweet, diigo, and blog about.
Cool....
Yesterday was a different day in my educational journey. I defended my dissertation proposal and advanced to candidacy. (I should be working on my IRB right now!) Today I am feeling better about my place in this journey, but different than what I thought I would feel. It is not an end by any stretch, and I don't even feel like it is significant in itself. The significant part was the feedback I received from my committee. And boy was there feedback. Looking back now, I wish we could have one of these brainstorming sessions about once every 6 months as our studies progress, but I know that is unrealistic. While it changes some of the 'bones' of my reseearch methodology, it was definately worth the 2 hours.
So, my journey has been re-defined in the short term due to the changes. It has also been changed for the long-term. I realize the completion of this doctorate won't even be the end. While it may not ahppen every day, I really think a change in me has occurred, and I will be up at 4 am after this is done. Too much to learn from others, and too much to do in education these days to sleep the day away. And the great part is that it won't be difficult to get up early when I know that I will find enriching things to read, tweet, diigo, and blog about.
Cool....
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