EDU 615- Quiz #1

1.  Why should a school district have a web site?  What should be on that site?

School districts should have a website for one simple, yet critical word...... communication.  Districts need to communicate and market/promote their school to all and the web site is a great way to make that happen. 

There is a significant amount of information that should be included on a school district web site that communicates to the public.  A few examples of potential links are:  daily announcements, staff and their web sites/wikis, schedules, menus, achievement results, curriculum, and student handbooks. 

The challenge is to keep up with the frequent changes that need to be made to the web site and who has the time/responsibility of making that happen.  If it isn't updated and accurate, get rid of it.

2.  How do administrators and school boards keep a current vision of technology and the future?

By communicating with a technology committee, administrators and boards have the opportunity to always keep thinking toward the future.  Another manner that can assist in keeping a current vision for technology is to attend trainings and workshops that keep you thinking toward the future along with using resources like TIE to assist your district moving forward. 

Technology changes so quickly that it is very difficult to keep up at such a rapid pace.  Obviously, money is the key component to the limits you have with technology. 

3.  What information from the CEO Forum web site is most useful?  How can that information be used?

The CEO forum provided good information.  Some of the most useful is striving to provide building blocks for districts to use technology to improve student achievement.  While student engagement and motivation factors are signficant variables with students, those two variables have a strong impact on the learning that is occuring or not occuring.  In the end, the bottom line question regarding technology comes back to student achievement and how is technology enhancing instruction and improving student learing!

The STaR Report was also a useful tool to utilize and could be used as a baseline driving force in making decisions and creating a vision for what priorities need to take place in the technology plan.  The STaR report could be used as a technology committee to get started and proceed through the necessary channels to create the vision and make your district's plan.  The unexpected expenses that have immediate need always seem to come up and things get pushed back - if  you need a new roof, HVAC, etc, the capital outlay budget will be impacted and certain items of "need" will take place over items of "want."

4.  What are WEb 2.0 tools?  How can these tools be used by schools to enhance classroom instruction? 

Web 2.0 are interactive tools such as blogs, wiki spaces, and podcasts that are utilized in a variety of ways for convenience, motivation, and engagement.  These tools have potential to enhance instruction which in turn will improve achievement. 

Time is the biggest opponent of using these technology tools.  There are a mulitude of rationales on why educators may or may not utilize Web 2.0 tools.  One reason is time.  It takes time to "play" with technology to see how it works.  It also takes an educator who is willing to change and be a life long learner - albeit they may have had success doing it a different way for a variety of years.  Providing the time and resources is the critical part of an educator making changes in their instructional practice along with their building leader being supportive of trying new things.

5.  What is Cyber Bullying?  What can schools do to help prevent Cyber Bullying?

Cyber Bullying is any form of mistreatment using technology on the Internet or via texting toward another person.  This type of bullying can be done easily as you can be anywhere and say/do whatever one so chooses.  Cyber Bullying has become more common all the time with the technology available to adults and kids. 

One way to address Cyber Bullying is to offer a mandatory computer/technology course at the early middle school or late elementary level about what it is.  Providing high school students this education in the technology curriculum is also important as the education of this issue needs to be continual.  Teaching kids on what it is and the basic skills about the appropriate uses and the misuses are very important.   Make sure the "acceptable use policy" is completed by the student/parent as well.