Week+4+Readings


 * Here is where I will type my thoughts regarding this week's readings. **

This week I found out a lot about how may trainings are conducted in other districts. It seems that many staff members feel that most of the trainings they attend are a wast of time or that they don't receive the proper "integration" training. A big part of my job is training and my goal is to make sure that the teachers leave with the "how to" that they need to properly integrate what they learned from the training into their classroom. I find that a lot of the same teachers are coming to trainings and the question I ask is, "How do we get the non-techys to come to training?"

We are in the process of developing a proficiency level program for our district and the question keeps coming up as to whether or not it needs to be mandatory. I'm not sure that we will have much success with a program of this type if it isn't required. But convincing administration that technology concepts/training is just as important as TAKS training/content area specific training is another story. I think this will only be successful if it comes from the top down. Our administrators need to have buy in and be on board 100% in order to convince and support their staff. We do have a really great incentive program in my district where teachers receive "tech bucks" when they attend technology classes. One tech buck for every hour of training. And one tech buck is worth $10 toward a purchase (cameras, flash drives, mice, keyboards, etc....) We have tossed around the idea of using the tech bucks a little differently in order to encourage more participation in a proficiency program should it not be mandatory. There is a lot of commitment and support on the district level that must be in place for this to work! "Without significant district and building level commitment, ongoing support, and organized efforts, that reality is not likely to change. To chart a new course, administrators must agree that the use of technology is a fundamental goal, and faculty members must participate in identifying it as a shared goal."