Waiver Day

2012

We need to empower the kids more and let them do some of the learning through discovery.

The way students process information has shifted with technology and we need to keep up with how we teach or we will lose more and more each year.

Used appropriately- fantastic- it is motivating and keeps the attention of students with difficulties- it can be easily modified to different levels-

It is critical that teaching methods keep up with current technology as much as possible.

The question above asks if I want new technology in my room, I checked yes because I want the new technology that I already have, but I need more time to get used to what I am using before anything new is thrown at me. We keep piling on technology w/o giving us time to get good at it. I want to use what I have well before I have to learn anything new. We also need time to learn how to use equipment. We have a clicker system in our building that nobody knows how to use. Also, I was just given a wireless mouse and keyboard w/o anyone asking if I wanted/needed it. I don't use it.

Love, love, love it but also hate it! I'm tired of not having enough of it and wonder if we ever will have it. My LCD always projects a black shadow on a good 1/8 of my SmartBoard. I have asked and asked and they can't fix it yet, no money!

My biggest fear is that there will not be enough funding and training. However, I have also sat through a handful of meetings that prematurely attempt to throw out ideas for using new technology in a very simplistic manner, almost as if those who want us to use technology don't know how we should be using it, they just want us to do it, somehow.

The students know more about technology than the teachers, and they are learning it at a much faster rate. We are doing them a huge diservice by not allowing them to use more technology.

2012 Chardon Teacher Survey

I would like to use iPads in the classroom, but I know it could involve wireless internet which the district currently does not have/ want.

1] Mimeo - notes & worksheets done together as class & saved for tutors or uploaded to pdf. 2] PowerPoint - notes & embedded Website links to enrich/supplement lessons. 3] Online textbook & resources - view on LCD, students can print pages as needed. 4] Upper classmen - graphing calculators; I have Texas Instruments software that we view on LCD

I would love for students to use personal technology in the classroom.

I think teachers need to be given more time to learn how to use technology and explore content specific websites. I think we need also to be given time to work with each other and see how other teachers use it. The amount of time devoted to building-wide professional development in specific technology is lacking. Our waiver days are too generic in the presentations that all staff are required to attend. We need a hands on approach to learning the technology....

Skype Sessions

I wish we had access to iPads and eReaders that the whole class could use.

We need to incorporate the technology the students will be expected to use after they leave school.

need to engage kids more; work collaboratively to teach 21st century skills - tech should be an agent to help with the change and to help students learn the more rigorous material that is demanded of the common core

Having Your Own Website/Blog

I think we need to move away from textbooks and into e-readers. I think we need to go wireless.

I am on the fence. I don't want them taking pics, recording, etc. as far as music, fine to focus them on work. I wish I could trust them more.

I think teachers need to become more facilitators of education.

21st century skills need to be incorporated more! students need to become better problem solvers and critical thinkers

We need more technology in our building and more classes. Keyboarding should be taught in fourth and fifth grades, followed by computer classes every year in the middle school, so that by the time that they are in the high school they will already have the skills to use technology at a higher level.

With common core right around the corner, learning needs to be more project base where the students are doing all of the "creating" versus the teacher (ex: a power point)

Using Technology During Class

In our district I sense an overall lack of a cohesive plan (not to mention resources) for teacher professional development in technology. A couple of waiver days a year, without appropriate follow-up, probably isn't enough for many teachers. I've often felt that technology is something I need to procure for myself and figure out on my own over the long-term. Given our busy schedules, neither of these is very likely to happen much of the time.

Bring teaching in line with the 21st century communications.

I am using computers to assess story comprehension skills, to reinforce decoding words/phonics, and to play interactive games on the smartboard along with self-made interactive presentations for math and spelling skills.

Praise: I absolutely LOVE how many computers we have available for students! AND, the fact that tech gets here relatively quickly to resolve issues! Thank you!!! Express: Having an updated version of Microsoft Office on the computers would be really nice :) Praise: I love having You Tube open for teachers to use! Students really seem to respect the fact that they are not to use it either unless teacher instructed. Finally, THANK YOU!

Munson Elementary: Our fifth graders use the flip cam to generate our morning announcements each day and they are now also being broadcast on GTV. Teachers throughout the building are utilizing programs like Brain Pop, Study Island, etc. to provide engaging ways for students to sharpen their skills. Denise Goble, has really embraced the technology aspect of her position, creating a library web site, blog, etc. for students to use.

I feel that we should be using them in the classroom. Much of our new curriculum deals with research and having access to the web and apps at your fingertips in the classroom would be great.

Keeping students on task. I need to have good classroom management to keep students on task when the internet is at their fingertips.

I don't like cell phones in the classroom, but eReaders and iPads could be good tools if students are well monitored.

Maple Elementary: Kineo tablets are Data-Driven Instruction formatted tablets and sync with web-based reports utilizing Achiever and Mechanics. Wi-Fi and Web Surfing is used to access the web with teacher control. The browser can be programmed with permitted websites or be unrestricted. KINEO is compatible with all the popular eBook formats.

My personal feeling is that the high school is wasting their time bringing back keyboarding when it is taught at the middle school, and the elementary schools are now creating computer labs where the students are learning the basic skills needed for the classes at the middle school. Bring back classes that students want or would be interested in, like web design or programming of some sort. I do not know how sucessful these classes were in the past, but keyboarding seems redundant.

Attitudes need to change regarding using technology in the classroom because it is now one of the key compoents in our standards. We have to try and incorportate technology into our lessons with the little technology we have available. I think many teachers feel this will deter from the content, not enhance it.

I think the technology issues this year have been greatly improved, and addressed promptly. Thanks for all of your hard work and efforts. Smooth this year, and when it's not you get it done fast.

Mike does a very good job keeping up with and dealing with technology problems in the building. I have noticed a faster response time from the central tech guys as well.

"obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes of the goal" Henry Ford We see too many obstacles and not enough goals

We can't just hand teachers technology...have to have lessons to go with them that's why we need learning specialists not just "tech guys", but instructors with knowledge of integrating technology

Chardon Middle School: Jim DiPofi: GoogleDoc Guru, Skype Bob Francis: TurningPoint, Streaming Video Language Arts Dept: Successful use of eReaders Maria Lysiak: Smartboard/Smart Tools Steph Steinmetz: Apps, Smartboard/Smart Tools Special Education Dept: eReaders, Mobile Tech

At CMS, we need an 8th grade tech class. We also need a tech curriculum that is understood by the entire staff so that, as an 8th grade teacher, I know what my kids have been taught to do. Without this (as it is currently) too many of the skills they learn in 6th & 7th grade are forgotten in 8th grade.

Beyond Curriculum

Good teaching and learning practices don't really change -- chalkboards, overhead projectors, smartboards are tools. The caveat there is that children need to learn how to effectively use technology so they can deal with our changing world -- and we need to try to give them those opportunities.

Munson Elementary: Most exciting is that we just got a grant from Fairmount Minerals for $30,500.00 to support our technology initiatives in the building. The staff priority is to purchase a mobile I-pad lab (with wireless on the cart) so that each classroom can utilize it. We also plan to purchase additional web cams, document cameras and instant response systems.

Would love the iPads and eReaders! Cell phones are iffy especially with young children!

Maple Elementary: State of the art Technology Lab for all grade levels including Web cams, dual screen Skyping capability, LCD TV Monitor, Smart Board for instruction and lab printer. Funds from the Chardon Schools Foundation and the Maple PTO purchased these items.

Teachers need to stop thinking that just using technology makes them a good teacher. The use of flashy technology does NOT make a good teacher -good teaching of students does.

Maple Elementary: Skyping with Uganda in an exchange format of self portrait dolls that the each student produced. This was a cultural experience with the students in the 4th grade class. This was in conjunction with retired art teacher Lisa Zupon from Chardon.

Maple Elementary: Morning announcement are being written, produced and edited by 5th grade students during recess times with coordinators Cindy Nells and Ed Mullaly.

Park Elementary: Becky Mele and Judi Kramer---They started the Morning announcements in the district last year

Chardon High School: School Newspaper online (Doug Snyder): www.thehilltopecho.org Several teachers using twitter @tekavec13 (Lisa Tekavec) School twitter account @chardonhs (ME) Several teachers using "flipped" instruction (Dan Robertson, Dan Dinko, Rob Mizen) Many teachers using SmartBoards (Laura May, many others..) Cell phones & mobile technology (Al Herner) Senior Mentor Program (Tammy Segulin & Kim Butala) website & online data collection

Hambden Elementary Eric Reiter is working on providing tutorial video snippets to assist his students in the area of math. He utilizes this very much like the Khan video tutorials. He posts them online and parents and students can access them from home.