The Pros and Cons of PowerPoint

Pros:
-meets the needs of different learning styles, auditory and visual
-supports clarity, interest, reinforcement and retention of the material in the presentation
-helps the presenter to keep the material in the presentation organized
-the material is presented in a neat and organized way
-the slides can be printed out ahead of time, which lends itself to note-taking
-can lessen public speaking fears
-inclusion of charts, graphs, and other visual aids; embedded relevant video and/or sound clips


Cons:
-too many slides, which can detract from the presentation and effect timeliness*
-too much text and/or information in slides*
-can be time consuming to create, tweak and/or finalize
-doesn't promote spontaneous discussions
-can replace the presenter in that the audience can just follow along with the presentation without much add-in from the presenter
-attention to the slides and/or slide print-outs, as opposed to the presenter
-presenter may read directly from the slides

*too much text and/or information in slides or too many slides can both detract from the presentation and effect the time organization, particularly when time constraints exist.

Supporting 21st Century Learning

There are so many multimedia tools available today which not only may used by teachers to further engage and involved students in daily lessons, but provide enhanced communication between schools and families as well. One multimedia tool which I use frequently in my classroom this year is Activstudio. In addition to making the most basic flipcharts, Activstudio allows the option of embedding sound and video files to further explore the topics being discussed in class. There are also many sites on which, teachers can create videos to be used in class for any and all lessons on which they care to elaborate on. I also happened to check out one of the online field trip website on which students can take a virtual field trip and learn more about the topics which they are working on in school.

In addition to basic email, there is now the option of blogging and and sites such as twitter, which allow schools to keep parents and families updated on daily school events (current and upcoming).

The possibilities are endless and the rewards for students are invaluable. I really enjoyed the ability to review and play around with some of these websites in class. I will definitely consider using at least a few of these to further enhance my classroom instruction and better my communication with parents.

Delicious Account

http://delicious.com/gleichel

What Makes an Effective Website

An effective website:
-is easy to navigate and includes many links related to the school, organization, etc.
-has a "home" and/or "about us" page, which provides an introduction to the school, organization, etc.
-pictures of diverse, multicultural students and staff in a learning environment
-contact information for the school, organization, etc.
-recent MSA data and related information (strengths and areas of concentration for the upcoming year, extra available resources, links to MSA websites with sample questions, etc.)
-list of staff members with contact information (and class pages if available)
-school address with directions and/or link to a website that provides directions and/or a map
-updated schedule of events (in-school, after-school, extracurricular, etc.) and dates of school closings and early dismissals
-PDF file for monthly newsletter (and grade-level monthly newsletters, if available)
-a link to the MCPS website
-evidence of excellent scholastic achievement



I am currently working on finalizing the website I have created for my school using http://www.weebly.com/. My website, which will be appealing and easy-to-navigate once finished, will include all of the following:
-a home page with information about my school, including the address and contact numbers (phone, fax, etc.)
-multicultural, diverse pictures of students hard at work
-a page about our 2008-2009 MSA accomplishments and our areas for concentration for the 2009-2010 MSA
-link to MSA website, with sample questions
-a "contact us" page (to be linked directly to the administrators)
-a staff page, including a list of all staff members, positions, and contact information
-calendar of upcoming events (including school closings and early dismissal days)
-a link to the MCPS website
-monthly newsletters (whole school and grade-level)
-evidence of excellent scholastic achievement
-link to additional resources for in-school and at-home learning (with a focus on literacy and math)
-school programs to promote learning

Data Driven Instruction

Since I my start at South Lake, I data has been ever-present throughout the school- from mClass testing in the primary grades to MAP-R testing in the upper grades, math pre-assessments and unit assessments to monthly BCR scores, TN2 to MSA, monthly data chats (reading and math), attendance to bathroom maintenance, and beyond (refer below for additional data collection tools used within our school's walls). I honestly do not feel as though any stone has been left unturned when it comes to data within the walls of South Lake ES.

Data is an invaluable source of information when it comes to student performance, feedback on an assessment (formative and/or summative), and plans for instruction. As data is constantly changing as a result of interventions and supports put in place when and where they are necessary, so to are the areas in which resource help is provided throughout the year. Even within a single classroom with one teacher, small groups (particularly in math) are consistently being revamped to meet the needs of those students who need re-teaching and/or further clarification, as well as those students who need enrichment to challenge them in their areas of strength and complete understanding.

Data is constantly being evaluated, analyzed and reflected upon within each classroom, across grade levels, within the school, across school districts and across the nation. It helps us, as educators and administrators, to provide the best education possible for our students. Through data collection we can determine where the greatest needs lie and how we can best go about meeting these needs and helping students overcome challenges, meet their needs as dictated by their accommodations, and/or further accelerate their learning to make sure that we are challenging them on a regular basis.

With regards to making better use of the data collection tools, I have found that through my experiences with administration in years past, triangulation of several data components has proved to be the most valuable. There are times when I can't help but wonder whether a single piece of data isn't the most accurate being that it is a single snapshot of what that student may know, factoring all the outside factors (e.g., classroom environment, temperature, health, testing anxiety, something which took place the night prior or even earlier that day, etc.) which may or may not have had an effect upon their performance that day. Triangulation of data allows for a more sound representation of a students strengths and areas of improvement, which will only better equip us with the information needed to determine what kind(s) of support is best to meet that child's needs.

Additional Data Collection Tools:

*Excel

*Data Chats

*Gradebook

*IMS

*MyMCPS

*Running Records

*Formative and Summative Assessments

*Dipsticking

*ActiVotes (Promethean Boards)

*Exit Cards

*Attendance

A Visionary Leader is . . .

A visionary leader is an individual who recognizes the technology available to us in the 21st century and is dedicated to its implementation within the schools. She is committed to educating her staff and supporting them as they continue to learn how to make the most use out of the tehcnology that is available to them, i.e., mobile labs, computer labs, smart boards, etc. She is also very focused on making such technology available to as many of her staff as possible, by all means necessary. A visionary leader is involved, to this extent, with contacting possible sponsors and financial supporters when it comes to outfitting her school with the "latest and greatest" in technology because she truly understand the benefits it offers to her students.

In addition to making these avenues of technology available to both her staff and students, a viasionary leader is determined to master use of the technology as well, so that she is fully equipped with the knowledge she is such a strong advocate for. She is aware of how the use of technology will improve student achievement.