The Janney Journal

Picture it:  Your classroom is ready and decorated beautifully. You and your partner teacher are anxiously awaiting to welcome students back from a five month "vacation." You get a phone call from your principal telling you that she needs to talk with you in person as soon as possible. You walk into her office and are told that since you are a team teacher , you are going to need to teach your first graders virtually beginning in about two weeks.  The first day we were suppose to team teach The thought of providing ALL instruction online scared me to death! I was not a confident user of technology at all and knew I needed to quickly grow in this area. I was so relieved to hear that there were going to be two more first grade teachers from my school in the same position. I seriously wouldn't have made it without them!   via GIPHY Distance Education The definition of distance education has evolved over time. According to Simonson et al. (2019), distance education can be def

All Calera Schools use the slogan, "you're an eagle, what you do matters." Every morning and afternoon, our announcements end with this statement. Here lately, it has really made me think about how this applies to everyone in our building...not just the students! One area where I would like to see an improvement is with my school's communication. I feel that I have learned a lot about this area and I could help bring us to the next level. "If you don't tell your story, someone else will" is a statement made several times in the book  Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times (Scheninger, 2019, p. 180).  via GIPHY I feel like my school does a great job communicating information with parents in several ways. Every teacher sends home paper copies of newsletters, many teachers use a digital form of communication, and our office staff sends out emails. We also have a school Facebook page. Parents are well informed of upcoming events and ways

Which field experience had the most significant positive impact on your growth as a technology leader? There's no doubt about it...using Twitter to create a professional/personal learning network (PLN). I connected this to CoSN Standard 7B - Use various communication tools and techniques. Twitter has become an effective communication tool for me to build relationships with experts all around the world. I have learned information about what experts in my field are implementing in their classrooms and schools. I have also been able to share what I am implementing in my classroom.  What is a PLN? Scheninger (2019) defines a PLN as a group of people who shares information and participates in conversations. He believes "these conversations focus on mutual interests and goals, with the main objective of professional growth and improvement" (p. 145). He continues by saying that PLNs allow for feedback, support, and advice which allows educators to enhance their teaching and stud

“Mom! Something’s wrong with the WiFi,” is a phrase that is uttered almost daily at my house. We live “in the woods” and our internet is what my youngest calls “wacky.”    via GIPHY "Wacky WiFi" is not something that you want to have to worry about in a school -- especially a school that has worked tirelessly to become one-to-one. As Frazier and Hearrington (2017) point out, the internet has become a resource that schools have become dependent upon. The internet is a valuable source that allows learning and communicating to occur in different ways. Demuyakor (2021) agrees that digital tools are essential for students especially when it comes to online learning. “The success of a school computer network is dependent on the design and durability of its infrastructure” (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017, p.121). During the 2020-2021 school year, I was one of nine teachers at my school who taught classes virtually . At the beginning of the year, each grade level was given identical

via GIPHY Wouldn’t it be nice if there really was a genie in a bottle or if money really did grow on trees? Think of the endless possibilities we could provide for our students, teachers, and schools. Well, since this isn’t reality, technology coordinators must be creative in coming up with ways to fund technology needs. Before purchasing anything, the technology coordinator and his or her committee must analyze the needs and wants of the teachers and/or students. The items must align with the goals of the school or district’s technology plan (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017). Once decisions have been made, the exciting time begins…purchasing. When purchasing technology, schools must purchase off of the Alabama K-12 Joint Purchasing List or from a bid list. Technology can be expensive. As Frazier and Hearrington (2017) point out, “school districts spend considerable funds developing technology infrastructure, establishing networks, and installing educational technology resources"

When someone says technology coordinator, my first thought is someone who helps teachers and students with technology needs. I honestly never thought about all of the roles a technology coordinator must fill. According to Frazier and Hearrington (2017), this person “plays a major role in the success of a school or district” (p. 14). Frazier and Hearrington (2017) state that some of the responsibilities of a technology coordinator include: Supporting and facilitating the integration of technology Providing technical support Providing professional development opportunities for teachers Modeling effective use of technology Setting goals for the school Ensuring safety measures are in place when it come to technology Not only does the technology coordinator at my school fulfill these roles, she is also in charge of running our STEAM lab. She is responsible for planning and implementing weekly lessons for every class in our building. So not only is she responsible for all things technology