#2 Technology Skills Individual Progress Plan

My results from the Atomic Learning survey? I correctly guessed over half the answers, so I'm not that worried...

My time spent in the MTT Program needs to be spent on specific software packages and learning how best to incorporate 21st century technology in my classroom. Atomic Learning offers a plethora of tutorials, and I expect to make the most of them!

5 technology related goals that I would like to accomplish during this course (and how I plan to accomplish them).

1) Master the various programs within Microsoft Office.

The same goes for Open Office, too, but I'll start with Microsoft Office. I never knew that Access files could be merged with Word before this month. But now, not only do I know about it - I can do it with ease! And this newfound ability will really help with planning the Mavericks field trip.

There are features like the aforementioned merging that I don't know about, but really really really should... because they can directly help me in the classroom! So I need to keep Atomic Learning my web browser favorites and never forget to use it. And of course, I need to make good use of the Help function in each of the software package's programs.

2) Become fluent in computer terminology.

The mid-term was my moment of clarity for me. Turns out that I don't know all the tech vocab I thought I did. So obviously I need to hit the books. Darn.

But it's more than that... I need to keep a glossary handy... I need to practice using words like "hyper-text mark-up language" and "Internet Protocol," keep them in my everyday lexicon. Then I should be ready for high-brow conversations with my professor and answer any tech questions from my students with ease :-)

3) Improve my class by sprucing up my webpage.

I use my webpage almost every day, so it's a big part of my classroom experience. The more user-friendly my site, the less hassle for my students. I'll improve on my website as I become more familiar with the navigation and shortcuts provided by wikispace. Of course, my assignments may need streamlining, but I expect all of these Atomic Learning tutorials to help me with this aspect.

4) Become a better teacher of technology to my co-workers, not just my classmates.

The biggest obstacle to producing tech-lessons at my high school isn't because students can't handle the hardware/software. In fact, it's because the students are so far ahead of the teacher in terms of tech fluency and comfortability.

Hopefully I can improve on my ability to spread awareness and know-how of the various programs and equipment by practicing and communicating with my group members in this class. The more I talk tech, the more comfortable I'll be with my co-workers.

5) Build a list of trustworthy websites where my students can use for research/references.

Wikipedia and Dictionary.com just don't cut it. CIA Factbook helps,but I need at least a dozen websites that are free, easy to find, and user-friendly for my students. And obviously, the sites need to be accurate and trustworthy. These sites are hopefully more and more common as the Web2.0 generation progresses. I know Google Scholar and Knol are the next steps in this all-free, all-online movement... so for this task,, I need to curent on the latest in online encyclopedias and databases. After all, these sites can make or break a research project.