|
to my Journal Fall 2002
Integration of Technology: What an exciting time. Due to the teachers and students hard work; we have been awarded the $100,000 BONUS money!!!!! I am so proud and excited. Our faculty has worked very hard for this grant and I am so proud of their dedication and willingness to learn new things. School began on the 19th, we have begun installing two new computer labs. They look great! We have two fabulous teachers working in the labs. Ms. Gillenwater and Mrs. Warwick are veteran teachers who's main concern is the education of our children. We have many plans for our lab. Students will visit the lab every 3 days. Guided lessons will be taught as well as lessons using the purchased software from the TLCF. After school the lab will be open for tutoring and we plan to hold Community night here once a month. Our goal is to invite the students and their parents in to work together with the technology lessons the students have worked on through the week. Teachers will be able to use the labs for Professional Development training that is held weekly. During these times the teachers will be trained on the new software and plan the use of the software with their own students. Professional Development training will begin the first week of September. We have also created a new teacher lab, in what we now refer to as the technology center here at MES. The student labs as well as the teacher center are located in the same building on our campus. The teacher center is set up for teachers to come in and work on their projects or newsletters or just prepare and plan for their day. We have 5 computers set up with photo printers, Ulead Video software, Internet access, Video cameras, projectors, Sony Digital cameras and much more. Progress Indicators: The biggest indicator I can see is the excitement I see over the new labs. Since it is the start of the school year, it is difficult to see much progress at this point. We are working to integrate the technology into the curriculum and to insure that the programs are collaborating with all of the grades and their curriculum. Time will tell.
Management Issues: The biggest and only issue right now is getting me and my teacher center moved to the new building and set up. The labs are coming along nicely. We hope to have them up by the second week of school. The wireless lab and Alpha Smart Labs will be on a check-out schedule, with 3rd, 4th and 5th grades being the groups to check these out. All K-2 will use the other labs during off times with their classroom teacher directing them.
Integration of Technology and Progress Indicators: This has been a very good month. We have two of the most beautiful computer labs you have every seen. I am so proud of the hard work that everyone has put into the building of these labs. From our Technology Coordinator to our Lab teachers, our technicians and our Principals; it has been a tremendous effort. We had to start from scratch. Our Technician and our maintance staff wired the building. Our lab teachers help to set up the tables and the computers, as well as painted the rooms and made sure everything was ready for the installation of software. With our bonus money from the TLCF we were able to purchase 52 new computers for our lab. UNBELIEVABLE. The best part is we only spent 1/4 of it on the machines! The teachers were also very patient while we were getting everything set up. Our technicians worked their weekend to get everything set up and ready. Teamwork is definitely the name of the game in our school. The students are working so hard and it is such a joy to watch their faces light up when they discover something new. We have held 4 professional development trainings this month. Email and Schoolnotes.com training for new teachers was the first and we had a great turnout. Our faculty is a dedicated bunch who are not afraid of hard work. It is refreshing to see. Thinklink training was also held and taught by one of our teachers. We have also trained on Alpha Smarts. It is a busy place, but it is a place where teachers know their job and do it well. I feel lucky to work with such a great faculty. Management Issues: Our biggest and only issue has been the chairs for the lab. They were order August 7th and were promised by the 20th. September 10th they had not shipped. Ms. Toppins, our Principal and myself decided that we could not wait another day. She called and canceled our order and contacted a local vender who had them to us in 6 days. That's why they call her the Administrator. I had called the first company 6 separate times with no response. When I turned the problem over to her, we received chairs. What does that say to you?
Integration of Technology: October has been a great training month. I have to say that I have the hardest working teachers anywhere. We have held 4 professional development sessions after school and had a full house. The teachers have trained on FrontPage, Cornerstone, Excel and StoryBook Weaver. Due to this training we now have 3 new web pages posted and at least 7 more in the making. I love my job. It is so rewarding to see the teachers and students excited about the software. StoryBook Weaver was one of the more successful trainings. The teachers had to make a rhyming book and illustrate it to take back to their students using subject matter that they were currently working on. I am hoping to publish the students work soon. Management Issues: Our biggest struggle is in the maintance. We are fortunate to have a very dedicated staff, Yet they are to few. It is so difficult to maintain computers when you have 2 techs working on over a thousand machines. I am currently working on a reporting system that will enable us to expedite the process, and help the technicians as well. I myself have learned a great deal from them both. I truly believe that we are blessed to have these two individuals. They often give their weekends to fix problems that they didn't have time to get to during the week. If that is not dedication I certainly do not know what is. The biggest problem is that there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. Little by little we are getting it all worked out.
graphics on this page were provided by:
|
August
November