#elementary technology

This was originally taught to a 5th grade class at the elementary school where I work. I wanted to incorporate real world skills into our Learning Excel section. I needed to introduce simple formulas to the students, as well as teach them how to format their spreadsheet. Since it is real world math skills, I tagged it as mathematics, even though very few standards match up to it. However, I feel that learning how to create a budget is very important, and that this was a good start for the students. This can certainly be adapted for older students as well.

Summary: Students will use the Excel app, Target.com, and Popplet to create a budget for themselves with a specified clothing allowance.

Every student in K-12 in West Virginia has access to a Microsoft Office 365 account. Having access gives students their own email address, and access to all of Microsoft’s many Office tools. One big perk of having a Microsoft account is that every user receives 5 free licenses for Office 365 to do with as they please. For our students, this means they can download the software to their home computer, or to another friend or family member’s computer. They can also download the apps onto a tablet.

One of the biggest problems I’ve come across is that students want to download the software at home, but they forget how to do so, or they don’t understand the written directions given to them by the technology office at the BOE. I’ve had to explain to students many times how to do so, but it can be very frustrating for them. 

To counter this, when I gave my 5th grade students their email accounts, I created a picture guide to help them download the software at home. I prefer this guide to the BOE one because the visuals help point the user in the right direction.

If you’d like to download the file, follow the link below. Remember, your school or district needs to be using Microsoft Office 365 accounts with staff and students. Otherwise, this form won’t help you at all!

I’m behind, yet again. Not surprised. However, there is plenty to catch up on, which I will do over the next few updates.

As you know from a previous post, the representative from HR and the superintendent visited the schools sharing the RIFs and transfers that were proposed for the upcoming school year. As a TIS, my position was to be cut. I was to be transferred to an elementary classroom, but it was unknown at the time where I would be placed. It didn’t matter to me, as I had already decided at the time that should I be transferred, I would be leaving the district. I desired to continue working with teachers and students on technology and doing the job I so passionately loved. My only consolation to all of this was that the other traveling TIS in the district was transferred, as well as the TSS (technology systems specialist).

As part of being notified of RIFs and transfers, anyone placed on those lists are welcome to request a hearing before the board of education. In the past when I had been RIF’d, I had never requested one. I knew my RIF was simply due to me being low on the totem pole, and that the time would come when I wouldn’t be RIF’d. This time, however, I wanted to make the board aware of what they would be losing. I would go out with a bang, and on my own terms, so I filled out the hearing paperwork and waited.

I was given notification the next week that my hearing would be the evening of February 3 at 6:00 PM. I made sure to tell one of my colleagues, as she had promised to represent the teachers that I work with. In the meantime, I worked on putting together an idea of what I wanted to say to the board and made sure to write down all of the things that I wanted them to be aware of during my speech.

On the night of the hearing, the board was running behind. Instead of being able to speak at 6 PM as I had been told, I didn’t get to speak until 7:15 PM. I wasn’t nervous while I waited. I felt confident and positive about everything, which is exactly what I wanted to portray to the board members that night. As I waited my turn, I thought about all of the changes that would be occurring for me in the coming months. There would be a lot to do- licensure paperwork, job applications, looking for a place to live, etc. I knew it would be a hard road, but I was ready for that journey.

When my turn came to speak, I walked to the podium and pulled my paper out of my pocket. I unfolded it and began to speak before the board. I smiled and let them know all I had done in my time as a TIS, and all that I was proud of having done. At the very end, the board was receptive to my speech, and many mentioned the things they had seen me do in the schools when they had visited. I returned to my seat knowing I had done the right thing. I knew that my hearing would ultimately not matter too much in the end on whether I received my job back, but that was okay by me. I had made my peace.

For those who may be interested, I have copied my speech below. I’ve changed the school names to their initials, but other than that, no other editing was done. Well, except to take out the extra line of gibberish that my cat Kyoko added when she walked across the keyboard.

My name is Rachel Burkett, and I am the Technology Integration Specialist for CBMS and SES. This is my second year in the position. Prior to being a TIS, I taught 3 years at JJCES as a 4th grade teacher, and 2 years at AES as a 5th grade teacher. I am here today before the Board not to ask that you reconsider hiring my position, but to state the loss that will occur to the students and teachers of the schools I service due to my position being terminated.

Being a TIS puts me in a unique position to get a lot done, especially in the time periods before and after school. Most people don’t realize what a TIS truly does, or how much they can become involved in the day to day lives of the schools they work at. Being a TIS is a job I give myself wholeheartedly to. It is a passion for me, and the work I have accomplished in less than two years at my schools shows this. A TIS isn’t just someone who fixes computers and other issues. No, not at all. If anyone were to believe that was all my job entailed, then I pity them.

In the beginning, I spent more time in my office daily at both schools than I was comfortable with. I was mostly called out to just fix small issues here and there. I hated it. This was not what I signed up for at all. I set about changing what my job was about, and what the teachers should expected of me. I wanted them to forget whatever notion of TIS they’d had in the past. It was time for me to show what a TIS truly was.

At CBMS, I began working with teachers on using new technology within their lessons. Not all were receptive to it, and some still go their own way. That’s okay because I have slowly increased options for other teachers. I will sit and work with a teacher who only has a basic idea for a lesson plan, and together, we’ll turn it into a full-scale lesson plan. Not only that, but I’ll often help co-teach with them throughout the lesson to provide the support they need. If they’re uncomfortable being on their own and teaching the technology, no problem. I’m there for them. Teachers feel more comfortable trying to integrate technology because they know they have my support with them all the way.

CBMS is soon to have 1:1 devices in the 6th grade. This is an amazing concept, and one that I would love to see pan out. I was put in charge of developing the implementation plan, and my technology team from the school helped me work out any snags and provided their own suggestions and feedback. Not only did I create the plan, but I developed a handbook for both teachers and students. Between my team and I, we are ready to go. However, the worry for next year is that there won’t be someone to manage the day to day business with the laptops. There won’t be someone to provide the support the new teachers will need, and the refreshers the old teachers will want. That’s extra staff development sessions. Sure, you can easily ask the technology team to do it. However, they’re classroom teachers first and foremost, and that’s asking them to take time from an already busy schedule.

At SES, I have volunteered to help teachers in a different way. As a team, we have discussed the needs for students, and the lack of computer knowledge. To help fill this gap, I volunteered to teach classes that integrated computer skills with other real world concepts. It’s definitely not required of me, but something I wanted to do for the students. I see every classroom once a week, and even visit the preschool classroom when I can. On top of this, I still provide the daily fixes in the background, and manage the key card entry system for the cafeteria doors.

Earlier I mentioned being able to get more done in the periods before and after school. As a TIS, I don’t have the usual morning and afternoon prep that a classroom teacher would have. Instead, I chose to provide students with opportunities they’d not had before. I started a variety of clubs- SES Coder Kids, Bobcat Coders, and even a Jr. FIRST Lego League team. I wanted to bring computer science into the schools with the first two clubs because it is a huge career field and one that provides many skill sets for students, even those who never pursue it as a career. Students learn to problem solve and think critically, and they learn failure is okay. SES Coder Kids has just over 100 members in K-5 now at Slanesville, or nearly half of the school. Bobcat Coders has about 25 students. Next year, both of these clubs will be disbanded. If I accepted my transfer to the classroom, I wouldn’t have the time anymore to run them. My time would be spent on other things required of me. It’s certainly a shame, but it cannot be helped.

My after school time wasn’t just used with students though. No, it was also used to the benefit of teachers. I was able to offer a variety of staff development sessions in areas of technology. Last year I offered 5 different staff development sessions. This year I have offered 1, with 3 more on deck this month and next. Even though I never had very large attendance, I wanted to make sure that there were technology options available for staff during the school year in the district.

Yesterday the superintendent and the director of human resources visited the middle school where I work. There were quite a few letters handed out. Some were expected. Others not so much. I received one of those dreaded letters (and then got the certified mail copy today). My letter states that I am to be placed on the transfer list for the upcoming school year. This means that I will be given a position in one of the elementary schools in the county, grade level to be determined. 

I had a feeling this was coming, but nevertheless it’s still upsetting to find that it’s actually true. It’s really a shame though. I don’t feel so bad for me as I do for the teachers and students that this will affect. We’re getting more and more technology in the district, and the TIS (technology integration specialists) are being cut. In my own opinion, I feel it’s going to lead to more problems than it’s going to solve, but time will tell.

After I got home from work and the baby shower that we had thrown for a coworker, I posted a long notice on Facebook. I had coworkers as well as parents of former students who would see it, in addition to my own family and friends. I wrote the following:

It is with a heavy heart that I write this...

Today I learned that my TIS position is cut for next year. I received a transfer letter today; no actual information in it since it's just one of those generic ones. It means I'll be put in one of the elementary schools in some grade level. If you read my previous post, you'll know this isn't what I want at all.

At the end of the school year, all clubs will come to an end. I was already ending JJC Stackers, but it also means no more Jr. FIRST Lego League, no more SES Coder Kids, and no more Bobcat Coders. If I am back in the classroom, I won't have the time to run clubs; it was hard enough to do JJC Stackers and teach. That extra time before and after school would be null and void.

My teachers and students will lose their almost daily technology support when something goes wrong. We are getting 1:1 devices in 6th grade soon; next year, there will be no one to provide the support to fix the easy issues, monitor the devices, or support teachers in learning how to utilize them. The teachers that I have worked so hard with to incorporate technology lessons into their classroom, especially at the middle school, will no longer have that support. My elementary students will no longer receive weekly computer classes either.

I may have lost my position, but it is my teachers and students who will suffer the most from this budget cut. Yes, I'm not federally funded, it's true. However, the effects are wide-reaching. I fear what will happen without that technology support.

I have the option of having a hearing before the BOE. I don't know if I want to do it or not. I may, just to let them know the things I've said here.

In the end, I just hope the path I'm currently on leads me to where I need to be.

It was hard to write, but I knew it had to be said. The comments I received were very supportive, yet heartbreaking to read. Many agreed that I should go before the board of education for a hearing. I wasn’t going to at first, but now I think I definitely will. I don’t plan to ask for my job back. Instead, I plan to talk about what I posted on Facebook, and elaborate upon that. I guess I want them to see the impact that I had on these students and their families, as well as my coworkers. I wasn’t a TIS for long, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have a big impact on those I worked with daily.

So what does this mean for me? I means that I am definitely looking toward Virginia. There are many counties hiring, and I have a lot of potential. My goal is to find a similar job there, and that looks like it’s currently going to be an Instructional Technology Coach or Instructional Technology Resource Teacher. They don’t have a certification program like WV, but I did check into the qualifications for one county and I would more than meet them for the position.

My job is in jeopardy. I’ve known this since November.

The county is facing budget cuts. 20 professional personnel need to be cut, and about that many service personnel as well. There will be plenty of transfers and RIFs this year. Unlike in the past though, the chances of being rehired after a RIF will be minimal, if one gets hired back at all. We’ve all heard the reasons from the superintendent about why the cuts must occur. Enrollment across the county is declining. There are more homeschooled students, and quite a few students who have crossed borders into other counties and even states to attend school. Our county is not the worst off when it comes to having to make cuts, but cuts of this magnitude are going to have an impact on morale. Already my middle school has lost a staff member. He was in his first year, knew he would likely be cut. He was also making a long commute…and that’s when he didn’t stay overnight at the school. So he cut his losses and got a job back home teaching instead.

Most of my followers know my job is the technology integration specialist (TIS). I work between an elementary and middle school during the week. It’s my job to help teachers integrate technology into their lessons. I bounce ideas, find resources, co-teach, and more. I teach students how to use the technology they’ve been given. I voluntarily teach computer classes at the elementary school. I love my job. It’s where I feel that I belong, and where I feel that I make the biggest impact on the student population. I also run a few clubs- a coding club at the middle school, a coding club at the elementary school, a Jr. FIRST Lego League team, and a sport stacking club at another elementary school. I am often busy. I love what I do. It’s where I feel that I need to be.

And yet, come next week (or so they’ve told us), I may find that my position is cut. I was the last TIS hired so I would be the first one RIF’d. They could transfer a TIS into my position, or just not fill it. My job is not federally funded, so it can easily be one of the first to go. I am in my 7th year in this county, and so what they would most likely do if I lost my job is to transfer me back into a classroom position.

“You’ve got enough experience, right? You’ll be able to still have a job! They’ll just put you back in the classroom!”

I hear the above statement more often than I’d like. It frustrates me a bit, and my reply gets a bit passionate. I’ve also been told that last bit as well. Let me explain my thoughts.

I don’t want to be back in the classroom. I don’t watch the stress and pressure, and the job that meant often working beyond the school day just to be somewhat on top of things. I wasn’t completely happy with it after a time. I wanted to do something else. I got my masters degree in integrating technology and then my TIS certification because I wanted to do something different in the education field. I love technology, always have. In college there was even a point in my first year that I thought about switching to computer science, but didn’t. I attributed that thought to homesickness at the time, but part of me does wonder what that would have led to…

Anyway, back to the original point. I want to work with technology and teachers, as well as students. I feel like I have a chance to make a wide impact in my current job, and I know I do. I get to work with so many types of students and teachers. I get pushed to my limits coming up with ideas to suit a variety of types of teachers. I am constantly required to rethink my ideas when something doesn’t quite pan out the way it seemed like it would in my head. Try, and if I fail, reflect and try again. I love working with a huge range of students too. From preschool to 8th grade, I have to constantly change my way of teaching. It’s interesting to think about, and tough to do sometimes. Because I am not tied to one school or one classroom with all the responsibilities, I can offer more things for students outside of the usual school curriculum. I have more time for something like that. I have my clubs. I love my clubs, though I’m ending one of them at the end of the year, possibly two. My coding clubs will stay though. That is, as long as I have a job for next year as a TIS. If I don’t, they’ll all have to end, and that would break my heart.

So what will I do if I lose my job, and find myself transferred back into the classroom?

I plan to leave the district. I plan to cross the state border and go find work in Virginia in a similar technology position. I don’t care where yet at this point. I would like to be somewhat close to my girlfriend though. I have looked at what different technology jobs seem to be in that state, and so my next step if I lose my job would be to look into transferring my license to the state and start seeing what potential jobs I can find. It will be a long road if this all occurs… I’d have to move and everything. But if my path is meant to change, then surely there’s somewhere out there that truly needs me.

I’m finally getting a chance to update about the second part of the conference. I’m home, and hoping to stay home until August 7, when I will be traveling with my parents back to Pigeon Forge to see Dolly Parton in concert.

I last left often mentioning that there would be a TIS Reception that evening. The Reception was fantastic. Great food, and a table spot with some friendly faces, many of whom were new to the TIS program. I remember being in their shoes last year. You feel a bit lost then, and really overwhelmed because you have so much work ahead of you to complete in order to finish the TIS certification program. Now that I am on the other side, I realize how worth it the program is, and how far I’ve come technology-wise. Valerie Wilson, Josh Ratliff, and Lori Whitt are amazing cohort leaders.

Back on track now, shall we?

After dinner, we had TIS Smackdown, and anyone who wanted to was invited to share resources. I was first and explained all about Jr. First Lego League, and what it can accomplish for students ages 6-9. I also talked about the TIS grant money, and how it’s important to make sure to spend it to get the most needed items for the classroom or school. I had so many issues with getting my grant money spent, mostly because the wording of the grant wasn’t up to speed with what it could be used for. Lori then told me that they’d changed the wording of the grant so that issues such as that no longer occur, and it was all because of what I went through. Reflex Math was also talked about during this time, and I added to that, since my district has adopted it for K-8. I’m struggling to remember the other resources that were shared. 

During the last day of the conference, there were three timeslots for sessions to attend, and I had two of those for my presentations. I didn’t attend the 8 o’clock round of sessions because I needed to check out of my hotel room and prepare for my 9 o’clock presentation. I was nervous about how it would go, especially since it was my first time presenting. Needless to say, I shouldn’t have been so worried.

When I began at 9, I had about half of the room full. I was pretty impressed by the turnout. My first session was on blogging as an educator. I made sure the attendees knew that I wasn’t focusing on blogging with students, but rather on the educator blogging for their own growth and learning. I went through my presentation, going over the reasons why one should blog, potential topics, various blogging platforms, and suggestions for bloggers to follow. I actually went over my time, which I was shocked to discover. However, I had people giving input and asking questions during my presentation, so I shouldn’t have been so surprised. If I can get just a few more people blogging.

My second session at 10 was not so well attended, which was surprising, but yet not. It was the very last session of the conference, and by that time, many people are ready to go. I had a handful of people though, but I’m sure some of them were only there to kill time. This particular presentation was on building a professional learning network, and it shared resources to help educators get started. There were options for blogging, webinars, community forums, corporate sites, and social media.

To be honest, I do wish more educators realized the importance of building a professional learning network; so many in my district are content to isolate themselves to the county level or below and it’s sad. There are so many good resources out there, and so many educators. In fact, attending the conference this year would not have been half as amazing as it was if I hadn’t started building a professional learning network this past year. I met up with quite a few colleagues that way. Plus (and this isn’t connected to PLNs), I had a few of the vendors actually recognize me from the previous year, so that was pretty cool.

After my sessions, we had lunch and the closing keynote. What was most interesting about the beginning of the keynote is that the president of the WVBOE spoke and stated that he wanted to see 1:1 devices for every student in WV by June of next year. Very ambitious, and it would be amazing if it actually happened. I would love to see such technology in both of the schools where I work. It would also mean updated technology for once. I would love to get rid of some of the dinosaurs that we have.

Our closing keynote speaker, Hall Davidson, was quite energetic and enthusiastic about the way that technology can change the teaching game. One takeaway that we were given was the Aurasma app, and I really do want to try that this year. It uses augmented reality to make the world around us come to life. Here’s something to try. First, download the app itself onto your phone. Then get ahold of a $20 bill and flip it over. Open the app and hold the phone over the bill and check out what happens. It’s pretty sweet. I’m going to attempt to use it at the elementary school this year. I would use it at the middle school, but there’s no cell phone service, and no way currently for parents to log in as a guest on the wifi network. That’s fine for now, as I need to test it out myself. I have a few ideas in mind, but nothing solid yet.

Summer break has hit, and I’ve slacked on doing much work educationally so far, as I’ve been attempting to catch up on other things that I’ve cast aside during the school year. I’ve worked on my guitar some more, cleaned the apartment, spent time with my favorite daycare kids, and started trying to learn Python. I’ve also taken the time to up my workout routine. Now that it’s July, it’s time to begin letting my mind ease back into what I want to accomplish during the rest of the summer before I head back to work.

I’m going to soon begin working on my presentation materials for the West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference. I have two sessions to present, one of them being educational blogging. I need to also work on my technology resource wiki, and add more resources, as well as revamp some of the sections of the wiki itself.

Since I’ve been slacking, I’m going to share the links to some lesson plans I did using the GRASPs method. These 3 lessons are meant for K-2 and can be used in yearly succession for basic computer skills, or modified to be used on their own. All materials are included. Please give credit if you use!