(Quotes from Project Participants)
The SUSTAINED opportunity to work with technology strategies- not the technology on a tech basis, but understanding what to ask for help for and what I could do in the area of significant instruction. The second most important thing is getting an opportunity to do what it is you want the students to do with collegial help, support, and the impending feeling of assessment! It allows you to prioritize.
Greatest benefit is that it forces me to break out of old teaching methods and modernize instructional strategies -- took the fear out of flying in a digital atmosphere.
The greatest benefit of this experience has been
having the opportunity to work with other professionals while learning new
skills and information. In
addition, the increase in students' achievement through the use of technology
has been a positive experience!
I have never had difficulty working with computers in the past, but I was unaware of all of the possibilities for the use of computers and technology in the classroom. I am now aware of how to incorporate technology within my teaching.
Learning from my mentor on how to use the technology available in our school with the students I work with everyday.
I have been given the opportunity to develop skills that are very useful in teaching language and literature in a comprehensive, varied way. The mentor/protégé system is quite efficient in this regard, because it allows an individualized approach, based on one's specific needs, strengths, and weaknesses.
Having a mentor available to help with planning and the use of specific hardware and software was very beneficial to me. My mentor gave me ideas that I found were very useful.
Having the ability to call someone whom I know has the expertise and the interest to assist me. The cheerful and accurate responses from my mentor.
The greatest benefit has been the collaboration between mentor and protégé. This collaboration enabled me to better conceptualize the project, access campus technology resources, and successfully implement the project.
The frequent brainstorming and planning with my mentor about the choice of technologies for teaching and how best I could apply various aspects of Blackboard into my teaching. Through close contact with my mentor I was able to successfully use Blackboard for submitting my course work, making announcements, using discussion board and virtual drop box. I also was able to figure out how best to help my students submit their text and graphics via Blackboard. The mentor proved to be a great facilitator in helping me step by step to use the various aspects of blackboard. I now feel very comfortable using this technology
Being able to integrate a new web-design project into Math 621, a graduate-level math methods course was a lot of fun. It challenged students to learn and apply a new skill, and added a new, refreshing spin to the educational technology topics previously included in the curriculum.
I think the personal attention I received from my mentor was the most valuable part of this grant.
I will be able to implement a variety of strategies in the classroom. I will be able to discuss with my students as well as my intern how to integrate technology.
The greatest benefit to me from this program has been having a mentor with whom I could consult as I enhanced my instructional use of technology. The bonus has been that my mentor and I seem to have formed a bond that will last beyond this program, and we have exchanged ideas and strategies for other teaching and professional development interests.
Working with my mentor.
The greatest experience for me has been expanding my knowledge of the use of technology in the classroom.
The greatest benefit was learning new ways to display information. I also enjoyed integrating technology with math and social studies.
My experience as a protégé has been beneficial because I had my mentor to work with and collaborate with. It is very important to have this support and have someone in the school who can help right away and is eager to do so.
My experience has helped me become more confident in my use of technology.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with a mentor who was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her field. Especially gratifying was the experience we shared doing the epals project. This was a wonderful opportunity for the students as well as a great learning experience for me. I genuinely feel I have acquired practical technology-based knowledge as a result of this.
I feel that I am much more comfortable with integrating technology in my classroom and helping other teachers with the integration of technology in their classrooms. Working with a partner and collaborating on a project has also been very beneficial in making this project a successful experience for my students and myself. I also enjoyed having the chance to work with our PDS interns. I hope that they were able to see the importance of integrating technology in their own classrooms.
Working with my mentor inspired me to try some new things. I used technology with my students that I had not tried on my own.
Having a mentor to discuss professional development plans in technology has been very helpful to me. I teach an assistive technology class, so it was extremely helpful to have a special educator as my mentor. Being a protégé has kept my professional development focused on the areas identified at the beginning of the grant. As we get busy it is easy to not get around to all the goals we set for ourselves, but the grant prevents that from happening. Thank you for this opportunity.
I learned how to construct effective web pages and have created a website that addresses portfolio development.
I liked having the opportunity to learn more about technology. I learned more about PowerPoint and also about how to teach PowerPoint. I also had a chance to see the students understandings of a presentation and to teach them how to be better presenters.