Personal Philosophy

Technology in the classroom can enhance the learning experience but should be used in concert with the lesson plan rather than simply adding technology for the sake of technology in the classroom (Fisher, et al., 2020).  Whatever tech tool is being used, be it a laptop or tablet, an on-line game like Quizlet or Blooket, or even a learning management system (LMS) like Schoology or Blackboard, it should be integrated with the lesson plan and complement the objectives of the lesson.  Students are uniquely created and therefore each student learns in his or her unique way.  Educators can differentiate learning in their classrooms by using a variety of technology modalities to aid students in developing a better understanding of the content area.  Technology allows students to take ownership of their learning and are no longer dependent on just a textbook.  Students become active learners as the effective use of digital tools can increase learner engagement.  Technology tools can bring a lesson to life as students are empowered to research concepts they do not understand through resources at their fingertips.  21st century students have grown up with technology; so, for today’s students, it feels like a natural progression to use technology in the classroom as part of the learning process to help build those essential 21st century skills students will not only need in the classroom but will carry over with them into college and as they venture into the workforce.  

Technology is not new to our district but we’re still getting used to being a 1:1 campus.  It takes time for teachers that have never utilized technology to feel comfortable integrating new tools and apps into their content.  We’re still feeling those growing pains.  It’s hard to get excited about technology when there are connectivity issues.  Many teachers complain about having to send students out of the classroom for laptop repairs or Wi-Fi issues. The Tiger Tech Team is great but because it is comprised of teachers, it often takes time to get answers to questions.  The instructional coach is knowledgeable but not a tech-based coach so one of my goals is to convince our campus that we need a dedicated technology coach. 

The data from the survey revealed that 57% of participants were interested in learning about new apps, 29% were somewhat interested in learning about new educational technology, and 43% would consider working with an instructional coach.  43% of teachers did not feel their students were properly prepared with necessary tech skills required to be successful beyond high school.  43% of teachers agreed that the biggest need in the classroom was apps or software.  The same 43% felt that the biggest hinderance to technology progress in the classroom was a lack of time and connectivity issues.  ISTE Standard 4.6 emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision making (ISTE, 2017).  This information should be analyzed to determine teachers needs and create a professional development plan based on those needs.  

Overall, it appears that teachers want training that is meaningful to use with tools that are functional with connectivity that is reliable.

I had a chance this morning to speak with some of the teachers who participated in in the survey, as well as my mentor and mentee, to brainstorm about PD ideas.  Some ideas included a year long Schoology PD that focuses on technology.  I like this idea but need to think about how this can be molded to fit tech needs in various content areas.  I also spoke to two members of the Tiger Tech Squad to get more input for PD.  Will consider choice board-type opportunities to include so that teachers can choose an option that best fits their needs.  

Ø  iPad, laptop, or desktop

Ø  Access to Canva

I.               Begin session by introducing Canva (the app itself) and how it can be used in the classroom to increase student engagement.  

II.             Show samples of items that coach as created using the app.  

III.           Provide examples of how to implement into course content.

a.     Using my content area (Health Science) as an example: Use Canva as a formative assessment.  Explain: During our infection control unit, I take my students through the chain of infection.  

b.     Example of student’s infographic: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFQntwotVA/Kk-G3Tc84lIAVXdqgZ2kJg/edit?utm_content=DAFQntwotVA&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

c.     Our first activity using Canva was to create an infographic depicting the chain of infection – students were tasked with showing the chain and at least one way to break each link in the chain.

d.     One of the big take aways in the unit is the importance of effective hand washing.  

e.     Activity: Instructions to my students were simple – imagine that the principal has asked our class to create a campaign that promotes hand washing during cold & flu season.  Create a meme about hand washing. 

f.      Show student example #1: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFUF8bcVmI/YCwPyNRxsHpK6oYFizpaew/edit?utm_content=DAFUF8bcVmI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

g.     Example #2 https://www.canva.com/design/DAFUF7vcJJw/LhyVucFlxiyRfNjO7j_yJA/view?utm_content=DAFUF7vcJJw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=viewer 

IV.           Take teachers through the steps of logging into Canva, searching for templates, manipulation Canva tools.

a.     Teachers will create a funny professional development meme.

b.     Teachers will share memes. 

V.             Show attendees coach-created meme.

a.     https://www.canva.com/design/DAFbhyKG91o/l6SRHpeMeAubjb3MRb1mxg/edit?utm_content=DAFbhyKG91o&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

VI.           Provide link to post-session survey.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=F_fjaj3YkEqpXTqa2cZd--o7kXj4xxZDsvZUiB9cbohUMjhNMVY0UjJPTTg4UEdPSDhES1lIS1QzRC4u 

The mentee, Mrs. Reeves, participated in the session.  She was somewhat familiar with Canva but had not used it to any degree in her own classroom.  While she admits that new applications intimidate her to some degree, she was receptive to being coached as she does like to at least try new things in her classroom to keep her students engaged.  Like the other participants, Mrs. Reeves liked that the session was short and not too convoluted.  The instructions were easy to understand and like the other teachers, she liked having an example to look at prior to trying her own hand at creating an artifact of her own.  My concern was that the session might be too simplistic but Mrs. Reeves felt that it was a great starting off point, especially for those that have never used Canva.  We both agreed that this was a session that could be built upon, becoming more and more advanced in future sessions.  My mentor is very adept at Canva, using it often in her classroom and she also agreed that starting small/simple was a great strategy.  No significant changes to session were noted.  

As noted in previous reflections about professional development sessions, they can often be mind-numbing and painful to attend.  The goal of this session was to be short, to the point, and act as an introduction to using an application that teachers may not have thought of before.  Getting teachers to voluntarily participate in a session is no easy task but when told that the session would take less than 15 minutes, it was much easier to gain participation.  While plagued by nerves, the professional development session was delivered with success.  Keeping delivery relatively short was a good strategy; however, with future delivery of this presentation, I will go (talk) more slowly so as not to be a distraction to participants.  A SMART goal that aligns with this professional development session would be to consume media related to instructional technology.  Learning more about this area via various media such as podcasts, publications, books, etc., is paramount in terms of growth as a coach.  This goal will be measured or evidenced by creating new PD opportunities that use knowledge gained by media consumption.  The goal is dynamic as it should be ongoing with no end date.  There should be no timeline for learning enough.  By continuously consuming new media related to instructional technology, the goal will always be relevant.  This goal aligns with multiple ISTE Standards including 4.1 Change Agent.  By maintaining a fluid goal, I will be able to create a culture for using technology, work with other educators to set and meet technology goals and help them implement strategies in their own classrooms (ISTE, 2017).  It also aligns with 4.3 Collaborator as I will model learning experiences for other teachers to improve their own instructional practices (ISTE, 2017).  

Mrs. Reeves is always very kind and generous with her feedback, whether it has been in the role of mentor or mentee.  As mentioned above, she felt the PD session was successful and relative to any area of content.  She liked that I used it in the context of health science as that helped her visualize ideas for her own classroom.  As previously stated, she was somewhat familiar with Canva but felt more confident incorporating it in her own classroom after the session.  She felt that one did not have to be a graphic designer or even super creative to effectively use the application.  We did discuss how uncomfortable it can be to present to other educators so it was determined that a great SMART goal for improving technology coaching would be to work on overcoming fear and trepidation of delivering presentations, or simply try to do it with less anxiety.  I spoke to our CTE coordinator and volunteered to deliver more PD sessions, or mini sessions like the one I created, to help boost my confidence and improve my delivery skills.  She was incredibly receptive to the idea and likes the idea of teacher-led development sessions versus lengthy sessions that offer little value.  We also discussed doing a round-robin of sorts, creating session choices for teachers to choose from.   This goal aligns with ISTE Standard 4.5 Professional Learning Facilitator as professional learning should be predicated on needs assessment, meaningful feedback, and the idea of continually making improvements to meet the needs of educators and meet the district’s vision for technology use. 

In terms of revisions, there were no physical revisions to be made.  The feedback was all related to my delivery.  This is not to say that anyone thought I did a poor job of coaching but rather that I tend to be a fast-talker and it was noted that I need to take a breath and slow the pace of the session.  In addition, some feedback related to my confidence in delivery, or lack thereof.  After discussing this feedback with both mentor and mentee, we agreed that confidence will come with practice; the more often I deliver professional development sessions, the more comfortable I will become.    

This leads to my own personal growth throughout the program.  I don’t know that I would have been able to deliver any type of PD session a year ago.  While I admit that confidence is an issue, I not only would have lacked the self confidence but also not been solid in my ability to create an artifact worthy of delivering to my peers.  I am so proud of the tools I have learned to use and the artifacts I’ve created with those tools.  I love that this program allowed me to create something that I could immediately take to my classroom.  I also feel confident using my voice to suggest PD ideas to my admin and having the space to come up with ideas for my classroom.  My mentee admits that she is more comfortable with technology and trying/implementing new tools and strategies than she was prior to my coaching.  

I will continue to follow technology trends to stay current and expand skills that I can share with my students as well as my peers.  My team is currently working on revamping our Health Science program and I am looking forward to making it a project-based class, using new tech tools whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Moving forward in my career, I will focus on being a Change Agent, Standard 4.1, facilitating the equitable use of digital tools as well as a Learning Designer, Standard 4.4, as it is my desire to create learning experiences that allow students to demonstrate their mastery of content through a variety of mediums (ISTE, 2017).