Since 2002, administrators from Michigan have been participating in the Leading The Future (LTF) to collaboratively meet challenges of using the technology in the school environment. The faculty trained to use various technologies to reach the goal of: building leadership, accessing current data and informational resources, and forming strategic decisions. This can all sum up to the idea of having "portable data". Since the training program has been effective, the majority of the faculty have been using technology to a great extent. Even at point where each faculty point was appointed to a group of five hundred or more students (known as a cohort), each one was able to keep track of each student in an efficient way. They are able to access student profiles that obtain their background, contact information, and academic progress. Contacting their parents is a much easier process and having that opportunity to communicate in a faster way is open Teachers can now be updated on statewide and nationwide scores, and now have an effective way to keep track of their own work such as observations, assessments, and personal notes on the students. Achievement in students is no longer a problem in the state of Michigan when it comes to the use of technology, and it should be only a matter of time to set this kind of standard nationwide.
Having teachers or the faculty as a whole at schools knowledgeable about the various technologies is crucial. I think that it is very important that we as teachers are able to use simple things as a computer, cameras, projectors, or anything available to them. It will help them greatly with keeping track of their own students and will also expose the use to their students. If technology was exposed on a daily basis, students will also learn about them and use them as well. I would definitely use any type of technology in my classroom when I could. Having a computer accessible to the students is a start, or even having time in a computer lab will be a good idea for the students. It will allow the students to have practice and will open up new ideas on what they have found out using these different technologies. Technology is always advancing, and in my eyes if technology is advancing so will our students.
I almost picked this to write about, too (i think) :) ..anyhow, I personally liked the idea of teachers being able to keep track of their own grades and assessments, it's a good organizing tool and keeps things all in once place. I think having computer lab time is a good idea, like you said, the more exposure the kids can have the better.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's good for schools and the faculty to know how to use technology in an efffective way and to be aware that they can use technology to make things more efficient.
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