Session 4: With Regrets I am bowing out.

It is with regrets that I am unable to continue on with this class. Something poped up that will take away my free time for this quater. I wish all of you success and hope that you all get a lot out of the experience.
Thanks,
Dale

Session 3: technology hierarchy

Can technology integration in the US classrooms adequately or correctly be expressed as a hierarchy?
I would say yes. I would venture out on a limb and say that many of the classrooms around the US range from adjunct/peripheral to transformational as Newberry mentioned in his podcast. I would also say it would have a bell curve shape with Non-integrated use student on top. If I look at my school only I can see every one of these levels with very few at the transformational stage, but many at adjunct level. I would almost venture all of you reading this might be shaking you head right now in agreement. I also think that depending on the subject you are teaching the levels of integration change by unit, week, or quarter.

Dale-archy:
Computers in room do not work -> wait for tech support to set up because I am too busy teaching standards.
Computers in room fixed by techie-> I am too busy teaching standards no time for that novelty item.
Fellow teacher shows new cool technology-> Hey I want that! I use it for 2 weeks then I am too busy teaching standards.
Students ask to use computers when done with work-> sure go ahead I am too busy teaching standards leave me alone.
Teacher notices students doing inappropriate stuff on computers-> no more computers because we are too busy learning standards.
Teacher introduced to a program that works great on computers-> hey when I can come into the lab because I am busy teaching standards and I cannot do it without computers.
Teacher shows others how to use the technology-> I know that you are too busy teaching standards but this will help you teach standards better.
(-: Remember I am just a masters student that teaches middle school:-)

Project Proposals:
Focus Area 1 (click for Word document)
Focus Area 2 (click for Word document)
Focus Area 3 (click for Word document)

Activity Report:
1-22-7: listened to podcast 2 and 3, started putting in my proposals into the correct format, posted to my site, posted 2 to my blog, hopped into the ol’car and drove over to San Bernie to visit Dr. Newberry.
1-23-7: read responses to my blog, responded in comments on my blog to the statements or questions.
1-24-7: re-listened to podcast 1 to clear up a question, posted my session 3 post, started my focus area 3 proposals, downloaded Skype to the computer to take advantage of the high speed calling
1-25-7: finished up proposal 3, posted it under session 3 like requested from Newberry, hit the ol'blog tour.

Don’t forget to check the comments for responses to questions. Yes, I go back and check the prior weeks.

Session 2: Leadership versus Management

Response to Discussion: Leadership versus ManagementWhen I think about the session 2 podcast I reflect on a school I worked at once which I will call ACME elementary school. At ACME leadership and management was easily visible after listening to Newberry’s podcast. Both the leader and manager were both for the advancement and implementation of technology at ACME, but that is where the contrasts started showing up. The leader would speak up in a technology committee meeting mandated by the manager with something like this, “I think we should phase out the desktop computers and put in wing laser printers, or better yet get one of those new Bizhub type printer copiers so we can better manage our paper, ink, and reduce the waste of the desktop printers when they go bad.” The manager (that persons superior) would say something like, “That is a great idea. Let’s look into the costs of it, but that sure does sound feasible.” After cost comparisons were looked at the idea was approved by the entire committee the big laser printers were ordered for specific areas on campus for the staff to have easy access to. Next, a staff member, which the leader had labeled a ‘red room’ (a red room at this site was one of those technology black holes, you know the room that nothing ever works) came into the managers office and said, “My printer is out of ink, I need more ink.” So in our next technology meeting we discussed the idea of buying 20 more desktop printers in the interim for specific hot rooms that would not be able to handle the change (ACME at the time had 46 teachers). In this scenario the leader presented an idea to a committee which was approved, but the manager shot holes in the idea to make things better for that one teacher. The idea of cost saving for the entire site did not work because the manager went and bought 20 printers for the staff, which ended up putting the school back at square one, but with all those fancy laser printers for a few teachers to use. The leader at ACME was thinking of the greater good for this site and the manager was just trying to please people one person at a time.

Activity Report:
1-14-7: brainstormed ideas for my proposals, hit the “Blog Tour”, posted on all sties that were up and running, changed the posting security setting on my blog to include word verification after receiving a spam post (sorry folks), I have my blog emailing me when someone posts so I read them as they are posted to give me time to reflect on them before I head out to my blog to post.
1-15-7: ran my proposal ideas by my wife to help me narrow them down to 5 that I could then run by Newberry, drafted up a Word document with the ideas and sent them to Newberry, listened to session 2 podcast (twice), wrote up my responses and activity log, posted to my site after several attempts.
1-16-7: hit the "blog tour" again and posted to all sites.
1-19-7: downloaded the session 3 podcast
1-21-7: downloaded the session 4 podcast, worked on the official write-up for my project proposals, posted my first proposal on my blog.
Daily: my email lets me know when people make a post on my site, I then can read the email with the post or check my blog.

Don't forget to check the comments, because I will respond to the posts there.

Session 1: Course Orientation

Response to Topic:
Technology Use - I live and die by technology these days, that could be due to the fact I am a technology teacher most of the day and that I am in a masters program dealing with technology :-). In my free time I use technology to do all sorts of things as well, so I would agree with Dorothy when she said, "I would be lost without technology in my classroom..." I even infuse technology with my classes that would typically not require technology.

Communicating to Others - I have found that email, blogs, podcasts, and the like has helped me to be a better communicator in some realms, and it has also hindered my communication as well. I use Power Points, LCD, Virtual Class, and other technologies to teach my classes and to perform staff developments. Without using technology I would not be in the same place in my same profession. In addition, I look at this class and the way we will all communicate in this class without many of us ever 'seeing' each other ever. That is cool and weird at the same time.

Supporting Technology - I am very involved in this area at my site, district, at home, and with my friends. When ever something is needed to be 'fixed' I am the go to guy. At times I wish there was no technology, like this morning, but then other days I love to solve those tech problems. :-) By harnessing the power of this masters program and technology itself I have helped my technology support by sending out weekly emails to my staff with the commonly asked question for the week or one I forsee coming down the tubes. This allows me to communicate to a large group of people at once and hopefully lighten my 'tech help' role.

Learning Contract
How many projects will I do?
Well I want the "A" so three is on the list. I am unsure of how I want to look at this. I might look at this from all three if that is ok. I wear all three hats at school and it would be neat to a preoject from all three angles. I might put in an application for the CUE conference as one of my projects. I also like the Podcast option, plus I get to work on my Podcasting class skills from this summer.

Session 1 Activity Log:
Simple: I made my blog and hit the blog tour starting 1-12-7

I hope I answered everything, and I look forward to our discussions online.
See you online,
Dale :-)

Intro to Dale Engman

Hello, I am Dale Engman and I teach 6th grade science, 7th and 8th grade technology, and the 8th MedLab B class at Indio Middle School in Indio, Ca., Desert Sands Unified School District.
I have also taught 6th,7th,and 8th grade science, 6th, and 7th math at Indio Middle School.
For one year I worked at the Science Museum of Minnesota (www.smm.org) in their school outreach program. I traveled the state of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin performing shows on specific science topics to over 90 schools and about 30,000 students.
In my free time I love to tinker with computers, read, golf, bowl, hike, and eat out at restaurants in the desert. I have been married for 6 years, and I have 2 cats and 3 dogs.