La+Cima


 * 1st Semester Report**

//It has been frustrating to get very far with the IDEAL Website as it has not been fully updated yet. However, I have been working on using and learning more about the resources we do have available: United Streaming and Thinkfinity. I have also been learning as much as I can about using Movie Maker and I am very excited about its usability and potential.// //Teachers are really supporting each other in the use of technology. I have had only one mini-session on creating webpages, and from that teachers are helping one another get their pages completed. A couple of our math teachers have taken it upon themselves to create lots of mini-tutorials on using the SMART board. Two other teachers are now being trained to be the support people for curriculum mapper so that they can help with training and troubleshooting--yahoo!// //I am still trying to get teachers to understand that 21st Century skills do NOT have to be technology based. It helps to explain it by separating the skills from the tools. I am really using one of my classes as a trial and error laboratory to see what tools I can use effectively with them.// //Because I teach 6/5, it is hard for me to observe other clasess, but I do know that: all three of our labs are in constant use for research and production; teachers are creating exciting lessons with their smarboards; teachers are asking about/for resources (a great sign!) I get fewer "troubleshooting" calls (of course, it could be because we have a terrific tech specialist) several teachers are using wikis or blogs successfully with their students//
 * 1. Implementing my Technology Professional Development Plan**
 * 2. Building Capacity**
 * 3. Incorporating 21st century learning skills and tools**
 * 4. Evaluating Effectiveness**

=//End of Year Report//=

//I was finally able to have two staff development sessions on the IDEAL website. I gave an overview of the site and then emphasized the use of Thinkfinity and UnitedStreaming (and the importance of accessing both via the IDEAL site). Several other teachers are now using movie maker with their students. I am very, very pleased with the end products that my NAU and La Cima students have created with MM. I did recieve some Adobe video editing software and hope to learn to use it this summer. Two of my students taught it to themselves and made a great video about one of the elementary teachrs (Mary Kierzek) when they have an assignment to create a video about their heroes.//
 * 1. Implementing my Technology Professional Development Plan**

//Teachers are creating and sharing SMART lessons. One teacher has created chapter reviews using the SMART recorder and I was able to show him how to host them on vimeo. We are getting closer to our goal of a SMART board in every classroom; every classroom WILL have a projector next year!! Teachers are sharing their gradebooks in the "shared" server folder and it is a tremendous help during after school homework and tutoring sessions. Teachers are accessing MAP data online One of our book study groups attempted (with varying degrees of success) to use a wiki for discussion; we resorted to using an email thread instead.//
 * 2. Building Capacity**

//I am excited right now about the videos my students have been creating. Throughout the semester they made a series of videos on different topics, and at the same time were studying various world issues. Their final project was to create a "world issues documentary". They did them with still images (mostly) in movie maker. Even using still photos, they made some fine products. The addition of voice, text and music were powerful. (I completely failed on getting most of them to cite sources correctly, however...a definite area of refinement!) I also want to spend time this summer to find good, free, copyright free music that they can download. Finding appropriate and legal musis is perhaps one of the hardest parts of the projects. At the recent Art and Music festival, students were sharing their powerpoint presentations on artists while effectively using the SMARTBoard! Parents (and my NAU class which was also able to attend) were impressed!//
 * 3. Incorporating 21st century learning skills and tools**

//As I did my OPTIC observations I was very encouraged by what I saw. Students in charge of the tools and not being passive recipients! Participants in the IDEAL sessions were very excited and shared many resources that they found useful and felt they could use immediately. Our 8th graders showed marked improvement on the TLA.//
 * 4. Evaluating Effectiveness**