Inside+the+Creative+Process+-+a+group+of+journal+entries


 * Journal Entries **

For my survey I have chosen Survey Monkey because I have used it as an individual taking the survey before and found it to be very easy and user friendly. Survey questions need to be simple, direct and to the point. If they are too ambiguous the responses may not provide the information needed to adequately address the needs of the group. In my survey questions I am hoping to determine what new tool I can introduce to my fellow teachers in an effort to decrease the amount of time they spend on a task and increase their productivity. Time seems to be the commodity that everyone needs more of, so if we could free some up I think it would benefit all of my co-workers. We horizontally team all of our classes. If modifications could be made on a wiki or google doc I think it would be easier for them than e-mailing back and forth. I think I am leaning toward a Wiki or Google Doc as the platform for the PD distance learning instruction but that may still change. My biggest concern is a lack of knowledge regarding the use of wikis and google docs. Since I am not well versed in them, I am concerned that I may not be able to adequately instruct when using them. However, they say the best way to learn something is to teach it so hopefully both my co-workers and I will come out the winners. I am sure as I read the posts of others that have much more experience, I will gain new ideas and insights that I will wish to use. Everyone brings so much to the group!!!
 * //__ Part 1 – Choosing a Platform __//**

** 1. **** How did I arrive at my final questions and a brief comment on why I asked each specific question. ** The overall guiding principle in my survey was to ascertain how the instructors perceived their own technological abilities and what programs/applications they actually used in the classroom and with their students. Was their technology teacher driven or was it student driven? • Questions 1 and 6 – How they viewed their own use and how often they used technology in their classroom. • Questions 2, 4 and 5 – Addressed communication venues between students and the teacher and students • Questions 3 and 7 – Gathered information on the actual ways technology is used within their instructional design and whether it was teacher or student directed. ** 1. **** The selected platform for administration and why I selected that platform ** I chose Survey Monkey as the vehicle for administering my survey. The faculty at my school has used this application before so they are familiar with it. It was important that I not add any more stress or take any more of their time to answer the survey. We are asked to take surveys fairly often and do not mind taking the ones that only require 2 or 3 minutes. When you have difficulty accessing the survey or it takes 5 minutes or more, then folks quickly back out. The other reason for choosing Survey Monkey was selfish. It seemed easy and straightforward so I was able to master it quickly. It was idiot-proof! ** 2. **** Problems that I encountered and how I overcame them ** The first problem was deciding on the questions and how many. I looked at both the questions I had developed and the questions other class members had developed as well. I started with 10 questions then determined that two questions overlapped and another question was not truly necessary so I winnowed my list down to 7 questions. This overcame the other problem – it needed to be short and concise enough that my peers would be willing to take it. ** 3. **** Was I satisfied that I was able to get the information that I needed to make a solid decision on training development? Which areas could be identified for future improvement to my survey? ** I feel that I received good feedback and can design an online professional development that addresses and meets the population’s needs. I had an advantage in knowing my population beforehand. If I had not, I would have needed to add questions that would deal with their number one need in planning and implementation of new developments. I knew that time was an issue within the population and a current need was a more efficient way to collaborate on documents. Some of the members did use applications that I did not expect. I might modify the questions regarding programs used to be more open ended. At the time my focus was on getting the most information I could in a short amount of time. Sometimes, when people are rushed, they do not freely recall all possible answers they might list to a question. In giving them a choice I was trying to jog their minds before they quickly went to the next question.
 * //__ Part 2 – The Survey __//**

**1. **** What process was used to identify the top 3 training needs ****? **  The survey, on Survey Monkey, was completed by 13 of the 14 colleagues in my department. I reviewed the individual answers to each question in the survey in an effort to determine what technology they currently used in their classrooms and to determine if a need existed. I thought I knew what I would find but was a little surprised by some of the answers. ** 2. **** What can you learn from your survey going forward? **  I take this to mean what did I learn unexpectedly from the survey that I will utilize. I was surprised to learn that most of my colleagues viewed themselves as proficient when they really only use powerpoint, word processors and search engines for the most part. I shouldn't be surprised, I felt the same way before I began my classes last semester and found out how little I knew. The participant who rated themselves as basic was one of the individuals that has been exposed to the majority of the programs I listed. I do know, that since the others feel they are proficient, that they are comfortable with technology and will not be afraid to try something new. ** 3. **** After reviewing existing tutorials and survey results, what is your final PD module going to look like and why? **  My goals are to enable my colleagues to collaborate more efficiently and to make their lives a bit more fun. In an effort to do this, I plan to have several options on my PD module. One tab will be on discussion boards in an effort to help the teachers collaborate and for their students use in peer tutoring. A second tab will be on Wikis and/or Google Docs so the teachers, and their students as well, can more efficiently collaborate on documents. Collaborating on one document is so much easier than e-mailing back and forth between several people. The third tab will be on some of the new applications (along with tutorials) I have learned during the two semesters I have been in school. Teachers could use them to decrease tutoring time with students who missed lectures or could use them with their students for classroom presentations to add some variety and fun to their projects. We get a bit tired of the same old, same old. ** 4. **** What concerns me? What obstacles will I face? **  My biggest concern is in learning enough about these programs to create a PD that is of high quality and that my co-workers will consider a good use of their time. So, in general, can I pull this off? It is a big task!
 * //__ Part 3 – Choosing a Topic __//**

**//__ Part 4 – Final Thoughts on the Process __//** When creating this professional development activity I was faced with a couple of problems. The largest of the problems was how to convince other teachers to take the survey and work through the module. Whether we would like to admit it or not, teachers are not usually willing to commit to spending very much time working on development activities unless they are required. It is not that teachers do not wish to improve it is just that their time is already committed to the creation, implementation and assessment of courses as well as other activities mandated by the district and state. There is not enough time to complete their work as it is much less to add in more projects. I was fortunate that I was able to receive 13 responses on my survey but unfortunately only two were willing to review the module. If I could offer the module for PLU units, and the PLU units were of benefit to the teachers, then I think more individuals would be interested in participating in the workshop. Right now, there is just not a big enough payoff for most teachers to participate. When teachers have to take PLU credits they are looking for the most interesting and beneficial courses. If this was offered for PLU credit I would advertise the upcoming course through e-mails to staff in different schools and place flyers in the mailrooms of nearby schools. I would also make a few changes to the module. In this assignment I designed the module to take a short amount of time. The idea being that maybe I could entice reviewers if they knew it would not take much time. Once they were inside the module, I hoped that the topics would entice them to delve deeper and apply the new knowledge. If I were designing this for credit, I would set each area (collaboration, communication and presentation) as an independent module. Within each module, I would set a pre-quiz for the applications within each module. Then, in each module, students would be required to choose an application and complete the introductory tutorial. Next I would have the students complete an application in a format they could use in their classrooms and post their presentation on the wiki site for all members to view. Each member of the class would review and critique one project of another student. The students would then answer a post on the wiki discussing the positives and negatives of the development, and application in their classroom, of their projects. The last two items I would add to each module would be a post-quiz over the applications covered and, at the end of the professional development module, a survey regarding their experience with each sub-module. Of the two individuals that did review my professional development wiki, the responses were positive. I truly think, when the state begins to require professional development once again for certification, that many students will be interested in taking the courses online.