Standard 1.4 Diffusion of Innovations & Change
Candidates research, recommend, and implement strategies for initiating and sustaining technology innovations and for managing the change process in schools. (PSC 1.4/ISTE 1d)
Artifact: Coaching Journal
Reflection:
The Coaching Journal artifact was completed in 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovations. The purpose of the activity was to document the use of the peer coaching model presented in the ISTE Technology, Coaching, and Community, Power Partners for Improved Professional Development in Primary and Secondary Education (2011). My individual contribution to this artifact consists of: arranging meeting times, meeting with teacher to discuss goals and strategies, researching technology and best practices to help implement changes in instruction, lesson implementation, and reflection.
While creating the Coaching Journal and following the five steps of the ISTE peer coaching model, I was able to actively research and recommend strategies for initiating change with the use of technology. The strategies researched and recommended would help my peer teacher, Ms. McDougal meet the goals we had set together. She wanted to encourage authentic conversations in Spanish and independent learning. We worked together to set specific goals to meet these expectations. The goals are as follows: increase authentic Spanish conversation between her students with little or no teacher involvement; have students use new vocabulary; and she wanted students to be able to use their personal technology to complete assignment. The first step in helping to accomplish these goals was to find a way to encourage independent learning. Outside of our meetings I went to the internet to researched technology and independent learning. From this search I moved into looking for tools that we could use to create screencast videos of the learning objectives for students directed group learning. I recommended two software programs, Jing and SmartBoard Notebook software. I needed to find something easy to use, that could be viewed on all types of technology, and at low cost. But in my research I found that the videos that Smart created were not viewable on iPads, iTouches, or iPhones. This made for an easy decision. Ms. McDougal was able to use Jing and create her learning objective video for this lesson. I suggested that she use Screencast.com to house the video and post a link on her class webpage for students to easily access it. The implementation of this program helped us to meet the goals set.
I also participated in the delivering of this lesson. I helped facilitate the lesson and honestly just engaged in conversations with the different groups to keep them on task and moving in the right direction. After the first class, Ms. McDougal and I met to analyze and debrief. We talked about what worked and we made some changes for her upcoming classes. During the next class these changes were used. We observed a difference in the student learning due to these changes, students were more engaged with the content and were speaking Spanish in their groups in order to complete their assignment. The goals we set were met.
In order to sustain technology innovation and manage that change, I feel that is important to not only work with the teachers to research and implement new technologies but also to be there for continued support after this first steps are completed. I demonstrated this support by meeting with Ms. McDougal after the lesson and I continue to keep in contact with her by email and class visits.
During this process, I learned several things about collaboration. As a media specialist, we are support staff and one of our primary jobs is to work with teachers to support the learning that is occurring in their classrooms. In the past I have worked in this capacity at a much different level then I did during this lesson. Using the ISTE peer coaching model, I went into these collaborative meetings in the role of a peer working with another teacher to accomplish goals that we had set together. This differs in my prior support in that we worked together from beginning to end in creating this activity. Each one of us brought special skills to the table and together our final product met all of the goals we set. The entire process was a work in process and I did learn a very valuable lesson about collaboration. Collaboration comes naturally when I come into a situation as a peer working with another teacher, rather than coming in as a media specialist that is here to fix the day and the way the teacher creates the lesson. First and foremost I am a peer, an equal and two heads are better than one.
The work that went in to creating this artifact directly impacted student learning in this classroom. The impact was assessed two ways, a rubric the teacher created for the assignment and through our analysis/debriefing meeting. During this meeting we looked at our goals and measured them against our results.
The Coaching Journal artifact was completed in 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovations. The purpose of the activity was to document the use of the peer coaching model presented in the ISTE Technology, Coaching, and Community, Power Partners for Improved Professional Development in Primary and Secondary Education (2011). My individual contribution to this artifact consists of: arranging meeting times, meeting with teacher to discuss goals and strategies, researching technology and best practices to help implement changes in instruction, lesson implementation, and reflection.
While creating the Coaching Journal and following the five steps of the ISTE peer coaching model, I was able to actively research and recommend strategies for initiating change with the use of technology. The strategies researched and recommended would help my peer teacher, Ms. McDougal meet the goals we had set together. She wanted to encourage authentic conversations in Spanish and independent learning. We worked together to set specific goals to meet these expectations. The goals are as follows: increase authentic Spanish conversation between her students with little or no teacher involvement; have students use new vocabulary; and she wanted students to be able to use their personal technology to complete assignment. The first step in helping to accomplish these goals was to find a way to encourage independent learning. Outside of our meetings I went to the internet to researched technology and independent learning. From this search I moved into looking for tools that we could use to create screencast videos of the learning objectives for students directed group learning. I recommended two software programs, Jing and SmartBoard Notebook software. I needed to find something easy to use, that could be viewed on all types of technology, and at low cost. But in my research I found that the videos that Smart created were not viewable on iPads, iTouches, or iPhones. This made for an easy decision. Ms. McDougal was able to use Jing and create her learning objective video for this lesson. I suggested that she use Screencast.com to house the video and post a link on her class webpage for students to easily access it. The implementation of this program helped us to meet the goals set.
I also participated in the delivering of this lesson. I helped facilitate the lesson and honestly just engaged in conversations with the different groups to keep them on task and moving in the right direction. After the first class, Ms. McDougal and I met to analyze and debrief. We talked about what worked and we made some changes for her upcoming classes. During the next class these changes were used. We observed a difference in the student learning due to these changes, students were more engaged with the content and were speaking Spanish in their groups in order to complete their assignment. The goals we set were met.
In order to sustain technology innovation and manage that change, I feel that is important to not only work with the teachers to research and implement new technologies but also to be there for continued support after this first steps are completed. I demonstrated this support by meeting with Ms. McDougal after the lesson and I continue to keep in contact with her by email and class visits.
During this process, I learned several things about collaboration. As a media specialist, we are support staff and one of our primary jobs is to work with teachers to support the learning that is occurring in their classrooms. In the past I have worked in this capacity at a much different level then I did during this lesson. Using the ISTE peer coaching model, I went into these collaborative meetings in the role of a peer working with another teacher to accomplish goals that we had set together. This differs in my prior support in that we worked together from beginning to end in creating this activity. Each one of us brought special skills to the table and together our final product met all of the goals we set. The entire process was a work in process and I did learn a very valuable lesson about collaboration. Collaboration comes naturally when I come into a situation as a peer working with another teacher, rather than coming in as a media specialist that is here to fix the day and the way the teacher creates the lesson. First and foremost I am a peer, an equal and two heads are better than one.
The work that went in to creating this artifact directly impacted student learning in this classroom. The impact was assessed two ways, a rubric the teacher created for the assignment and through our analysis/debriefing meeting. During this meeting we looked at our goals and measured them against our results.