Meeting April 26, 2007

The text below are the minutes from our first meeting of the Elmwood Technology Focus Group. We have and will continue to add links to articles and other information. Please feel free to write comments on our blog. We welcome your input as we strive to come up with a plan for technology integration and action steps to take at Elmwood School.

We held the first Meeting of the Elmwood Technology Focus Group on Thursday, April 26, 2007. Members in attendance are listed below. Bonnie M. is also a member of our group.

In attendance: Bridget D., Anne-Marie A., Elisa B., Denise M., Kathi G., Catherine J. Mary H., Ilene S., Michael G., Greg M., Lori B., Ann Marie D.

Purpose:
Review the district’s “Technology Action Plan” for 2006-2009 approved by the school committee last year, available on the Internet:
http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us/newweb2/departments/technology.php

Each school in Hopkinton except Center School is setting up a technology focus group to set goals and action steps which align with the district plan.

Philosophy of Technology Integration at Hopkinton Public Schools:
- Skills should be taught in the context of learning
- Technology should enhance learning
- Technology should be integrated, not taught separately

Goals of Committee:
- Identify strengths/weaknesses of Elmwood and decide how to address these within context of Hopkinton’s District Technology Plan
- Set action steps to be implemented and periodically evaluated
- Final decisions backed by research and in line with Hopkinton’s technology vision & philosophy
- Disseminate information and accept input of Elmwood staff through blog, emails, surveys, face-to-face communication, etc.
- Open and honest communication

Conditions for successful tech integration:
- Teacher or facilitator needs to have comfort level with technology.
- Technology available is appropriate for everyone.
- Adequate training for faculty for software in the lab
- Make sure everyone knows where technology is available.
- Software is appropriate for group of children despite reading levels, and tech exposure at home (equal access).
- Equitable across each classroom – Right now there are different levels of exposure at each grade level, no one is teaching the same thing.
- Should all students be exposed to certain pieces of software at each grade level?
- Standards (state standards – Hopkinton standards to be presented when completed)
- If not enough support for teachers, need to be realistic about goals.
- Forty-minute time in lab is challenging – How do we make it work for teachers? (Longer periods, more flexibility?)
- Hopkinton is moving towards more mobile labs for just in-time technology, can be used within subject areas, technology is not a subject.

Key Points of an Alan November Technology Conference:
He states the following are what kids need to be successful in the 21st century:
- Information Literacy (ability to process large amounts of information)
- Global Communication (whatever, whenever, wherever with whomever)
- Self-directed learners who can collaborate with others

Key to integrating technology is the pedagogy- “What makes a good teacher?”
- constructivist approach to learning
- There’s a need to learn how to infuse technology, can’t just put technology into classrooms & instruct teachers on how to use application programs (model learning with technology).

Questions:
When and how do we provide time to train teachers?
What should these professional development learning experiences look like?
How does the lab fit in?
How does the mobile lab fit in?

Suggested book to read, Good to Great

Areas in Need of Improvement at Elmwood School:
- Invest in newer hardware
- More flexible access
- Sufficient access (one mobile lab not enough)
- Increase technical support
- Make building wireless
- Examine use of lab
- What are expectations at each grade level? – (technology changes often)
- Teach kids skills within the context of learning
- Guaranteed common learning experience (What are they at each grade level)
- Professional Development - How? (within curriculum time? after school?) (through different models) What? Sharing? (binders, blogs, etc.)
- Technology used as assessment

Strengths/Improvements in Technology at Elmwood School:
- Teachers have skills and knowledge of technology
- Willing to build on this good foundation
- Labs
- Blogging and podcasting – taking risks to explore new tools of Web 2.0
- District has great website
- Beginning to see different opportunities to integrate within the curriculum
- Teachers willing to speak up
- Technology specialist providing opportunities for technology infusion
- Better communication
- Installation of book in computer lab to collect data

The message conveyed was "Crawl, Walk, Run"
Next Meeting: Thursday, May 17 - 2:45-4:15pm