Standard+III

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers: a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats d. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning
 * 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning**

- attending professional development opportunities offered by Littlestown, the LIU and TIENET - completing a course on technology integration in the classroom offered by Wilson College - subscribing to online publications about technology in education
 * 1**. I am currently working to increase my knowledge of technology by:

To improve my knowledge of technology, I will read education and web 2.0 blogs and wikis for the most recent recommendations in technology tools for teachers and students. As I start my Master’s Degree in History, I can also make sure I take advantage of the best practices and tools for electronic historical work, as recommended in the Electronic Research Methods course.


 * 2**. Currently, I use email and EdLine to communicate with both students and parents. In April 2010, the students used TrackStar as an annotated bibliography in a Global Studies research project. Students provided their track number at the beginning of the project, so I was able to find their tracks and check their progress. In May 2010, the students used Glogster to create posters of Japanese culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since I have an Edu Glogster account, all student accounts are automatically generated and accessible to me. A mentor once gave me Lee Canter's Parents on Your Side and communication was one of the keys to success in that realm. Blogs and/or wikis can communicate not only directly from teacher to parent, but they can also facilitate communication between student and parent. A lot of my parent contact is curiosity about what is going on in class. These tools can be used by the students, under the direction of the teachers, to document the learning that happens every day. I would like to incorporate podcasting into a blog/wiki, also. Teachers can use podcasts to record lectures, give assignment instructions, or enrich course materials, etc. Students can use them to become real social scientists. Oral history projects and expert interviews can be recorded and saved for parents and administration to hear. Live broadcasts of class discussions can be recorded for absent students. I hope to use both blog/wiki tools and podcasting in the future.


 * 3**. There is a seemingly infinite amount of information available regarding best educational practices, both 21st century and otherwise. I am currently using the bookmarking websites diigo and delicious to archive sites I find valuable, and also to share valuable sites with others. I have a Google Reader account, which is an RSS that tracks new posts on my favorite sites. These tools help me stay organized, and my goal for the coming year is to build up my collection of sources by more consistently reviewing the recommendations of my diigo and delicious group members.


 * 4**. I know there will be invaluable resources as I develop a blog or wiki and as I continue to try to discover and manage best practices’ information. I will look to colleagues, especially those already working with Moodle, blogs and wikis, and also our tech director and CFF coach. I will continue with professional development workshops and collaboration days, as well as reading the professional publications I've put into my diigo and delicious accounts.

**Summary Statement for Strategy 3** In an attempt to stay active in a digital society, I will continue to read blogs and wikis written for educators and the use of web 2.0 tools in education. I will monitor and organize online resources using my Google Reader and the bookmarking sites diigo and delicious. I will develop either a blog or a wiki to better communicate and collaborate with both students and parents, incorporating both information from myself and work created by students.