Field+Based+Experiences+Reflection+August+2012

Standard TF I-A Reflection
August 2012

My official internship began with the start of the 2012-2013 school year. I was in a new school, a new district and in a new position. Since the position I had was a brand new one, it was my job to define it in the coming year. As teachers rushed to get their rooms set up, I was quickly bombarded with requests for help. And so it began. For three afternoons, I went class to class in response to requests for help. It was an educational time as I quickly learned what hardware was in place, as well as the technology saavy of the teachers. I installed network printers, set up brand new printers, (including getting the information needed for our technology department to add them to the network) connected document cameras and projectors, and did a lot of troubleshooting for computers that didn’t start up.

According to Williamson and Redish (2009), it is assumed that effective teachers in the digital age must acquire a basic set of technology-related knowledge and skills. To assist the teachers in my school, I set out to publish some quick tips and tricks to set up their computers. There was already a technology folder that contained much of the information they needed, so all I had to do was update it. But the most confusing set up for me was one that involved connecting computer, monitor, projector and document camera. Once I figured it out, I created a diagram and added it to my folder.

I was surprised at the lack of know-how by the teachers at my school. As well, I was not prepared for the differences between my current district and my previous one. Things like mapping a network drive were foreign to me. I later learned that my previous district automatically ran scripts upon sign in that connected the network drives.

In a two year professional development project by to train teachers in technology and project based learning, it was found that most teachers felt they had to be experts in the use and troubleshooting of a particular program before they could use it instruction (Burns, 2002). My hope is that by posting some basic troubleshooting tips, that our teachers can become more comfortable with working with their hardware, but in figuring out common software problems as well. References Burns, Mary. //From compliance to commitment: Technology as a catalyst for communities of learning.// Phi Delta Kappan, 84(4), 295-302.

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). I//STE's technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do//. Eugene, Or: International Society for Technology in Education.