My portfolio uses the National Technology Standards for Administrators1 as a framework.
Examples of my work (with interpretation) are linked beneath each of the six standards.
Show All Examples |
Hide All
Click to play or stop
I. Leadership and Vision.
Educational leaders inspire a shared vision for comprehensive integration of technology and foster an environment and culture conducive to the realization of that vision.
Performance Indicators...
A) facilitate the shared development by all stakeholders
of a vision for technology use and widely communicate that
vision; maintain an inclusive and cohesive process to develop, implement, and monitor a dynamic, long-range, and systemic technology plan to achieve the vision.
B) foster and nurture a culture of responsible risk-taking and advocate policies promoting continuous innovation with technology.
C) use data in making leadership decisions.
D) advocate for research-based effective practices in use of technology.
E) advocate on the state and national levels for policies, programs, and funding opportunities that support implementation of the district technology plan.
Seamlessly
integrating technology into the culture of a school requires a carefully planned
approach including administrative leadership, faculty
involvement, and
parental support. The technology leader is responsible for setting
strategy, engaging the talent within the institution, creating
operational efficiency, and generating return on investment. This
leader should communicate a concrete vision for improving
student learning and business operations, and be able to
build collaborative relationships among key
stakeholders. Being grounded in both educational pedagogy and
the intricacies of network technology are critical. Understanding
research and best practices is useful,
as is familiarity with
leaders and theorists in the discipline. Evaluating and
drawing on the demonstrated successes of other schools saves
time and money. The key elements
for progress are: planning,
stakeholder involvement, data-driven decision-making, ongoing assessment, and authentic professional development.
Examples
1.1
Providing Vision Rationale:
Leaders should articulate a concrete vision of goals and
objectives so stakeholders can understand and work towards the institutional
mission. I developed a
slide-show of technology examples in
order to highlight a culture of seamless integration we are
working towards. It
includes more than 60 examples of technology-integration
in our classrooms. I used it as a
framework for discussion when colleagues from other
schools came to
a
workshop
we hosted to discuss
technology integration. Various slides illustrate differentiated
instruction, problem-based learning, scaffolding,
higher-order thinking skills, multimedia engagement, and
assistive technology. I also wrote a
"Day in the Life" scenario as part of our technology plan to
describe how technology becomes an integral part of the educational
experience of our students.
1.2
Technology Planning Rationale:
At Norwood, I was responsible for overseeing
the educational success of the one-to-one computing initiative.
Leading that ubiquitous use of technology gave me extensive
experience with curricular integration, professional
development, and network infrastructure. This technology plan
from 2004 shows how we approached using technology, long-term
goals, and overall vision. I worked with all departments, and also
the
curriculum and professional development committees, to implement
the technology plans. Having widespread stakeholder
involvement is a critical factor for success.
1.3
Project Management
Rationale:
In 2005 I concluded a major upgrade to Norwood School's primary
website
which I planned and managed over 18 months. I developed a
planning document
to specify goals and details, and also documented the
design chronology. The website integrated with
Active Directory for user authentication, Exchange
servers for calendaring, athletic system for
scheduling, and our student-information-system. I implemented an e-mail broadcast to all
families of
the school's weekly newsletter which
is also
integrated into the site.
Teachers post all homework assignments by emailing them to
a
Homework Website which is a public folder on
the Exchange server. Each teacher also has
a web page that
can be easily edited. I also helped teachers
and departments create their own custom websites, such as the
Art Department
Websites.
1.4
University Teaching
Rationale: Teaching at the
graduate level gave me new insight into leadership, because
working with these students requires
management
expertise based on
adult learning theory. Interpersonal skills and rapport-building
take on more importance. I have taught the
following courses
for Johns Hopkins in the graduate program for ed-tech: Integrating Technology into Teaching,
Instructional Design of Multimedia, Web-Based Mentoring &
Coaching, and Designing & Delivering eLearning Environments. Developing and delivering these courses has
raised my ability to plan, implement, and assess long-term
professional development. I use
wikis, blogs, and other online tools with these classes.
1.5 Supervision & Evaluation
As an ed-tech leader, webmaster, technology director, and
university instructor I have been responsible for the work and
professional development of many teachers and staff members. I
currently collaborate with a six-person technology team, leading
the planning and implementation of educational technology. Our
team includes a network administrator, help desk, laptop
specialist, database administrator, librarians, web, and A/V
support. In working with the information resources department I
believe it is crucial to establish a service-oriented,
team-based approach. Each individual has an area of expertise,
priorities, and goals. We meet weekly to communicate issues, set
priorities, make decisions, and solve problems. I believe each
team-member should write short monthly progress reports related
to tech plan goals. Coordinating this team-effort requires a
leader who is respected and who models working towards
excellence. I believe in establishing clear expectations, open
lines of communication, and positive approaches to assessment. I
have helped interview, hire, and train new teachers and staff
members. I contributed to our staff evaluation instrument,
building a technology goal into each employee's professional
development plan. Overseeing an entire faculty's progress
towards technology integration has been an interesting
challenge. I helped establish technology "liaisons" at each
grade level and academic department to ensure open lines of
communication and to enable a distributed approach to support. I
am currently promulgating a grass-roots approach to professional
development, implementing a series of faculty meetings in which
colleagues share examples of best practice.
Educational leaders ensure that
curricular design, instructional strategies, and learning
environments integrate appropriate technologies to maximize
learning and teaching.
Performance Indicators...
A) identify, use, evaluate, and promote appropriate technologies to enhance and support instruction and standards-based curriculum leading to high levels of student achievement.
B) facilitate and support collaborative technology-enriched learning environments conducive to innovation for improved learning.
C) provide for learner-centered environments that use technology to meet the individual and diverse needs of learners.
D) facilitate the use of technologies to support and enhance instructional methods that develop higher-level thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
E) provide for and ensure that faculty and staff take advantage of quality professional learning opportunities for improved learning and teaching with technology.
I have worked with teachers in every subject area,
planning and
implementing technology-enhanced lessons to
support core curricula to maximize student
learning outcomes. The challenge in managing a classroom of students, each with a
computer,
is to channel their engagement with the technology
into effective learning experiences. Our students often work
on multimedia projects to address
learning objectives in diverse ways. As students
engage in this creative process they make
decisions, solve problems, and synthesize
information to achieve project goals. Well-designed
educational
applications and lessons deliver differentiated instruction by
allowing students to take divergent and self-paced paths to
success. We strive towards active learning, collaboration,
and knowledge-construction with an emphasis on higher-order thinking skills. I develop a strong understanding of each
teacher's goals and curriculum, and then support and
bolster these goals through the use of educational
technology.
Examples
2.1
Online Multimedia Instruction
Rationale: I created
this website to introduce middle school students
to notebook computing. It delivers content through
audio, video, tip sheets, and links to resources. Students
engage in collaborative teams to accomplish assignments.
Each chapter includes an introduction from the students'
homeroom teachers as an avatar. This engaging online
environment demonstrates constructivist pedagogy by
including elements of student choice, active learning,
creating a product, and an authentic task-oriented
approach.
2.2
Digital Video in the Classroom Rationale:
Students are extremely motivated to create and use video projects
because it is a powerfully evocative medium. In my work I mentor and support students and teachers using digital video. The link
provided here is to a few examples of student and teacher
products, as well as video of me teaching.
2.3
WebQuests as Instructional Tools Rationale:
I created this unit to demonstrate how a webquest
aids the learning process by encouraging
problem-based-learning and higher-order thinking
skills. By providing teacher-selected internet resources
we avoid wasted instructional time from surfing.
Directions, templates,
guidelines, and checklists scaffold the experience towards
self-guided learning. After creating this webquest, I used
the structure to create a
webquest template which I used
for a
workshop I presented to teachers on creating
webquests.
2.4
Teaching Online With Elluminate
Rationale: Teaching online requires new skills
and competencies of both the instructor and the students. This
2-minute video clip shows me facilitating an online
classroom. It is from one of my synchronous online classes
for Johns Hopkins. It illustrates some of the capabilities
of the Elluminate software which include: video of the
instructor, participant feedback, audio, whiteboard,
web-tour, etc.
2.5
PBL Unit on Media Bias
Rationale: This
instructional unit plan (which I wrote) uses a problem-based-learning
approach to engage teams of students in exploring the
issue of media bias from both liberal and conservative
perspectives. As with all of my instructional materials,
students learn by actively participating with the content
material in collaboration with other students. The teacher
is the facilitator of this process, and utilizes Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction.
Educational leaders apply technology to
enhance their professional practice and to increase their own
productivity and that of others.
Performance Indicators...
A) model the routine, intentional, and effective use of technology.
B) employ technology for communication and collaboration among colleagues, staff, parents, students, and the larger community.
C) create and participate in learning communities that stimulate, nurture, and support faculty and staff in using technology for improved productivity.
D) engage in sustained, job-related professional learning using technology resources.
E) maintain awareness of emerging technologies and their potential uses in education.
F) use technology to advance organizational improvement.
I help students, teachers, administrators, and
parents gain mastery over technology
tools which help them achieve their goals in efficient and engaging
ways.
I recognize that each person is at
his/her own level of readiness to adopt and use
various technologies, and I help each one work to full potential.
I guide learners as they use a
variety
of productivity and educational applications.
We communicate with email, phone, online, and
face-to-face meetings. We collaborate on projects using shared
electronic workspaces on the
intranet.
I help colleagues create and maintain web
pages to communicate information to students and parents. I
use my own websites as a knowledge-management system to
communicate school information, organize my
instructional documents, and promote my professional
development. I work with a state
association to address technology needs and
professional development of
independent school colleagues
in the state.
I also participate in several educational email
lists since they broaden communication to include colleagues
around the nation and world.
Examples
3.1
Designing & Delivering Professional Development Rationale:
I have developed and delivered professional development in a
variety of formats. In my daily practice I work with teachers and
administrators
one-on-one or in small teams. I have also developed and led workshops
ranging from single-day to week-long which focus on learning how to
integrate technology into curricular projects or for personal
productivity. I occasionally do
workshops for other schools. I have also helped plan several
state-wide conferences. This example is a link to the
list of presentations in my vita. Dr.
Moersch's Level's of
Technology Integration is a useful taxonomy for planning and
assessing educational impact.
3.2
Technology Help Site Rationale: I created
this extensive website based on the most common questions
that people ask me, in order to provide "just-in-time"
performance-support for my school community. It also
serves as a "knowledge-management" repository allowing me to
store, organize, and easily update all of my help sheets.
I differentiated it into areas tailored to three
constituencies: students, parents, & faculty. I divided
the help into
sections on hardware, software, and home computing.
I served for four years on the technology committee of the Association of
Independent Maryland Schools - AIMS. One of the
main functions of the committee was to plan an annual 3-day conference for professional development
[2004,
2005,
2006] . Some of the keynote
speakers whom we've featured include: Kathy Schrock, Tim Magner, Jim Moulton,
and David Warlick.
I also developed a website for the Computer
Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington -
CAISGW - to serve as a
knowledge-base of resources; this has since shifted to the
SchoolComputing wiki
which I administer.
I also served on the executive board of the Maryland
Instructional Computer Coordinators' Association -
MICCA.
3.4
Staying Current with RSS & Blogs Rationale:
I use the Bloglines RSS aggregator to subscribe to a number
of blog feeds from colleagues and news sources. Using RSS
allows me to easily keep track of new ideas in a number of
areas including educational technology, tablets, and
eLearning. I also incorporate and support the use of
blogging with my students from lower school to graduate
school.
3.5
Tablet Computing
Rationale:
I began piloting a tablet computer in
2004 to determine its educational value. I decided that it is a
superior device because in many situations pen-based
entry is easier than keyboarding to record notes or
enter data. This
link leads to the tablet rationale I developed.
After piloting tablets with some teachers in 2005, we transitioned
all teachers and our middle school students to tablets in
06-07. I've also been using Dragon Systems Naturally
Speaking
voice recognition software to dictate text.
In fact, I'm using it right now! It's accuracy and
speed are very impressive. In addition to being
valuable tools, I believe the combination of tablet
computing and voice recognition will help alleviate
the growing problem of repetitive stress injuries.
3.6
Emailed "Tech Tips" Rationale: In order to
promote faculty awareness and interaction with technology I
send an email newsletter once a month that has a
variety of tips ranging from mundane technical notes to new ways of
improving teaching & learning. I also archive these emails
on my website which serves as a useful knowledge base.
3.7
Virtual Reality Educational Applications
Rationale: One of the
emerging technologies for education is the use of virtual
reality environments. I researched and created
this web page to identify
current offerings in this area and to evaluate their potential
for improving student learning.
IV. Support, Management, Budgeting, and Operations.
Educational leaders ensure the integration of technology to support productive systems for learning and administration.
Performance Indicators...
A) develop, implement, and monitor policies and guidelines to ensure compatibility of technologies.
B) implement and use integrated technology-based management and operations systems.
C) allocate financial and human resources to ensure complete and sustained implementation of the technology plan.
D) integrate strategic plans, technology plans, and other improvement plans and policies to align efforts and leverage resources.
E) implement procedures to drive continuous improvement of technology systems and to support technology replacement cycles.
Supporting and managing school technology has become very
demanding as it includes complex voice, data, and security
networks. Our infrastructure includes an extensive network
of servers with over 500 wired and wireless clients [full
list] requiring constant monitoring. I think the
educational environment is in fact more taxing on technology
infrastructure than corporate environments due to the nature
of classrooms full of roaming wireless laptops and a
user-base of students and faculty who require flawless
performance and extensive support. Our technology infrastructure enables the school's
day-to-day operations by providing integrated communications
and information on demand. I work with a six-person department
supporting this complex network. My current position as ed-tech
specialist has segmented me from network administration,
allowing me time to focus on curricular and educational
issues.
Examples
4.1 Budgeting for Technology
Rationale: In my current position I manage the technology budget. I research and select
vendors, make purchasing decisions, track invoices, and ensure
accountability. Our overall budget
is split between operating costs [administrative software,
network software, non-capitalized hardware, maintenance agreements, website,
and telecommunications] and capital costs [infrastructure,
network switches, laptop leases, and hardware].
Other than specific software training, professional development for
technology is included within the school's overall professional
development budget.
4.2
Directing Technology at North Country School
Rationale:
I was the technology
director for North Country School & Camp Treetops in Lake
Placid, NY for five years. In that role I was responsible for all aspects
of that institution's technology. This
artifact
lists some
of the major projects I executed in that position.
For example, I
successfully applied for and
secured eRate funding over multiple years. That process includes
technology plan development and approval, vendor RFP and
selection, eligibility determination, receipt, and invoicing of
services.
The extensive website which I built for NCS was used from 1996 until
2006. It is accessible from the
Archive.org site. The current website can be viewed
here.
4.3
Curriculum Mapping Database
Rationale:
I worked with all stakeholders to initiate and implement
Norwood School's curriculum-mapping process using the
web-based application Rubicon Atlas. In addition to this database
for curriculum, we have implemented a mapping database for
administrative functions to document the procedures and
recurring events of an administrative nature.
4.4
Norwood School Intranet
Rationale:
Norwood's internal network provides
individual and shared file storage. I worked to establish a
consistent and logical structure so that users can find the
resources they seek. In addition to individual "home"
directories, each employee has access to a department workspace,
personal storage, individual public directory, email archives, and a shared institution
workspace. Teachers can access their students' files and save
templates and resources for student use. Students have access to individual and shared
grade level workspace. I also established an organized
central repository for digital media and archives.
Educational leaders use technology to
plan and implement comprehensive systems of effective
assessment and evaluation.
Performance Indicators...
A) apply technology in assessing student learning of subject matter
using a variety of assessment techniques.
B) use technology resources to collect and analyze data, interpret
results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice
and maximize student learning.
C) apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine students'
appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication, and
productivity.
One of
technology's most powerful uses is to track student
achievement, because it enables data-driven decision-making
to improve and differentiate instruction. In my work with teachers I help them use
electronic gradebooks, narrative reporting databases,
skills checklists, and educational software with
built-in assessment. These tools help teachers measure and
analyze student learning in a variety of contexts. I also
use spreadsheets and databases to track and
manipulate information on both students and teachers.
Examples
5.1
Professional Development Database
Rationale: I created
this database to track and assess professional development in
educational technology for all faculty and staff at
Norwood School. Data include technology training/workshops, self-reported goals, notes from meetings, proficiency level indicators,
degree info, etc.
I sort and analyze the data to identify strengths &
weaknesses and to guide planning for future professional
development. In the schools where I work, I make an effort to
develop relationships based on trust and shared goals. This
collaborative approach allows me to work with each individual to
improve their practice and productivity.
5.2
Evaluation Plan Rationale:
I wrote this evaluation plan to assess the impact of
ubiquitous computing at Norwood School in its seventh year
of 1:1 laptop computing. This plan builds on the work of two
previous Norwood studies, one conducted by an external
evaluator, and another conducted internally. During the
writing of this plan I studied the meaning of
"meta-analysis" as it relates to research, and created a
PowerPoint Presentation to share this learning with
classmates in my graduate program.
5.3
Research Review Rationale: In order to
inform decisions regarding the direction of the
technology program, I conducted this extensive
literature review to ensure that all choices would be
consistent with research on best practices and
evidence-based
conclusions.
5.4
Technology Skills Matrix Rationale: I developed
this matrix of skills based on the
ISTE NETS for
Students, using each standard as a framework for
identifying and placing specific skill sets from grades
K-8. The matrix has helped me communicate the scope &
sequence of these skills to each set of grade level
teachers so that we can assess these skills. As we move forward with curriculum mapping we
intend to map these skills to specific projects that
happen at each grade level.
5.5
AIMS Accreditation Committees
Rationale:
As part of my work with the Association of Independent Maryland
Schools I have served on three accreditation committees doing ten-year
evaluation/accreditation visits
to Maryland schools. A team of several teachers and
administrators visits the school for three days to
evaluate all aspects of its curricula, program, and
governance to determine whether the school is
accomplishing its mission.
Educational leaders understand the
social, legal, and ethical issues related to technology and
model responsible decision-making related to these issues.
Performance Indicators...
A) ensure equity of access to technology resources that enable and empower all learners and educators.
B) identify, communicate, model, and enforce social, legal, and ethical practices to promote responsible use of technology.
C) promote and enforce privacy, security, and online safety related to the use of technology.
D) promote and enforce environmentally safe and healthy practices in the use of technology.
E) participate in the development of policies that clearly enforce copyright law and assign ownership of intellectual property developed with district resources.
Because digital resources are so easy to download and copy
from, it is all-the-more important to
teach our students about intellectual property, fair use
laws, and
the appropriate use of school technology.
I set policies and protocols to ensure that students and
teachers
gather and use information ethically, and access network
resources appropriately. Intellectual property is an
abstract concept for younger children, but students can
grasp it within the context of their own work. I've been
in many classrooms during a creative assignment when a
student will cry to another indignantly, "Hey, you're
copying from me!" This is the example I use to
activate prior knowledge when teaching
about intellectual property. The safety of children using the Internet is
also a key area of concern, especially in our laptop
school with wireless Internet access. There are excellent curricular
resources available from the
iSafe organization which I am
working to embed within the school's character education
program.
Examples
6.1
Safety & Ethics
Unit
Rationale:
This learning unit is part of my online course "Notebook Driver's Ed."
designed for our fifth and sixth grade students. Topics
include Internet safety, netiquette, and intellectual
property. The assignment for this unit asks
students to work in teams to analyze and present one part
of the school's Acceptable Use Policy (see below).
6.2
Acceptable Use Policy
Rationale: I
collaborated with colleagues to create the Norwood
School AUP. My goal was to be comprehensive yet
concise, and to use language that was easy to
understand. We also wanted to complement the
school's general expectation for behavior, our
Community
Agreement. Inappropriate behavior is governed by
this Community Agreement regardless of whether the
behavior occurs in conjunction with technology use.
6.3
Keeping Children Safe Online
Rationale: I created
this area of our website to educate parents about
online safety. It suggests setting family rules and guidelines
for Internet use, helps parents understand
instant-messaging, and provides links to a good
resources on the web.
6.4
Robin Raskin Presentation
Rationale: In October, 2004, we brought
author and columnist Robin Raskin, "The Internet Mom" to speak at Norwood
to groups of both students and parents. We
conducted a
student survey of our 7th & 8th graders that sheds
light on student Internet habits. The students were
quite interested
to discuss the results.
6.5
Copyright & Fair Use Guidelines
Rationale: I compiled this web page
from several sources to assist teachers and students in learning about intellectual property issues.
Part of the challenge is simplifying information and
presenting it in a way that people can grasp. Too often
the key points are buried deep in a web page. One of
my
information-literacy skills is the ability to filter out
the important pieces, synthesize them, and present them in
an easily understandable format.
)){kind=link}