Digital leadership doesn't actually start with technology, but instead with collaborative leadership. It's about including all stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of a technology plan. It's about everyone being part of the process instead of just being told what to do.
To develop a technology integration plan, (Sheninger, 2014) says that digital leadership is about a change in mindset that causes a professional behavior change. He also discusses how collaboration, modeling, supporting teachers, encouraging risk-taking, and providing relevant professional development opportunities is critical to success of a technology integration plan.
Research performed by (Williams, Atkinson, Cate, & O'Hair, 2008) at the K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal at the University of Oklahoma focused on developing professional development protocols that focused on innovations in teaching and learning. They received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and were ranked third in the nation for the change they saw in student learning during the course of their study! They focused on building leadership and support systems before pushing technology to the forefront.
Many technology integration plans start with a survey of stakeholders. Who would those stakeholders be? For middle school level of students and above, I would want to survey teachers, administrators, students, and possibly parents. For elementary level, I'd definitely want to include parents since younger students may not fully understand all of the questions or needs.
Many communities are also looking to help residents by developing WiFi networks that are free and open to the public outside of places like libraries and other public buildings. In Denton, the city has made WiFi available to anyone within a radius of approximately 2 city blocks of the court house. Having this resource available would certainly help those that may not be able to afford access at a household level. A collaboration between public schools and and other community resources makes sense. Having hot spots like that in high student-population areas would be amazing for our students!
Collaborating with providers of services like free WiFi to collect data about peak usage times, device type, location, what type of content they're accessing, and any demographic data available would help guide direction for when to boost available bandwidth or where to make services available. Using data about consumers that return to the same locations could also help determine effectiveness of particular levels of service made available to them.
(Gura, 2018) described many models and plans for technology integration: Microsoft's Education Transformation Framework, Intel's Education Transformation Technology Adoption Blueprint, SAMR Model, and TPACK Framework. The SAMR model is one that I've used to evaluate lessons I've modified from use prior to technology integration. I think the SAMR model and TPACK Framework both provide appropriate guidance on developing and assessing lessons. Microsoft's Framework and Intel's Blueprint are similar, but Microsoft's Framework tools online push selling Microsoft products. Intel's Blueprint seems to have great tools available to help select devices while building an integration plan that can be used across many brands of devices. (Sheninger, 2014) discusses the Breaking Ranks Framework and the Six Stages of Systematic School Improvement.
I think a the online tools in Intel's Blueprint and the Breaking Ranks Framework would fit well in guiding needs on my campus. Teachers may be more comfortable with a simplified model like SAMR or TPACK to use for lesson evaluation. As they get more comfortable with technology integration, they may be more open to using more complex tools like Intel's Blueprint or Breaking Ranks Framework, which can be overwhelming at first glance.
Citations
**1/27 Update: Here's a link to a summary of my survey and data associated with it.
https://bit.ly/2RlMplu
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Digital Devices and the Educational Experience
The use of digital devices in the K-12 classroom is becoming more commonplace. My son's district is one-to-one with iPads starting at grade 4. My district is one-to-one with Chromebooks starting at grade 6. In addition to Chromebooks, my district allows students to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), which includes anything they can carry into the classroom. Lower grades in both districts have classroom access to various devices, mainly intended for whole-class or group activities. My daughter's pre-Pre-K class (she's only 4) even has a technology class twice a week!
Gura (2018) says technology integration needs to happen soon or we risk losing student interest in the classroom entirely. On days in my class when we shift away from technology, students go through a withdrawal. Students are much more difficult to keep on-task without technology since it's become such an ingrained part of their routines. Look at how much we use technology as adults. I grew up when the internet was just becoming "a thing" and dial-up was the standard. Our children, at least mine, have grown up with devices in-hand since they could hold a phone.
Sheninger (2014) noted that internet use by Americans increased from 2.7 hours per week to 2.6 hours per day in the span of time from 2006 to 2010. Common Sense Media (2015) found that, on average, teens spend 9 hours, and tweens spend 6 hours online daily for non-academic purposes. Our children spend plenty of time using digital tools! Sheninger (2014) mentioned how it's hard to deny the creativity and collaboration inherently encouraged by using technology. As I watch my students complete assignments, they're constantly sharing work with their neighbors, asking if their work looks good, and researching more about something they find interesting. We need to give them enough room to explore, but we still need to be available to guide and support them in doing so safely and with reliable sources.
Bartholomew, et al., (2017) studied mobile device use by middle school students in an open-ended engineering project. They found environmental characteristics, like classroom norms and teacher guidance, had more impact on learning and achievement than mobile device usage. Both students and teachers noted that students were used to not having access to devices during class, and most students used devices less than 30 minutes of the 360 minutes allowed for the project. This would certainly not be the norm in my classroom! My students typically use their Chromebooks daily for at least 30 of the 50 minutes each class. Most of my students only use their smartphone if their Chromebook battery dies. They would rather use a device with a full keyboard and larger screen. Some students in the study mentioned that the mobile device they were given wasn't the right tool for the task they were to complete. Gura (2018) would likely agree since he notes teaching modality must be considered when selecting devices. Type and amount of information needed must also be considered when selecting devices.
Sheninger (2014) notes that student input is needed to properly reshape curriculum, pedagogy, technology purchases, and how time is allocated. Students in the study conducted by Bartholomew, et al., (2017) shared feedback on device type, and gave data on time allocation based on device type. I try to find ways to use software students already use, but I also try to locate innovative resources that they may find engaging and informative. One of my recent go-to resources is LegendsOfLearning - a website that gamifies science topics.
Gura (2018) also considers the impact of the space we use technology in. When we launched our one-to-one initiative, I found myself standing at the back of the room so I could monitor screens. Now, I've flipped my students' desks around to face the back of the room. When receiving direct instruction, they turn their chairs to face the front and they don't have the distraction of a device in front of them.
My students have choice of digital or paper for most assignments. They're split on how they choose to complete work, frequently going back and forth between paper and digital options. They need a digital break sometimes, and most students still enjoy coloring or doodling on assignments when they finish it on paper. While digital devices don't have to be integrated for every assignment, they are definitely here to stay and educators need to learn when and how to integrate them or risk becoming obsolete themselves.
Citations
Gura (2018) says technology integration needs to happen soon or we risk losing student interest in the classroom entirely. On days in my class when we shift away from technology, students go through a withdrawal. Students are much more difficult to keep on-task without technology since it's become such an ingrained part of their routines. Look at how much we use technology as adults. I grew up when the internet was just becoming "a thing" and dial-up was the standard. Our children, at least mine, have grown up with devices in-hand since they could hold a phone.
Sheninger (2014) noted that internet use by Americans increased from 2.7 hours per week to 2.6 hours per day in the span of time from 2006 to 2010. Common Sense Media (2015) found that, on average, teens spend 9 hours, and tweens spend 6 hours online daily for non-academic purposes. Our children spend plenty of time using digital tools! Sheninger (2014) mentioned how it's hard to deny the creativity and collaboration inherently encouraged by using technology. As I watch my students complete assignments, they're constantly sharing work with their neighbors, asking if their work looks good, and researching more about something they find interesting. We need to give them enough room to explore, but we still need to be available to guide and support them in doing so safely and with reliable sources.
Bartholomew, et al., (2017) studied mobile device use by middle school students in an open-ended engineering project. They found environmental characteristics, like classroom norms and teacher guidance, had more impact on learning and achievement than mobile device usage. Both students and teachers noted that students were used to not having access to devices during class, and most students used devices less than 30 minutes of the 360 minutes allowed for the project. This would certainly not be the norm in my classroom! My students typically use their Chromebooks daily for at least 30 of the 50 minutes each class. Most of my students only use their smartphone if their Chromebook battery dies. They would rather use a device with a full keyboard and larger screen. Some students in the study mentioned that the mobile device they were given wasn't the right tool for the task they were to complete. Gura (2018) would likely agree since he notes teaching modality must be considered when selecting devices. Type and amount of information needed must also be considered when selecting devices.
Sheninger (2014) notes that student input is needed to properly reshape curriculum, pedagogy, technology purchases, and how time is allocated. Students in the study conducted by Bartholomew, et al., (2017) shared feedback on device type, and gave data on time allocation based on device type. I try to find ways to use software students already use, but I also try to locate innovative resources that they may find engaging and informative. One of my recent go-to resources is LegendsOfLearning - a website that gamifies science topics.
Gura (2018) also considers the impact of the space we use technology in. When we launched our one-to-one initiative, I found myself standing at the back of the room so I could monitor screens. Now, I've flipped my students' desks around to face the back of the room. When receiving direct instruction, they turn their chairs to face the front and they don't have the distraction of a device in front of them.
My students have choice of digital or paper for most assignments. They're split on how they choose to complete work, frequently going back and forth between paper and digital options. They need a digital break sometimes, and most students still enjoy coloring or doodling on assignments when they finish it on paper. While digital devices don't have to be integrated for every assignment, they are definitely here to stay and educators need to learn when and how to integrate them or risk becoming obsolete themselves.
Citations
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Ready to launch!
Hi there! Let me introduce myself and give a bit of history before we begin this blog to chronicle my journey into Educational Technology.
My name is Haylee Carroll. My husband, Daniel Carroll, and I have two wonderfully different and adventurous children! Daniel and I met skydiving. We recently introduced our children to the iFly wind tunnel and were thrilled that they had so much fun flying. We can't wait for their skill level to rise so we can fly together!
I began teaching in Houston, Texas, in 2005. I enjoyed teaching middle school science, math, ASL, PE, Health for high school credit (face-to-face and virtual), and a variety of other elective courses over a 10 year stay at Cornerstone Academy in Spring Branch ISD.
While at CSA, my husband and I welcomed our 1st child in 2009. I decided to move to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to be closer to family when my husband and I found out we were expecting our second child. She was born in October of 2014, and we moved to DFW in the summer of 2015.
After moving to DFW, I shifted from middle school to high school instruction. I taught high school biology, algebra, and geometry from 2015 to 2016 and then decided to try the stay at home mom gig for a while. I didn't last very long... I ended up working more by staying at home than by teaching because I was trying to keep myself busy by doing as much as I possibly could. I found a job as a community manager for a startup company called Favor. It was a very interesting and rewarding experience. I learned about so many new tech tools and kind of got a techie bug I guess. I started trying to figure out how I could use some of what I learned at Favor back in the classroom - I missed my students so much!
I rejoined education as a 7th grade science teacher in 2017 at DeWitt Perry Middle School in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. I was very fortunate to be asked to join the Digital Learning Project that Google asked our campus to join in 2017. I just completed my 3rd cycle with the DLP in December of 2018. It has been a great tool to help focus energies on finding solutions to specific, identified problems. In addition to the DLP, I also joined a group on our campus that elected to try New Tech Network techniques on our campus during the spring and fall of 2018. Over the summer, I earned my Level 1 and Level 2 Google Certifications. This fall (2018) I decided that I needed to push myself farther and finally pursue my Masters Degree. I was torn between Curriculum and Administration, but I finally landed on Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on Educational Technology. (Those that know me agree that this is the perfect fit!)
Over the course of my teaching career, I've accumulated many certifications and I look forward to adding to the list! I currently hold seven certifications from the Texas State Board for Educator Certification: Life Sciences 8-12, Science 4-8, Math 4-8, Physical Education EC-12, Health EC-12, Core Subjects EC-6, and ESL Supplemental EC-12. Next, I will likely pursue a Tech Apps certificate in addition to my Masters of Education.
So, here we are - ready to launch!
My name is Haylee Carroll. My husband, Daniel Carroll, and I have two wonderfully different and adventurous children! Daniel and I met skydiving. We recently introduced our children to the iFly wind tunnel and were thrilled that they had so much fun flying. We can't wait for their skill level to rise so we can fly together!
I began teaching in Houston, Texas, in 2005. I enjoyed teaching middle school science, math, ASL, PE, Health for high school credit (face-to-face and virtual), and a variety of other elective courses over a 10 year stay at Cornerstone Academy in Spring Branch ISD.
While at CSA, my husband and I welcomed our 1st child in 2009. I decided to move to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to be closer to family when my husband and I found out we were expecting our second child. She was born in October of 2014, and we moved to DFW in the summer of 2015.
After moving to DFW, I shifted from middle school to high school instruction. I taught high school biology, algebra, and geometry from 2015 to 2016 and then decided to try the stay at home mom gig for a while. I didn't last very long... I ended up working more by staying at home than by teaching because I was trying to keep myself busy by doing as much as I possibly could. I found a job as a community manager for a startup company called Favor. It was a very interesting and rewarding experience. I learned about so many new tech tools and kind of got a techie bug I guess. I started trying to figure out how I could use some of what I learned at Favor back in the classroom - I missed my students so much!
I rejoined education as a 7th grade science teacher in 2017 at DeWitt Perry Middle School in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. I was very fortunate to be asked to join the Digital Learning Project that Google asked our campus to join in 2017. I just completed my 3rd cycle with the DLP in December of 2018. It has been a great tool to help focus energies on finding solutions to specific, identified problems. In addition to the DLP, I also joined a group on our campus that elected to try New Tech Network techniques on our campus during the spring and fall of 2018. Over the summer, I earned my Level 1 and Level 2 Google Certifications. This fall (2018) I decided that I needed to push myself farther and finally pursue my Masters Degree. I was torn between Curriculum and Administration, but I finally landed on Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on Educational Technology. (Those that know me agree that this is the perfect fit!)
Over the course of my teaching career, I've accumulated many certifications and I look forward to adding to the list! I currently hold seven certifications from the Texas State Board for Educator Certification: Life Sciences 8-12, Science 4-8, Math 4-8, Physical Education EC-12, Health EC-12, Core Subjects EC-6, and ESL Supplemental EC-12. Next, I will likely pursue a Tech Apps certificate in addition to my Masters of Education.
So, here we are - ready to launch!
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