My First Web Conference Experience

     On Sunday, February 27, 2011 I logged into my very first web conference for my masters degree program.   What a whirlwind!  There were 100 participants in the conference.  Wow!  I was overwhelmed by the speed of the questions being asked, the number of people asking the same question again and again, and Dr. Abernathy trying to keep up with the questions.  Although the conference room was jam packed and very hectic, I do feel that I was able to get some of my questions cleared up.  My questions about the book study, the weekly overviews, and the blog address were answered.  After about 35 minutes, my sound started to break up more so than it had been and then the screen when blank.  I tried to get back into the conference but I was never granted access back into the conference.   
     It was a neat experience and I would like to participate again in a smaller setting.  Being new to the web conference experience, I think that I would benefit from a smaller more controlled setting the first few times I participate.  I think that web conferencing is a great tool for educators and leaders to communicate and am glad that I have had the opportunity to participate. 

Educator Preparation and Development...are we making improvements?

     In the area of Educator Preparation and Development, educators are expected to be proficient in the educational technology applications that are available to them in order to implement them in their classrooms for students.  Educators are expected to continuously improve their technology skills to keep up with their ever changing students and their individual needs.  I think that on all levels; national, state, and local, many educators are working hard to reach their technology implementation goals.  Others that may not be so excited about the change are being pushed by their leaders and administrators to work out of their comfort zone and expand their technology horizons.  After I reviewed the statewide STaR summary, it shows that most teachers feel that their campuses are in the developing stage of this key area.  Reviewing the STaR chart for my campus and others in my district, trends indicate that improvements are slowly but surely taking place.   
     I feel that in many cases, it is not the lack of educator professional development opportunities that holds us back in this key area, but instead the lack of a sense of urgency.  Do teachers know just how imperative educational technology implementation in the classroom is?  Are teachers aware of the STaR results and how they are being used to create opportunities for the 21st century learner?  If the answer to these questions is no, how do we expect teachers to create goals for themselves to become more technologically savvy?  If school leaders are creating a sense of urgency as well as modeling technology use, their staff may begin to understand the importance of educational technology in the classroom.  I did not realize the urgency of becoming more proficient in technology until I began my technology course in my masters degree program.  I also did not ever realize what the STaR chart was actually being used for.  If teachers were better informed of the Long Range Technology Plan and the Vision 2020, would they take more time to set and reach personal goals in the area of technology?  I believe the answer would be yes!