FETCbyPaul

One of the things I learned at [|FETC 08] is that our strength as a staff is directly related to our willingness to share. This takes time and effort. I've demonstrated my willingness to share by giving my free time to begin this [|wiki]. You can do the same, at your chosen time and in your chosen dosages. Begin small. Share one thing you've **done successfully** that involved the use of technology tools. Tech tools can be anything from computers to a cassette player. You decide. Please, share!

Here are my reflections on FETC 08:

Podcasting
I started listening to podcasts 2 or 3 summers ago. Last spring (2007) I started experimenting with making my own. In summer 2007, Sue and I collaborated on a summer camp involving reading and writing classic children's literature and sharing the writing as podcasts. This school year (2007-2008) I've tried to increase my investment in podcasting. I went to several podcasting workshops at FETC 07. FETC 08 featured another good workshop on podcasting by Robert Boltz, Director of Technology from the Eastern Lebanon County School District in Myerstown, PA. Check out some samples of his work, and mine, below:


 * [|Bob Boltz's FETC 08 Wiki] (his workshop notes and presentation)
 * [|Samples of Podcasts from Bob's school district] (short, 2-5 minute podcast samples)
 * [|A Second Grader's Podcast] (great example of what can be done with podcasts)
 * [|Saint Michael Fifth Grade Podcasts] (a conglomeration of experiments we've tried)
 * [|Our Summer Camp, **Communication Connection**]

(Is teacher comfort related to teacher use?)
At our school we're blessed with an abundance of "tech tools" -- computers, scanners, cameras, AM, AR, and the list goes on. As Rusti and I visited vendors, both of us commented that we had "been there, done that" already. Is it possible for a tech-oriented teacher to overdose on technology tools? I've thought about this since returning home. Here are some of my observations:


 * Our abundance of tools is, in many ways, underutilized
 * We would use some tech tools more if we had more of them (for example, a laptop for //every// kid)
 * When you don't have enough for every student, it often seems easier to avoid using the few you have; so, what you have isn't used much
 * All our cool technology tools are practically useless unless we know how to use them effectively to enhance student learning and achievement. When we must find time to learn from a manual or by trial-and-error, without collaboration and/or support, we "get what we pay for": not much!
 * One speaker said it well: it's the 15-15 rule. If I can't figure it out in 15 minutes and then use it in a meaningful way in my classroom for 15 minutes, I won't use it at all and/or I'm not interested in trying
 * We can increase our staff training and development by **collaborating with each other**, sharing resources among ourselves. **That's the purpose of this wiki!**

As I was thinking about all of this over the weekend I ran across an interesting study. No matter where you are on the continuum from traditional sage-on-the-stage to learner-led constructivist, this study brings out some interesting points. The subjects of this study were teachers in a lower socio-economic area who were GIVEN FREE TECH TOOLS and TRAINING, TOO. The surprising result was that they hardly used these tools, a disappointing waste of resources. My favorite quote is the punch line at the end of the article:

"Teacher beliefs concerning their personal ability to effectively use technology and their beliefs regarding potential effect on student achievement is quite possibly a significant factor in determining what actually happens in the classroom." (from [|ERIC] )

As I go around during my "tech times" trying to solve your minor tech problems, I see you all using your tech tools in some interesting ways. I hope you will share with each other in this space, and that we'll **all** come to believe that we **can** use technology effectively to improve student learning and achievement. This is meant as a self-fulfilling prophesy!

I have more, but that's enough for now.

Paul (on 1-27-08)