Why is it important for you to take a leadership role in making the technology connection in your classroom, within your staff, and within your community?

Computers are everywhere and will be ever present in future worksites. It is our responsibility as educators to prepare our students to be familiar with computers for future employment. The more we know as educators, the better we can prepare our students for the changes to come. As lifelong learners, it is our obligation to pass on to our students, the tools they will need to access information.

~Phyllis, Alma and Mona

I'm not sure I really view myself as a leader in computer technology in the classroom,with the staff, or in the community. However, I do feel as an educator who believes in the value of learning, I need to take a leadership role in embracing technology and learning as much about technology as I can. I especially feel responsible for this to my students because as it was discussed earlier this morning, technology is here to stay and our students need to be exposed to the possibilities technology offers them.

~Cheryl

The school library affects the learning of the school population schoolwide and staffwide. It can be the place to demonstrate how technology can be at the forefront of research-based education. It can also show teachers the possibilities of what they can do with technology in the classroom, by demonstrating how anyone can get information from print and non-print resources and integrate them into a traditional or computer-produced end product. We at this workshop will have the opportunity to get more technology training than others in the school so we can demonstrate the possibilities of technology use to others in the school, so they can determine what they want to use (the choices available to them), as well as determine what technology to use when in curriculum planning.

~Marylyn

It is important to take a leadership role in making technology connection in class, within my staff, and within the community because if I wait things that I think should be happening may or may not become reality. I have made the connection in my class beginning two years ago. That is never ending but now I feel it is time to be sure that all students at Kalama are afforded technology opportunities not just my students. As for the community I do not see that in the near future due to what needs to be done on campus. However, I involve parents every year in how technology is used in the classroom with their children. I have been thinking about extending and invitation to parents to come into the lab or class when students are researching or making presentations using multimedia. That would at least be a start at getting some community involvement. This past year I sent out a survey to parents to see how they felt about the Web site and student access to the internet. All responses were favorable and several parents asked if I couldn't conduct some classes to bring them up to speed.

~Diane

Role as knowledgeable, mentor, facilitator,user, and leader encourages others to support technology.

~Shirley

For personal/community empowerment and growth.

~Zelda

It is my belief that as a teacher I have certain responsibilities. One of my responsibilities is to be a role model for the students I teach. Technology is a field which will play an important role in the life of the students. So I feel it is my professional responsibility to prepare the students to become productive citizens of our community by learning as much as I can about the new areas being explored by this field and teaching them this new knowledge...

I can also be a role model by showing the students, that both the teacher and student can learn together how to explore the exciting world of the superhighway. The possibilities are endless and the information we will learn together will be mind boggling.

Sometimes it is difficult to teach island students certain concepts that the students have not experienced. So I am hoping that with the different modes of dispersement of information that the computer has that this will assist me in exposing the students to new ideas and thoughts that may be different from their own. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn about the exciting field of technology.

~Beverly

As a teacher having had experience with both lower and upper elementary students, I found that it was important to familiarize myself with the different types of technology available.

Because different students learn in different ways, I will use my knowledge and experience to try and meet the needs of my students and peers/colleagues. This in turn will hopefully carry over to the community as I use the technology we have to help students communicate to/show their parents what they are learning and its possibilities. I also think it will help in my professional growth.

~Joy