October+22

Reflections on Friday's Meeting with Jim Bealer

Present Rufus Black, Audrey Fryar, Julie Leach, Alan King, Mary Viveros, Barry Sevette, Greg Netzer, Linda Hollinshed.

Cooperatively working was a good way to start the day. This would be a good model to follow as part of our own inservices. Everyone there was able to take a piece of that activity as to how they could incorporate that into their work. Camera allow those to get the camera out of their system as well as drag image to the document.

Embedded into the lesson providing ideas for using the technology. Different roles of teacher leaders was a good exercise in matching staffs to their strengths.

Getting people to see how this is a component of their lives and how the laptops will help them with their approach.

We still have teachers and students don't believe that this is the solution.

Students at Westside are dealt with in a constructivitst way. Preponderance of those hired in with a fixed mind set that are not viewing in terms of growth. Student who attended Shawnee Mission West--people care about teaching and people care about learning Freedman' The World is Flat:--1) Great problem in the world, more engineering students in India that in the US, 2) Effort in 3rd World countries are thrilled to have the low paying jobs.

Tie this into the work of the Teaching and Learning Task Force--how do the laptops tie into this area--how do we make this more of a learning component rather than an evaluative component. How do we bridge this gap? 1. Ensure that people know how to work the machine. 2. How we can use staff development in terms of addressing student achievement?

Digital literacy--operating the machines is considered. Technology infused learning--the technology is used as an automatic tool in addressing student learning.

When can we schedule these meetings so that Cindy and Susan can be included?

Rufus--trying to show the correct leadership in terms of this new environment; giving teachers the time to work while providing them with the pressure to continue. What really helped is the concept of "global". Thinking are we going to be competitive globally.

Curriculum Coordinators want to develop a tool that teachers can use in pairs to grow together.

Leaders need some way to continue to be held accountable in terms of instruction around the laptops so that they don't fall behind. Helping kids with digital citizenship-email, effective communication, posting images, bullet points for teachers, teaching kids as to where to say documents and how to handle printing. Julie's staff development around copyright. Being aware of information they share--student safety--cyber bullying--Students have to be critical thinker of what they are accessing and is it valid.

We need to create online staff development. Build staff development as it is needed.

We have strong need for Digital Literacy for our teachers. We need to concentrate on writing as a component for use of the laptops.