By Mike Sennert
Response for Bryan Weinert:
Bryan, the Model Technology Classroom Assistant sounds great. I don’t think this is too ambitious because it will hopefully relieve some of the questions from faculty using these classrooms.
I think you are being very thorough providing resources on how to use the software and the hardware available in the classrooms. As you have found you can never have enough training, and by creating this on-line tutorial you can give the teachers more independence when it comes to troubleshooting software or just to let them review if they haven’t used a piece of software or hardware for awhile.
A couple of questions, do you plan on using this Classroom Assistant as part of your training when you add more of these classrooms or when new teachers take over for teachers that quit? If you do use this Assistant for new training you might want to make the software and hardware tutorials start from a basic point instead of a more advanced point. Also, what provisions have you made for when a substitute takes over a classroom using this technology classroom? Do substitutes a few substitutes have training for these classrooms? Will the substitutes be informed about the Model Technology Classroom Assistant? Let me know what you come up with, I am facing some of the same questions with substitutes taking over in classrooms using technology.
Response for Dianne Fulton
I think your idea for an internet search on Springfield, is a great one! At my school the fourth grade classes study Springfield. They do an in depth unit and then in the Spring they take a field trip to Springfield to visit Lincoln’s tomb and the Capitol building. So this project really interests me since I am the technology coordinator and I am responsible for the different grades finding ways to integrate technology into their curriculum. I think your project would be something great for the teachers to use during their unit on Springfield. Your project would allow the students to have more opportunities to be active learners.
I know that you are just starting on this project but I would like to share your ideas with the fourth grade teachers at our building. I am also wondering would it be possible for one of our classes to e-mail your class with questions about Springfield? Since after your students are done searching and finding information about their city they will be experts! Your class could then e-mail the answers back. Maybe your class would want to know information about East Central Illinois (St. Joseph, Champaign, Rantoul, Mahomet, etc) Then they could e-mail questions about our area. I think this is definitely a feasible idea with only one computer in the classroom.
I think this is a great project and I am sure there are several schools that study Springfield, Illinois in 3rd and 4th grade that would love to work with your class to find out more information about Springfield.