Early Release Launches Ferryway 2.0 Tech Plan
Posted by Robert Simpson on September 10, 2008
Our first early release day included a thirty minute overview of the new technology integration initiative presented by Robert Simpson. Principal, Tom Devito secured funding for Simpson to help develop a Ferryway school-wide technology integration plan. An important aspect of the orientation session was to share ideas for transforming instruction to include what is know as Web 2.0. Web 2.0 includes any online tool that enables students and teachers to create and communicate using the web. Blogs, wikis, and podcasts are tremendously popular examples of Web 2.0 in action. Streaming video is of course another extremely popular form of Web 2.0, especially considering youtube. In a tribute to our recognition by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, teachers viewed a clip from the viral Ryan vs. Dorkman video. Sorry, the light sabers were not real! The video underscores that technologies such as digital video cameras and special effects software can be harnessed by young people to create professional quality media.
Teachers actively responded to questions embedded in the presentation through the Qwizdom student response system. Each teacher used a remote control to make selections that were then sent wirelessly for tabulation. About 90% of Ferryway teachers have never used a response system. The right-hand image shows that 52% of teachers correctly thought that Ferryway students reported only used a computer once per week last school year. The Ferryway school will have a total of three systems to use this year. Qwizdom will be used to make classroom instruction more interactive and improve real-time assessment. Teachers liked the idea that every student could have their response recorded and then the data could be shared for whole class discussion.
Another exciting announcement was the launch of the Ferryway 2.0 on-demand learning site. Ferryway 2.0 uses Adobe’s Connect Pro system for uploading and sharing digital media content. You can view an interactive Flash version of the orientation presentation. Some benefits of the on-demand system are that teachers are able to receive training any time and they can also develop interactive student lessons.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:54 am
[...] early release professional development session at the Ferryway School. Read the blog entry, Early Release Launches Ferryway 2.0 Tech Plan. Most teachers learned that Web 2.0 is a two-way street when it comes to the Internet. Second, [...]