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Laverne's Contemplative Mind Clips
                  
General
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Creating this series of web pages for this year's
students has been an exciting, challenging and rewarding experience.
Over the years I have carefully integrated a variety of technological
tools into my course curriculum packages. I have been using a
variety of techniques using these tools since 1984. However, when I
first began learning how to use web pages as student resource tools I had
no idea how valuable it would be.
This series of web pages has helped in many ways. The
information for student use is organized into a central resource bank that
is available to them, me, administrators and other teachers on demand. I
hadn't previously realized how powerful that would prove to be. One
student this past year said "Gee. I wish more teachers would do
this. The lesson plans, due dates and resource materials are there
any time I need them. And I always know what I'm supposed to be
doing." That about sums it up for me. It told me why I
bother to go to this extra trouble to get everything posted and keeping it
updated. I do it because it works!
I find that I now post everything. I put the class calendars up
so everyone can stay current, including me. It really cut down on
the old excuse of "you didn't say it was due then!"
Because I did. I place their assignments, scaffolding and rubrics
along with samples on their web pages. And if I've made a mistake
(me?? -- occasionally...) I can fix it right away and adjust
accordingly. I have even been placing student work on the web.
Students like having their work so prominently displayed and
accessible. They also like having their pictures up as part of their
class identity. I had permission for every student's picture, name
and work samples this year. It was great.
I found also that parents and administrators loved it as well.
They could tell at any time what we were doing. I always did my best
to indicate which student performance standards were being addressed by
the activity. So anyone could see the relevance of the work.
It actually helped us get additional funding for more technology through
school site programs like ROP and Carl Perkins because the administrators
could easily identify the purpose and relevant applications of the
technology they were funding. That amounted to somewhere around
$25,000 in extra site monies this year! That made a significant
difference in the programs delivered in that classroom. Pretty
significant, I do believe.
I found also that this type of modeling was an incentive for other
staff members to incorporate more and more technology into their own
curriculum packages. When they saw what we were doing, or heard
about it from our shared students, they wanted to find ways to accomplish
some of the same things. It has impacted the entire school
culture in one way or another.
This is a teaching strategy that I will continue to use and
expand. The hours of preparation, and even the thrown together sites
with simple copies of previous lesson materials, save time in the long run
and motivate students to strive for excellence. I don't know what
else I could ask. But I'm sure I'll think of something... and
soon...
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Purpose
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series of web pages represents the collection of resources and
display materials from the 2000-2001 school year. I have a
predominantly junior (11th grade) and senior (12th grade)
population with a few sophomores (10th grade) and even fewer
freshmen (9th grade). The two classes target in the site
are an Architectural Design (drafting) class and an advanced
Business class (Virtual Enterprise). |
| The
goals of the site are twofold. First and foremost was a
student resource for assignments, samples and general
communication. The second purpose was to showcase the work
that students had created throughout the year. Both
primary sites include a variety of work samples. This gave
students something to sdtrive for and feel pride about. It
also gave administration and parents a way to view the
assignments and work samples of the students to monitor what was
going on in the classes. |
| I
would review the artifact in the following way: |
 | I
started the year with the basic web sites for both
classes. Then it was expanded as the assignments were
added and as student work was ready for display. The
only real test was student feedback. Each and every web
page or hard copy document that I produce is always considered
a living document. I try to constantly tailor it to the
needs and responses of students. I announce any changes
in formatting or information as they occur and even give
students style points for editing suggestions. This is
what has worked for us this year. I will be anxious to
see what works next year. |
| If
you were able to see the original skeleton pages posted in
August, 2001 you would see the steady growth and improvement
throughout the year. Not only were many additions made,
but the general format was adjusted according to need and
artistic discretion. The original form of each
assignment had work samples from prior years. Since
little of that work had been done with the advantage of the
Internet the requirements were often different. That
meant that work samples were slightly different than what
students were being asked to do this year. So I either
had to make mock modifications in the samples or include clear
discussions of how the work samples differed. Then as
actual work samples were completed this year they were posted
as well. That evolution seemed to help everyone. |
| Each
assignment I have given this year has included an expanded use
of the available technology and methodologies acquired from
the iMET program. I have worked for years to align my
content to state standards as much as possible. I teach
vocational classes whose content standards have not been
clearly identified, so it has been more difficult to identify
them. But we keep plugging away at the general proficiency and
High School Exit Exam standards. |
| Each
piece of information provided the student has been altered as
I prepared it for the web-based delivery system. I have
evaluated it for efficacy, verbage, scaffolding, standards
compliance, student readiness and methodology. Yet this
is normal for me. Each time I revisit an assignment or
set of assignments I review and revise. The primary
difference is that this year there were more resources
available in the way of technology access and my personal
abilities. |
| The
response has been very rewarding. Students truly seemed
to appreciate the any-time on-demand availability of the
assignments and supporting documentation. It also helped take
away their excuses of "I didn't know that" or
"You didn't tell us that." Because everything
was there for them all the time. I really got some good
responses to the just-in-time component of the
materials. The students knew it was available and that
they could access it at any time. So they exhibited less
stress about being able to remember what they were to do and
to what standards. And they all loved having their
"name in print" and having their work samples
displayed on the sites. That seemed to be a big reward
for them. |
| Another
great result was the response of administration. They
loved being able to point to these sites as examples any time
they wished. They seemed genuinely impressed. And
as a result they seemed more disposed to send technology
funding our way because as the Assistant Principal said,
"you will maximize what we send you and make it really
work for kids." He also said that what we were
doing should be the model for everyone else at the
school. The Principal and the District Superintendent
were likewise impressed and supportive of the entire
process. Feedback from parents was just as supportive. I
must say also that the Advisory Committee for the drafting
class was duly impressed and supportive. |
| Now
there are other staff members waiting in line for the Intel
Teach to the Future training and other staff development
opportunities. They have made it clear that they want a
chance to add in some of the things that my kids keep talking
to them about. The excitement and state of readiness is
truly building as a result of my experiences this year. |
| At
this point I find that I will continue to revise the materials
on a regular basis. I see that it is a never-ending
process. But I am learning to make the materials as
effective as I can then focus on the next assignment.
The balance between efficiency and excellence is
dawning. I have many other items that I wish to include
and I'm learning to better manage my time with what I
post. Additionally, I believe I will post as much of the
material for the entire year as I can before school even
begins. I want students to be able to go through and
look at future assignments at will throughout the year.
I believe it will increase their readiness and cooperation to
understand the expectations. With the inclusion of a
regularly updated calendar that should be very helpful. |
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Peer Review & Faculty Review
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| Since this is the preliminary link to a series of
pages, I have not asked for either a peer or a faculty
evaluation. Individual pages will have evaluations. |
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