At Carpenter Elementary, we have devised many technology planning ideas to increase digital awareness and stakeholder engagement. These planning ideas are also pivotal for maintaining technology security and safety while students are online. These technology planning ideas include:
digital day - families come to see student work showcased through a technology show and tell by students
online safety class - representatives from the Department of Juvenile Justice will conduct a parent session on keeping students safe while online
copyright and wrongs - media services district leadership will provide a teacher workshop on how to maintain copyright laws for an online virtual world
coding club - fifth grade students will come to school early one day a week to participate in a coding club in the technology lab
news club - the announcements said over the intercom daily will transition to students producing a televised morning show called Cary News
flipped staff meetings - administration will send select videos to teachers before staff meetings to watch at home so staff meetings can have more structures for rigorous discourse
Technology is rapidly changing and schools can never stop refreshing their inventory. Each year, a new list is generated of devices that the district will no longer support. If schools don't keep up with replacing devices than they will lag behind as equipment breaks or phases out.
The Wake County Public School System has a three-to-one technology initiative. This means that they believe that schools should have one technology device for every three students. WCPSS promotes that maintaining this ratio will enhance the communication and collaboration initiative of the strategic plan. Carpenter Elementary believes that communication and collaboration is better when everyone has a device of their own. Therefore at our school, we have a vision of having a one-to-one technology initiative. Currently, we have enough devices to be two-to-one which means we have one laptop for every two students in grades 2-5, and one iPad for every kindergarten and first grade student in the school.
Carpenter Elementary has a technology plan that the Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) recommends for leadership consideration. For the last four years, we have used a private fundraising company called Boosterthon to enhance the MTAC's vision. Last year, $25,000 was donated to our school and was used to purchase active panel Tvs for our classrooms. This year, our Boosterthon goal is:
document cameras for every classroom
chromebooks
mounted projector in the conference room for IEP meetings
Here's a video that outlines more about Boosterthon:
To learn more about Boosterthon visit their website.
To engage stakeholders in our plans, we will have all classrooms tweet daily about learning through technology during the Boosterthon campaign. Our goal is to secure funding to expand our technology plan, and adopt MTAC's recommendations at Carpenter Elementary.
Keeping students interested in schoolwork has always been an aim of educators across the country. But in today's ever evolving world of technology, teachers must work on overdrive to engage students in their studies. Reducing teacher lectures and whole group conversations in the classroom are easier due to technology devices being so accessible in classrooms. Stakeholder engagement using technology can increase with the assistance of five key strategies:
Active Learning - students are more invested in their education when they have ownership of how they are learning through exploration, collaborative seating, standing devices, interactive technology, game playing, discussion and creation of their own projects. Teachers must tailor learning to the active needs of their learners to increase intrinsic motivation.
Flipped Classroom Model - students can be more independent and in charge of their learning when they listen to podcasts, readings, and/or watch videos prior to coming to class. Students come to class more energized, knowledgeable, and hungry to learn more about the subject matter they learned about. More class time can be used for interactive experiences, rigorous discourse, and teacher checks for understanding.
Student Response Systems - teachers can use free apps on devices such as smartphones, tablets, or other devices to allow students to respond to their learning. Students become more engaged when they use clickers to answer questions, conduct polls, and immediately graph data. Electronic whiteboards and interactive panel TVs enhance students' attention and participation in class.
Gamification - teachers can leverage students' enthusiasm for video games to enhance their learning practices. Teachers can work in small groups when their stakeholder students are working on technology games to build their skills.
Virtual and Augmented Reality - Examining things from different angles is very possible through virtual reality. Being able to explore things in 3-D instantaneously increases student curiosity. These hands-on experiences such as looking at different parts of a heart or visiting places in the world, or tracing times in history keeps students interested with long term engagement. Parents can also stay more engaged when they are able to check online to see how their children are progressing through school.
References
Brown, J. (2017, November 6) Education Dive: Five Tech Trends Influencing Student Engagement. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/5-tech-trends-influencing-student-engagement/510028/
Technology alone can not move the trajectory of student performance. Tools such as technology must be leveraged in the right way to enhance teaching and learning. According to Ed Tech, there are five main strategies for effectively using technology:
Use of Multimedia - videos, pictures, and instantaneous information captures students' attention
Utilization of Social Media - exchanging ideas through collaboration is motivating for students and builds community
Using a Variety of Resources - podcasts, videos, OERs, blogs, and other resources are stimulating for all students but especially for special education and English language learners
Making the Most of Games and Advantages of Gamification - challenging students through competition makes them eager for learning. Gamification can be a framework for education that can be employed anywhere with a mobile device to ensure learning continues outside of the classroom.
Use Technology to Empower Students - artistic expression can be utilized for all students but especially the introverted students as they are given a voice through technology.
References Gupta, P. (2016, January 13). 5 Effective Teaching Methods and Strategies. Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/2271-effective-teaching-strategies
Students can be highly motivated by technology apps. The same academic skills that used to be practiced on paper with can be practiced through technology apps. Learning targets can be assessed through programs on computers, iPads, laptops, and mobile devices etc. Student performance can be tracked through reports generated from apps. Apps There are a plethora of apps that I would like to investigate to support teaching and learning. Below are my top five apps:
Big Universe - is a literacy app that provides fiction and nonfiction texts for reading in which higher order thinking skills are tested through multiple choice questions. The lexile level can be adjusted to best meet the needs of the learners.
Dropbox - is a place to store photos, docs, videos, and other files. Files are backed up safely and can be accessed from all devices. Users can send files to others even if they don't have an account.
Prodigy - is a few curriculum-aligned math game for students in grades first through eighth.
ReadTheory - is a free reading comprehension program. Students can progress at their own pace on their own level. 7.4 million students have completed 130 million multiple choice quizzes on this app.
Storia - is an e-reader app complete with questions, learning activities, and pop-up dictionaries. The app download comes with five free books and more can be purchased.
References TeachThought. Retrieved on February 26, 2019 from https://www.teachthought.com/technology/50-of-the-best-free-apps-for-teachers/
Technology innovations are changing the educational ecosystems of our schools. Therefore, school leaders must stay attuned to websites that feature resources and information to change classrooms of today into breeding grounds for a tomorrow that we cannot envision.
Websites Below is a list of websites for exploring at a later date:
edWeb.net - is a free professional social and learning network for administrators who need more support with educational technology. Blogs, files, calendars, live chats, links, webinars, and forums feature technology uses, practices, and characteristics.
Education World - is a website that has posts daily news about educational lesson plans, technology tips, ideas, and reviews. It also espouses a professional development library of resources.
Eduwonk.com - is a website about educational policy and political news concerning the Common Core, high school rankings, accreditation, and best practices for school improvement.
ISTE.org - is a website sponsored by the International Society for Technology in Education which highlights core knowledge and skills for K-12 leaders regarding educational technology.
TeachThought.com - is a website that features blogs about innovation in education. Design of school models, learning models, curriculum, technology, apps, and other learning tools are included.
Resources
Lynch, M. (2017, August 14). 10 ed-tech resources for school administrators. Retrieved from https://www.thetechedvocate.org/10-ed-tech-resources-school-administrators/
Canvas is a content management program that was launched in 2008 for teachers and students. It is used in more than 3,000 universities, school districts, and institutions around the world. It is a cloud-based system that connects all the technology applications teachers use into one simple platform. It is designed to allow access to course content, files, images, and resources from the internet.
How Does Canvas Work?
Canvas easily integrates with hundreds of applications while empowering teachers and students with countless resources to make learning and teaching easier and more fun. Canvas allows students to obtain notifications, submit paperwork, and interact with the resources shared with them. They can connect their Canvas account with their social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter. Canvas provides teachers a platform that they can create a learning ecosystem for their students. Teachers can embed videos, provide feedback, integrate blogs, link wikis, and connect education channels while monitoring their students' progress. Here's an overview video about Canvas:
Canvas LMS is easy to use and saves teachers time while grading with features like the SpeedGrader and the ability to record audio/video during grading. It is a dependable solution and by using it you can reduce support calls and queries from students. At the same time, Canvas LMS makes the job of teachers and administrators easier. Faculty can explore the many tools and features of the app to reshape their pedagogical approach. It is a very intuitive app that offers naturalness, flexibility, and customizability. It is a modern version of Blackboard and Google Classroom as it functions as a hub for teachers to post their syllabus, assignments, and documents.
Teachers and students can access the app on their mobile devices to engage with each other anytime, anywhere. Instructors can grade students quickly and accurately. Canvas makes it easy to create courses, curriculum, and certification paths. With Canvas, users are directed to specific courses. Parents can be informed of their child's progress by automatically connecting them to their courses. Click on the video below to learn more about how Canvas works.
Benefits of Canvas
Canvas provides many user benefits such as:
Openness - is an open source software that provides APIs, security audits, and feature discussions.
Customizability - has an extensive, open API to plug in third-party apps for data import and export.
Pedagogical Flexibility - offers an app center to search, install, and add technologies to.
Reliable Support - experts provide prompt and reliable support to maintain speed.
High Speed - fast due to being hosted on Amazon Web Service platform.
Assured Security - conducts regular internal audits of independent security specialists for public publishing.
Scalability - scales up to demand with automated peak load management.
Uptime - uptime Service Level Agreement.
Low Risk - cloud based so there are no upgrades, downloads, or migrations of new versions.
What Are The Unique Features of Canvas? Canvas has unique features that enhance the programming and user friendliness such as:
Collaborative workspaces
Audio and video recording and uploading
Video and audio messages
Integrated learning outcomes
Web-standard browser
Customized user profiles
Content editor
Web conferencing tools
RSS support
Course notifications
Graphic analytics reporting engine
Mobile app for iOS and Android
Integrated media reporting
Cut and paste links from the Web browser
Integrated tools like Google Documents and Etherpad
External service integration like Facebook and Google share resources
Other unique features of Canvas can be found here.
What Are the Creative Uses of Canvas and Ideas for School Leaders? Canvas can be used to house any professional development that professional learning teams are assigned to take or desire to learn more about. Examples include:
mClass basics
reading fundamentals
the science and art of teaching reading
3 Ms of math (modeling, manipulatives, and math talk)
fire drills - common regulation infractions and documentation of drills
crisis table talk exercises
504 process
introduction to special education
school finance for budget managers
school based trainings for sexual harassment, restraint and seclusion, and blood borne pathogens training
lockdown drill steps and documentation of drills
What Others Are Saying About Canvas? Students say that Canvas is:
interactive
engaging
self-paced
makes learning
accessible at school and home
Teachers say that Canvas is:
easy to use
saves time
mobile-friendly
dependable
enhances the learning experience
doesn't hold instructors/students/administrators back
Parents say that Canvas is:
informative
versatile
an online tutorial
better than outdated textbooks
International Technology Society for Educators said, "Canvas is the most usable, customizable, adaptable, and reliable learning platform. It is adopted faster and deeper than any other learning management system. Canvas makes learning and teaching easier for everyone."
The Cisco Networking Academy endorsed Canvas as the, "World's largest classroom." To read more about Cisco's implementation on Canvas click here.
Personal Review and reflections on Canvas There are many positives to Canvas such as it is:
Simplified: The dashboard of Canvas is not littered with many icons or information. It is easy to sync the system to a common email to receive notifications and communications from the course instructor.
Organized: Canvas has a calendar with due dates, to do list, and is very easy to communicate with course instructors. Canvas replaces the need for a daily planner.
Supported: One can seek technology help twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Continuous: Students in K-12 can utilize Canvas so high school students come to highschool accustomed and skilled at using the learning management tool.
Versatile: Canvas is expansive and can be used for several purposes, including self-paced lessons.
Even though Canvas is a good tool, there are many areas for improvements such as:
Click Happy: This program has too many clicks to get to the desired file. There is not an intuitive path to follow as there are many extra buttons. For instance, pictures must be uploaded to files before being linked to a forum discussion. It just has too many steps.
Discussion Board: Comments on the discussion board are listed separately. It gets confusing when there are a lot of reply comments. Reply comments need to be hooked to the original post or in the same thread. Multiple conversations can be difficult to follow.
Collaboration: Canvas is missing the large white board space where collaborators can all work together on a document to edit. When they work offline together and want to submit one document, there is not a way for course instructors to grade one project and assign grades to multiple students. Each student has to individually upload the assignment.
Connection: The program needs to allow students to link documents from Google drive into Canvas. Without this capability, students have to convert Google documents to word documents to upload them.
Accessibility: Unless the creator of the Canvas course makes sections of a course unavailable to students before a certain date, all content is accessible at once. This can be overwhelming for the course user and a course spoiler for the course creator. It creates the problem of too much too soon.
Not Intuitive: The interface takes time to understand and is not intuitive at first. The more time users spend learning Canvas, the more comfortable they will become with it.
References AISD Digital Learning. (2016, May 3). Getting Started in Canvas (for teachers). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGNIQAVObkI. Canvas. (2019, February 22). Retrieved from https://www.canvaslms.com/. CanvasLMS. Canvas Network. (2015, September 21). The Cool Things You Can Do With Canvas. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdDS6gVdI10. EdSurge. (2019, February 18). Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/product-reviews/canvas.
Finances Online. (2019, February 24). Retrieved from https://reviews.financesonline.com/p/canvas-lms/.
At Carpenter Elementary, we have devised many technology planning ideas to increase digital awareness and stakeholder engagement. These planning ideas are also pivotal for maintaining technology security and safety while students are online. These technology planning ideas include: 
