First+Meeting+March+16,+2009

Here are some of the highlights of the first planning meeting for the 2009 Tech Integration Institute
 * We started by highlighting the goals of the Institute:**
 * 1) Learn to plan and implement projects successfully in a project based learning environment.
 * 2) Learn to use at least 4 Web 2.0 tools and resources.
 * 3) Complete a plan to use the tools in their classrooms in the 2009-10 school year.
 * 4) NEW - Debbie Wrobel reminded me of this: Understand the [|WA State Technology GLE's a]nd how to integrate them (this is where I got my Create knowledge, Collaborate with others, and Connect globally).


 * Starting with the end in mind, the project each participant (or teaching team) will create should look like this:**
 * Identify a current unit or topic of study they would like to integrate technology (this might be a science kit, book study, history unit, math unit, etc)
 * Create the essential question(s) that need to be answered (ie, "What native plants can we find living around our school, what characteristis do they have that allow them to thrive in that area?)
 * Identify the project students will complete, i.e., a podcast that is shared on the web and allows others to comment on it, a global project where students learn about another culture, a statistics study where kids study data from other areas and compare to ours using spreadsheets, web data, and self collected data, a web site that indexes and describes native plants including pictures, a detailed map showing where you can find a sample with GPS data, etc.)
 * Incorporate AT LEAST two Web 2.0 tools they will use in their project.
 * Incorporate AT LEAST two Web. 2.0 resources they will use in their project.
 * Complete a fairly detailed project plan that describes how they will implement their project.
 * We batted around ideas for organizing the days.**

Start each day with approx. 30 minutes devoted to Project Based Learning, or perhaps learning from "[|Powerful Learning: What We Know about Teaching for Understandin]g" edited by Linda Darling-Hammond and published by Edutopia (click the link for a quick overview). We could easily glean 4 days from this book to get people thinking.

From here it got a bit tougher. We are struggling with how to guide people through the maze of tools and resources to get what they need to build a successful plan. Here is a BROAD overview:

Each of the TII Instructor would be responsible for teaching at least two tools and one resource section (??? is that possible?? - how do we have enough sessions to keep them small???) They BIG issues to be resolved are to decide WHAT tools and WHAT resources we will help them learn to use and to help them find a theme, or pathway, they can follow throughout the week.
 * Monday**
 * AM - Introduction to the Unit Plan
 * Exploration of the tools they might use (use the Wiki or a Google site to provide a one page overview with links, examples, etc.)
 * PM - Pick a session (in a Pick a Session, each participant will pick one tool to study in depth and attend a mini-workshop with one of the TII Instructors).
 * Tuesday**
 * AM - Pick a Session
 * PM - Revise plan, work on plan, TII Instructors as consultants
 * Wednesday**
 * AM - Pick a Session
 * PM - Pick a Session
 * Thursday**
 * AM - Work on Plans, Pick a Session (SHORT (30 minute) sessions on web resources, managing media, etc.)
 * PM - Finish Plans and share with cohort group

Debbie W. took a stab at organizing using Inspiration. Here is her idea. I like the flow if we were to flesh it out and add in all the options.... Click this link to see the map. [|DWCreateSessionFlowMap.gif]

I like this idea and it makes it really clear to me what I might do if I could look at a flow chart like this. We wouldn't have to be completely prescriptive -- we could have STRONG recommendations and then "electives" that support it?? Deb organized by grade levels, but we could also organize by the Tech standards: Create, Collaborate, and Global Connections... or by Media type/project type: Multimedia, Global Projects, Podcasting, Primary Grades (we could come up with more categories here). If you have ideas, throw them in here for all of us to share!!

And finally, we'll need to come to an agreement about WHAT we'll teach in the sessions. I suspect this will be much easier once we decided on the main pathway organization. One thing is for sure. We can't do EVERYTHING, and we (ME!!) have to avoid the tempation to do too much! :-) This should be the LAST things we do, though, don't you think?? Check out the presentation for our first, and certainly not complete, cut of tools.

Click here to start entering your ideas for the Web 2.0 Tools and Resources we might want to consider teaching for the workshop.