Capstone Log

Instructional Technology Department Candidate: Rachel Rountree Mentor/Title: Patti Aasen/Instructional Support Capstone Title: Making Time for Technology School/District: Timber Ridge/ Cobb

You are not required to reflect after each entry. Reflections can address one or more entries in the log. Just delete the reflection row if you do not use it.

Date
Jan. 2012 Feb. 2012 Feb 2012

Activity/Amount of Time
(Please total the time after the last entry.)

PSC Standards
1.c, 3.a 1.b, 1.c, 3.a 1.c, 3.b 1.c, 3.a, 3.b 1.c, 3.b

Hours
1 15 20 2 10 Total: 48 hrs.

Meet with Dr. Tracie Doe to discuss possible opportunity for professional development Research on Professional Development and Technology

Creating the professional development plan and the proposal for Time for Technology. March Meet with Principal, Dr. Doe, to go over the proposed 2012 professional development and time line of events for proposed professional Development August Planning out the three professional developments- internet 2012 tools for the classroom Reflection: (This space will expand as you type.)

This part of my Capstone from January until August represents the planning portions of my Capstone. I began my capstone experience by meeting with the Principal at my school, Dr. Doe. I wanted to make sure that she was involved in many of the aspects of this Capstone Project. I thought this was especially important since I was developing a workshop for the teachers at our school. I know that she is very involved with the professional development at our school due to the fact that we are not a Title I school, so I wanted to respect that and her authority by having her involved in the process. I spent a lot of time in February reading and researching about professional development. I wanted to make sure that I knew what I needed to do in order to create an effective workshop for the teachers at my school. The purpose of my capstone was to increase the amount of time teachers spent using technology in their classroom, so I needed to research how to carry out an effective professional development with technology. I spend a lot of my time online looking for resources and articles that related to technology professional development. I also borrowed several books from my principal that relate to professional development in general. I felt that between the books and online resources I would have enough information to formulate a good proposal to present to my advisor at KSU. Writing the plan and proposal took a lot of time. I spent many hours sorting through the quotes from the books and articles that I found important, and then deciding which ones fit in with my proposal. I also had to create a timeline for when I would hold the technology workshops as well as how I would assess each workshop. It took me several weeks to complete the proposal because I wanted to make sure that what I was proposing was possible. I had several versions of my Capstone proposal before I sent it to be approved by my KSU advisor. After my Capstone was approved I met once again with the principal at my school to go over my proposal and discuss the technology workshop and what I was going to do.

In August, I had to spend time planning out my new technology workshop, because with the Common Core standards, the teachers were feeling overwhelmed so I did not want to contribute to their stress. So, I changed the topics of my technology workshops, with the approval of the principal. I planned out several internet tools in the classroom that are aligned with the Common Core standards or websites that are designed to assist teachers with the Common Core. September 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 November 2012 Reflection: September workshop Planning for October Workshop- research of SmartBoard activities October Workshop Planning for November Workshop- researching new features of SmartBoard 11 November Workshop 1.c, 3.b, 1.c, 2.c, 3.b, 1.c, 3.b, 1.c, 2.c, 3.b, 1.c, 3.b 3 10 3 15 3.5 Total: 34.5 hrs.

For this portion of my reflection, I wanted to focus on the actual carrying out of my technology workshop. I had planned on my workshops lasting about an hour. However, the teachers usually stayed in my room until after 5pm. I did not mind it, because I knew that the teachers that were still there were getting something out of the workshops. After my first workshop, I realized that what the teachers need is more SmartBoard training and time to create with SmartBoard Notebook. I had already spent time researching and planning for all three technology workshops, but what I had planned was not what the teachers needed. Therefore, I spent some time after my September workshop planning and researching for my October workshop. Although fewer teachers attended my October workshop, I found that they still stayed in my room for the workshop until after 5pm. This was amazing to me because they werent staying to chat; they were creating SmartBoard lessons to do with their class, and looking up lessons in the Smart Exchange. The teachers were engaged and did not seem to mind that they spend over 3 hours with me, working with technology. All of my workshops have been very informal. Teachers could leave whenever they needed to. However most teachers stayed for over 3 hours. I wasnt expected that, but I was thrilled. After my October workshop, I knew that the teachers still wanted more time to create with the SmartBoard, so I had begun researching more activities with the SmartBoard, when the staff was given the SmartBoard 11 update. I knew that this was very different, and that the teachers at my school would like to know what they can do with the new update, as well as trouble shoot the issues we were having. So I changed gears once again and started researching SmartBoard 11 and practicing how to use the activity builder and download widgets. Like with the other technology workshops, the teachers stayed longer to continue to practice and create using SmartBoard 11. November Analyzing survey data, and comparing it to data completed 2012 the year before November Created and completing Capstone Report 2012 Reflection: 2.b 1c, 2.b, 5.e 5 10 Total: 15

For the last reflection on my log, I chose to reflect on the completion of my Capstone. I asked the staff at my school to complete another survey, almost identical to one they participated in a year earlier. As I collected and analyzed the results, I found it easier to put the information in the slide show, so I could see the results back to back. I was impressed by the percentage of teachers who are using technology several times a day. That number increased from 69% the year before to 94%. That was one of the goals in my capstone, and I was pleased that it was achieved. I had originally planned on including data from the administrations learning walks, however due to the change in

standards; they are no longer taking data on technology use. So, I just had data from the surveys. After analyzing the surveys I was ready to complete my capstone report. This took a lot of time because I reflected on the whole capstone experience, as well as discussed the results of my data collection. I learned a lot from this entire process. I have become more reflective in my teaching, especially to other teachers. I spent time listening and reading what the teachers wanted and following through with their needs. I believe that is the best way to get teachers to use more technology, by listening to their needs and trying your best to provide instruction to them, based on those needs.
Total Hours: [## hours ]: 97 Hours

DIVERSITY
(Place an X in the box representing the race/ethnicity and subgroups involved in this capstone.)

Ethnicity
P-2 Race/Ethnicity: Asian Black Hispanic
Native American/Alaskan Native

P-12 Faculty/Staff
3-5 6-8 9-12 P-2

P-12 Students
3-5 6-8 9-12

x X x x

X X X x

White Multiracial Subgroups: Students with Disabilities Limited English Proficiency Eligible for Free/Reduced Meals