5366 Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing Reflection

This course, Digital Graphics, presented many challenges for me since I am not to computer savvy. Every week presented yet one more creation, which I had never been exposed to. I have truly improved my knowledge and capabilities in my technology skills, digital graphics and web design. I know feel very empowered and have the knowledge to be able to implement digital graphics not only for my learning but as well for forever implement throughout all content areas for my students’ learning. When I developed my web site I knew, I had a tool that I could forever implement throughout all content areas. In this week’s reading I learned that integration of multimedia into instruction can help to reduce curriculum barriers and improve learning for all students.

I have been thinking about were my technology level was before this class to where I am now: there is no comparison I have learned so much about digital graphics. I am now able to bring an interactive world to my students in which I am able to incorporate personal logos, custom animations, and the 4 basic design principals or CRAP. The 4 basic design principals or Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity were aspects of technology

5363 Video Technology and Multimedia Reflection

This course taught me about veteran teachers and the use of technology. I had the pleasure of interviewing a colleague, Mrs. Garza.  She recalls only being able to bring the outside world into her class through books and her personal experiences. She remembers finding video clips and games at home and downloading to a memory card or downloading to her personal computer and sharing them with her students. She says the first time she showed a movie clip at school to her students seems like just yesterday, her students were super excited. They even were able to play games that reviewed previously taught concepts, WOW. She stated that, even though computers are available at school, there can be significant practical difficulties in using them and gaining Internet access (Lenhart, Simon & Graziano, 2001.)

5326 School Community Relations Reflection

This course had taught me about having the parents and community members involved in school. Let me briefly explain what I am doing in order to bring more parents and business stake holders into the schools. The program is called V.I.P’s or Very Important Partners. This program is composed of the community, the principal, teachers, parents/guardians and students. Our school has forty percent of homes that are either one parent homes, grandparents raising grandchildren or children being raised by other family members. This is an alarming number and our students are fighting a battle (academic success) that can’t be won without parental support and involvement. Our school has a tremendous number of office referrals and negative attitudes toward homework that something has to be implemented in order for our students to obtain n success. According to “No Child Left Behind” parents need to be aware of what is being taught in the classroom, and don’t teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using. The strategies I recommend are grade specific and organized by the teacher, parent and community. We will hands on, weekly meeting, the teacher will teach the parent or guarding specific strategies that will be taught to their child in the upcoming week. The parent will be taught the skill a week before the student, thus providing the parent with the training he or she needs to successfully work with his or her child. We will be implementing real word approaches in our parent tutorial sessions (cooking, shopping, sports, music, creating and constructing). The community (The Greenwood Senior Center) has been willing to donate their time for childcare during our tutorial sessions.

References:

No Child Left Behind

WWW.ed.gov

www.suite101.com--search homework tips

www.southwesteducationaldevelopmentlaboratry.com

www.newwaveofevidence.com

5362 Informational Systems Management Reflection

This course taught me about veteran teachers and the use of technology. I had the pleasure of interviewing a colleague, Mrs. Garza.  She recalls only being able to bring the outside world into her class through books and her personal experiences. She remembers finding video clips and games at home and downloading to a memory card or downloading to her personal computer and sharing them with her students. She says the first time she showed a movie clip at school to her students seems like just yesterday, her students were super excited. They even were able to play games that reviewed previously taught concepts, WOW. She stated that, even though computers are available at school, there can be significant practical difficulties in using them and gaining Internet access (Lenhart, Simon & Graziano, 2001.)

5345 Human Resource Management Reflection

In this course I learned so much about probationary teaching, chronology of events by supervisors, and consensus building. You must document the removal of a probationary teacher. It is vital for an administrator to have documentation when removing any teacher due to the appeals process. “While the Texas Commissioner of Education declines to hear appeals from probationary contract employees whose contracts are terminated at the end of the year, the employee can  always file a grievance with the district or contract the EEOC or the TCHR to contest the action as illegally motivated” (Kemerer & Crain p.13). If the probationary teacher contests their removal the district will fall back on the documentation of the principal. The documentation will be very important even though the burden of proof will fall on the employee.

5344 School Law Reflection

For the past nine years, I thought searching students was against policy and an invasion of their Fourth Amendment rights. I have students that continue to go against school policy, knowing we will not search them or their property; we are powerless. This past year, we had a big problem with students bringing their cell phones to school. Our district has a very detailed policy against students having their cell phones on or visible during the instructional day. In other words, students can carry their cell phones in their purses, backpacks, or in their desks but they are not allowed to turn them on or have them out. If a student did not follow the policy, their cell phone would be confiscated, taken the board building to be picked up by a

5326 School Community Relations Reflection

The program is called V.I.P’s or Very Important Partners. This program is composed of the community, the principal, teachers, parents/guardians and students. Our school has forty percent of homes that are either one parent homes, grandparents raising grandchildren or children being raised by other family members. This is an alarming number and our students are fighting a battle (academic success) that can’t be won without parental support and involvement. Our school has a tremendous number of office referrals and negative attitudes toward homework that something has to be implemented in order for our students to obtain n success. According to “No Child Left Behind” parents need to be aware of what is being taught in the classroom, and don’t teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using. The strategies I recommend are grade specific and organized by the teacher,