Revisiting the Beginning

I have been in many different teacher-leader roles role in the last several years. These include TAT Team, MED Committee, GLC, CTL, Mentor, and several other positions in my school community. One year I was on SEVEN different committees! What I never, ever thought I would be was a teacher-leader in technology. It's been very interesting and humbling having different teachers come to me asking for help with different technologies. But what's been even more surprising is the fact that I know, or can figure out, how to help them!

I think that being a teacher-leader is just that: a teacher who takes their time to help someone else. In the digital age, it adds to the responsibilities of the teachers; not only are we expected to do all the same stuff as always, such as teach, manage the classroom, make sure they learn, on and on, but now we have the added responsibility of adding technology to our repertoire. That means we can't get into a rut and teach the same things over and over and over. That means taking more time to learn things on our own time. For some teachers, technology is an easy thing to do. For me, on the other hand, it is a relearning process each time I do something with any significant amount of time in between sessions. This blog, for instance. Every single time I get on here I have to reacquaint myself with how to edit or create a new blog, or even get to the page that has the URL. Every. Single. Time. Heck, I even lost this blog once and spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out where to find it! But the good thing is, I CAN relearn, and I can figure things out that I couldn't before.

A big bummer about writing the scope and sequence/unit/lesson plan that I chose, science, is that in a year or two it will all be null and void. Our curriculum is completely changing. The only thing that we will keep from the science I have taught for the last 9 years is heat. That's it. And only thermal heat. No moon phases, microorganisms, space, waves, anything! I am so bummed about that! But, the good thing is that I have learned how to incorporate technology into my science curriculum. And, since we will be starting from scratch, I can build technology into it from the beginning!

That is what I can take from this course this semester.

It's Been a Piece of Cake. Not.

I am in the process of accumulating money to purchase iPads for my classroom. I haven't had much success with grants yet, and I need the iPads at the very beginning of next school year. Well, really I need them during the summer so I can get them ready before school starts. So, I have literally been asking people for donations. Oh man, has that taken me out of my comfort zone. I worked with a friend to get my speech just right. After repeating it to her probably eight or nine times, I called my first prospect. As soon as she said, "Hello?" I started bawling. For real. She thought something bad had happened! When I finally got myself together and got on with what I had called for, she was so impressed with what I was doing, and my bravery, she gave me $250!

This is how it worked: I called friends and neighbors first and let them know what I was doing. Then I asked them if I could drop by with more information. Each home I went to, I gave them a letter and a form for the Alpine Foundation (see below), both stapled to a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Foundation. I've only had one person mail a donation. Everyone else has hand delivered the money to me.  I also enlisted my daughter's help. She works for a group of spine doctors. I gave her some envelopes with letters attached and told her if she got me money from them I would take her lunch. So far, I have raised $735, with another $500 promised on June first. Not bad :)

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As you (probably) know I am working on my Master’s of Educational Technology degree. Being in the technology strand, I am not only writing a thesis, but I am also doing a project. My project is Building Classroom Unity Through Building Web Pages.

I am raising money to purchase much needed technology equipment for my classroom to do my project. I am in need of 35 tablets, plus cases. I also need 2 carts to store (lock up) and charge the tablets, which are about $800 each.

I have been, and still am, writing grants, and have been promised a donation from the PTA. However, I still need several thousand more. I am writing this letter because I am looking for donors. It will all go to the Alpine District Foundation in my name, and will only be used for the necessary equipment for my project. A self-addressed, stamped envelope has been added for your convenience for the donation.

Mt. Mahogany is a low-income school and many students do not have access to technology at home. It is my hope to provide each of my students with a new way to be successful in the classroom. If you would be willing to help me fund this project I would be deeply grateful!  

Thank you!!!

Ginger Anderson

Alpine School District Foundation

Yes, I would like to make a difference in the life of a child by contributing

$_______________ to the Alpine School District Foundation.

I would like my gift used for the following purpose:

Mrs. Anderson’s 6^th Grade Class

Mt. Mahogany

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE and will be promptly receipted.

Name_______________________________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip_____________________________________________________________

Make all checks payable to the Alpine Foundation. Thank you for your support of our students. Please call 801-610-8403 for additional information.

You may return your donation in the envelope provided to Ginger Anderson, OR Mail to: Alpine School District Foundation- 575 North 100 East- American Fork, UT 84003

I have been the teacher-liaison on the PTA board for six years. One day in a PTA meeting, I asked the board if they could approve a grant to me. They moved money around and found an extra $1500 that they approved! Oh, happy day!!!

I don't foresee any major problems with classroom management having the iPads in my classroom. Sure, I am going to have to set new rules than I am used to, but I usually have pretty good classroom management. I can see, however, how things could get crazy if I am not very clear and firm from the get go. I guess only time will tell (hey! we just learned about cliches and idioms today in LA :)) if I can manage this easily or not. I generally start the school year pretty darn strict, so the kids know their boundaries. I am not afraid to dole out punishment right away for not following rules. This school year I gave out two Stop and Thinks on the first day of school. They learned real quick what was acceptable and what was not. And so did the rest of the class. And their parents.

Why use technology if you always need a back up? Well, who says you always need a paper and pencil back up? My Master's project is about building classroom unity, so, if the internet happens to be down one day, let's socialize and work on that community building! This time using an idiom, I just may eat my words...