Here are some comments from the Admin workshop the other day:
Overall Summary:
| 1. | Thought is was well done...A LOT of information!!! I learned a great deal about technology and its use that I was not aware of. |
| 2. | Would like to see this take place throughout the year on a regular schedule. Good overview, but more time and depth would be helpful. |
| 3. | opened my eyes to a great deal of what was going on without my knowledge. I am extremely excited about getting involved with many of these tools. |
| 4. | You did a great job of identifying the sites that the administrators need to be familiar with. |
| 5. | I thought the tech session was informative for seeing what is out there and what many of the teachers have the capability to do. I am not even close to being tech oriented so I frequently feel lost in the tech world. |
| 1. | "Play" with the sites a bit more to get comfortable. Research to see what the teachers are doing and "maybe" I will be able to help them expand their use of this technology in the classroom. |
| 2. | Reach out to tech coordinators for help in educating the teachers on these features. |
| 3. | connect with teachers and become a part of the experiences they are providing their students. |
| 4. | To improve the efficiency of the time I spend on the Internet. I also plan on showing the board members the Did You Know? video |
One Change to the workshop:
| 1. | More individual or small group instruction. I know that the class only had 15 people. It was hard to get the complete grasp of the topic or techniques with "do this, then do this, and then this". There were four or five topics...maybe concentrate on two this time then maybe another time the other ones. BUT as administrators we are always pressed for time. NO EASY SOLUTION!! |
| 2. | More time. |
| 3. | some of the text on the screen in the front of the room was difficult to read because it was small. |
| 4. | I have no suggestions for change. |
| 5. | I would like a handout so when I have time I could explore. Presently, I often don't even know where to start! |
One Keep:
| 1. | Topics |
| 2. | Well presented. |
| 3. | Patrick Higgins. Lets pray he never takes a job in South Carolina. |
| 4. | Pointing out the relevance of the knowledge and allow time to practice using the tools. |
| 5. | Step by step instruction. |
Looking at this, I see several choices I made that I might not make again. For example, I opted to go paperless, instead relying on online tutorials and screencasts to show them how to work through any confusion they had. Note to all of you out there who are presenting to a crowd that is not so tech-oriented: silence your inner tree-hugger and make the copies. Even if it is just a list of the sites you visited and a short description, it will go a long way towards retention.
The next thing that jumps out at me is the fact that I think I did a good job of making them want more, which is always the sign of a successful lesson. Although these types of sessions are overwhelming at times, I leveraged that against the fact that the students and the teachers they work with are using these tools, and it makes sound managerial sense to understand them.
This is a great group of administrators who are looking to begin really addressing how schools are changing to meet the needs of very different learners. I look forward to the next time we sit down to do this.
