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Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues |
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 VI. |
Teacher
Performance Indicators (NETS•T)
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| A. |
Model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use. |
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B.
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Apply technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds,
characteristics, and abilities. |
- Designing
my Staff Development Plan provided the opportunity to
tackle the diverse needs of district staff members
in relation to technology integration. Sessions are
designed to not only meet educators where they are,
but also to scaffold them in utilizing technology resources
to equip all students to reach their maximum potential.
One experience
I'll always remember occurred during a classroom
visit when a student with cerebral palsy who has limited
communication skills looked up at me and smiled. I
asked her about her drawing, and she indicated it was "horse" and "baby horse." She then used her mouse to
move the baby to the mother and said, "Eat." Next,
she grabbed the corner of her drawing depicting the
foal and enlarged it as she said, "Grow." I was so
proud of her! When I related this story to her teacher,
she almost cried, and said, "She's never been able to communicate that kind of cause and effect thinking
before." Technology empowered this young learner to
share her
thought processes.
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C.
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Identify and use technology resources that affirm diversity |
- Providing
a wide variety of technology training opportunities
within my Staff
Development Plan equips teachers who take the training
to facilitate different production options with their
students. The more choices students have in their educational
environment, the more their diverse learning preferences
are affirmed.
- When selecting pages to add to the Student Learning L.I.N.K.S. on my Web site., it is my goal to provide
a wide variety of learning tools to reach the diverse
interests and learning needs of all students. One example
of this is my F.I.T. Tech page. When summer school was set to be held in an eMINTS building, the P.E.
teacher came to me with her Fitness Integrating Tools
of Technology
(F.I.T. Tech) plan. First of all, I met with her teaching
team and reviewed their course content. Next, I provided
mini-training
sessions with her
teaching
team
on use
of the SMARTBoard
and offered CUP suggestions for student computers.
Finally, I suggested
providing a collection of online resources tailored
to their content and students' diverse ability levels.
The course was such a hit with students that it will
be offered again for the third time this year. The
F.I.T. Tech link is up year-round.
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D. |
Promote safe and healthy use of technology resources. |
- It's
crucial that classroom teachers generate a Classroom
Use Policy (CUP) to promote safe and healthy use of
technology resources.
I address
this
in one of my first Year 1 eMINTS training sessions, Computer Basics. In addition,
I also ask every participating teacher to bring his/her
previous year's CUP to the first Year 2 eMINTS training session where we revisit the topic. Using a sample CUP form I generated (which purposely needs revision), teachers reflect on occurrences
in their eMINTS classrooms and determine if their
CUP's could be
improved
with additions and/or deletions.
- In addition, I've developed a Research Links page on my Web site. to supply students
safe search tools, specifically on password protected
sites I've linked under Marshall Public Schools' Research Links.
- To promote
student safety on the Internet, I've
also used the videos and activities on NetSmartz,
a great educational resource from the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children.
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E.
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Facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students. |
- My Staff
Development Plan sets the stage for district-wide teacher
professional development incorporating technology. This
will facilitate equal access by providing teachers training
with available technology tools and enhancing their comfort
level with technology applications. As teachers become
more confident with the technology tools at their disposal,
their learning will transfer to classroom practice, and
students will have greater access as well.
- The Computer
Facilities Survey I completed for Technology Leadership in Schools provides an overview
of district-wide technology resources. The district's
Technology Plan outlines plans
for technology uses and improvements
through 2009. My evaluation of this Tech Plan highlights where improvements can be made within the next year to provide more
equitable access to technology for all students.
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