ISTE+Standard+III

According to the 2010 Horizon Report, "People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to" (Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., & Stone, S., 2010). The majority of my hours came from an initiative to open our computer lab before school each day. We have 68 computers between our 2 labs and they sat empty before school each day. The vast majority of our students ride the bus to and from school daily. They rarely have time after school work in the lab and many of these same students do not have internet access at home. Opening the lab each morning seemed like a simple idea. Many of teachers utilize these resources during the day and occasionally after school. I open the lab for 30 minutes before school each morning and students can come in and work on research, assignments, and anything else they have not finished for class. Internet access and availability are critical for students today and we must provide them with the tools they need if they are going to maximize their learning. I tried to get a large number of students to show up each day. For a while business was pretty slow, but I began sending out reminders to teachers who would then write out passes for these students and remind them to stop by the lab. During March and April I had almost 10 students in the lab each day. That may seem like small number of students, but that is 50 students a week working on projects and assignments that otherwise might not be completed. I also think that students felt a level of trust to be in the lab at an unassigned time. When the computer lab is full, teachers are having to monitor behavior, internet usage and it is highly stressful. I let the students work without micromanaging their progress. They worked at their own pace and I think many of them really enjoyed the time, because they would come back several days in a row. As a district and on my campus specifically we have a "shared vision" that includes increased implementation of technology(Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J., 2010). I think I was successful in advancing that goal.

According to Williamson and Redish, "Business community members, parents, government officials, and educators are concerned that schools are not preparing students for life, work, and learning after high school" (Williamson, J. & Redish, T., 2009). I think that by offering a time for students to come and work and learn should inspire community members that fear students are not being prepared for life after school. I think that coming by each day is a choice they have to make and by doing so, students take far more ownership of their educations. Most students want to be better, whether that means grades, behavior, etc. Many times they are unaware of their options for making these positive changes. I think that keeping a schedule, being held accountable for time, and making wise choices no matter how small are all ways to benefit students' decision making. Students also had to plan how long long and how often they should attend, which developed some planning and organizing skills. It may seem like "baby steps", but those steps are headed in a positive direction and I find that to be quite encouraging.

Many teachers planned morning computer lab time as part of their assignments for the students. Curriculum was modified because the kids had an opportunity that they had never had before at school. Expectations and accountability were raised because new resources had become available. As education progresses and changes, it is important that teachers place the onus upon students. Teachers can only push the curriculum so far, students take up the burden and take an active role in what they will be learning.

References:

Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education, Inc.

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., & Stone, S. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education..