In a review of the past 18 months, I can see that I have grown exponentially in terms of my knowledge of and appreciation for technology in the educational process. Despite my growth, I know I still have areas where I need to develop in order to be a strong technology leader at my school. Below I outline two specific areas where I plan to focus my efforts in the coming months.
Continue to create, plan and present professional development opportunities. I am a teacher. At the end of the day, the most rewarding part of my job is when one of my students comprehends a new concept or understands something after a period of struggle. As such, my favorite part of this program was working with colleagues to learn about technology, and “paying it forward” with my technology knowledge and skills. I plan to continue planning and leading future sessions on instructional technology and technological resources. There continues to be a demand for further training on Google apps as our district begins moving towards being a Google School Site. My co-workers have also expressed a desire to incorporate other technology tools into their lessons and teaching practice. In order to lead effective sessions, I must also continue to further my own technology content knowledge. This goal will help me continue to grow in ISTE-C standards 4 and 6.
Improve the development and implementation of student technological tools. In the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) era, it is critical that teachers prepare students for web-based testing. In addition, it is vital that learners know how to integrate their learning into the technology with which they need to be familiar. Therefore, I plan to locate and help implement web-based tools and resources that teachers and students can use to complete these CCSS assessments. As such, I will need to spend time keeping abreast of new technologies and best practices that support student learning. These actions will help me demonstrate competence in ISTE-C standard 3.
Continue to create, plan and present professional development opportunities. I am a teacher. At the end of the day, the most rewarding part of my job is when one of my students comprehends a new concept or understands something after a period of struggle. As such, my favorite part of this program was working with colleagues to learn about technology, and “paying it forward” with my technology knowledge and skills. I plan to continue planning and leading future sessions on instructional technology and technological resources. There continues to be a demand for further training on Google apps as our district begins moving towards being a Google School Site. My co-workers have also expressed a desire to incorporate other technology tools into their lessons and teaching practice. In order to lead effective sessions, I must also continue to further my own technology content knowledge. This goal will help me continue to grow in ISTE-C standards 4 and 6.
Improve the development and implementation of student technological tools. In the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) era, it is critical that teachers prepare students for web-based testing. In addition, it is vital that learners know how to integrate their learning into the technology with which they need to be familiar. Therefore, I plan to locate and help implement web-based tools and resources that teachers and students can use to complete these CCSS assessments. As such, I will need to spend time keeping abreast of new technologies and best practices that support student learning. These actions will help me demonstrate competence in ISTE-C standard 3.