Week+2+(5.14-5.18)

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On Monday of this week I attended the Powerful Learning Practices culminating event with my PLP team. We spent the morning discussing our project with other districts and also discussing the projects of other PLP teams. The basic idea of our project is that we are going to develop a virtual PLC on our district’s website using groups to share grade level or department resources. There is a need to train staff using the new district website. Additionally, our goal is to establish a positive collaboration climate among grade levels and departments through sharing resources on this website. This will fulfill the NETS*T “engage in Professional Growth and Leadership” goal. This is necessary because of the tremendous changes and the disconnect our team observed within the grade levels. There is a disconnect in communication, content, and collaboration. We are trying to prevent the disconnect among the 5-6 teachers because they have been able to physically discuss information, but now will be in different locations and we are also looking to develop the collegiality of the new grade level groups.

As far as a Tech Camp, we are still in the midst of the preregistration period, which ends next Wednesday. The issue that I am facing at this time is that there has to be 7 registrants to run the session. The secretary to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction collects the preregistration forms and sent Dr. Kanigsberg and I the current numbers for each course, none of which are up to seven registrants. I may have to contact teachers to re-arrange courses so that more attendees are in each session. After that point, the formal registration period will begin.

The courses that I am taking through Harrisburg University right now are beginning. Our current assignment for the LTMS 615 infrastructure course is to determine a need in our district and then begin to explore and research that need. We will also be developing a rough sketch of how we feel the need should be addressed. For example, I am looking to develop a plan (which is somewhat fictions/somewhat based on reality) for how to roll out our district's new website. I am a part of a group that was initially trained to train others in to use the website, and a major part of our PLP group's initiative. However, I do not have control over all aspects of how the website PD is implemented because of my position as a mere first grade teacher, so part of my plan is based on only my ideas. Something that was eye opening was my conversation with our Instructional Technology Coordinator about how the decision was made to go with eChalk as our district website hosting tool. It originated as a request from the board. Eventually, the decision boiled down to dollars and cents.