Let the Fire Burn

In two days, the school year will begin. My position of K-12 Technology Integrator has been made permanent. As I begin year two, I reflect back on last year.

I didn’t know what to expect last year. The talk of technology integration across the district, had never been talked about by the administration. Technology use in the district was just a little spark.
I knew it would not be an easy task, but was eager to begin working with the teachers that I had met during my summer staff development workshop. They of course were the first to contact me for help, and were eager to learn how to integrate technology into their curriculum.

Housing my office in our K-1 building was also a great idea. The Kindergarten and first grade teachers were craving technology, but nobody had ever spent time with them. They really didn’t know what they didn’t know. Even the principal at that building began a blog to keep her parents informed of the happenings in the building.

Little by little, word began to spread and I began to meet and work with great teachers throughout the district. A spark had turned into a flame and the fire is now lit.

Fortunately the high school was a recipient of the Classrooms for the Future grant and appointed Aly as the CFF coach. Aly has become a big supporter and an ally. Aly helped add fuel to the fire. When things are not working, or not going the way they should be, I can always count her to help get things moving in the right direction.

Aly and I had the privilege of adding fuel to the fire this summer through technology staff development workshops. We had a great group of teachers coming in to learn about Moodle, wikis, digital cameras, Web 2.0, and podcasting. Many of our teachers are pumped and ready for the school year. They have a new understanding of what technology is out there, and how it can seamlessly be integrated into their curriculum.

I am also excited to begin year two of my journey through education with technology. I had the pleasure of attending the KTI Summit at Bucknell this summer. I learned some great new tools, met lots of great Pennsylvania teachers, and have made some great contacts with people who are willing to collaborate.

Hopefully by the end of the year we will have a blazing inferno that can’t be put out!

Yes! Kindergarten Students Can Use Technology!

There only in school for 1/2 a day and really not even a 1/2 day. With all they need to learn, is there room for technology? So many people believe that we should not waste time having Kindergarten students use technology. Well I totally disagree. This week I have had the opportunity to work with the youngest students in my district and they were so excited to be using the technology. First, a class of kindergarten students are writing a book about animals that they each selected. They wanted to find some simple facts about their animals to include in their writing. Their teacher brought them to the computer lab and they were able to use web sites that I had previously bookmarked to find and print facts about their animals. Yes, they weren't really doing the searching, but they were using literacy skills because they had to find their animals from lists of animals on the websites I provided. In addition, they will need to read the facts and incorporate them into their reports. In addition, they needed to use listening skills, and basic computer skills(click, double click, maximize windows, minimize windows and access the print command) in order to get the information they needed. While they waited for their information to print many of them spent time exploring other animals. They were truly engaged in the activity and I can't wait to read their book when they are finished.

The second activity involved the wedding of the Letter Q and U. Our Kindergarten teacher conducts a mock wedding, complete with food (UTZ potato chips and Queen of Heart Strawberry or Cherry Tarts), and dancing at the reception. I took our digital camera kit into the classroom and allowed the students to photograph the wedding and reception. Their eyes lit up when I gave them the cameras, and yes, I had to delete lots of shoes, floors and people missing heads, but they were able to capture the ceremony, reception and dancing. We are in the process of putting Mr. and Mrs. QU's wedding album together. Let's face it, this is the world these children, while they are only 5 have grown-up in and it is time that it becomes part of their daily school life.

The Kindergarten, Transition and First Grader's Voted!

I know it has been a while since I've posted, but this journey through technology has been a wild ride. Teachers within the district are slowly beginning to see how computers and technology can be a learning tool to enhance instruction and student learning. I feel the biggest building that I have had an impact on is our K-1 building. The teachers in this building are thirsty for technology and I love to sit and talk and share with them.

Because today was the primary election in Pennsylvania our principal decided it would be a great day to conduct an election in the building. Yesterday, she read five books to the students and handed out bookmarks with the five book covers on them. The students were to take the bookmarks home and discuss the books with their parents and then decide on their favorite book. To help tabulate the votes, and to give the students a more realistic way of voting, I created a Google form using a Google spreadsheet, and the students came to the computer lab to cast their votes. To assist the Kindergarten students, many of the first grade classes were partnered with a kindergarten student. After I led the first graders through the voting process, they cast their vote and traded places with the kindergarten student. The first graders were then responsible to help the kindergarten students complete the voting process.

What an experience: 1. To see the students participating in the democratic process by voting.
2. To see 1st grade students take on the serious role of making sure that the kindergarten students were able to cast their votes. 3. To see kindergarten students truly thankful for the help their 1st grade buddies provided.

After the students voted, I even gave them an "I VOTED" sticker complete with our school mascot on. The teachers were thrilled to participate in this exercise, it was short, simple, but tied technology and the computer classroom to the real world!

What a great day! Tomorrow, the teachers will share graphs of the voting results with their students, as they begin to analyze the results by school and by individual class.

From the Top Down

Today I received my monthly alumni newsletter from The University of Southern Mississippi. Because I am in PA, I enjoy reading about all of the things going on at Southern Miss (I really do hope to return one of these days). The University has a new president, a female and an alumna. The president’s message was available in the email I received, along with an invitation to read the president’s blog, ( and so I did. Each entry was a short update about what the president is doing, or what is happening at Southern Miss. You can check it out at http://www.usm.edu/blogs/president

I really began to think about how this blog was a great way to let the community know what is happening, and wouldn’t it be great if I could get our Superintendent to begin a blog about the York Suburban School District. So many “big” things are happening in the district--CELT group’s technology consultation, elementary housing project, budgeting, etc. This would provide Dr. Kate with a way to reach out to the community. If I can get her to start a blog, then maybe each of the Asst. Superintendents could start one, and then each building principal, and then the teachers, and then the students.

However, the key is getting it to work from the top down. If this is the kind of “technology integration” we want our teachers and students to be using, then it has to be important enough for our leaders to be doing it on a regular basis.

I’m going to meet with the Superintendent and bounce the idea off of her. Wish me luck…who knows, my next post could be the URL for Dr. Kate’s blog.

Join In

So much has happened in the past week, and I haven’t had time to put it all in writing, and I realize events will be out of order, but it is important that I get it down in writing.

On Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the 4th grade teachers at Indian Rock asked me to come and review the Solar System Unit with their students. I decided to take my JoinIn TurningPoint student response system and create a review game for the 4th graders.

The pressure was on, because it also happened to be Parent Visitation Day for American Education Week. In the first class I handed each student a “clicker” and immediately their eyes lit up. Right then and there they could tell that this was not going to be the usual paper/pencil review sheet.

I projected my questions onto the screen and the students quickly buzzed in their answers. After each question, we analyzed the percentages each answer got, and then revealed the correct answer. The students clapped and when 90% of them had voted for an answer, and then the room erupted with cheer when it was finally revealed that 100% of the students had voted for an answer…could it be…yes every student selected the proper answer. All students were actively engaged, actively participating, and in the end took much more away from the interactive review game then they would have with a paper/pencil worksheet.

Several parents, stopped to let me know how much they enjoyed the review game, and commented on how actively involved the students were in the class. It was even nice to have my assistant superintendent present for one of the sessions, as her son is a 4th grader. Afterwards, she told me that she is really beginning to get it. She sees how today’s students have come to depend on the technology, and we need to embrace it and use it on a daily basis.

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

On Wednesday, November 14, 2007, I was asked to do a 45 minute presentation at each of our elementary buildings. One building is (K-1) and the other 2 buildings are (2-5). As I sat at 11:00 p.m. Tuesday night preparing for the presentation, I really struggled. What do you show a group of elementary teachers in 45 minutes? I decided not to “teach” them a specific item, but instead to use the 45 minutes to give them a smorgasbord. My hope was that something would spark and idea. That they would be able take one of the items I showed them and connect it to their curriculum.

The first session at our K-1 building lasted an hour and 15 minutes. The teachers had lots of questions and were extremely interested in what I showed them.

The 2-5 building presentations also went over and they were extremely interested in what I had to share with them.

In all of the presentations it boiled down to the fact that we continue to expose our teachers to new technology, but we never provide time for them to actually put their hands on them. Or if we do provide them with the time, there is now follow through. As a result, I have made it my mission to make sure that when the district plans their summer workshops and next year’s in-service programs that the district provides these opportunities for teachers.

I have received lots of feedback from our elementary teachers. Many of them were glad they had the opportunity to see what is out there, and to know that my help was available for them if needed.

I believe the biggest impression was made at the K-1 building. I have 3 meetings tomorrow to discuss the integration of technology into projects, and this morning one of the Kindergarten teachers stopped me to let me know that she found a Thanksgiving cartoon on unitedstreaming that was perfect for her kindergarten students. While a unitedstreaming video may not be all that fantastic, 1 week ago, she didn’t even know that it existed. One step at a time…they want to use technology, they just need to know what is available and then how to use it.

When I get frustrated and have bad days…It is days like this that help me on my journey through education with technology.

Some People Do Get It!

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Dance-A-Thon in our K-1 building. The PTO did an incredible job organizing the event and it raised over $14,000. Using my digital camera, I took pictures of each group (five total) during the dance-a-thon. I quickly returned to my office and downloaded the pictures and used animoto and freeplaymusic to create videos of the event. I then emailed each teacher a link to their class's video and included the building principal Mrs. Ketterman. Mrs. Ketterman quickly emailed the link to her parent email list. With in the hour, she received many numerous comments about the video.

Tawn, I am thoroughly impressed that we are now technologically savvy enough to be able to put something like this out to parents with this kind of turnaround! I was there this afternoon, and the event was great. I also think that your communications with parents via email are a fantastic idea, and I am so glad that you are taking the time out of your schedule to do them.

LOVE the video!Dancin' with the kids was a BLAST!:)Look forward to doing this
again!

Very fun. This was a great way to share with our out-of-town family members. :)

While it didn't take long at all to throw the videos together, it was the fact that the building principal realized how easily she could share with the students' parents. My favorite comment was about being able to share the event with out-of-town family members who probably helped sponsor the students.