The Janney Journal

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...

Learn I am so blessed to work in an environment where most teachers love to share and learn from one another. My grade level is very supportive and loves to collaborate about strategies that work. I have found that it is a little harder for some to open up about things that are not working. I wish it was easier for everyone to trust each other enough to open up about the challenges and struggles that they are facing. Instructional Coaches Instructional coaches are pivotal people in our schools. They have the opportunity to share strategies that work. Knight (2018) states that “instructional coaches help teachers improve student learning and well-being by improving teaching” (p.104). After talking with the reading and math coaches assigned to my school, I realized that it is harder to be a coach than I thought. Both coaches told me that teachers really don’t understand the role of the coaches and even feel threatened when they enter their classrooms. Many teachers in our building were ...

When you hear the word coach, what comes to mind? I can’t help but picture sports. I have three children of my own who are very involved in various sports. Their coaches play an important role in their development. Their coach not only coaches them with sport but has also built meaningful relationships with them. My kids have been pushed to set goals and worked hard to achieve them. I feel that the relationship is a driving force that motivates my kids to work harder to reach their goals, which in turn, makes them a better athlete. This falls in line with instructional coaching . Knight (2018) defines instructional coaching as partnering “with teachers to analyze current reality, set goals, identify and explain teaching strategies to meet goals, and provide support until the goals are met” (p. 3). Hashim (2021) states that an instructional coach also supports teachers cognitively by ensuring that teachers understand new approaches. This in turn will not only improve teacher practice bu...

Brown and Green (2020) state that “instructional design is the systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction (p.7). In other words, instructional design is the process of creating a meaningful learning opportunity for participants. For an instructional design to be “good,” the designer must think about the needs of the learners and create something to meet those needs (Brown & Green, 2020). via GIPHY How? There are many models for designing instruction. Good models offer guidelines for completing an effective design. One of these models is the ADDIE model. The use of ADDIE gives teachers a systemic way of thinking that helps them solve educational issues in a systematic way (Alsaleh, 2020). Alsaleh (2020) also states that using these types of models allow for self-awareness and reflection. The graphic below from Microlearning Blog is a great representation of this model. This blog also has a gre...