My Internship Proposal clearly demonstrates how I evaluated the current technology integration and education at my school. In planning the sessions for my internship, I determined the general level of comfort for each member of my department and then set up a schedule of sessions on different features of the G Suite for Education to best support both teacher and student growth.
As a consequence of clearly assessing each person's current comfort and the needs of both our department and our student body, I was able to achieve significant growth in both teacher and student technology use and educational outcomes in a short period of time. Teachers were instructed on the TPACK model and brainstormed ways to effectively leverage technology where it was appropriate. Through their exposure to and practice with the G Suite for Education, teachers naturally progressed along the SAMR model leading to more teachers reaching the Augmentation and Modification levels--although I would say that I didn't see anyone reach the redefinition model, yet. As a consequence of these improvements in educator knowledge and comfort, students are now using more collaborative tools and 21st Century technologies in their classes. This is a clear growth in both student comfort and skills with these skills and technologies. |
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My district has a large chronic absenteeism population and it is a challenge to support our students when we do not see them everyday. According to the state of Maryland, as of Fall 2018, my school currently has an 86% chronic absenteeism rate. When faced with an issue like this, I found that I had to be innovative and proactive in order to best serve my students and ensure that they still have access to the modeling and instruction that they miss when they are not in class.
In the past, we've been encouraged to support students via Coach Class (after school study hall/make-up sessions). This is a good solution, but is challenging when several students come to the same Coach Class and need different days of instruction or remediation. Additionally, some students need additional time or support to complete assignments and I cannot be available at all times. I've used technology to combat this issue in the form of my class website. In the past two years I've made it a point to upload all of the class videos and materials to the website. This makes most of our class resources available to all of my students--regardless of where they are. While providing tutoring and Coach Class is an excellent tool, and one I still employ, using technology in this way enhances my effectiveness. I often have students come to Coach Class so that they can use computers to access our class website or Google Classroom (new this year) and therefore access our materials. Using technology in this way has led to an increase in student effectiveness and completion of missing or make-up work, but it's also lead to an increase in student accountability and efficacy. |