I found it very difficult to choose a post for evaluation in this module however I chose my interview excerpt for this assignment. The post was evaluated using the rubric provided.
| Subject: Willingness+Awareness+Differentiation leads to Technology Integration | Topic: MA-L2: Interview (Tues Jan 24) |
| Author: Valerie Wells | Date: January 23, 2012 1:18 PM |
Excerpt of interview
Abstract:
JK has been teaching for approximately 9 years. This year she is teaching a grade 4 class of 20 students. The interview took place Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 12:10 pm at Bishop Abraham School in St. John’s, Nl. The interview continued for 25 minutes and was recorded for transcription by the interviewer.
Willingness:
JK is very open to using technology in the classroom. “I’m pretty open and willing to use technology in the classroom…….” Her comfort level is in the areas of Language Arts, Science and Art. “I haven’t used technology for Math teaching, used it mainly for Language Arts and cross curricular with Science and Art.” JK is open to and recognizes the value of using technology but feels overwhelmed by the amount of technology out there, how to choose what is good and then how best to integrate the technology. “It sometimes feels overwhelming, so much you could do but are not doing…….” I think we need to support JK at the school level, in her efforts to integrate technology. Without support will her willingness to use technology continue or will she become overwhelmed? What model of Professional Development will best support JK in her quest to integrate technology into her Mathematics classroom?
Awareness:
JK identified the connection between being aware of what technology is available out there and her use of technology in the classroom. Time and a forum/sharing platform needs to be made available for teachers to collaborate, plan lessons and share ideas. “….main factor that affects the use of technology in the classroom is if I’m aware of the different tools I can be using. If I have a colleague, or somebody sends me an e-mail or comes and talks to me and says this is a good idea, you should try it….” Whether this is school cohort groups or online collaborative conference sites for teachers to meet and collaborate virtually this is obviously a need that needs to be met.
Differentiation:
We differentiate instruction, strategies for our students however professional development has traditionally been one size fits all. Teachers’ technology needs are as diverse as our students’ needs. Professional development needs to be differentiated to meet these needs. As JK said, “When you can sit with someone and tell them what you would like and they can give you suggestions and then you can say this will work or won’t work and then go from there……..small group or one on one sessions about what interests me and then go from there.” PD needs to be teacher driven at the individual school level. In our district PD is beginning to change to try and meet the needs; however it is a slow process. What might work in one school may not work in another. The PD model will have to be flexible to meet teacher technology needs.
Valerie
Rationale
Sense-making: 4.5/5
This module required us to draw upon our personal experiences observations, interviews and course community knowledge. The quotes included clearly substantiate the key words suggested. This post is original and makes practical connections to technology + professional development and use in the classroom. I did not use references due to the nature of the module but in future posts would, if appropriate.
Building community and leadership: 4.5/5
The post is positive, timely and observes the rules of netiquette. I think it contributes to community building by connecting my experiences with the topic to my peers’ experiences. Professional development has been identified by peers as a need in all their contexts. My sharing leads to others sharing and perhaps consensus building. This post did generate some good ideas from peers on professional development delivery. I think I should have ended with a question to encourage even more discussion on the topic.
Communicating: 5/5
This post is clear and concise. It contains no obvious grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. The header is unique and clearly tells the reader what the thread is about.
Total: 14 / 15