PLC+-+September+10,+2010

=09/10/2010= =**PLC: Technology Integration Planning Lab**= **Today's Topics:** planning for technology integration throughout the lesson; exploration of technology-rich lesson plans
 * PLC meeting time and location: UH Main Campus at 10 am **

__** ENGAGE **__ Please talk to your Cooperating Teacher about upcoming units into which you might be able to integrate the required technology supports for 3112 (Remember that last week you were introduced to the 4 technology supports you will create this semester . . . Digital Story as an anticipatory set, Jumping-Off site, 3-Way-Share, Assessment Page . . . ?). You are required to develop them for real students, but that doesn’t necessarily mean YOU have to teach with them. Since you are in the classroom only 2 days a week, it may be that you develop the supports to be used on a day when you are not present. That’s OK! Think of it as a service you are providing to your Cooperating Teacher (which means, it really needs to be a //service// and not a //burden// . . . think QUALITY!)

__**EXPLORE**__ First, Download this [|Technology Planning Target]. Take a close look at this together as a group. This target is intended to help you consider all of the amazing ways that you can plan to use technology—sometimes this can be tricky, but this target helps. Here is how this planning tool works
 * Begin at the center with the goal or objective of your lesson—your teaching purpose should ALWAYS be the central reason to use technology.
 * Next spiral out to consider What activities the tools will be used for—student or teacher activities. . . this list should get you started.
 * Now, go straight UP to consider Who will be using the tools. Thinking about grouping size will help you to think about logistics of tool usage.
 * Continue around the target clockwise to consider Where tools will be used, which helps you to think about whether anything needs to be checked out, as well as how extensive of an activity to plan (For example, is it a learning center in your classroom, or an online activity that parents will help with at home?)
 * At the lower portion of the target, you think about whether you are going to need to Develop something (like our digital story, if used as an anticipatory set) or students will develop it (interestingly . . . students could also develop a digital story, perhaps as an assessment!). Or, you might find something—like a Web 2.0 tool—already created, and you just need to throw together a quick Jumping Off Page.
 * Finally, on the left side, you are asked to think about in what part of the lesson will this technology be used. This target is set up with a traditional Madeline Hunter-style lesson structure, but could easily enough be thought of as a 5-E lesson, or a discover lesson, or something else.
 * And now, the fun part—surrounding all of this central complexity is an imaginary “ring” of technology tools from which you can pick just the tool you need to hit your target. Simply put—technology can aide teaching and learning throughout the lesson, in many ways, but you need to think about it!

Next, I’d like you to take a quick look at some existing lesson plans to see how the plan creator used technology. Most often, you’ll find either no technology, or technology tacked on to the end of the lesson plan, leaving you wondering just when (and how and why and where . . . ) you should use it in the lesson. Here is what I’d like you to do: In partners, please go to an online lesson plan site and search for a lesson plan for your grade level (you’ll do two—one for each of your grades.). The lesson plan MUST use technology in some way—if no technology, please find another one. Open the lesson plan—no need to print unless you want to—and review it with the Technology Planning Target in hand. Begin at the center, and see how your lesson plan hits the target. Go through Why?, What?, Who?, Where?, How?, and When? Talk with your partner about how “well” this lesson plan utilized technology. What would you do differently? Ready? Go!
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__**EXPLAIN**__

Remember that the goal of our technology use this semester is not to just blindly reach for the same technology over and over, or feel that you are forced to use technology in every single lesson, but to be SMART about what you use and how and why you and your students use it. To build your confidence and get you to the “smart” part, we are going to participate in a PLC “Technology Integration Planning Lab” where you will collaboratively brainstorm and plan to use technology in your REAL classrooms with REAL kids. First, you need to assess where everyone in your group is with understanding these assignments. Some members may have even started creating—wow! You might need to start with the [|assignment rubrics.] You might start with the general topics your cooperating teachers suggested.


 * What do the assignments require?
 * What does that mean?
 * What did our Cooperating Teachers say we can teach?

==== Now, sit together as a group and plan for how you will complete these four tools: ==== There won’t be time within the allotted 2 hours of class today to fully develop all 4 supports. However, while you are all assembled, please take advantage of your collective brainpower as much as you can! You might choose to briefly talk about all four, or you might choose to plan in more depth one of the four. If you all have laptops or you meet in the CITE Lab, you actually could begin developing the supports. BETTER YET, take the time together to sketch out your tools on paper. You would be AMAZED at how much more effectively your time is used when you plan on paper first before you sit down at the computer. For example, if you are developing your **Digital Story**, we call the sketching on paper part “story boarding.” On paper, you would plan would work slide by slide to identify the pictures (or types of pictures, if you aren’t certain), along with any text, music, or other items would be used. From that story board, you’ll know what pictures and other media you need to go look for. The other tools work like that, too.
 * ELABORATE**
 * ** Assessment tool ** ? Sketch out on paper first. Once you do a rough draft, your time on the computer goes much quicker.
 * ** Jumping-Off Page ** ? Think like a teacher about what kids need to know before they click on that link. You KNOW that once you open Kompozer, your attention will be on formatting, rather than on content, so get the content figured out first!
 * ** 3-Way-Share ** ? This is one you could even take notes on casually, at the dinner table or driving around, brainstorming all of the tools that could be used. Then, when you sit down at the computer, you don’t have that “blank mind” feeling—just choose the best ideas and type them up!

__**EVALUATE**__

Do this part together and post it right here on your PLC page for today. What was your group able to accomplish today that you would not have on your own? What steps do each of you need to do next to complete these tools?
 * For today’s PLC meeting we were able to research how technology can be incorporated in the classroom. We started by carefully examining The Technology Planning Target to have a better visual on how teacher’s use technology for their own benefit and for the student’s benefit.
 * We also looked at lesson plans from various websites to see how technology was integrated in other subjects. We were also able to understand the assignments that are due, and answer any questions we may have had. In order to complete these assignments we will brainstorm ideas on the content of our assignments.

** Be working on this. . . **
 * Your [|Portfolio Maintenance assignment] is due by tonight. The “how-to” video is posted on the assignment rubric.
 * Also, you should have chosen your selected child for your Inquiry #1 assignment. Please begin collecting data as directed through the QUEST Inquiry Modules you reviewed last week. (__ QUEST Teacher Research Initiative). __