Spring 2011, ITEC 7430: 11 Hours
Spring 2011, ITEC 7445: 10.5 Hours
Outlook: I had my teammate to be able to navigate Outlook effectively and fix some of the issues he was having with deleting his contacts.
Standards: TF-I, TF-V
ITEC 7430 Spring 2011
2 hours
8th Grade-Social Studies
I sat down with my teammate on numerous occasions to show and help him navigate Outlook. He continually deleted his contacts and did not know how to clean out his inbox (he had 3 year old emails and could not get new emails). I was shocked to learn that no one had taught him how to do the basics. I became even more shocked when the following week I found him in my classroom asking me to restore his contacts again. We still do not know how he was deleting them! I had to use great patience with him because he was easily distracted and did not want to write anything down. It has now been 3 months since I last had to help him, so I am optimistic that he learned…or he is just not telling me!
Personal Response System (PRS): I taught my teammates how to use PRS with self-paced testing.
Standards: TF-I; TF-II; TF-III D; TF-IV A, B
ITEC 7430 Spring 2011
6 hours
8th grade Science/Reading/Mathematics
I have been using Personal Response System in my classroom for a few years, but recently found out how to use it with tests, so the students can go at their own pace. Once I acquired my new knowledge, I quickly went around and told my teammates. We spent many planning periods practicing and experimenting with this feature. This was extremely helpful to me, because I was able to see their struggles and then apply it to my teaching to help my students with taking their tests. Sadly, the teachers I have shown this too have not really utilized it yet. They keep asking questions, so I know they are still playing around with it, but I have not heard of them doing it will all their students. I believe the math teacher decided to only use it with her advance classes because it was too much of a struggle when she first attempted. I hope that my explanations did not scare any of the teachers off…this was my first non-one-on-one session, so my confidence was not 100%, but I feel ready to tackle it again!
Google Docs: I helped teachers learn about Google Docs and how to use them in their classrooms.
Standards: TF-I, TF-III
ITEC 7430 Spring 2011
3 hours
6th/8th grade Science/Social Studies/Math
I showed the benefits of using Google Docs to different teachers. Some wanted to learn how to use Google Docs as a Word document that could be collaborated on with their co-workers, while others wanted to learn how to use Google Docs to create forms and surveys. I had to do some research beforehand, since I have not used Google Docs for the form function, but in the end it helped me out as well. The teacher’s picked up quickly and easily. They did not have many questions afterwards and their end products looked good and helped them with collaboration. I like helping people when it benefits them in the end and they just don’t ignore the help. They were willing to learn, so they did learn. In other field experiences, the teachers did not really want to learn so it took forever and was like pulling teeth.
PowerPoint Jeopardy: I helped a 8th grade Language Arts teacher create Jeopardy using PowerPoint to help her students review for the CRCT.
Standards: TF-I, TF-II, TF-III, TF-VI A
ITEC 7445 Spring 2011
1.5 hours
8th grade Language Arts
A teacher asked me to help her create a Jeopardy review game using PowerPoint to help her review with her students in an engaging manner. I sat behind her as she did all the clicking, but she listened to my instructions. It her many tries to learn how to hyperlink within the document. I left her at one point satisfied that she could finish the rest of the PowerPoint, but she came back the next day having forgotten everything I told her. I had to use extreme patience for something I went into thinking would go by quickly. I learned to talk slowly (because not everyone can maneuver around with a mouse as fast I think they can) and I repeated myself without having to be asked. I feel like I am getting better at helping others who are not tech savvy as I want them to be.
Examview + Google Sites: I helped a 8th grade Georgia Studies teacher create and export practice CRCT tests for his students to use on his website. I then helped him to update and add content, so the students could take the practice tests where the grade the students made could be emailed to him.
Standards: TF-I, TF-III, TF-V
ITEC 7445 Spring 2011
7 hours
8th grade Georgia Studies
This was the most stressful, tedious, and patience-inspiring field experience so far. A tech novice teacher approached me to help him reproduce what a teacher had done for him the previous year to review for the CRCT. Sadly, the tech novice deleted all the work that was done, so he came to me to help him start over. This would have gone better if he had not a pre-conceived idea of what he wanted since he had this before. I spent the whole time being compared to the original teacher who helped him and not producing the exact same thing he had before. I got a chance to use my newfound knowledge of HTML, my basic understanding of Examview (the program our textbook uses to create tests), and Google Sites knowledge I use all the time. My patience was test both with the demands and the slow processing time the teacher had. He would click, then write it down, then try it again before moving on the second step, which sometimes included opening Internet Explorer. By the end, and with all his notes, he was able to do the long process without my help. He also learned a lesson that he should not delete things he will need. I learned that it is impossible to replace someone who everyone loves because I cannot be someone else. However, I have earned his respect, so it was a success. I feel better and more experienced. I have gained patience I did not know I had and I think all other field experiences will go smoother.
Stixy.com: I introduced a group of teachers to stixy.com and how to use it with their students.
Standards: TF-III, TF-IV, TF-V
ITEC 7445 Spring 2011
2 hours
8th Grade
I took a new website I found on my Google Reader and showed different groups of teachers how to use it encourage collaboration among students. Since I was so excited about the website and my students enjoyed it, this field experience flew by! My passion and excitement spread to the teachers I helped and then they took their new excitement and passed it to their students. Enjoying what you do really helps to create a good environment for learning and collaborating. I hope to take this excitement and apply it every time I help others, because it will only help those people create more excitement when they pass on the excitement.
Fall 2010, ITEC 7400: 11 Hours
Fall 2010, ITEC 7410: 12.5 Hours
Standards: TF-I, TF-V
7410 Fall 2010
5 hours
8th/6th Grade-Science, Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Math
Fulton County recently purchased a new grade book/attendance/record keeping system. I attended training on the system, showing me how to work it and all its quirks. I also helped other teachers in learning the system in both informal and formal settings. I had to use my newfound knowledge and skills to troubleshoot the problems the teachers were bringing to me. The technology specialists at the school got minimal training, so it fell on the shoulders of the teachers to help each other out. After 3 months of using the program, I still have teachers come by for help with the system. I am still learning new things every time they come by! It is disappointing that for such a big system, we have a new system that was no one was properly trained on. I guess this is what happens when people adopt something and do not get it tested by the people who will be using it. However, I am now an expert at click and cross my fingers I did not just break something! J
Personal Response System (PRS): I taught my co-teacher how to use PRS, including how to set-up the program, input classes, add questions to multiple programs, and how to find the results.
Standards: TF-I; TF-II; TF-III D; TF-IV A, B
7410 Fall 2010
3 hours
8th grade Science/Reading
After using the Personal Response System in my classroom, my co-teacher was interested in the learning more. I showed her how to get it on her computer, how to input her classes, how to create questions, and how to locate and figure out the results. I had her practice with our class before she tried it with her class. I also helped her to create a lesson that would use the PRS in her resource class. At this date, I do not know if she has attempted it with her students due to their anxieties. It was easy to help 1 person. Now, how would it be to do this with a large group?
Interwrite: I helped my co-teacher learn the Interwrite software so she could use it with her resource class.
Standards: TF-I, TF-II, TF-III D
7410 Fall 2010
1.5 hours
8th grade Science/Reading
As a new teacher, my co-teacher lacked technical skills. When she started teaching with me, I slowly introduced her to the technology I use in my classroom. I showed her how to use the basic software, explained how it was used in my/our classroom, and I then followed it up with showing her how else to use it that might be most beneficial to her students. I used my skills and knowledge of the software and the content to show her the effective ways to use it and offer suggestions for her resource class. It was interesting and fun to see the excitement in someone new. I have not seen someone get excited to learn something new in a long time. I am assuming that is what I looked like when I first learned the software!
Standards: TF-I, TF-II, TF-VI A
7410 Fall 2010
3 hours
8th grade Spanish
This was an interesting field experience. When the teacher first approached me, I thought she was talking about something completely different. After I actually went to her room and saw what she was talking about, the little light bulb came on above my head. As we got deeper into the project, the more I ended up learning about the project the kids did. I have never really had an interest in Spanish (no offense language teachers!!!), but now I am curious as to what they learn and do. I had to use my knowledge and skills of Google sites and embedding websites. The teacher wanted to use Google video, but did not know where to go after that. Between the two of us, we came up with a plan. I also discussed with her the potential safety risks of putting student names and images online. We went back and forth, as to what was too much and finally came up with a parent letter to ask permission. This experience really helped me to open up my eyes to classes that I have never had contact with and how other teachers think. We are all different types of teachers and have different opinions. Respecting your co-workers opinions is important, because it is okay if people have differing opinions so long as the students’ best interests are being looked after.
Standards: TF-I
7400 Fall 2010
7 hours
8th grade Georgia Studies
I learned a lot from this field experience. It was on the heels of Website Building, so I felt like it would go fast, especially since the teacher already had a website. However, I should not have been so quick to make a judgment because it was nothing like I expected. After a few hours of helping the teacher re-work her website, she decided we needed to start from scratch because the way the website was formatted was not effective for her. At this point, she actually wanted to get rid of her website for good, but after a few days of thinking on it, she came up with a new idea for her website. We then spent the rest of the time deleting the entire website (expect for the URL) and then rebuilt as new needs arose. (needs skills, knowledge, and disposition)
Standards: TF-I
7400 Fall 2010
4 hours
8th Grade Language Arts
This field experience helped to open my eyes to how technology is impacting my school. Teachers are being pressured by administration to have websites/blogs for their classrooms. However, they are not being clear on how it is to be used. This particular teacher was tired of being bothered, so she finally decided to cave in. She approached me to help her create a website. I thought it would be easy, but I soon realized that she had no idea how she wanted to use and why. I had to use my knowledge of the types of websites I have seen and used. I did research with the teacher and we finally come up the decision that she needed a website that did not require daily updates. I used my skills to show her how to navigate the website and create new pages and content. I made sure to sit back and let the teacher do the work. I helped her decide on the correct path to take, but I did not ever touch the computer for her. I pulled up a chair and dictated. I made sure to let her explore and make mistakes so she could learn. She needed to be able to work on her website without me so it was important that she do the actual work. Now that her website is semi-working, her students are starting to go and get work and vocabulary words from it. It is still a work in progress, but the students can now continue the learning from school into their homes by being able to review documents and language arts content.
