Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Tuesdays.
Here are my NFL picks against the spread, stumbling in to week four...
Detroit getting 2.5 from Dallas
WIN
Detroit 34 - Dallas 30
New Orleans giving 7 to Jacksonville
WIN
New Orleans 23 - Jacksonville 10
Philadelphia giving 9.5 to San Francisco
LOSS
San Francisco 24 - Philadelphia 23
Washington giving 2.5 to St. Louis
WIN
Washington 17 - St. Louis 10
Tennessee getting 1 from Cleveland
WIN
Tennessee 31 - Cleveland 13
Buffalo giving 3 to Cincinnati
LOSS
Cincinnati 23 - Buffalo 20
Minnesota giving 3 to Kansas City
LOSS
Kansas City 22 - Minnesota 17
Carolina getting 6.5 from Chicago
WIN
Chicago 34 - Carolina 29
Pittsburgh getting 3.5 from Houston
LOSS
Houston 17 - Pittsburgh 10
Atlanta giving 4.5 to Seattle
LOSS
Atlanta 30 - Seattle 28
NY Giants giving 1 to Arizona
WIN
NY Giants 31 - Arizona 27
San Diego giving 7 to Miami
WIN
San Diego 26 - Miami 16
Green Bay giving 12 to Denver
WIN
Green Bay 49 - Denver 23
New England giving 5 to Oakland
WIN
New England 31 - Oakland 19
Baltimore giving 3.5 to NY Jets
WIN
Baltimore 34 - NY Jets 17
Indianapolis getting 10 from Tampa Bay
WIN
Tampa Bay 24 - Indianapolis 17
WEEK FOUR RECORD: 11-5-0
2011 - 2012 Record: 30-30-4
2010 - 2011 Record: 130-130-7
2009 - 2010 Record: 138-125-4
2008 - 2009 Record: 139-120-8
Scott's Profile Pic
Scott Swindells
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
What Does Technology Integration Look Like?
Hello, everyone. Happy Tuesday to you all.
I'm still working out some ideas that are intriguing me right now that roughly fall into the teach-a-person-to-fish category.
As we replace the EZ Tech program, which did technology lessons for elementary students (independent of curriculum and context), with our own plan to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom, I am seeing a lot of parallels between how we are used to learning and how we teach our students.
For example, many of us learned by sitting in rows and having information presented to us. When it came time for us to apply what we learned, those of us who had really good memories or took very good notes were able to succeed and move on to the next topic. Or grade. Or degree.
Those of us who couldn't, often didn't.
Teachers usually succeeded in school and now hold one or several advanced degrees. We excelled at playing the school game, and many of us teach the way we were taught. But it is a different world, and many of us have even changed the way we learn without realizing it, or making the leap to change the way we teach.
Teachers in my training sessions, by overwhelming majority, learn a new skill better when they figure it out for themselves (with some "expert" guidance) than they do when someone learns it for them and demonstrates it. However, we're all in a perpetual time crunch, so we often ask someone to email us instructions for doing something we could learn on our own.
Let me ask you to think about this: of the last five things you figured out for yourself or learned by doing, how many can you still do well? Now, of the last five things that you needed to do for which someone sent you an email with instructions that you read, followed, and deleted, how many can you still do well? Or at all? Or do you email that same person again for the same instructions?
I know I'm guilty of taking the easy way out. How many times have I asked my colleague Glenn to show me the same thing on SMART Notebook or Moodle? So when a fellow teacher asks me to share instructions for something that he or she could easily find online, I am fully aware of the hypocrisy in the urge that creeps up for me to send a link to Let Me Google That For You (a great website that answers the person's question by showing him or her how you would have found the answer for yourself in a Google search).
As our teachers move from the old way of doing technology instruction (EZ Tech) and are thrust into the new way (hands-on, discovery learning, directly related to curricular goals), we will all be frustrated at times. It's difficult to do! There isn't a clear path we can all follow! Every student has different skills and needs! There are several different approaches a student could take to solve a problem or master a skill using technology.
To that end, let me share this link:
It is a technology integration matrix created by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, and it gives examples for each level of technology integration and type of use with descriptions and videos.
I would love to create one of these with our own teachers' examples, but for now, as a resource (or idea-sparker) for teachers who are working without the EZ-Tech program for the first time, it's a good site to actually see what technology integration looks like in a variety of different circumstances.
They won't necessarily match your exact need... but the idea is there. Technology skills are built in real-time, in response to need, and when the learner sees the value in mastering a new skill and is ready to work.
I'm still working out some ideas that are intriguing me right now that roughly fall into the teach-a-person-to-fish category.
As we replace the EZ Tech program, which did technology lessons for elementary students (independent of curriculum and context), with our own plan to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom, I am seeing a lot of parallels between how we are used to learning and how we teach our students.
For example, many of us learned by sitting in rows and having information presented to us. When it came time for us to apply what we learned, those of us who had really good memories or took very good notes were able to succeed and move on to the next topic. Or grade. Or degree.
Those of us who couldn't, often didn't.
Teachers usually succeeded in school and now hold one or several advanced degrees. We excelled at playing the school game, and many of us teach the way we were taught. But it is a different world, and many of us have even changed the way we learn without realizing it, or making the leap to change the way we teach.
Teachers in my training sessions, by overwhelming majority, learn a new skill better when they figure it out for themselves (with some "expert" guidance) than they do when someone learns it for them and demonstrates it. However, we're all in a perpetual time crunch, so we often ask someone to email us instructions for doing something we could learn on our own.
Let me ask you to think about this: of the last five things you figured out for yourself or learned by doing, how many can you still do well? Now, of the last five things that you needed to do for which someone sent you an email with instructions that you read, followed, and deleted, how many can you still do well? Or at all? Or do you email that same person again for the same instructions?
I know I'm guilty of taking the easy way out. How many times have I asked my colleague Glenn to show me the same thing on SMART Notebook or Moodle? So when a fellow teacher asks me to share instructions for something that he or she could easily find online, I am fully aware of the hypocrisy in the urge that creeps up for me to send a link to Let Me Google That For You (a great website that answers the person's question by showing him or her how you would have found the answer for yourself in a Google search).
As our teachers move from the old way of doing technology instruction (EZ Tech) and are thrust into the new way (hands-on, discovery learning, directly related to curricular goals), we will all be frustrated at times. It's difficult to do! There isn't a clear path we can all follow! Every student has different skills and needs! There are several different approaches a student could take to solve a problem or master a skill using technology.
To that end, let me share this link:
It is a technology integration matrix created by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, and it gives examples for each level of technology integration and type of use with descriptions and videos.
I would love to create one of these with our own teachers' examples, but for now, as a resource (or idea-sparker) for teachers who are working without the EZ-Tech program for the first time, it's a good site to actually see what technology integration looks like in a variety of different circumstances.
They won't necessarily match your exact need... but the idea is there. Technology skills are built in real-time, in response to need, and when the learner sees the value in mastering a new skill and is ready to work.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
NFL Picks ~ Week Three
Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Tuesdays.
As I've done for about a decade now, every Thursday I will publish my picks against the spread for every NFL game. This is purely for fun and in no way am I suggesting anyone gamble using my picks... unless you'd like to part with your money!
After the first two weeks, I am off to the worst start to a season in my recorded history (and I do record it... I've been making these picks on a wiki for a few years, and on paper prior to that, ever since I was a kid). I usually do pretty well, so I must be due for a hot streak! Here goes...
WEEK THREE PICKS
As I've done for about a decade now, every Thursday I will publish my picks against the spread for every NFL game. This is purely for fun and in no way am I suggesting anyone gamble using my picks... unless you'd like to part with your money!
After the first two weeks, I am off to the worst start to a season in my recorded history (and I do record it... I've been making these picks on a wiki for a few years, and on paper prior to that, ever since I was a kid). I usually do pretty well, so I must be due for a hot streak! Here goes...
WEEK THREE PICKS
7-9-0
San Francisco getting 2.5 from Cincinnati
Buffalo getting 8.5 from New England
New Orleans giving 4 to Houston
Philadelphia giving 7.5 to NY Giants
Tennessee giving 6.5 to Denver
Detroit giving 3.5 to Minnesota
Carolina giving 3.5 to Jacksonville
San Diego giving 14.5 to Kansas City
NY Jets giving 3.5 to Oakland
Atlanta getting 1.5 from Tampa Bay
Arizona giving 3.5 to Seattle
Green Bay giving 3.5 to Chicago
Pittsburgh giving 10.5 to Indianapolis
Washington getting 5.5 from Dallas
San Francisco getting 2.5 from Cincinnati
WIN
San Francisco 13 - Cincinnati 8
Buffalo getting 8.5 from New England
WIN
Buffalo 34 - New England 31
New Orleans giving 4 to Houston
WIN
New Orleans 40 - Houston 34
Philadelphia giving 7.5 to NY Giants
LOSS
NY Giants 29 - Philadelphia 16
Cleveland giving 2.5 to Miami
LOSS
Cleveland 17 - Miami 16
Tennessee giving 6.5 to Denver
LOSS
Tennessee 17 - Denver 14
Detroit giving 3.5 to Minnesota
LOSS
Detroit 26 - Minnesota 23
Carolina giving 3.5 to Jacksonville
WIN
Carolina 16 - Jacksonville 10
San Diego giving 14.5 to Kansas City
LOSS
San Diego 20 - Kansas City 17
NY Jets giving 3.5 to Oakland
LOSS
Oakland 34 - NY Jets 24
Baltimore giving 4 to St. Louis
WIN
Baltimore 37 - St. Louis 7
Atlanta getting 1.5 from Tampa Bay
LOSS
Tampa Bay 16 - Atlanta 13
Arizona giving 3.5 to Seattle
LOSS
Seattle 13 - Arizona 10
Green Bay giving 3.5 to Chicago
WIN
Green Bay 27 - Chicago 17
Pittsburgh giving 10.5 to Indianapolis
LOSS
Pittsburgh 23 - Indianapolis 20
Washington getting 5.5 from Dallas
WIN
Dallas 18 - Washington 16
WEEK THREE RECORD: 7-9-0
2011 - 2012 Record: 19-25-4
2010 - 2011 Record: 130-130-7
2009 - 2010 Record: 138-125-4
2008 - 2009 Record: 139-120-8
WEEK THREE RECORD: 7-9-0
2011 - 2012 Record: 19-25-4
2010 - 2011 Record: 130-130-7
2009 - 2010 Record: 138-125-4
2008 - 2009 Record: 139-120-8
It's Not Tuesday...
...it's Thursday.
It seems like I blinked my eyes and this week was gone. It certainly wasn't a lack of work that made this week pass by in a flash. In fact, it's the opposite.
I walked in to the office on Monday morning and started answering emails, walk-ins, and help requests. I can't remember a moment this week I wasn't doing at least two things at once.
I wonder if I am still doing things as well as I'd like, because I know it's difficult to give anything the full attention it deserves when doing several things at once.
I won't go into tons of detail about all the projects going on, but they are coming non stop. I looked outside at my lawn as I drove home today and noticed it was half-mowed. There is a line right down the middle, where I left off when it got dark on Sunday night.
Seriously, how did it get to be Thursday already?
Who's got some advice for slowing things down a bit?
I'm working on a good blog topic for Tuesday, something that came out of my mouth during a training session today that I need to develop a little more fully and write about. A room full of educators was sharing how busy all of us had been this week with all the new changes we've been encountering this new school year. I said that I'd like to say it'll pass and we'll get the hang of it, but instead I suspect that things are not going to slow down for any of us. There are exponentially more new things that come our way in technology, education, at our jobs, in our lives in general. I am interested in exploring ways we can prepare our students for a world where the number one thing they will need to do is solve new and often unforeseen issues as they come at them in real time.
Doing the odd numbers on the multiple choice worksheet simply won't cut it.
Talk to you next Tuesday.
It seems like I blinked my eyes and this week was gone. It certainly wasn't a lack of work that made this week pass by in a flash. In fact, it's the opposite.
I walked in to the office on Monday morning and started answering emails, walk-ins, and help requests. I can't remember a moment this week I wasn't doing at least two things at once.
I wonder if I am still doing things as well as I'd like, because I know it's difficult to give anything the full attention it deserves when doing several things at once.
I won't go into tons of detail about all the projects going on, but they are coming non stop. I looked outside at my lawn as I drove home today and noticed it was half-mowed. There is a line right down the middle, where I left off when it got dark on Sunday night.
Seriously, how did it get to be Thursday already?
Who's got some advice for slowing things down a bit?
I'm working on a good blog topic for Tuesday, something that came out of my mouth during a training session today that I need to develop a little more fully and write about. A room full of educators was sharing how busy all of us had been this week with all the new changes we've been encountering this new school year. I said that I'd like to say it'll pass and we'll get the hang of it, but instead I suspect that things are not going to slow down for any of us. There are exponentially more new things that come our way in technology, education, at our jobs, in our lives in general. I am interested in exploring ways we can prepare our students for a world where the number one thing they will need to do is solve new and often unforeseen issues as they come at them in real time.
Doing the odd numbers on the multiple choice worksheet simply won't cut it.
Talk to you next Tuesday.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
NFL Picks ~ Week Two
Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Tuesdays.
As I've done for about a decade now, every Thursday I will publish my picks against the spread for every NFL game. This is purely for fun and in no way am I suggesting anyone gamble using my picks... unless you'd like to part with your money!
WEEK TWO PICKS:
New Orleans giving 6.5 to Chicago
WIN
New Orleans 30 - Chicago 13
Detroit giving 8 to Kansas City
WIN
Detroit 48 - Kansas City 3
NY Jets giving 9 to Jacksonville
WIN
NY Jets 32 - Jacksonville 3
Buffalo giving 3 to Oakland
PUSH
Buffalo 38 - Oakland 35
Arizona getting 3.5 from Washington
WIN
Washington 22 - Arizona 21
Baltimore giving 6 to Tennessee
LOSS
Tennessee 26 - Baltimore 13
Pittsburgh giving 14 to Seattle
WIN
Pittsburgh 24 - Seattle 0
Green Bay giving 10 to Carolina
LOSS
Green Bay 30 - Carolina 23
Minnesota giving 3 to Tampa Bay
LOSS
Tampa Bay 24 - Minnesota 20
Indianapolis getting 2 from Cleveland
LOSS
Cleveland 27 - Indianapolis 19
San Francisco getting 3 from Dallas
PUSH
Dallas 23 - San Francisco 20
Houston giving 3 to Miami
WIN
Houston 23 - Miami 13
New England giving 6.5 to San Diego
WIN
New England 35 - San Diego 21
Denver giving 3.5 to Cincinnati
LOSS
Denver 24 - Cincinnati 22
Philadelphia giving 2.5 to Atlanta
LOSS
Atlanta 35 - Philadelphia 31
St. Louis getting 6 from NY Giants
LOSS
NY Giants 28 - St. Louis 16
WEEK TWO RECORD: 7-7-2
2011 - 2012 Record: 12-16-4
2010 - 2011 Record: 130-130-7
2009 - 2010 Record: 138-125-4
2008 - 2009 Record: 139-120-8
As I've done for about a decade now, every Thursday I will publish my picks against the spread for every NFL game. This is purely for fun and in no way am I suggesting anyone gamble using my picks... unless you'd like to part with your money!
WEEK TWO PICKS:
New Orleans giving 6.5 to Chicago
WIN
New Orleans 30 - Chicago 13
Detroit giving 8 to Kansas City
WIN
Detroit 48 - Kansas City 3
NY Jets giving 9 to Jacksonville
WIN
NY Jets 32 - Jacksonville 3
Buffalo giving 3 to Oakland
PUSH
Buffalo 38 - Oakland 35
Arizona getting 3.5 from Washington
WIN
Washington 22 - Arizona 21
Baltimore giving 6 to Tennessee
LOSS
Tennessee 26 - Baltimore 13
Pittsburgh giving 14 to Seattle
WIN
Pittsburgh 24 - Seattle 0
Green Bay giving 10 to Carolina
LOSS
Green Bay 30 - Carolina 23
Minnesota giving 3 to Tampa Bay
LOSS
Tampa Bay 24 - Minnesota 20
Indianapolis getting 2 from Cleveland
LOSS
Cleveland 27 - Indianapolis 19
San Francisco getting 3 from Dallas
PUSH
Dallas 23 - San Francisco 20
Houston giving 3 to Miami
WIN
Houston 23 - Miami 13
New England giving 6.5 to San Diego
WIN
New England 35 - San Diego 21
Denver giving 3.5 to Cincinnati
LOSS
Denver 24 - Cincinnati 22
Philadelphia giving 2.5 to Atlanta
LOSS
Atlanta 35 - Philadelphia 31
St. Louis getting 6 from NY Giants
LOSS
NY Giants 28 - St. Louis 16
WEEK TWO RECORD: 7-7-2
2011 - 2012 Record: 12-16-4
2010 - 2011 Record: 130-130-7
2009 - 2010 Record: 138-125-4
2008 - 2009 Record: 139-120-8
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Organization
So tech coaches all must realize after a few years how important organization is to our job.
We come across more resources for ed tech than we know what to do with, and save links to them ... everywhere.
We end up with so many files, tutorials, podcasts and links to great sites that sometimes, when that situation comes along where a teacher needs that exact app -- that exact site, program, etc. -- it is difficult to find it again!
We try to keep everything in one place, where it makes sense for people to find it, but eventually that space gets so filled that we'd need to put in a search function for the page, or rearrange pages in our web sites.
Let me ask you this:
How do you organize your coaching or technology web sites and wikis so that everyone can find, contribute to, or share whatever it is they are looking for?
We come across more resources for ed tech than we know what to do with, and save links to them ... everywhere.
We end up with so many files, tutorials, podcasts and links to great sites that sometimes, when that situation comes along where a teacher needs that exact app -- that exact site, program, etc. -- it is difficult to find it again!
We try to keep everything in one place, where it makes sense for people to find it, but eventually that space gets so filled that we'd need to put in a search function for the page, or rearrange pages in our web sites.
Let me ask you this:
How do you organize your coaching or technology web sites and wikis so that everyone can find, contribute to, or share whatever it is they are looking for?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
NFL Picks ~ Week One
Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Tuesdays.
As I've done for about a decade now, every Thursday I will publish my picks against the spread for every NFL game. This is purely for fun and in no way am I suggesting anyone gamble using my picks... unless you'd like to part with your money!
WEEK ONE PICKS:
Green Bay giving 5 to New Orleans
WIN
Green Bay 42 - New Orleans 34
Pittsburgh getting 1.5 from Baltimore
LOSS
Baltimore 35 - Pittsburgh 7
Tampa Bay giving 1.5 to Detroit
LOSS
Detroit 27 - Tampa Bay 20
Chicago getting 3 from Atlanta
WIN
Chicago 30 - Atlanta 12
Kansas City giving 6 to Buffalo
LOSS
Buffal0 41 - Kansas City 7
Indianapolis getting 8.5 from Houston
LOSS
Houston 34 - Indianapolis 7
Philadelphia giving 4.5 to St. Louis
WIN
Philadelphia 31 - St. Louis 13
Cleveland giving 6.5 to Cincinnati
LOSS
Cincinnati 27 - Cleveland 17
Tennessee getting 2 from Jacksonville
PUSH
Jacksonville 16 - Tennessee 14
NY Giants giving 3 to Washington
LOSS
Washington 28 - NY Giants 14
Arizona giving 7 to Carolina
PUSH
Arizona 28 - Carolina 21
Seattle getting 5.5 from San Francisco
LOSS
San Francisco 33 - Seattle 17
Minnesota getting 8.5 from San Diego
WIN
San Diego 24 - Minnesota 17
NY Jets giving 5 to Dallas
LOSS
NY Jets 27 - Dallas 24
New England giving 7 to Miami
WIN
New England 38 - Miami 24
Denver giving 3 to Oakland
LOSS
Oakland 23 - Denver 20
WEEK ONE RECORD: 5-9-2
2011 - 2012 Record: 5-9-2
2010 - 2011 Record: 130-130-7
2009 - 2010 Record: 138-125-4
2008 - 2009 Record: 139-120-8
As I've done for about a decade now, every Thursday I will publish my picks against the spread for every NFL game. This is purely for fun and in no way am I suggesting anyone gamble using my picks... unless you'd like to part with your money!
WEEK ONE PICKS:
Green Bay giving 5 to New Orleans
WIN
Green Bay 42 - New Orleans 34
Pittsburgh getting 1.5 from Baltimore
LOSS
Baltimore 35 - Pittsburgh 7
Tampa Bay giving 1.5 to Detroit
LOSS
Detroit 27 - Tampa Bay 20
Chicago getting 3 from Atlanta
WIN
Chicago 30 - Atlanta 12
Kansas City giving 6 to Buffalo
LOSS
Buffal0 41 - Kansas City 7
Indianapolis getting 8.5 from Houston
LOSS
Houston 34 - Indianapolis 7
Philadelphia giving 4.5 to St. Louis
WIN
Philadelphia 31 - St. Louis 13
Cleveland giving 6.5 to Cincinnati
LOSS
Cincinnati 27 - Cleveland 17
Tennessee getting 2 from Jacksonville
PUSH
Jacksonville 16 - Tennessee 14
NY Giants giving 3 to Washington
LOSS
Washington 28 - NY Giants 14
Arizona giving 7 to Carolina
PUSH
Arizona 28 - Carolina 21
Seattle getting 5.5 from San Francisco
LOSS
San Francisco 33 - Seattle 17
Minnesota getting 8.5 from San Diego
WIN
San Diego 24 - Minnesota 17
NY Jets giving 5 to Dallas
LOSS
NY Jets 27 - Dallas 24
New England giving 7 to Miami
WIN
New England 38 - Miami 24
Denver giving 3 to Oakland
LOSS
Oakland 23 - Denver 20
WEEK ONE RECORD: 5-9-2
2011 - 2012 Record: 5-9-2
2010 - 2011 Record: 130-130-7
2009 - 2010 Record: 138-125-4
2008 - 2009 Record: 139-120-8
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
L_V_NG W_TH V_C_NC__S
The students returned to the classrooms in our district today. We are "living with vacancies," not filling many of the positions left vacant by retirement or other causes, so we are entering this year with fewer people to get the job done, but still with the absolute need to get the job done for the thousands of students who came into our 17 buildings today.
Having seen over the summer months some of the effects that this can have on an organization as large as ours, including fewer offerings of flex training sessions, fewer people to work on new initiatives, and a much smaller crop of new teachers being inducted, I was a little apprehensive about what this would look like when the school year began in earnest.
In my own position, two of us are working to do the work previously done by four people. I am happy to welcome Glenn Yetter, who has stepped into the other AIC position and hit the ground running. With really only four work days under our belts this year, we have already logged close to 50 instances of tech integration, thanks in large part to Glenn's ability to drop in, during in-service days, on many of the teachers in classrooms newly outfitted with SMART Boards, and give them an on-the-spot, 20-minute basic training that will enable them to be comfortable getting started with the new equipment. His idea filled a need created by the constraints of our budget, which affords us the ability to offer only about half of the training sessions we'd offered in previous years, and requires teachers to earn half of the flex hours previously required of them. One of the training sessions we had not been able to offer early enough in the year was on SMART Boards and Notebook software, but Glenn has been finding ways to get the two of us in front of the teachers who need training to get started with the newly installed equipment in time for the new school year. Now perhaps we can all pursuade him to publish a weekly reflections blog and share some of his secrets!
We have also trained close to 70 teachers in three flex sessions we've offered since mid-August, putting us on a great pace to help even more teachers than last year integrate technology into their classrooms. It has been an exciting start, but it has not been without its roadblocks.
We have several new systems, new hardware in most buildings, a new operating system on newly reimaged computers, and new printing procedures in place that have replaced classroom printers with print stations. These changes have not been without the usual expected snags, and when combined with the way a decrease in employees means everyone is taking on more jobs, there have been plenty of extra questions and requests for immediate help sent our way so far.
I've not only done extra work, but I've caused extra work for others myself. Today, for example, I dropped the ball with something I'm usually on top of, neglecting to get the teacher web pages turned on for the participants in my training session. This led to another person who caught the oversight taking on unexpected work, which she did quickly and efficiently. While I won't make that mistake again, I'm sure I will make others, as will we all at some points this year. We've got student clubs and activities without advisors, so others are taking on more roles to help out. We've got fewer staff in almost every area, so everyone will be working with more tasks and responsibilities than we've been used to in the past.
Our situation is not unique to our district, but can be found everywhere. We got here because our assosciation, consisting of teachers who are among the lowest paid in the county and are working on two consecutive sub-par contracts, could not afford to take a pay freeze for a second consecutive year. We are here because our school board could not afford to raise taxes in a difficult economy in an election year. We are here for many reasons, but we are not the only ones here, and we are all living with vacancies. I began to fear what this phrase would mean when students walked in to our buildings today.
What I saw, however, was very encouraging. Yes, there had been a lot of talk about the printing difficulties, and the things we'd lost in the changes to different systems, applications and programs. And yes, walking through the halls during class time clearly showed that our classrooms were filled with students and very few empty seats. But I also saw and heard positive messages from teachers. I witnessed professionals being kind to each other and understanding of setbacks caused by our increased responsibilities. I saw a more visible teacher presence in the hallways at the high school, and district-wide colleagues in after school training sessions who were willing to work through adversity without complaint.
Our teachers are willing to overcome obstacles and achieve the same -- or greater -- results with fewer resources for our students, because we don't believe in doing anything less. This makes me proud to be a part of this group of outstanding educators, and keeps me motivated to do anything I can to help.
So how can the Academic Integration Coaches help you? Please click our help request and let us know how... and we'll come to you!
Have a great school year, everyone.
Having seen over the summer months some of the effects that this can have on an organization as large as ours, including fewer offerings of flex training sessions, fewer people to work on new initiatives, and a much smaller crop of new teachers being inducted, I was a little apprehensive about what this would look like when the school year began in earnest.
In my own position, two of us are working to do the work previously done by four people. I am happy to welcome Glenn Yetter, who has stepped into the other AIC position and hit the ground running. With really only four work days under our belts this year, we have already logged close to 50 instances of tech integration, thanks in large part to Glenn's ability to drop in, during in-service days, on many of the teachers in classrooms newly outfitted with SMART Boards, and give them an on-the-spot, 20-minute basic training that will enable them to be comfortable getting started with the new equipment. His idea filled a need created by the constraints of our budget, which affords us the ability to offer only about half of the training sessions we'd offered in previous years, and requires teachers to earn half of the flex hours previously required of them. One of the training sessions we had not been able to offer early enough in the year was on SMART Boards and Notebook software, but Glenn has been finding ways to get the two of us in front of the teachers who need training to get started with the newly installed equipment in time for the new school year. Now perhaps we can all pursuade him to publish a weekly reflections blog and share some of his secrets!
We have also trained close to 70 teachers in three flex sessions we've offered since mid-August, putting us on a great pace to help even more teachers than last year integrate technology into their classrooms. It has been an exciting start, but it has not been without its roadblocks.
We have several new systems, new hardware in most buildings, a new operating system on newly reimaged computers, and new printing procedures in place that have replaced classroom printers with print stations. These changes have not been without the usual expected snags, and when combined with the way a decrease in employees means everyone is taking on more jobs, there have been plenty of extra questions and requests for immediate help sent our way so far.
I've not only done extra work, but I've caused extra work for others myself. Today, for example, I dropped the ball with something I'm usually on top of, neglecting to get the teacher web pages turned on for the participants in my training session. This led to another person who caught the oversight taking on unexpected work, which she did quickly and efficiently. While I won't make that mistake again, I'm sure I will make others, as will we all at some points this year. We've got student clubs and activities without advisors, so others are taking on more roles to help out. We've got fewer staff in almost every area, so everyone will be working with more tasks and responsibilities than we've been used to in the past.
Our situation is not unique to our district, but can be found everywhere. We got here because our assosciation, consisting of teachers who are among the lowest paid in the county and are working on two consecutive sub-par contracts, could not afford to take a pay freeze for a second consecutive year. We are here because our school board could not afford to raise taxes in a difficult economy in an election year. We are here for many reasons, but we are not the only ones here, and we are all living with vacancies. I began to fear what this phrase would mean when students walked in to our buildings today.
What I saw, however, was very encouraging. Yes, there had been a lot of talk about the printing difficulties, and the things we'd lost in the changes to different systems, applications and programs. And yes, walking through the halls during class time clearly showed that our classrooms were filled with students and very few empty seats. But I also saw and heard positive messages from teachers. I witnessed professionals being kind to each other and understanding of setbacks caused by our increased responsibilities. I saw a more visible teacher presence in the hallways at the high school, and district-wide colleagues in after school training sessions who were willing to work through adversity without complaint.
Our teachers are willing to overcome obstacles and achieve the same -- or greater -- results with fewer resources for our students, because we don't believe in doing anything less. This makes me proud to be a part of this group of outstanding educators, and keeps me motivated to do anything I can to help.
So how can the Academic Integration Coaches help you? Please click our help request and let us know how... and we'll come to you!
Have a great school year, everyone.
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