Collaborator

Coaches establish productive relationships with educators in order to improve instructional practice and learning outcomes.

STUDENT COLLABORATION

Students notice when I enter the classroom. They are greeted with a bright and outgoing personality, and I see them get excited whenever I come around! By assisting teachers to create authentic learning experiences, I know I can get those students focused, engaged, and participating in lessons. Whether I am providing physical assistance with the hardware and setup, or I am helping to design a lesson that uses certain types of technology, I have strong, established, and connected partnerships with the staff in my building that I can use to promote new ideas and incorporate fresh technology into daily lessons. While collaborating with a teacher's lesson design, I will model and demonstrate the effective use of technology to improve student learning.

PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION

Many colleagues of mine have a great deal of trust in me already. I have been their point of contact for assistance with printers, testing, software installs, internet connectivity issues, hardware problems, and I have even made my way into the instructional field by providing ideas on placement of peripherals and interactive whiteboards to promote engagement and flexibility within the classroom. I have suggested, provided, and configured various pieces of hardware and/or software to teachers so they can have a more powerful lesson. My ultimate goal with my colleagues is to be supportive and positive so that those teachers can improve instructional practices and learning outcomes.

The diversity of students in Prince William County is amazing. There are so many different backgrounds and cultures that it is absolutely critical that we as educators tap into those different perspectives. Technology can be beneficial when communication fails. We have translators and search engines that can take us to certain places for knowledge but collaborating with a true source of cultural heritage is authentic and important in a modern-day education.

INFORMAL COLLABORATION

Breaking down barriers can be tough to do if you are not afforded the opportunity to go 'behind-the-scenes'. Teachers spend a great deal of time 'on the stage' in front of the class, but it's important to me when establishing these relationships that I get to know them for who they are and not just who I see in a classroom. Spending time during lunches, in between class changes, before or after school, and at social or sporting events is something I value.

While we work professionally to improve the digital fabric of education for students, I want to find a deeper and more meaningful connection with my colleagues. That is why I plan to be as available throughout the building as possible. I will be going to classes to visit and observe classes. This is just an informal assessment on my end to see what I can provide for that teacher. I would like to know their personalities and quirks so we can tailor a lesson together that meets their teaching style.

ASSESSMENTS

In my opinion, student engagement and participation absolutely must be in place for any knowledge to be passed on. If students do not buy in to the lesson or are only going through the motions, then you might as well stop delivering instruction. As a former Band Director, I know the importance that one individual has on the outcome of a full performance. And, although learning is not necessarily always a team activity, I like to design lessons that tap into the human element of communication and collaboration that we all seek.

Teaching and learning are only half of the equation though. Eventually, students will need to be assessed. Typical hand-delivered assessments with scantrons or multiple-choice tests are gone. Real assessments are in the application of knowledge. Did the student learn how to regurgitate information to appease the test? Or, does the student genuinely understand the content and can take that content, apply it to a project, and potentially even teach someone else the information of the lesson? If the latter is true, then learning was achieved.

I am constantly looking for real-world applications and software solutions that can be incorporated into the classroom when assessing students. I will build and host a small website or Wakelet that takes teachers and students to those digital resources.

BUILDING-WIDE COLLABORATION and SUPPORT

Since I won't be in the classroom teaching my own class content, I know that I can be utilized outside of the classroom throughout the building. I have already started working with current technology to distribute announcements through various Intel computer sticks hooked up to the TVs and providing additional Audio/Visual hardware and support to special presentations in the Auditorium, Library, and other large event areas. I was able to visit Colgan and Gainesville High Schools to learn about their classroom setups. My intention is to see what works best for their environments and bring that to Patriot. PWCS is working through Organizational Coherence and aims to create a county-wide baseline with technology that is up-to-date and is uniform throughout. I have laid out groundwork to improve upon our existing technology. I have a plan to update the hallway announcement TVs, Staff workstations (Admin, Secretary, and Teachers), student support centers, and begin a building-wide cache of technology for special events.

As I begin networking and making close connections with other ITCs in PWCS, I plan to incorporate additional software and platform-based apps that can improve instruction and increase the efficacy of digital learning content. One piece of software that I am currently learning about is called VoiceThread. VoiceThread is a platform where students develop critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity skills. As we continue in a connected digital world, students desire instant critique and feedback. VoiceThread allows for an additional vocal layer over top of existing media projects. This is also a really great resource for the World Language teachers who need to hear students speak the language and not just write the language.

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