avoca_manythings

37 things to Learn in Technology At Avoca - a wiki modeled after http://misd23things.blogspot.com/ and other similar sites where teachers work through a number of technology topics. 1. **The problem or question.** What is the problem (or opportunity) you wish to address with your project? Describe what you wish to change, for example, aspects of content (e.g. test scores), process (e.g. ability to collaborate), climate (e.g. morale), or tech use (e.g. embedded use of technology in instruction). Be as specific as possible in describing what you want to change.

cmb: provides teachers a professional development plan in technology to work through at their own pace, both for instructional purposes and classroom practice.

ns: I'm not sure, with all else we have to do, we are so good at working at our own pace.

ddp: While this one seems sort of all over the place something about it is intriguing. There are at least a handful of tools (more than that really) that most teachers could implement in their teaching one way or another. Even within our small PLP group teachers are using one or the other -- some blog, some podcast, some use google docs, some are on twitter. At the middle school level, cmb comes to meet each team once a week and teaches us something new. The problem is that we sometimes use it and sometimes don't. I find that if I use it right away I tend to keep using it. For example, embedding videos on my teachers page. If teachers were expected to to apply the newly taught skill at least one week within being introduced to it than maybe there would be more application of the tools. What I am trying to say is that we already kind of do his at a tech level and a team level -- it would just need some fine-tuning.

jm: My experience this year is that faced with a long menu of possible choices, people often pick nothing. Given one, maybe two, specific skills to develop, reinforce, and become comfortable with people may be more willing to dive in. The problem with choice and "your own pace" is that you need some basis for making a choice and I think that a lot of people (including me) often feel as if they are choosing in the dark.

2. **Objectives and Assessment** Develop objectives and authentic assessments for determining what you want learners (adults or students) to be able to know and do after the project and how you will determine they have indeed mastered the objectives your project laid out.

cmb: teachers work through the modules, possibly paired with a faculty expert, objective is to complete all # events. ns: who are the faculty experts? I know I'm not (yet!)ddp: cmb is an expert at mostly everything, and remember, some teachers don't yet have the slightest idea on how to use excel or changing their website. This project would be one of differentiation. Not everything would be as complex as learning and using google docs.

3. **Networked Design** Then think about how you will design your project so participants can share, connect, collaborate, or move to some type of collective action.

cmb: collaboration can be done f2f or using this wiki to share and expand on ideas.

ddp: we also have our yearly faculty meeting where staff members could teach other staff members what they have been using with technology.

4. **Set the Context** What have others done (at your institution or elsewhere) to address this problem? Do some research as a team to see what others have done. Get ideas. Divi up different research roles to individual team members.

cmb: this is a model in use at the site above and from other schools.

5. **Proposal** How will you plan to solve the problem or answer the question? Describe what you will do to address the problem/opportunity described earlier. Are you doing anything differently than others have attempted? Why or why not? Why do you propose that your approach will succeed better than prior attempts or will work better with your students or faculty?

cmb: this will allow faculty to work at their own pace but still have guideposts to achieve - allowing them to use the tools themselves stimiulating thought

ddp: the faculty is all on different pages when it comes to technology and this model would allow all to progress at their own pace.====== == //Differentiation ==//

6. **Evaluation** How will you determine the success and effectiveness of your solution and the impact of your project? Do you plan to determine pre and post results? How will you know that the behavior of your students/faculty has changed/improved? Note: You may not be able to obtain your results by the end of your year. However, you should have a plan in place to evaluate your project and report on the results. The idea is to develop a solid plan to share with others. If you implement this year or next is entirely up to you. When possible make this an action research project.

cmb: teachers will create examples that can be reviewed and commented on by others

7. **Timeline** How will your project progress? Indicate the dates of project initiation and completion for each step of your design, implementation, and evaluation.

cmb: focus in technology grade level meetings for initial instruction throughout the Fall, followup as needed, support from avoca expert voices.

8. **Documentation** How will you document your progress along the way? Will you share in your team group room in NING? Will you create a collaborative blog? A wiki? A Google Doc? Choose one and then everyone will use the document to make the process transparent.

cmb: wiki and other online tools to document creation. 