1.3 Policies, Procedures, Programs & Funding
Candidates research, recommend, and implement policies, procedures, programs and funding strategies to support implementation of the shared vision represented in the school, district, state, and federal technology plans and guidelines. Funding strategies may include the development, submission, and evaluation of formal grant proposals. (PSC 1.3/ISTE 1c)
Artifact: Evaluating an Emerging Technology
Reflection:
The “Evaluating an Emerging Technology” PowerPoint presentation was designed as a requirement of ITEC 7445 Multimedia Design and Web Development. However, many of the slides in this presentation were later used in a professional learning session about Socrative and other online tools that facilitate classroom collaboration and conversation. The PowerPoint contains a YouTube tutorial and several original examples explaining how teachers may use Socrative, but likewise discusses other implementation elements such as how Socrative supports the school’s vision for technology, how Socrative infuses research-based instructional strategies, and how accessibility, funding, and technical support concerns can be addressed. I was the sole designer of this PowerPoint presentation, and used it in a solo-professional development seminar for high school English teachers at my school.
In order to create the PowerPoint presentation, I first researched the impact of interactivity and clicker tools in the classroom. My school’s vision for technology includes a clause about research-based instructional strategies, so it was important to document how research suggested Socrative could benefit students in the classroom, rather than simply making claims from personal experience. Research suggested that a game-like atmosphere, ability to allow shyer students to speak, and numerous possibilities for formative assessment were all critical components of an engaging and inclusive classroom using clicker tools. However, traditional clicker-devices that accompany interactive whiteboards can be expensive, so I found Socrative as a free, web-based version of these pricier clicker tools that capitalized on the cell phones and electronic devices students were already bringing to school, both before and after a “Bring Your Own Device” policy was implemented. I recommended that teachers implement Socrative as an interactive, formative assessment tool in their classrooms. I also provided teachers with numerous suggestions for implementation, including reviewing multiple choice answers on a test, as a supplement to Socrative seminars, or even as a group-based game show activity.
Schools will need very few physical resources to implement Socrative. To begin, use of the web-based program is free, and if schools have a BYOD policy in place, they may not even need to purchase devices. However, as the PowerPoint suggests, in order to ensure equitable access for all students, schools may choose to have several electronic devices available for checkout for those students without personal access. The PowerPoint proposes several sources of funding, one of which includes soliciting community and parent support through the donation of unused, Internet enabled electronic devices. As long as the device has the ability to connect to wireless Internet, it can be used to access Socrative. The PowerPoint also offers several tools for troubleshooting potential problems, as well as locations for official technical support from the web program creators; however, minimal professional development from teachers familiar using the application will probably be sufficient for teacher use.
In completing this artifact, I learned the importance of choosing technology that supports research-based strategies and for which implementation will not require significant time, money, or personnel resources. My school is still experiencing some economic hardships from the recent recession, so technology initiatives that meet these requirements are needed as we continue to build our inventory of physical devices and find funds for projects requiring significant professional development. If I were to use this artifact “as is” for professional development, I would not rely on the YouTube tutorial to demonstrate for teachers how to use the web-based program, but would most likely have them practice use by downloading the teacher and student applications on their phones and modeling a sample lesson. In this case, it may also be beneficial to include more screenshots of specific functions. Also, it was necessary to upload this artifact to a slide-sharing site (slideshare.net) in order to link it into the portfolio. To begin, the website platform would not allow me to upload the PowerPoint because of its size; further, saving the presentation as a pdf was undesirable since users would lose the ability to access the YouTube video. It was necessary, therefore, to upload to a slide-sharing site that could link YouTube videos and embed the presentation in the portfolio in order to retain all functions of the presentation. Such troubleshooting is often necessary for technology professionals to complete when considering how to make presentations for teachers accessible even after a face-to-face session is completed.
This artifact can have an impact on school improvement, faculty development, and student learning. I especially like that Socrative is a simple web-based tool that is easily accessible by even those teachers who are resistant to or hesitant to implement larger scale technology projects. Starting small is a great way to interest these teachers in technology and allow them to see how technology can engage and motivate students, but more importantly, facilitate learning. Use of Socrative allows teachers to quickly assess students and differentiate instruction even in the middle of a lesson, and these tasks will certainly lead to student learning which is a component of all school improvement goals.
The “Evaluating an Emerging Technology” PowerPoint presentation was designed as a requirement of ITEC 7445 Multimedia Design and Web Development. However, many of the slides in this presentation were later used in a professional learning session about Socrative and other online tools that facilitate classroom collaboration and conversation. The PowerPoint contains a YouTube tutorial and several original examples explaining how teachers may use Socrative, but likewise discusses other implementation elements such as how Socrative supports the school’s vision for technology, how Socrative infuses research-based instructional strategies, and how accessibility, funding, and technical support concerns can be addressed. I was the sole designer of this PowerPoint presentation, and used it in a solo-professional development seminar for high school English teachers at my school.
In order to create the PowerPoint presentation, I first researched the impact of interactivity and clicker tools in the classroom. My school’s vision for technology includes a clause about research-based instructional strategies, so it was important to document how research suggested Socrative could benefit students in the classroom, rather than simply making claims from personal experience. Research suggested that a game-like atmosphere, ability to allow shyer students to speak, and numerous possibilities for formative assessment were all critical components of an engaging and inclusive classroom using clicker tools. However, traditional clicker-devices that accompany interactive whiteboards can be expensive, so I found Socrative as a free, web-based version of these pricier clicker tools that capitalized on the cell phones and electronic devices students were already bringing to school, both before and after a “Bring Your Own Device” policy was implemented. I recommended that teachers implement Socrative as an interactive, formative assessment tool in their classrooms. I also provided teachers with numerous suggestions for implementation, including reviewing multiple choice answers on a test, as a supplement to Socrative seminars, or even as a group-based game show activity.
Schools will need very few physical resources to implement Socrative. To begin, use of the web-based program is free, and if schools have a BYOD policy in place, they may not even need to purchase devices. However, as the PowerPoint suggests, in order to ensure equitable access for all students, schools may choose to have several electronic devices available for checkout for those students without personal access. The PowerPoint proposes several sources of funding, one of which includes soliciting community and parent support through the donation of unused, Internet enabled electronic devices. As long as the device has the ability to connect to wireless Internet, it can be used to access Socrative. The PowerPoint also offers several tools for troubleshooting potential problems, as well as locations for official technical support from the web program creators; however, minimal professional development from teachers familiar using the application will probably be sufficient for teacher use.
In completing this artifact, I learned the importance of choosing technology that supports research-based strategies and for which implementation will not require significant time, money, or personnel resources. My school is still experiencing some economic hardships from the recent recession, so technology initiatives that meet these requirements are needed as we continue to build our inventory of physical devices and find funds for projects requiring significant professional development. If I were to use this artifact “as is” for professional development, I would not rely on the YouTube tutorial to demonstrate for teachers how to use the web-based program, but would most likely have them practice use by downloading the teacher and student applications on their phones and modeling a sample lesson. In this case, it may also be beneficial to include more screenshots of specific functions. Also, it was necessary to upload this artifact to a slide-sharing site (slideshare.net) in order to link it into the portfolio. To begin, the website platform would not allow me to upload the PowerPoint because of its size; further, saving the presentation as a pdf was undesirable since users would lose the ability to access the YouTube video. It was necessary, therefore, to upload to a slide-sharing site that could link YouTube videos and embed the presentation in the portfolio in order to retain all functions of the presentation. Such troubleshooting is often necessary for technology professionals to complete when considering how to make presentations for teachers accessible even after a face-to-face session is completed.
This artifact can have an impact on school improvement, faculty development, and student learning. I especially like that Socrative is a simple web-based tool that is easily accessible by even those teachers who are resistant to or hesitant to implement larger scale technology projects. Starting small is a great way to interest these teachers in technology and allow them to see how technology can engage and motivate students, but more importantly, facilitate learning. Use of Socrative allows teachers to quickly assess students and differentiate instruction even in the middle of a lesson, and these tasks will certainly lead to student learning which is a component of all school improvement goals.