Goals

This past fall each individual set a personal technology goal and an instruction classroom technology goal. After assessing these, 83% felt they reached their personal tech goal in some capacity--meaning some actually had multiple aspects to their goal and mastered it to a certain degree. This leaves 3% that did not meet this goal and one TBD (this is scheduled to take place shortly). 96% of us stated we met the classroom/instructional goal, leaving 4% that did not. The feedback regarding goals was very positive. Many individuals stated they were still focusing on these items and wanted to improve upon them next year. I personally am thrilled by all that we have accomplished at the IS and look forward to next year and what it brings.

What about our direction for next year? We have a tech book study group that will spend valuable time researching and checking into various resources for our building. They will have different opportunities (blog, staff meetings, PD days etc.) to share these with our building. There was discussion of this group (along with any other interested individuals) creating tutorials on topics such as: options in SISK12, running AR or Star reports, how to create a detention letter, sending an office referral, etc. Another great resource will be the District's technology coordinator and having regular scheduled meetings during team plan periods with her. Some of the items that have been suggested are: clickers, blogs, merging clickers with Discovery Education probes, and the Discovery Education system.

I encourage you to add your thoughts regarding our growth in technology, and any additional thoughts you have about what you would like to see happen in the future.

Technology--Moving Forward

We are all aware of how important it is for students to identify similarities and differences--what better way to teach these than through technology. Once again, we hear of Inspiration as a possible tool; I was recently in a classroom in which students were creating a concept map. There was discussion of students using Inspiration in the future for a similar assignment. Students were excited by this idea...one student saying, "It would be so much better than doing it on paper!" I believe this sums up the majority of how our students feel. Hopefully with the addition of our new computers in the library, more opportunities will arise for incorporating technology. In chapter 9 there is also discussion of using Microsoft Word Drawing tools. I think students would find this very engaging and the perfect way to teach a lesson on similarities and differences (and other concepts as well). I personally love the classification charts and analogy puzzles. Why not have students create their own analogy to share with classmates? They would not just be solving but using higher order thinking in order to create. One 5th grade teacher recently shared how she does an analogy a day with her students--Fantastic! How neat it would be for students to also create and share their own! Sometimes I think the hard part is obtaining the resources to do what we want. What I find encouraging about the ideas in this chapter is that we already have them at our fingertips.

Chapter 10-I think we could have multiple discussions regarding homework and practice. This could be a topic of its own. I like the various web resources available in this chapter to support both homework and practice. Teachers in our building are incorporating Google Docs into lessons. There is more and more technology being incorporated daily; it is very exciting!

Technology Chapters 5 & 6

"According to Marzano's original meta-analysis (l998), using graphic representations had one of the highest impacts on student achievement." Inspiration, Microsoft Word Drawing toolbar, and SmartTools with SmartBoards are mentioned as excellent resources for non-linguistic representation. It is encouraging that these tools are at our fingertips and technology can be incorporated into existing lessons. I especially like the sound of Inspiration's Template folder that can be used for vocabulary. This would be a meaningful and engaging method to introduce and/or review vocabulary. The cause and effect graphic organizer in Word would deepen understanding.

"Research indicates that multimedia has the most effect on student learning when the student is the creator (Siegle & Foster, 2000). Once again, I feel lucky that we have items in place to help with this. Flip video cameras, the digital camera and movie maker are all tools we can use to enhance student learning.

Note-taking and summarizing are skills students need to perfect since they will be using these throughout their educational career. Once again, many of these tools are items we already have. I like the idea of AutoSummarize in Word and using pictographs and Blogs.

I'm excited about the technology that is being used in all our classes! I know change is not always easy but this is what is best for kids. As Frederick Wilcox said, "Progress involves risk. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first."

Using Technology

Chapter 1: Setting objectives or goals...this is done daily within the classroom. It is recommended that goals are flexible, that students have a say in the goals, goals should be communicated, and a contract with students might be a possibility. I think using the KWL chart to help students set goals is ideal. It lends itself to making connections, builds on background knowledge, tracks what students know, what they want to learn, and what they ultimately do learn. Having step-by-step directions from our book study on how to create the KWL chart makes this teacher friendly. Inspiration is another great tool which is at our fingertips. I think we sometimes forget about it, but it could actually be used for many lessons including goal setting. I like the use of surveys too; what an easy tool. I can see taking a class to the computer lab to take a survey about objectives/goals or using it as a pre-assessment. I used Survey Monkey for our school staff song; it is free and very user friendly. I think students would enjoy using it too. This chapter has so much useful information; I have to comment on the blog and rubric sections of the chapter as well. These tie in directly with our Building Improvement Plan and Professional Development Plan.

Chapter 2: Providing Feedback...is "the most powerful single innovation that enhances achievement." I believe feedback is critical and that it needs to be timely. I love the Microsoft Word tools, the readability scale and insert comments features, for feedback. I think students could use the comments feature to peer-edit documents that are saved on the G drive. Another item that we already have is clickers which allows for 100% student engagement. I have seen great instructional and assessment lessons in our building using the clickers!

Technology...Where Would We Be Without It?

Technology. I love it, but it doesn't always love me. Or at least that is the way I feel at times, but I know that I would be lost without it. It is a part of our lives that is here to stay, well, until it changes and advances again. It is what our kids are used to though. Even though it can be a little more challenging to some of us, we need to shift in that direction and provide our students what they need and want and what engages them. I think it may partially be a fear of the unknown. For example, I was dragging my feet with just creating this blog. In hindsight, I don't know what I was scare of; it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be. I even thought, "Wow, that was easy." I know I need to continue to learn more about it and use more of the gadgets that are available. I think a big part of it is getting our feet wet and finding what is useful and user friendly for us. I also signed up for a Twitter account, but I feel I'm a Twitter dud...it isn't one of those items I find myself going back to. I know there is a lot that is offered from it, I just need to figure out how I want to use it and when. I think that is true for many of us.

I am very excited about the goals that have been set by each person in our school. We are moving in the right direction, one day at a time, a few steps at a time, and for some, by leaps and bounds! I encourage you to continue growing and learning with and about technology. I am your cheerleader!

"What Gets Measured, Gets Improved"

Comprehension is limited without fluency. Think about material that is difficult for you to read. For me, one item that falls under this category is legal documents. I often have to slow my reading down and re-read the material in order to comprehend it. Good readers know these strategies; poor readers do not. I think there are several strategies that can be done in the classroom to help improve fluency.

First, I feel it is important for teachers to model good reading. The modeling should include expressive tone; it is recommended this is done daily, even if it is for a few short minutes. When teachers have a few minutes just before the dismissal bell and the lesson has concluded, this is the ideal time to model good reading; this should also help with classroom management.

There are many activities that help improve fluency. Reader's theater is one format for improving fluency. It allows for ample opportunities for students to work on expression and delivery. Other possibilities include: taping students and providing feedback, pairing a strong, fluent reader with a struggling reader and have them echo read, using fractured fairy tales, putting different people/perspectives on the board and having students practice voice. It is important to find what works for your students. I caution that Round Robin Reading is one of the least effective tools to use.

Another strategy for improving fluency is providing continuous reading practice with direct feedback. This should include repeated readings of the same text and can include emphasis on pacing, expression and chunking.

I think our next step, fluency running records in addition to Star testing, will be a key component to helping our students become better readers. If we are continually monitoring our students' progress, we will be better able to assist them with what they need. Fluency checks are an essential piece.

Literacy Strategies and Struggling Readers

"...our classrooms must become inviting places that make students want to partake of what we offer. Reading must be seen as helpful, interesting, and a means to achieve the big-picture goals in their lives. The task for teachers, then, is not selecting work that is particularly exciting, but rather work that is meaningful and helps students to be self-motivated" (Tankersley 15).

What language should teachers be using? What language should students be using? It is important to remember that many struggling readers are not familiar with key words and terms that we use on a regular basis. We need to provide meaningful lessons, including modeling and helping to build background information . This allows students to make connections therefore making the material meaningful which is key to student learning. A variety of reading materials should be used to accomplish this. Textbooks are only one piece of the puzzle--they should not be the only resource nor should they be read cover to cover. Try magazines, newspapers, websites, picture books, etc.

Some of the common language shared between teachers and students should include: compare, contrast, infer, predict, analyze, similarities, differences, discuss, explain, support, describe, trace, evaluate, formulate, and summarize. Students should also be practicing the technique of "in my head" and "in the book" as well as using these terms.

Classroom Word Walls (word webs) provide the perfect display of these words. Students can create their own word web using technology...this would make a great topic for another post!

Chapter 1 of the book Literacy Strategies for Grades 4-12 Reinforcing the Threads of Reading covers struggling readers. Classroom activities to promote reading starts on page 21. Many teachers in our building already have student theater productions/reader's theater. On page 21, the book takes this a step further having the students write their own reader's theater production and performing it. This can easily be done in content areas or Rooster Reading (teachers can also turn script in to a production). Need more help with reader's theater? Try: http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/stratReadersTheater.html

Reflect on your reading strategies and experiences in your content area and Rooster Reading. What in particular has been successful when working with struggling readers? What can you change or improve to help all students become successful readers?