Summary of ISTE Standards for Coaches/White Paper Three case studies were conducted and these three areas were reviewed and tested. 1, Professional Development an dhow it could impact teacher outcomes with higher scores on standardized test for students. These activities made connections with standards, instruction, and technology. They realized that time had to be taken to understand the technology and use it to the maximum potential. That for the technology to increase the students assessment scores it had to be a long duration and ongoing as it connected teaching, learning, and technology. 2. Instructional Coaching These leaders have to take in the Big 4 framework and use all four principles to help teachers. a. Classroom management b. Content planning c. Instruction d. Assessment for learning. The Instructional coaches are there to guide he teachers through the manuals, checklist and hold one on one or small group meetings to help the teachers collaborate, prepare, model, observe and also provide feedback to the teachers. I really think this is an important role to have. The IC should be able explain and model to the teachers then allow them to take the information back into the classroom. I think the IC should go to a classroom and teach the lesson with the technology they are exploring as a model to the teachers. As the teachers take the information back to their own personal classroom they can then as the IC to observe and give ideas of how they can refine the process of making each lesson better with the technology available. They also suggested having a online support area and a face-to-face support group. Which is a very good idea. Many times the teacher must continue with her teaching and lesson plans when the technology chooses not to work or the internet is down etc but the students are there and waiting. I think it is most important to make sure it is up and working before the students come in and also to have a plan b in place in case it doesn't work. Technology is GREAT when it works! Having all this in place will help the teacher be less stressed. 3. Peer Coaching is where teachers are trained to help their colleagues as they integrate technology into their classrooms. The main focus is collaboration. They can strengthen each other and help improve on learning as they share activities and talk among them selves sharing what they already know will work and trying new things as they engage in instructional strategies. They have to understand that best practices need to be looked at as they integrate technology into their teaching and into the students lives. They have to asses, set goals, prepare, implement activities, and analyze then debrief. The most important factor that was found here is again "teachers work and benefit from new technology as they see their coach model a technology rich lesson." The ISTE list 10 tips for leveraging technology, coaching and community in this link:
file:///C:/Users/pc/Downloads/Coaching_Whitepaper_digital.pdf
1, Learning with technology is more important than learning about technology - "Increase skills"
2. Relevance wins - "Keep knowledge relevant with teachers own needs"
3. Keep Millennial in mind - "Give younger teachers learning experiences"
4. Relationships matter - "Build trust in teachers"
5. Be Inclusive - "Don't work on your own"
6. Trust the Process - "long term plans "
7. Share your progress - "teachers are implementing what they are learning"
8. Make the most of your time - "work with in the budget and use what you have"
9. Take technology mainstream - "PD can benefit from the integration of technology together you are better."
10. Leverage the World - "Don't reinvent the wheel"
I used the ISTE standards for teachers, students, and administrators and was excited to see that they a have it broken down for coaches too. I considered the Media Specialist in between a teacher and an administrator. It is good to see helps for the coaches as well and that all the ISTE standards link together.
Last year the school that I volunteered at had a wonderful Media Specialist that help "Tech tips" three times a month. He would demonstrate something new and how to use it in the classroom for about thirty minutes after school. He would also come and visit a teachers classroom and show the class how to use the technology. He was a great asset to the teachers and the school.
I would follow suit and use my mentors suggestions of holding thirty minute "Tech tips" during the school year and always being available to help the teachers with something new by allowing time to demonstrate it at a faculty meeting for about 5 minutes or schedule a time in their classroom. I also think that the Computer lab/technology specialist in the school should work closely with the Media Specialist and collaborate these skills. He or She can teach the students how to use a certain type of technology in their classroom and once the teacher gets training from the media specialist then the students and teacher will be on the same page and it will go smoother in the teachers classroom once she or he implements the new form of technology as an instructional piece.
The media specialist must: Have a vision and look for ways to support technology to the students, teach implementation, and help manage the process from school to classroom. They must engage learning and coach teachers by model and implementation using differentiation, creativity, higher order thinking skills and help teachers and students produce products that link to education and improve instructional practice. The media specialist can create a variety of learning environments whether in the media center, classroom, one on one, or in a faculty meeting. They must help troubleshoot issues with the technology and help teachers feel confident about their use of technology in the classroom. They can have a needs assessment as they design, develop and implement technology. There needs to be an evaluation tool that allows the faculty to see if the technology is being used and effective in the classroom with the teachers and students.
Jeremy's take on staff development is that he is there to help the teachers as much as he can with new technology and help them learn and be comfortable using it in their classroom. He is also there to support them in any new endeavors they see and what to explore. He is continuing to support the kids with learning as they come to the media center and collaborates with the computer lab manager how and when they need to work together and get the students on one page. His goal is to make learning fun and by doing so the students will soak in as much as possible and do well on their assessments. The teachers will feel confident knowing they have someone they can turn to in time of need when new technology comes in or there is a problem with making theirs work.
First, I appreciate the 10 tips. That really sums it up and is a good reminder. Technology is such a integral part of our lives and the lives of our students that we really must view it as just that - not some foreign creature to use for fun. I have so enjoyed learning different programs/apps from Dr. Snipes and Dr. Cooper in this program. I have passed many of these along to my staff already and plan to continue to do so. The Tech Portfolio will really help get a library of training started but I hope to not stop at these 5 pieces. I want to keep these available for our teachers and paraprofessionals to view and learn from. It would be great if teachers and paraprofessionals could start creating lessons of their own to contribute. Exciting times!
ReplyDeleteYour summary of ISTE standards for coaches is very thorough. I like that it explains every aspect of what is expected in the various areas. Technology in itself is difficult enough to spread around and teach to everyone on our staff. Having a few guidelines really makes learning more manageable. The principles that is set up to help instructional coaching guide through development and collaboration. What I’ve learned most about technology teaching is that it’s a never ending process. Just when you think you’ve learned or mastered an issue, something else comes along that’s even better, faster and more efficient. As learners ourselves, we need to always stay abreast and up-to-date as well. As we are teaching, we’re learning too. Using all the tools allotted to use via social media or any other form of educating can be a positive thing. In our district we utilize some peer coaching, but not enough I think to make a significant difference. It seems that everyone relies heavily on the media specialist to at least get them started and headed in the right direction. It’s only a problem when she doesn't have enough time to do her job let alone yours. If we all just pulled together and tried coexisting with one another on a technical level then technology training wouldn't seem like a burden to any of us.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Angie. I love that you included the top 10 list. That stuck out to me too during the reading. The top 2 are the ones that to me are the two most important when thinking about technology training. How many times have we learned "about technology" instead of learning with technology? I remember so much more from the professional development sessions I have been in where we were told to bring our ipads, and we did the work as opposed to those where we watched a demonstration. I think training is most effective when there is a little of both. Sometimes jumping into technology can be intimidating, but we all learning by doing, so that must be part of it. Relevance to me is one of the most important aspects to remember when planning for technology training. Teachers have so much on their plates already. If I, as a technology specialists or media specialist try to train them on something they feel they will never use, it will not be effective. On the other hand, if I can show them something that will make their job more efficient or more engaging for their students, they are more likely to be receptive to the training, and possibly future sessions on new technology tools.
ReplyDeleteAt our school, we have a media specialist as well as a technology teacher. They are both extremely helpful if we have any problems or need assistance. They both teach classes throughout the day, so their time for coming into classrooms is very limited. However, they are both very open to ideas, and are wiling to help. Our SLMS has recently posted some online tutorials for using the OPAC from home that are very helpful. With time being a factor, other such video tutorials may be helpful to teachers. I will be sharing my own tech tool portfolio with them both, as well as our staff. Theses types of mini-sessions do not take the place of more formal training sessions, but they can definitely be helpful, and a good place for teachers to visit when looking for something new.
The article provided a wealth of knowledge as it relates to the role of Technology in the school. Being a media specialist in an elementary school, I know first-hand the pressures a school can place on the Instructional technology person to provide assistance with technology to the teachers. I don’t even think the teachers actually know the purpose of the instructional technology liaison. Our school system has a team of instructional technology people that each have an area of schools to assist. Although teachers think that they are in our building to help with computer failure problems they actually are responsible for equipping teachers with the latest technology to assist with student success. In the interim, I the media specialist has to foster any and all additional technology assistance because the IT techs are only in our building once a week. I have set up a schedule to collaborate with teams each Monday to introduce them to tools they can use in the classroom in addition to providing PD during the faculty meetings. Technology is an important part of student learning in the 21st Century. In order to be a successful media specialist we must stay on top of the game and provide meaningful assistance to teachers.
ReplyDeleteHey Angie! I really enjoyed reading your post. The ISTE list of 10 tips for leveraging technology, coaching and community really stood out to me. I constantly thank "the man upstairs" for our Instructional Technology Coaches! There is no way that I would ever have time to run the media center as well as set aside time for technology training for faculty & staff. It's sad to say, but a lot of them take our coach for granted. She always schedules different workshops for us and they rarely show up. When she's here, I always make an effort to pick her brain about something :).
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