Practicing for P.D.---Edmodo Reflection

     Overall I think the Edmodo presentation was okay.  I definitively see areas where I could improve and areas where I confused my peers.  I believe that because I ran out of time I confused some people.  Even though I rehearsed it in my mind, I should have rehearsed it ahead of time with an actual audience.

Things I would change:

• Add some research or application (maybe an example) at the beginning.
• Have teachers create an account at the beginning and then just show the student view and parent view (from the screen shots).  Or if time allows, teachers could log in as students after creating the teacher account.  Teachers could also log in as parents if time allows.
• Allow time for brainstorming (using linoit).
• Allow time for connecting to ALL grade levels (show examples).

Things I would keep the same:

• Wordle to kick it off and explain.
• Allowing teachers to be hands-on from the beginning.
• Step-by-step handout and agenda.
• Livebinder as an organization tool.

Presenting staff development

     I think the characteristics of adult learners versus student learners needs to be the focus when administering staff development at a school.  When I'm planning my staff development, I need to make sure I'm presenting/administering a workshop where adult learners are not treated as student learners.  In this article, one of the most important characteristics of an adult learner is that adult learners are skeptical of new information being taught.  New information needs to be "tried out" before it is accepted.  The teaching strategies to address these characteristics are great tidbits to keep in mind when planning staff development.  It is vital to remember to give up the control when working with adult learners, because they want to be self-directed and learn some on their own.


     I also need to keep in mind the various thinking and learning styles of the adult learners.  Each adult learner has a different learning style and to maximize the time in staff development, all learning styles need to be addressed to the best of my ability.  Learners tend to associate their learning success with their learning style.  Therefore when addressing multiple thinking and learning styles, more learners will experience success.


     When reading another article, I learned that when creating staff development I need to reflect on how the staff development focuses on how students learn and how to address the learning of the students.  This will hopefully increase student achievement.  When planning my staff development, I aspire to incorporate the learning of students as my focus.  It is imperative to focus on the fact that teachers need to be able to connect what they are learning in staff development to teaching.  Making sure that the staff development connects to the curriculum, to the district and state standards, and assessment measures, is important for the teachers involved.  It was stated that during evaluation of staff development, the three things that are analyzed as classroom practices, impact on teacher behavior, and the effect on student learning.  Evaluations should be completed throughout the program/staff development.  One last point I need consider when planning my staff development, is that it should be over an amount of time and include a significant amount of hours.  These will lead to the success of the staff development.

What my classroom will look like in the 2011-2012 school year...

     The look of my classroom this year will change... both in the physical layout and in the content/activities that my students participate.
  
     I love where the article discussed engagement.  I need to ensure that my student's brains are fully engaged at all times.  I plan to do this by continuing to integrate technology seamlessly throughout my lessons.  This will better prepare my students for the 21st century.  I also need to incorporate problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity throughout our daily activities.  


     The concept of the article seems perfect.  I would love for every student to have their own digital device 24/7.  This would be an ideal situation, but the questions asked, such as who would purchase the devices, are an obstacle that we face.  


     This year I'm hoping to focus on helping my students achieve digital literacy keeping in mind the three parts.  The three parts of digital literacy include using information to solve a problem, using media and digital technologies to communicate/collaborate, and digital citizenship.  This will better prepare my students for the real-world and the unknown jobs they will encounter upon graduation.


     I need to focus on my role in the classroom.  My role as an educator is to be a facilitator, role model, collaborator, designer, and engager.    I plan to facilitate personal reflections as a form of collaboration in my classroom.  This year I started this and it really helped my students reflect on their goals, reading levels, progress, etc.  I usually am able to customize and personalize learning activities to address various student needs and this year I want to focus on doing this using digital tools and resources.  I also need to zone in on setting a good example for my students when it comes to digital citizenship.  My students need to be explicitly taught about topics including issues such as copyright.  Lastly, I plan to engage in professional development throughout the year.  I'm going to attend the Pinnacle conference and the Teacher and Learning Conference, lead staff development, and participate in staff development.


     I found this image and it sums up my thoughts.  The image is from an article by Prakash Nair in Education Week about 21st century school remodeling.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/99107397@N00/3927020130/in/photostream/