Digital Learning Inventory
Students at The STEM Academy use a variety of technology in the classroom. All students have chromebooks that they use only in the classroom. Sandwich High School students use ipads. We are fortunate to have a Digital Learning Center at our school and Technology Support Staff to assist us in the classroom when needed.
Digital Learning Environment Inventory
What tools, software, operating systems, and equipment are available in your school and classroom?
I teach seventh grade Science at The STEM Academy in the town of Sandwich, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
Each classroom includes a computer for teacher use. Each computer has Internet access through Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Many classrooms in the school have an Interactive Smartboard. All classrooms have LCD projector units, which are projected onto screens or whiteboards. All of our 7th grade students have one-on-one technology and use Chromebooks.
The school has several computer labs that are available first-come, first-served by teacher sign up. Students receive unique log-ins and have access to a documents folder to store their school assignments and projects.
Teachers use the Atlas program to post curriculum objectives and content. Teachers also use PowerSchool to record grades and monitor attendance. Parents and students can log in to Google Classroom to view upcoming assignments in Science and many other classes.
How does your school make use of school and/or teacher websites?
The school website, located at http://www.sandwichk12.org/ contains contact information, an events calendar, and daily school announcements. There are pages for each academic department, athletics, and the IB/MYP program, as well as links to information.
How are you currently using technology for learning?
I use my interactive Smartboard daily to display videos, as well as to support involvement with students by encouraging them to interact with the board’s dynamic features. I use Google Classroom to post assignments and interactive activities for my students. I use chromebooks with my students. We have had many technology related projects, which included creating an animated video.
My students created videos using PowToon this past year. Students use research databases to conduct research on class topics. Our Technology Specialists work with teachers on an individual basis to create technological infused lessons and projects.
For selected assignments (usually one or two per quarter), students have the option to display their learning in an alternate format, such as through video, Photo Story, Prezi, or Power Point.
We use Powerschool as our student data system, grading, attendance, scheduling. We use Google Apps for everything and it’s really wonderful. We use Evernote for teacher evaluation.
Is there a process for evaluating student technology literacy in your school? If so, how effective or helpful have you found the assessment?
At Sandwich High School all Grade 9 students are taught digital literacy. We use a wide variety of different assessments.
Is there a system for evaluating educators’ technology literacy to identify areas of need and match those needs to professional development programs?
We used to have a Technology Readiness survey in our District.
Describe the professional development opportunities available to properly introduce you to and train you in the use of various technologies.
Sandwich Public School District allows outstanding professional development opportunities which will further global education at my school. I believe that our school system should not only offer professional development opportunities, but facilitate 1:1 training sessions. There should be in-depth training and guided web-based assignments that aid in furthering our communication and connection with the global community. I suggest offering five new technology opportunities to teachers each year. Throughout the year, teachers will have the opportunity and support to try out these new technologies. Every professional development opportunity will focus on technology and how it can help us in obtaining global interconnections.
What sites and tools are colleagues in your building using?
Many teachers frequently use YouTube, and Google Classroom sites to share content with students.
Science classes use research sites such as Science Researcher to explore topics. Students created interactive posters using Glogster. They have also video-conferenced with scientists at research institutions, such as the Palmer Station in Antarctica.
Use of Technology in my Science Classroom
I posted my travel blog on Weebly: I started my travel blog before departing for the Republic of Georgia, and was able to use it to answer student questions, reflect on instructional practices, and share information with students.
Prezi: After experimenting with Prezi during my TGC online course, I offered opportunities for my students to complete, as a product.
Powtoon: Like Prezi, I learned about Powtoon in the TGC online course. Powtoon enables users to create animated videos with music or other sounds. I created a Powtoon to introduce a service learning project to my class, and a second one when presenting to schools staff about a mentoring program. Students later had the option of using Powtoon to present research findings and share conclusions from a community interview they conducted.
As a part of the TGC program, many documents and assessment tools were provided to help guide the great discussions we had during our on-line course. This provided the essential language and relevant data that I realized should be collected for my global education curriculum that I developed.
Listed below are some important resources that I found most helpful and useful in my classroom. I encourage you to use them in your own classroom.
The Global Education tools I found extremely helpful include:
A great starting point and tool for identifying global education gaps in current
National and state educational standards contain some global and international
studies components. However, many important issues related to global and
international studies are missing or dealt with inadequately. Gaps in the standards
lead many educators to wonder what US students should know and understand
about the world. What skills and attitudes will they need to confront future global
problems?
In 1998, to help elementary and secondary school educators, three prominent global
education scholars, H. Thomas Collins, Frederick R. Czarra, and Andrew F. Smith
published a set of guidelines or intellectual filters that could be used to validate
state standards and local curriculum decisions and to assure that the international
dimension receives attention.
With that document as its foundation, this checklist is a practical tool that teachers,
curriculum developers, school administrators, and state education agency staff can
use to gauge their work within the realm of global/international education.
The premise here is that the study of the world can be divided into three main
themes: global issues, global culture, and global connections. These three themes
cross all academic disciplines—geography, history, world languages, health, the
sciences and the arts and identify essential ideas that should be pursued through
questions that relate to the daily life of students. Among the skills that students
can develop are issue analysis, problem solving, interpretation, reasoned persuasion,
and research/investigation. I believe that all students should be encouraged to be actively involved
at the local, state, and national levels practicing their civic duty through relationships
with our economic, social and political systems.
Consider this checklist a self-assessment tool. Use the scale to measure the
degree of success in the different areas in question. Create a self-assessment report
that includes qualitative and quantitative evidence to support responses to the
various questions. Once this needs assessment is completed, develop action plans
for the development of specific goals, defining resources, time and participation
required. The action plan should be continuously updated with progress being noted.
“Guidelines for Global and International Studies Education: Challenges, Cultures, and
Connections.” H. Thomas Collins, Frederick R. Czarra and Andrew F. Smith. Social Education,
November, 1998. pp. 311-317. Also available from the American Forum for Global Education
<http://www.globaled.org/guidelines > (October 15, 2002)
Changing Perspectives on International Education. Edited by Patrick O’Meara, Howard D.Mehlinger
and Roxanna Newman. Indiana University Press, 2001. pp 226-243.
Students at The STEM Academy use a variety of technology in the classroom. All students have chromebooks that they use only in the classroom. Sandwich High School students use ipads. We are fortunate to have a Digital Learning Center at our school and Technology Support Staff to assist us in the classroom when needed.
Digital Learning Environment Inventory
What tools, software, operating systems, and equipment are available in your school and classroom?
I teach seventh grade Science at The STEM Academy in the town of Sandwich, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
Each classroom includes a computer for teacher use. Each computer has Internet access through Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Many classrooms in the school have an Interactive Smartboard. All classrooms have LCD projector units, which are projected onto screens or whiteboards. All of our 7th grade students have one-on-one technology and use Chromebooks.
The school has several computer labs that are available first-come, first-served by teacher sign up. Students receive unique log-ins and have access to a documents folder to store their school assignments and projects.
Teachers use the Atlas program to post curriculum objectives and content. Teachers also use PowerSchool to record grades and monitor attendance. Parents and students can log in to Google Classroom to view upcoming assignments in Science and many other classes.
How does your school make use of school and/or teacher websites?
The school website, located at http://www.sandwichk12.org/ contains contact information, an events calendar, and daily school announcements. There are pages for each academic department, athletics, and the IB/MYP program, as well as links to information.
How are you currently using technology for learning?
I use my interactive Smartboard daily to display videos, as well as to support involvement with students by encouraging them to interact with the board’s dynamic features. I use Google Classroom to post assignments and interactive activities for my students. I use chromebooks with my students. We have had many technology related projects, which included creating an animated video.
My students created videos using PowToon this past year. Students use research databases to conduct research on class topics. Our Technology Specialists work with teachers on an individual basis to create technological infused lessons and projects.
For selected assignments (usually one or two per quarter), students have the option to display their learning in an alternate format, such as through video, Photo Story, Prezi, or Power Point.
We use Powerschool as our student data system, grading, attendance, scheduling. We use Google Apps for everything and it’s really wonderful. We use Evernote for teacher evaluation.
Is there a process for evaluating student technology literacy in your school? If so, how effective or helpful have you found the assessment?
At Sandwich High School all Grade 9 students are taught digital literacy. We use a wide variety of different assessments.
Is there a system for evaluating educators’ technology literacy to identify areas of need and match those needs to professional development programs?
We used to have a Technology Readiness survey in our District.
Describe the professional development opportunities available to properly introduce you to and train you in the use of various technologies.
Sandwich Public School District allows outstanding professional development opportunities which will further global education at my school. I believe that our school system should not only offer professional development opportunities, but facilitate 1:1 training sessions. There should be in-depth training and guided web-based assignments that aid in furthering our communication and connection with the global community. I suggest offering five new technology opportunities to teachers each year. Throughout the year, teachers will have the opportunity and support to try out these new technologies. Every professional development opportunity will focus on technology and how it can help us in obtaining global interconnections.
What sites and tools are colleagues in your building using?
Many teachers frequently use YouTube, and Google Classroom sites to share content with students.
Science classes use research sites such as Science Researcher to explore topics. Students created interactive posters using Glogster. They have also video-conferenced with scientists at research institutions, such as the Palmer Station in Antarctica.
Use of Technology in my Science Classroom
I posted my travel blog on Weebly: I started my travel blog before departing for the Republic of Georgia, and was able to use it to answer student questions, reflect on instructional practices, and share information with students.
Prezi: After experimenting with Prezi during my TGC online course, I offered opportunities for my students to complete, as a product.
Powtoon: Like Prezi, I learned about Powtoon in the TGC online course. Powtoon enables users to create animated videos with music or other sounds. I created a Powtoon to introduce a service learning project to my class, and a second one when presenting to schools staff about a mentoring program. Students later had the option of using Powtoon to present research findings and share conclusions from a community interview they conducted.
As a part of the TGC program, many documents and assessment tools were provided to help guide the great discussions we had during our on-line course. This provided the essential language and relevant data that I realized should be collected for my global education curriculum that I developed.
Listed below are some important resources that I found most helpful and useful in my classroom. I encourage you to use them in your own classroom.
The Global Education tools I found extremely helpful include:
- The Global Education Checklist
- Global Competencies-CCSSO: Asia Society asiasociety.org/education/global-competence
- OXFAM Global Citizenship Audit
- Checklist for Teaching Global Competence
- Technology Integration Matrix
- Teachers for Global Classrooms Tools and Resources
A great starting point and tool for identifying global education gaps in current
National and state educational standards contain some global and international
studies components. However, many important issues related to global and
international studies are missing or dealt with inadequately. Gaps in the standards
lead many educators to wonder what US students should know and understand
about the world. What skills and attitudes will they need to confront future global
problems?
In 1998, to help elementary and secondary school educators, three prominent global
education scholars, H. Thomas Collins, Frederick R. Czarra, and Andrew F. Smith
published a set of guidelines or intellectual filters that could be used to validate
state standards and local curriculum decisions and to assure that the international
dimension receives attention.
With that document as its foundation, this checklist is a practical tool that teachers,
curriculum developers, school administrators, and state education agency staff can
use to gauge their work within the realm of global/international education.
The premise here is that the study of the world can be divided into three main
themes: global issues, global culture, and global connections. These three themes
cross all academic disciplines—geography, history, world languages, health, the
sciences and the arts and identify essential ideas that should be pursued through
questions that relate to the daily life of students. Among the skills that students
can develop are issue analysis, problem solving, interpretation, reasoned persuasion,
and research/investigation. I believe that all students should be encouraged to be actively involved
at the local, state, and national levels practicing their civic duty through relationships
with our economic, social and political systems.
Consider this checklist a self-assessment tool. Use the scale to measure the
degree of success in the different areas in question. Create a self-assessment report
that includes qualitative and quantitative evidence to support responses to the
various questions. Once this needs assessment is completed, develop action plans
for the development of specific goals, defining resources, time and participation
required. The action plan should be continuously updated with progress being noted.
“Guidelines for Global and International Studies Education: Challenges, Cultures, and
Connections.” H. Thomas Collins, Frederick R. Czarra and Andrew F. Smith. Social Education,
November, 1998. pp. 311-317. Also available from the American Forum for Global Education
<http://www.globaled.org/guidelines > (October 15, 2002)
Changing Perspectives on International Education. Edited by Patrick O’Meara, Howard D.Mehlinger
and Roxanna Newman. Indiana University Press, 2001. pp 226-243.