|
|
| |
|---|
Standard V: Productivity and Professional Practice (2000)
Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice. Teachers:
A. use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.
Obviously, I am currently engaged in a professional development endeavor being part of this Master's Degree program as evidenced by this Electronic Portfolio as well as my massive amount of student debt. I have also developed this Staff Development Plan and this Professional Development Project as ways to assist other Sullivan School District teachers in their efforts to meet the technology goals as stated in our 2006 District Technology Plan. Finally, my Action Research Plan, which I hope to implement in the upcoming school year, will provide me with valuable data so that I can improve keyboarding instruction for my students using the most effective methods to meet their needs.
B. continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.
Any positive change in professional practice must start with reflection. I believe that concept maps provide the best visualization of the reflective process and I have developed two in the course of this program: a Concept Map Reflection on the use of a selected learning technology and a Learning Belief Concept Map created for this portfolio. Furthermore, I have also conducted a Technology Plan Review and analysis on Sullivan School District's 2006 Technology Plan and this Acceptable Use Policy Presentation which would be delivered to our District's Technology Committee to encourage some changes to our current policy.
C. apply technology to increase productivity.
To be honest, I would be lost in a classroom where I had to teach without technology to assist me. I use the Speed Test Record to automatically calculate percentages and make comparisons in student records. Since I have no blackboard in my room, I use my Launch Pad Web Site as the default home page on my student workstations which allows me to easily post instructions and resources for each class. I also use my web site to provide Online Study Guides when students are preparing for tests. I use Excel to create such things as my MicroType 4 Completion Grade scale as well as the Spelling Progress Chart which allowed me to record scores and visually evaluate each student's spelling progress. I have even gotten so used to using our SIS electronic grade book on our school server that I will never go back to a manual grade book.
D. use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.
Communicating with technology is nothing new, but our modern tools have made communication much faster and easier. Being an online degree, participation in this program is based entirely on electronic communication. On a daily basis we use email, instant messaging, message boards, web sites, etc. Of course, this Electronic Portfolio provides an excellent example of online communication as well as my Classroom Web Site which I use to communicate with all of the groups mentioned in this standard. Of course, other technology tools such as word processors, as in the Staff Development Plan, or PowerPoint, as in the Acceptable Use Policy Presentation also provide excellent tools for the communication of thoughts and ideas.
Jeffrey T. Young ~ jty6w7@mizzou.edu ~ Updated June 2009