Having spent the last 13 years in the finance side of education, my grant skills are more in the realm of administering and spending the money. However, I found the information in the Grant Writing Module to be very useful. Outside of work and school, I am Girl Scout leader and a PTO member. Currently, both groups have decided to take on HUGE projects that grants would help out greatly with. Within the last few years, our county deconsolidated our central middle school and placed fifth and sixth grades back in elementary school. While the county passed a bond to construct new classrooms to house these grades at the elementary schools, some of plans were not well thought out. Additionally, my daughter's school became the center for special education students in the county this year. That coupled with bringing back fifth and sixth grade has way overloaded my daughter's school. The place this presents itself the most is in the gymnasium/cafeteria/multi-purpose room. Currently, this room will not accomodate the entire student body, nor is there enough room or time in the day for all classes to have gym and lunch. After approaching the county board and being informed there is no money for an additional gymnasium, the PTO has decided to raise the money for the project. I spent several hours scanning for health, fitness or special needs grants.
I found it interesting that several people mentioning looking for grants to fund classroom sets of iPads. While I think this is a wonderful idea, I work in a county where the high school was offered a classroom set of iPads through GearUp and had to refuse them. The technology coordinator would not allow them on the county network. Not currently being a teacher, I'm having a difficult time determining what the current technology needs are within the schools. During a conversation with a business education teacher recently, I learned that the business department does not have SmartBoards. I cannot imagine teaching technology without the technology needed to teach it. Most of the elementary schools and the middle school in the county have SmartBoards in every classroom. These were funded through ARRA money; however, the business department did not receive them because it was believed they could be purchased through vocational grants. Vocational grants state that nothing can be purchased with a vocational grant that is provided for everyone else. Therefore, they couldn't use vocational money to purchase SmartBoards when everyone else got them with ARRA money and that money was gone. School finance is some difficult stuff with too much red tape.
In my research for SmartBoard funding, I found the following article "Looking for Funding in all the Wrong Places?" Additionally, I found digitalwish.org.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Grant Resources - VClay
I have limited experience in grant writing & research. In the past, I have had the opportunity to participate in grant writing, always with a partner or group. I co-wrote a big grant to develop after school media workshops several years ago, but it was a solicited grant, so our chances of being funded were high to begin with. In terms of grant research my experience has been limited at best, and I think I know why now. Grant research is exhausting.
It took me a long time to find a grant that I felt would be useful in my Technology Initiative. I would like to develop an online professional learning community for groups of instructors who teach smaller SPOKES and ABE classes in remote counties of West Virginia. The best resource I found was a small Learning and Leadership grant from the NEA Foundation. The Learning and Leadership grant awards money to individuals or small groups for professional development experiences. The group grants fund "action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment" among other group activities, including study groups. It is my intention to identify a group of instructors along with myself who are isolated from their peers to apply for this grant.
While researching grant opportunities, I found a number of resources I would like to share. http://www.grantspace.org/Classroom is a list of classes to educate people about grant seeking. Self-paced classes and webinars include Finding Foundation Support for your Education, Proposal Writing basics, Understanding Collaboration, and Introduction to Finding Funders. This seemed like a good resource for novice grant seekers, and was part of the Foundation Center, an online, searchable, comprehensive grant list. Although the Foundation Center is subscription based, my local library keeps a subscription, and I would recommend checking with your local library as well. Fund for Teachers grants initially seemed like a great resource for my Technology Initiative. It is a grant to fund teachers, and groups of teachers, in designing a professional development experience. However, I was disappointed to discover that West Virginia was one of the few states it did not fund. I wanted to share this resource, however, for future use - one day, maybe, it will fund projects in West Virginia.
It took me a long time to find a grant that I felt would be useful in my Technology Initiative. I would like to develop an online professional learning community for groups of instructors who teach smaller SPOKES and ABE classes in remote counties of West Virginia. The best resource I found was a small Learning and Leadership grant from the NEA Foundation. The Learning and Leadership grant awards money to individuals or small groups for professional development experiences. The group grants fund "action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment" among other group activities, including study groups. It is my intention to identify a group of instructors along with myself who are isolated from their peers to apply for this grant.
While researching grant opportunities, I found a number of resources I would like to share. http://www.grantspace.org/Classroom is a list of classes to educate people about grant seeking. Self-paced classes and webinars include Finding Foundation Support for your Education, Proposal Writing basics, Understanding Collaboration, and Introduction to Finding Funders. This seemed like a good resource for novice grant seekers, and was part of the Foundation Center, an online, searchable, comprehensive grant list. Although the Foundation Center is subscription based, my local library keeps a subscription, and I would recommend checking with your local library as well. Fund for Teachers grants initially seemed like a great resource for my Technology Initiative. It is a grant to fund teachers, and groups of teachers, in designing a professional development experience. However, I was disappointed to discover that West Virginia was one of the few states it did not fund. I wanted to share this resource, however, for future use - one day, maybe, it will fund projects in West Virginia.
Grants - Gilchrist
The readings provided some new grant sources that I was not aware of. It is always beneficial to learn about new places to get money. Within the last 10 years there have been significent decreases in the number of organizations that are making grants and the quantity and value of the grants they continue to give.
I have written several successful grants, although never anything over $5,000. I have written one Major Grant for the WV Humanities which was for $15,000, but was unsuccessful in receiving that funding. There is a grant that would be beneficial to members of this class that is easy to write and almost always granted. It is the WV Humanities Travel Assistant Program. This grant is up to $500 to be used towards travel related expenses for professional development. The grant requires certain types of professional development, mainly that it must be related to the humanities field. Therefore, virtually anything related to education will qualify.
I wanted to talk a little bit about the WV Humanities Grants. There are several components there that are applicable to the needs of students in this course. I will be working with my mentor, Dr. Judy P. Byers at the Folklife Center as we develop a Major Grant through Humanities. You can review the grants available through the Humanities here. This grant will be used to support my technology initiative through the development of interactive resources for the teaching guide of the Great Room of Culture. As my practicum I will be developing a virtual resource for one panel of the exhibit. The funding that would come from this grant would enable us to develop additional educational materials for the remaining nine panels.
I just completed a grant application this week. This grant is as non-technology as one can get. The application is for $1,500 to present a 3 day event on traditional weaving at the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair. This mini-grant is through the WV Humanities. Deadline for the grant is April 1, grant has been submitted and now the waiting begins.
When discussing grants with novice writers I always remind them that it is crucial to read and reread the requirements of the grant and the applications. Grants are very competitive and grant makers are quick to remove applications for infractions of simple rules and requirements. 1) Deadlines! They are NOT guidelines. They will not give you the benefit of the doubt. Be sure you understand if a grant submission date is "in their hands" or "postmarked by." 2) Details! Some grants will specify to submit and require a signature for delivery and others specifically say not to. Various other details come into play. If in doubt - call the grant maker and ASK.
An additional resource to look at is the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This organization is not individual friendly EXCEPT for the Conservation Assessment and Museum Assessment Programs. These are wonderful vehicles for small historical society, museums, etc. What is important about IMLS they are easy to work with IF your organization qualifies. They do have grants for school media centers. School media centers have technology. If you are looking at acquiring grants for technology collaborate with your school librarian! Successful grants are are challenging, increase the possibility of success by utilizing all the resources available to you.
I have written several successful grants, although never anything over $5,000. I have written one Major Grant for the WV Humanities which was for $15,000, but was unsuccessful in receiving that funding. There is a grant that would be beneficial to members of this class that is easy to write and almost always granted. It is the WV Humanities Travel Assistant Program. This grant is up to $500 to be used towards travel related expenses for professional development. The grant requires certain types of professional development, mainly that it must be related to the humanities field. Therefore, virtually anything related to education will qualify.
I wanted to talk a little bit about the WV Humanities Grants. There are several components there that are applicable to the needs of students in this course. I will be working with my mentor, Dr. Judy P. Byers at the Folklife Center as we develop a Major Grant through Humanities. You can review the grants available through the Humanities here. This grant will be used to support my technology initiative through the development of interactive resources for the teaching guide of the Great Room of Culture. As my practicum I will be developing a virtual resource for one panel of the exhibit. The funding that would come from this grant would enable us to develop additional educational materials for the remaining nine panels.
I just completed a grant application this week. This grant is as non-technology as one can get. The application is for $1,500 to present a 3 day event on traditional weaving at the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair. This mini-grant is through the WV Humanities. Deadline for the grant is April 1, grant has been submitted and now the waiting begins.
When discussing grants with novice writers I always remind them that it is crucial to read and reread the requirements of the grant and the applications. Grants are very competitive and grant makers are quick to remove applications for infractions of simple rules and requirements. 1) Deadlines! They are NOT guidelines. They will not give you the benefit of the doubt. Be sure you understand if a grant submission date is "in their hands" or "postmarked by." 2) Details! Some grants will specify to submit and require a signature for delivery and others specifically say not to. Various other details come into play. If in doubt - call the grant maker and ASK.
An additional resource to look at is the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This organization is not individual friendly EXCEPT for the Conservation Assessment and Museum Assessment Programs. These are wonderful vehicles for small historical society, museums, etc. What is important about IMLS they are easy to work with IF your organization qualifies. They do have grants for school media centers. School media centers have technology. If you are looking at acquiring grants for technology collaborate with your school librarian! Successful grants are are challenging, increase the possibility of success by utilizing all the resources available to you.
Module 5 Grant Opportuinites Bell
As I began reviewing the course materials for module 5 on
Grant Opportunities, I quickly realized that there are many options and avenues
for funding. I also realized that the grant search is very overwhelming and
filled with many details. I think at this point I would need to work with
someone who is more experienced in grant writing, so that I could learn the
ropes. I really like how the Grants Alert site was organized by deadline date
and a link to each source. I also searched for grants for iPads and many of
those resources also suggested using donorschoice.com. I looked through that
site and what a wonderful resource it is. I loved how teachers anywhere can
post their project needs and the public can choose what project to donate
to. I believe that this would also be
the route that I would go about to try and acquire funding for iPads for the
art classroom. One downfall that I saw was that projects can only be listed for
4 months. So it could be difficult to
get the needed funds in such a short time period just through donors. In
addition to just posting on the site, some advertising to the parents and local
community about the project on donorschoice.com would be necessary. I saw that
another classmate posted about local grants such as those through US Cellular
and I know that the high school that I taught at in WV was able to obtain an
award through them as well. It seemed more of a contest type thing but the
school was awarded a pretty large amount of money to use. So checking into
local businesses might be a good avenue for funding. Finally simply asking for
the devices to be part of the budget might be a possibility as well. Although
with funding being cut everywhere recently, this route may prove to be
difficult.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Grants-E.Yeager
I, as with many others, have not had the expereince of writing a Grant. The information I did read semes to have helped my understanding.
After talking with the principal at my school, we decided a good technology initiative is to somehow get 12 IPads for my school. I want to get these IPads to help students who need extra help learning or have some type of learning disability. I found a Grant that Walmart does for different amounts.
http://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/quiz.display_question?x_gm_id=2797&x_quiz_id=4503&x_order_by=1
I believe this Grant opportunity will give great experience for my future years in teaching.
After talking with the principal at my school, we decided a good technology initiative is to somehow get 12 IPads for my school. I want to get these IPads to help students who need extra help learning or have some type of learning disability. I found a Grant that Walmart does for different amounts.
http://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/quiz.display_question?x_gm_id=2797&x_quiz_id=4503&x_order_by=1
I believe this Grant opportunity will give great experience for my future years in teaching.
GRANTS L.EVERLEY
Grant writing refers to the practice of completing an application process for funding provided by an institution such as a government department, corporation, foundation or trust. Such application processes are often referred to as either grant "proposals" or "submissions." Successful grant writing requires a clear understanding of grantsmanship. While the principles and fundamentals of grantsmanship apply broadly, it is important to know the target and to be able to tune the language appropriately (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_writing).
I have never wrote a grant before if I was to write a grant I would request classroom supplies. I found a grant writing web site called (http://www.nea.org/home/10476.htm). It tells you have to write grants and why teachers would want to write a grant. This sight tell about actual grants received by teachers from other schools. Their grants were for fund raisers as well as educational purposes. For example, the received federal grants to teach foreign languages. The sight says that grants are not a college paper but kept it in simple terms and don't be afraid to ask for help from colleagues.
I have never wrote a grant before if I was to write a grant I would request classroom supplies. I found a grant writing web site called (http://www.nea.org/home/10476.htm). It tells you have to write grants and why teachers would want to write a grant. This sight tell about actual grants received by teachers from other schools. Their grants were for fund raisers as well as educational purposes. For example, the received federal grants to teach foreign languages. The sight says that grants are not a college paper but kept it in simple terms and don't be afraid to ask for help from colleagues.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Grant Opportunities - Hayhurst
Wow! This process of looking for a grant that fits the needs of my technology initiative has been overwhelming. There is so much information to go through, and so many grant options out there. Just finding a grant to apply for is so much time and research that I can't even imagine writing one. I definitely think it would be more effective to write a grant as a team. The grade levels could get together and decide what they all need, and each of them could take responsibility for one part of the grant.
The trouble I had while searching for a grant that would fit the needs of my technology initiative was that I need a larger amount of money. My technology initiative is to purchase a classroom set of IPads. I looked at sites such as donorschoose.org, where people donate to your proposal, but they were unrealistic for my initiative. Those grants seem to be for much smaller projects. It did give me the idea that it would be a great site to use to purchase accessories if I had the IPads. I could use it to ask for things like headphones or apps to enhance the students' experience with the IPads.
I believe grantwrangler.com would be the best option for me, because they have grants that cover larger expenses.
The trouble I had while searching for a grant that would fit the needs of my technology initiative was that I need a larger amount of money. My technology initiative is to purchase a classroom set of IPads. I looked at sites such as donorschoose.org, where people donate to your proposal, but they were unrealistic for my initiative. Those grants seem to be for much smaller projects. It did give me the idea that it would be a great site to use to purchase accessories if I had the IPads. I could use it to ask for things like headphones or apps to enhance the students' experience with the IPads.
I believe grantwrangler.com would be the best option for me, because they have grants that cover larger expenses.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Grant Writing Opportunities
After searching the internet endlessly researching grant opportunities, I went from hopeful to very discouraged. A good deal of Government Grant monies may not be available due to sequestration cuts. In an article by Deborah Ward, What ‘sequestration’ could mean for school grant seeking in 2013” she listed several areas that may be affected in categories that include Elementary and Secondary Education, Special Education, and Career, Technical, and Adult Education. Seeking out a Government Grant this year might not be the best option. As many teachers already know they can use donorschoice.org or classwish.org to receive private funding for their classroom initiatives. A few other private funding can be found at these links… http://www.eduplace.com/grants/available/private.html , http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/10-ways-to-get-free-money-classroom.html . If you do have to apply for a government grant the competition will be fierce so your proposal better be fierce as well. In my personal opinion your best choice, unless you are trying to get iPads for the entire school you should go with donorschoice.org or classwish.org.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Module 5 Grant Writing Opportunities (Heather Summers)
I too believe that donorschoice.org is a great resource for technology initiatives. My co-workers are on that site all the time asking for school supplies. People request supplies and resources and others sponsor the money or send the materials to the people they would like to receive the help. Moreover, there are grants that my co-workers have found through local businesses, such as cell phone companies like US Cellular. Many companies have a goal to help education, and some community businesses will sponsor change and initiatives in school. Involving the community makes it easier to incorporate the technology initiative into the school, as well. Grantwrangler.com is a great resource for educators searching for the right grant for their technology initiative. It has small grants to large grants.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Module 5 Grant Opportunities - Swiger
Exploring grant
opportunities has definitely opened my eyes to the numerous possibilities of
receiving funding for school/classroom projects. Searching for the “right” grant to fit your
needs is a little daunting. I’m without
doubt that grant writing should be with a partner, team structured or requesting information from colleagues. Networking to seek advice or finding
experienced grant writers to solicit advice should be a priority. From a small amount of grant writing
experience and reading the links in this module, I keep coming back to the importance of
explicit details when requesting funding.
I’ve found a site called donorchoose.org (website is completely free)
and I believe this is a great choice for my particular school. We are located in rural setting and have a
low SES population of more than 50%. Also the site seems to be student project
oriented and this will fit with my Technology Initiative. This is a quote from the site, “DonorsChoose.org engages the public in public
schools by giving people a simple, accountable and personal way to address
educational inequity. We envision a nation where children in every community
have the tools and experiences needed for an excellent education.” A few other sites that may be possibilities are WV Department of Education Grant Opportunities and Technology Grant News. I really like the following site due to the grant name/source and due date listed, making it user friendly Grants Alert. Another idea is to use social networking sites to ask colleagues, etc... to post links to grants they have knowledge of or have received in regards to technology. I checked my local BOE for grant opportunities, but didn't find any listed on website. A phone call to your local board of education might yield results for technology grant opportunities.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Grant writing resources by Jodee
I had some trouble finding a grant or grants to write my technology initiative. Mainly because in the college venue, we are supplied with computers and Internet access and ways to incorporate technology into our classroom. We have PLCs to share our skill sets to encourage leadership. What we don't have is the equipment to enhance learning in the healthcare field. The equipment of today is all computerized with microprocessors, etc that takes healthcare to a whole new level. Finding funding is another challenge. Most of the grant resources were geared for k-12 and computer equipment. I did find a grant source from the health and services dept sponsored by our government, however, the grant was posted 2010 and the number disconnected. Of all the hundreds of grants that were posted, none seemed to meet my needs. It was a tad overwhelming , there were so many. I 'googled' grants for equipment in the healthcare field and I found a very promising grant for computerized simulation mannequins. These are the rage of nursing and medical schools. Pierpont is building a new advanced technology center and the respiratory program hopefully will have significant space to acquire a few of these mannequins.However, these mannequins run around $100000 a piece because of the high tech computers and training for the staff, a week in Miami. So I hope attain funding for at least one of these. I hope this will put our program on a level of expertise that will make one of the top schools in the country. A girl can dream.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Module 4- Jackson
What are your thoughts about effective professional development strategies?
After reading the articles in this module, there were some strategies for professional development in education that seemed to resound through most of the studies. The characteristics of successful professional development I believe would be most effective is for it to be implemented over an extended period of time, collaborated with peers and administrators and recognized by administrators and colleagues.
I believe professional development should not only be spread out over a longer period of time than a one day workshop, it should become a part of the day to day routine. It should help teachers become more competent in their content area, more efficient in their lesson planning and grading and help them better connect with students so ideally this professional development makes their job easier and more rewarding instead of 'more meetings and paperwork'. It should be more of a gradual, exploration and implementation with guidance preferably by an alternating mix of peers, administration and outside consultants/experts. In addition, an ongoing relationship with a mentor or teacher leader to serve as a 'coach' would provide a consistency and comfort level for day-to-day collaboration. The 'coaches' will get to know newer teachers creating more team moral in the process.
There should also be a follow up on the effectiveness of the Professional Development. Teachers should share with each other updates on how they have used the skills they have learned in the classroom and what the outcome is. They can do this as a group if a group of teachers is implementing the same changes to an administrator or individually to each other. This gives them an audience that can give them support and feedback. These meetings must be structured so professional development progress is continually documented.
Lastly, as someone who comes from a sales background, I believe incentives for teachers who most effectively implement professional development that leads to documented change should be rewarded. Small acknowledgements, like a better parking spot or a small party, can go a long way when large bonuses are not an option.
What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
I would use they same guidelines and characteristics I've just discussed. Technology initiatives would be done over a long period with support, they would be documented briefly and daily to show progress and findings would be presented to colleagues and then the most effective teacher/group of teachers would be acknowledged and rewarded.
I want professional development initiatives to be a source of comfort for teachers because they are learning new ways for them to become more efficient and effective at what they do. I especially want this regarding technology initiatives. Showing excitement for the future of teaching and how it will impact our students and our profession for the better will set the tone.
In the first link below there is a video where ten year old students compare what they can do now with technology compared to what their parents could do when they were ten years old. It is a good video to remind us all that we should invite technological changes and adapt to it because it will be worth it in the end!
Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
I believe to improve teacher productivity, there should be less time spent manually grading papers. There are a few quizzing/survey online tools listed below I am really interested in.
http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Webtools4U2Use
http://www.glogster.com
http://www.surveymonkey.com
http://www.quia.com/web
http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/professional-development/
After reading the articles in this module, there were some strategies for professional development in education that seemed to resound through most of the studies. The characteristics of successful professional development I believe would be most effective is for it to be implemented over an extended period of time, collaborated with peers and administrators and recognized by administrators and colleagues.
I believe professional development should not only be spread out over a longer period of time than a one day workshop, it should become a part of the day to day routine. It should help teachers become more competent in their content area, more efficient in their lesson planning and grading and help them better connect with students so ideally this professional development makes their job easier and more rewarding instead of 'more meetings and paperwork'. It should be more of a gradual, exploration and implementation with guidance preferably by an alternating mix of peers, administration and outside consultants/experts. In addition, an ongoing relationship with a mentor or teacher leader to serve as a 'coach' would provide a consistency and comfort level for day-to-day collaboration. The 'coaches' will get to know newer teachers creating more team moral in the process.
There should also be a follow up on the effectiveness of the Professional Development. Teachers should share with each other updates on how they have used the skills they have learned in the classroom and what the outcome is. They can do this as a group if a group of teachers is implementing the same changes to an administrator or individually to each other. This gives them an audience that can give them support and feedback. These meetings must be structured so professional development progress is continually documented.
Lastly, as someone who comes from a sales background, I believe incentives for teachers who most effectively implement professional development that leads to documented change should be rewarded. Small acknowledgements, like a better parking spot or a small party, can go a long way when large bonuses are not an option.
What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
I would use they same guidelines and characteristics I've just discussed. Technology initiatives would be done over a long period with support, they would be documented briefly and daily to show progress and findings would be presented to colleagues and then the most effective teacher/group of teachers would be acknowledged and rewarded.
I want professional development initiatives to be a source of comfort for teachers because they are learning new ways for them to become more efficient and effective at what they do. I especially want this regarding technology initiatives. Showing excitement for the future of teaching and how it will impact our students and our profession for the better will set the tone.
In the first link below there is a video where ten year old students compare what they can do now with technology compared to what their parents could do when they were ten years old. It is a good video to remind us all that we should invite technological changes and adapt to it because it will be worth it in the end!
Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
I believe to improve teacher productivity, there should be less time spent manually grading papers. There are a few quizzing/survey online tools listed below I am really interested in.
http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Webtools4U2Use
http://www.glogster.com
http://www.surveymonkey.com
http://www.quia.com/web
http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/professional-development/
Module 4 - VClay
What are your thoughts about effective professional development strategies?
This week’s readings game me a chance to reflect on the trainings that I have had throughout my career. I am new to Adult Basic Education, with the bulk of my teaching experience coming from the non-profit after school workshop model, so I haven’t had much experience in formal professional development. One thing I really appreciate about my work now is that I am encouraged (and required) to participate in professional development. With that said, I still am finding most of this to be in a one day workshop format. However, I have always been good at seeking out informal mentorships, and feel the bulk of my teacher training has been in mentorships.
I think mentors and coaches are great professional development strategies but must be used wisely. Mentorships, for example, are used in my local school district for newer teachers. However, I have spoken to several teachers who find this to be a hindrance more than helpful. I think matching personality types in mentor to teacher, and setting clear objectives are a key to making this work. One newer teacher, for example, was paired with the retired teacher she replaced with no consideration given to teaching styles. I believe that mentorship failed because the new teacher had no say in who would become her mentor. With that said, I think choice and the right climate/school culture could make mentoring/coaching a great option for professional development.
In my role as an Adult Basic Education instructor, I believe coaching/mentoring could be a more practical strategy for me personally because I am geographically isolated from my peers, and make PLCs challenging to participate in. However, I would really welcome the opportunity to participate in a small group PLC, because I think that I could benefit from the wider support that could offer at this time.
What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
I really love the idea of Learning Communities. I think it could be incredibly useful and satisfying to be able to get together with a small group of my peers to brainstorm, create, experiment and revise lesson plans and teaching strategies. However, I struggle to figure out how to use this in an effective manner in my work because I am geographically isolated from my peers. I am the only full-time ABE teacher in my county, and this is true in most of the rural counties in the state. I wonder if having virtual meetings or having a virtual learning community is sustainable. I think I would like to explore this idea further, and maybe let it serve as the basis for my Technology Initiative (If that makes sense?).
Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
Technology-Based Projects and Resources for Adult Basic Education
A forum that shares suggestions and teacher experiences in various platforms for teacher collaboration:
Choosing a platform for teacher collaboration
Building and maintaining an online professional learning community
This week’s readings game me a chance to reflect on the trainings that I have had throughout my career. I am new to Adult Basic Education, with the bulk of my teaching experience coming from the non-profit after school workshop model, so I haven’t had much experience in formal professional development. One thing I really appreciate about my work now is that I am encouraged (and required) to participate in professional development. With that said, I still am finding most of this to be in a one day workshop format. However, I have always been good at seeking out informal mentorships, and feel the bulk of my teacher training has been in mentorships.
I think mentors and coaches are great professional development strategies but must be used wisely. Mentorships, for example, are used in my local school district for newer teachers. However, I have spoken to several teachers who find this to be a hindrance more than helpful. I think matching personality types in mentor to teacher, and setting clear objectives are a key to making this work. One newer teacher, for example, was paired with the retired teacher she replaced with no consideration given to teaching styles. I believe that mentorship failed because the new teacher had no say in who would become her mentor. With that said, I think choice and the right climate/school culture could make mentoring/coaching a great option for professional development.
In my role as an Adult Basic Education instructor, I believe coaching/mentoring could be a more practical strategy for me personally because I am geographically isolated from my peers, and make PLCs challenging to participate in. However, I would really welcome the opportunity to participate in a small group PLC, because I think that I could benefit from the wider support that could offer at this time.
What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
I really love the idea of Learning Communities. I think it could be incredibly useful and satisfying to be able to get together with a small group of my peers to brainstorm, create, experiment and revise lesson plans and teaching strategies. However, I struggle to figure out how to use this in an effective manner in my work because I am geographically isolated from my peers. I am the only full-time ABE teacher in my county, and this is true in most of the rural counties in the state. I wonder if having virtual meetings or having a virtual learning community is sustainable. I think I would like to explore this idea further, and maybe let it serve as the basis for my Technology Initiative (If that makes sense?).
Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
Technology-Based Projects and Resources for Adult Basic Education
A forum that shares suggestions and teacher experiences in various platforms for teacher collaboration:
Choosing a platform for teacher collaboration
Building and maintaining an online professional learning community
Module 4 Hayhurst
What are your
thoughts about effective professional development strategies?
I believe that the most important professional development
strategy is one that is hands-on and provides the teacher with ample
opportunities to implement what they are learning. Mentoring from those who have successfully
implemented the new strategies or technologies themselves is a vital resource
for a novice teacher. I believe it is much
easier to learn from someone one on one, then from another source such as a webinar. The support you receive from colleagues or
other professionals will give you the confidence and ease to use these
strategies in your own classroom.
Professional development learning should also be ongoing; you can’t just
bring it up once or twice a year. It
needs to be a priority of all those involved if it is to be successful. The ongoing support from colleagues and administration
will create an environment where professional development will thrive.
What is the PD
strategy or strategies that you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
For my Technology Initiative, I talked with the teachers I
work with to find out their thoughts on the technology they have available to
them, and what technology they would like to have in their classrooms. The overwhelming response was that they would
like to have a classroom set of IPads for each teacher. All of the teachers have an IPad that they
use in the classroom, and they have found many useful apps to engage the
students, but their biggest complaint is that one is not enough. Even though they can project the apps onto
the whiteboard so that the students can interact with them, it is very time
consuming when you have 20+ students to give them all a chance. It also leaves the rest of the students just
sitting there watching instead of engaging in the program themselves. The teachers believe that with a classroom
set of IPads they could do so much with them.
My PD strategy involves mentoring and coaching. There are some teachers who have a lot of
experience integrating the IPad into the classroom and some who have never
tried it. I believe that together the
teachers could collaborate and help each other to get the most out of the
technology. A more experienced teacher
can coach another on how to use the technology, troubleshooting, and what apps
and programs are the most beneficial to students.
Please also share any
literature of resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your
plan.
Here are a couple of the resources I have been looking
at. I have been looking at the benefits
of IPads in the classroom and apps that are the most beneficial.
Module 4 - Gilchrist
As I read through the content of this module I was reminded of the continual challenge of education that faces todays educators. It is no longer enough to get your teaching certificate and move into a classroom. The days of developing a lesson plan and regurgitating it every year are long gone. I remember my 8th Grade Ohio History Teacher pulling out the overhead transparencies and one student commenting that her mother was right, she was still using the exact same content as her mother had compared her notebook with the daughters. We were required to write the information down exactly as presented on the transparencies and each semester the notebooks were collected. Penmanship and spelling were calculated in the grade. There was no improvisation or extra note taking permitted in the "official" notebook.
Professional Development has continued to change in the education world and as I have discussed with friends who are educators the content of these readings I am gaining a new appreciation for their challenges. A new teaching friend, Sue, has now had a mentor teacher since the first of the school year. She reports that this mentorship has been less than satisfactory. It seems that no one applied for the position and the principle recruited this experienced teacher because he knew there was a financial need there. My friend, has received strong mentorship from a non-paid "mentor" who has befriended her. My friend mentions that this friend was not aware that there was a posting or she would have applied.
I believe the experience of Sue is reflective of Job Embedded Professional Development. While this situation has not been ideal, Sue explains that it has been a productive arrangement and she feels comfortable in her current situation. She explains that the situation could improve if her mentor were teaching the same field as she, but she is working through the challenge.
As I look at the tools and resources necessary to develop a technology assessment I believe one of the most valuable resources that may be overlooked is practicing teachers. Sue has faced a strong learning curve in utilizing her SMART Board in the classroom. While her school system provides three dedicated IT professionals to be shared within three schools those professionals are often unavailable to provide assistance when needed. Sue has had hands on training from other teachers and even staff who have had experience with similar technology, as Sue is the only one with this particular configuration.
As I look towards putting together a technology assessment to be utilized in an educational setting outside of the traditional school environment I believe it would be necessary to conduct research with schools that would be utilizing the resources at the Folklife Center. If I am to develop virtual resources for pre- and post- visits to the facility then I need to be aware of the technology that is available to these students and teachers.
I believe it would be possible to work within the boundaries of an Action Research endeavor to determine what resources are available to potential visitors to the Center so that it could then be determined what would be approriate resources to develop and make available to maximize the field trip experience.
Professional Development has continued to change in the education world and as I have discussed with friends who are educators the content of these readings I am gaining a new appreciation for their challenges. A new teaching friend, Sue, has now had a mentor teacher since the first of the school year. She reports that this mentorship has been less than satisfactory. It seems that no one applied for the position and the principle recruited this experienced teacher because he knew there was a financial need there. My friend, has received strong mentorship from a non-paid "mentor" who has befriended her. My friend mentions that this friend was not aware that there was a posting or she would have applied.
I believe the experience of Sue is reflective of Job Embedded Professional Development. While this situation has not been ideal, Sue explains that it has been a productive arrangement and she feels comfortable in her current situation. She explains that the situation could improve if her mentor were teaching the same field as she, but she is working through the challenge.
As I look at the tools and resources necessary to develop a technology assessment I believe one of the most valuable resources that may be overlooked is practicing teachers. Sue has faced a strong learning curve in utilizing her SMART Board in the classroom. While her school system provides three dedicated IT professionals to be shared within three schools those professionals are often unavailable to provide assistance when needed. Sue has had hands on training from other teachers and even staff who have had experience with similar technology, as Sue is the only one with this particular configuration.
As I look towards putting together a technology assessment to be utilized in an educational setting outside of the traditional school environment I believe it would be necessary to conduct research with schools that would be utilizing the resources at the Folklife Center. If I am to develop virtual resources for pre- and post- visits to the facility then I need to be aware of the technology that is available to these students and teachers.
I believe it would be possible to work within the boundaries of an Action Research endeavor to determine what resources are available to potential visitors to the Center so that it could then be determined what would be approriate resources to develop and make available to maximize the field trip experience.
MODULE FOUR (L.EVERLEY)
What are your thoughts about effective professional
development strategies?
Professional teacher development is necessary for teachers
and administrators. The development strategies are designed to help teaching
professionals keep up-to-date on new teaching strategies. The biggest complaint
about professional development is the follow up process. Teachers need more
instruction in the classroom on how to implement the strategies. The biggest obstacles
for administrators are getting older teachers to change their ideas to new
ones.
What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in
your Technology Initiative?
The PD strategy I would use is coaching and mentoring. The
idea behind this concept is to have experts to work with all teachers from
beginners to veterans on new strategies and ideas. It is also necessary to give
teachers and students access to the right equipment in the classroom.
Share any literature or resources you are using refine your
focus and develop your plan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi8aUNCbcP8
Module 4 - Lambert
What are your thoughts about effective professional development strategies?
At a recent faculty meeting, several teachers spent a good portion of the time complaining about one-and-done professional development.Their biggest complaint was that once the initial professional development presentation is done and interest is bolstered, there is no follow up. As schools are bringing more technology into classrooms, it is vital that teachers have adequate training and ongoing professional development. One effective strategy for technology integration is mentoring and coaching. Follow-up guidance and support should be available within the school to train and assist teachers any time there is an issue with tech integration.
What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
Technology integration can be frustrating to teachers, especially those who are not used to dealing with technology. It is important that teachers have constant and consistent coaching and mentoring during the process. When frustrations arise, good coaches and mentors can assist teachers and help them through the obstacles. Additionally, the collaboration among teachers is beneficial for both teacher and student success.
Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
As someone who is not currently a practicing teacher, I'm having a difficult time looking for a focus. I feel like I'm on the outside looking in and don't really know what is needed. While looking for a focus, I've been reading several sites about Technology Integration.
Assessing the Plan : http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/atp.html
Technology Integration in K-12: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/ITFoundations/index.php?title=Technology_Integration_in_K-12
A Problem-based Approach to Teaching the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) Model
Wiencke, W. & Roblyer, M.D. (2004). A Problem-based Approach to Teaching the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) Model. In R. Ferdig et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2004 (pp. 1474-1477). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
At a recent faculty meeting, several teachers spent a good portion of the time complaining about one-and-done professional development.Their biggest complaint was that once the initial professional development presentation is done and interest is bolstered, there is no follow up. As schools are bringing more technology into classrooms, it is vital that teachers have adequate training and ongoing professional development. One effective strategy for technology integration is mentoring and coaching. Follow-up guidance and support should be available within the school to train and assist teachers any time there is an issue with tech integration.
What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
Technology integration can be frustrating to teachers, especially those who are not used to dealing with technology. It is important that teachers have constant and consistent coaching and mentoring during the process. When frustrations arise, good coaches and mentors can assist teachers and help them through the obstacles. Additionally, the collaboration among teachers is beneficial for both teacher and student success.
Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
As someone who is not currently a practicing teacher, I'm having a difficult time looking for a focus. I feel like I'm on the outside looking in and don't really know what is needed. While looking for a focus, I've been reading several sites about Technology Integration.
Assessing the Plan : http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/atp.html
Technology Integration in K-12: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/ITFoundations/index.php?title=Technology_Integration_in_K-12
A Problem-based Approach to Teaching the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) Model
Wiencke, W. & Roblyer, M.D. (2004). A Problem-based Approach to Teaching the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) Model. In R. Ferdig et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2004 (pp. 1474-1477). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Module4 Bell
What are your thoughts about effective professional
development strategies?
Professional development is extremely important to teachers
and their ability to prepare all students for the ever changing world. Staying
up to date with new technologies and developments in education is imperative
for teachers, but to do so requires time outside of the classroom working with
colleagues and in professional development classes or sessions. PD needs to
occur on a regular basis instead of just one session at the beginning of the
year to be more effective for all involved. I personally think it is very
important for teachers to receive professional development that relates to
their content area. I have worked in schools where I had to sit through many PD
sessions that really did not relate to my content (art) in any way. I tried to
make the best of these sessions and pick up some teaching strategies or
management techniques but overall could not wait for the session to end. I really do think that Virginia Beach City
Public Schools (VBCPS) has a great way to implement professional development,
since they have chosen that a few PD sessions will be district wide and then
left the rest up to the individual schools so that the PD is more relative to
all.
What is the PD
strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
The PD strategy that I plan to use in my Technology
Initiative will consist of Coaching and Mentoring. Working with the Computer
Resource Specialist (CRS) and all teachers interested in incorporating the iPad
into their classroom, I believe that this will be a very effective way to learn
to use the iPads effectively. Teachers will be teaching and learning what works
and does not work from each other. The more technology savvy teachers could be
more of mentors along with the CRS.
Please also share any literature or resources you are
using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
There are an abundant amount of resources online that I am
trying to go through to determine which ones may be the best to start out with.
Some of the resources that I am looking at currently are:
There is a huge list of materials that can be delivered
online and also through iOS devices for self-directed learners and self-paced
learners working with mentors and coaches.
This is a beginner’s guide for i-devices in Education. This
site also discusses the challenges of how to effectively deploy these devices
in schools.
This site is specifically about iPads in Art Education.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Module 4- E Yeager
What are your
thoughts about effective professional development strategies?
Effective strategies are great tools for all teachers. It should not matter how many years the
instructor has been teaching, I feel he or she should experience any
professional development strategy. This can
help avoid teachers getting stuck in their ways. Also it keeps teachers accountable for
learning new methods and materials available for student learning. With new standards and inventions taking
place, it is important for teachers to be aware of and try to implement any
changes necessary to improve students’ learning.
What is the PD
strategy or strategies you plan to use in your Technology Initiative?
I plan to incorporate the mentoring and coaching
strategy. I feel teachers should help each
other out and support each other with whatever endeavor one tries. If it doesn’t succeed, then fellow teachers
should look and see what the error was and try to correct anything for future
use. Coaching and Mentoring also leads
to collaboration among teachers. To identify
key strategies and promote student success, teachers should constantly
collaborate about what methods of teaching have worked and what is best for the
school and learning community.
Another strategy I like is the Job Embedded strategy. I feel this strategy would go great with the
coaching and mentoring since the teacher is given feedback based upon different
actions taken. It is suggested that this
strategy be implemented among colleagues.
Again this emphasizes the importance of group communication to achieve a
greater level of success.
Please also share any literature or resources
you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
Transition to
Algebra -A Habits of Mind ApproachHollingsworth, T., Donnelly, H., & Piazzola, L. (2012). Preparing teachers to meet common core. Principal, Retrieved from https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/Hollingsworth Web Exclusive.pdf
Education
innovation clusters. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/technology/innovation-clusters/
http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/technology/files/2012/07/Innovation-Cluster-Description.pdfMod 4 Professional development - Jodee Nelson
The edicts being handed down from the federal government caused schools to face many complex challenges. These include new technologies to be used in the classroom , rigorous academic standards and goals. Some teachers are hard pressed to keep up. However, they can no longer 'sit on their laurals'. They must build and enhance their instructional knowledge. The vision now holds that professional development should be sustained and become part of a teacher's professional responsibilites. However, not all school districts have the funds to engage each and every teacher.There is no 'cookie cutter' answer. There are many resoursces available in the form of PDSs, PLCs, coaching,mentoring and my favorite action research to name just a few. We , Respiratory Care, use action research to decide what works and what doesn't. We also use PLCs in our school of health careers to share the positives and negatives. Each faculty member is a leader in our school as our skill sets emerge as we learn and gain knowledge. In the respiratory program, new technology in the form of a computerized simulation maniquins will enhance student learning and prepare them for the real experiences in the hospital setting.We learned through action research that the more hands on experiences improves confidence and competence of the students.
Also Pierpont is building an advanced technology center and since respiratory care will have significant space there, we must be on top of the newest technology.
Our professional organization American Association in Respiratory Care has a plethora of research on the benefits of computerized simulation maniquins in the education of respiratory students. Below are a few of the journals and blog.
Simulation in Healthcare, Journal of Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Vol.7, No.3, June 2012
Ari A., Implementing commuterized patient simulations as a measure of students learning on patient managementin respiratory therapy education. Respir Care Educ Annual 2011; 20: 11-16
GonzalesJ.F., Marshall S.G., Russian C.J, Stokes t.J., Croitical Thinking Skills and Preferred Learning Styles of Respiratory Care Students. Respir Care Educ Annual 2010; 19: 57-62
http://blog.hmcarchitet.com/designing-simulation-labs-for-the-next-generation-of-healthcare-professionals
Also Pierpont is building an advanced technology center and since respiratory care will have significant space there, we must be on top of the newest technology.
Our professional organization American Association in Respiratory Care has a plethora of research on the benefits of computerized simulation maniquins in the education of respiratory students. Below are a few of the journals and blog.
Simulation in Healthcare, Journal of Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Vol.7, No.3, June 2012
Ari A., Implementing commuterized patient simulations as a measure of students learning on patient managementin respiratory therapy education. Respir Care Educ Annual 2011; 20: 11-16
GonzalesJ.F., Marshall S.G., Russian C.J, Stokes t.J., Croitical Thinking Skills and Preferred Learning Styles of Respiratory Care Students. Respir Care Educ Annual 2010; 19: 57-62
http://blog.hmcarchitet.com/designing-simulation-labs-for-the-next-generation-of-healthcare-professionals
Module 4 - Swiger
What are your thoughts about effective professional development strategies? What is the PD strategy or strategies you plan to use in your TI? Please also share any literature or resources you are using to refine your focus and develop your plan.
Effective professional development will focus on increasing the teacher’s knowledge, skills and confidence in implementing technology tools and focusing on teacher and learner outcomes. For technology integration to be successful, the professional development strategy used must build teacher confidence in relation to student achievement. As teachers embark upon implementing a new pedagogical approach through technology integration, support will be critical to success. Researching pd strategies allows you to review the various models, but professional development strategies should align to your context and be modified based upon your specific situation. I've participated in a variety of professional development opportunities, and the most successful seem to be built around effective organization, common goals, and follow-up guidance and support.
Effective professional development will focus on increasing the teacher’s knowledge, skills and confidence in implementing technology tools and focusing on teacher and learner outcomes. For technology integration to be successful, the professional development strategy used must build teacher confidence in relation to student achievement. As teachers embark upon implementing a new pedagogical approach through technology integration, support will be critical to success. Researching pd strategies allows you to review the various models, but professional development strategies should align to your context and be modified based upon your specific situation. I've participated in a variety of professional development opportunities, and the most successful seem to be built around effective organization, common goals, and follow-up guidance and support.
I plan to use a Learning
Circle model with an On-site Coordinator (OSC). The OSC is vital to the learning circle community and must facilitate,
mentor and advocate for the learning circle members. Members of the circle not only include
teachers, but also may include administrators, parents, and community members. Shared beliefs and decision-making based on
school goals and teacher interest will provide the foundation for the learning
circle model. A goal of this model is to develop future facilitators, provide a venue for sharing and each year possibly develop a learning circle with new members that are guided by previous members.
I've administered a technology integration needs assessment to the faculty at my school. I used a Google form and sent the link via the school email program. We have eight core teachers and one special education teacher. Spanish and Band are halftime, and four specialists that we share with the local elementary school (art, music. media and phys.ed). So far, I have
nine completed surveys. A brief summary for three of the six questions:
What kind of support or professional development should be offered to help you achieve your technology goals? The data collected reveals a request for workshops, learning circle community (monthly meetings), and a technology facilitator or coach as part of the staff.
What technology would you like to have available for instruction? Out of nine responses, seven would like to have ipads, one would like to have a projector for classroom, and one prefers to receive nothing new. (I will probably consider the purchase of ipads when choosing a grant)
Which of the following Technology Initiatives would you consider implementing in your classroom? Respondents were given choices of one or more of the following:
(word processing) for writing across the curriculum, creating electronic portfolios for students using Google, and creating digital stories as a school-wide project. The top two choices were creating digital stories and using word processing for writing across the curriculum.
What kind of support or professional development should be offered to help you achieve your technology goals? The data collected reveals a request for workshops, learning circle community (monthly meetings), and a technology facilitator or coach as part of the staff.
What technology would you like to have available for instruction? Out of nine responses, seven would like to have ipads, one would like to have a projector for classroom, and one prefers to receive nothing new. (I will probably consider the purchase of ipads when choosing a grant)
Which of the following Technology Initiatives would you consider implementing in your classroom? Respondents were given choices of one or more of the following:
(word processing) for writing across the curriculum, creating electronic portfolios for students using Google, and creating digital stories as a school-wide project. The top two choices were creating digital stories and using word processing for writing across the curriculum.
Literature Resources:
Borthwick, A. & Pierson, M. (Eds.). (2008). Transforming classroom practice. Eugene,
OR: International Society for Technology in Education
Czarnecki, K. (2009). How digital storytelling builds 21st century skills. Library Technology Reports, 45(7), 15.
DuFour, R.,DuFour R.,
Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2006). Learning
by doing. Bloomington, IN: Solution
Tree Press
Lerman, J. (2006). 101 best websites for teacher tools and
professional development. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology
in Education
Linder, R. A., Post, G., & Calabrese, K. (2012).
Professional learning communities:
Practices for successful implementation. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 78(3),
13-22.
Pitler, H., Hubble E.R.,
Kuhn, M. & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using
technology with classroom instruction that works. Denver, CO: Mid-Continent
Research for Education and Learning
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