I found the websites that I observed to be very good, albeit quite unique from one another. There is no question that the look of a large school website like Sioux Falls is quite different then say Parkston's. While I felt both were effective, it is probably safe to say that the Sioux Falls website would not be advertising for an all-school reunion and listing the time that the social hour begins next July. I certainly don't mean that in a disparaging way as the purpose of all websites is to pass on information to the public, but they are also very much a reflection of the local culture. Again, the size of the school and community will have a substantial impact on this culture.
The role of the superintendent also varies widely, with the most notable being that of the Rapid City School's web page. I would submit that a contributing factor in how high profile the superintendent is on the website is probably his/her own comfort level with technology. Dr. Mitchell is, and has been, a very techno-savvy administrator and uses social networking as a strong tool in the promotion of his district.
One question posed by Dr. Hauge was whether or not each teacher should be required to have a website. I would probably approach such a demand with a great deal of caution for a couple of reasons. First is that forcing people to do something against their will is typically not the best way to build momentum and buy-in for a new proposal. But probably more importantly is that I would have concerns that if a teacher were forced to have a website, the maintanence of the page would be shoddy and unprofessional. I would suggest that no webpage is better than a webpage with inaccurate and outdated information.
Lastly I would comment briefly on the condition of ours at the Pierre Public Schools. We are currently undergoing a transition in this area as the past several years we have had a teacher who spent 40% of her time working on the district webpage. Due to budget constraints that is no longer the case and the webpage has now been turned over to the technology department, but with no additional staff. I would give our website a B and contend that it is pretty good, but certainly not spectacular. There is a tremendous amount of information on the website, but I don't know if I think the front page is very asthetic to look at and sometimes feel that following the links to find your information is a bit confusing. With that said, it is still a very information-rich website and is for the most part pretty user friendly.
Assignment 2 The CEO website was very interesting and certainly had the research to support what most of us in education believe in regards to the importance of technology for our students. Specifically the way that technology is not a "stand-alone" component of our educational system, but rather a tool that is woven into every single aspect of our curriculum and school culture. Whether it is an avenue by which to stretch our high school math and science scores so that we better compete on the global scale or use it to improve the motivation and relevance of our elementary reading curriculum in a way that assists our struggling readers, technology is an absolute necessity for our schools if we wish to push our students academically.
One thing I found particularly striking was how the information and suggestions in the reports (specifically the final two that I looked at), which were done about a decade ago, say about the same things that we in educational leadership our encouraging today. The importance of using technology as an assessment tool as well as holding districts accountable for integrating this into their curriculums is as true now (probably more so) than it was in 2001 even though the improvements in technology over that period of time has been radical.
While the information in these reports is dated, their suggestions and findings are not. Whether it is utilization of the STAR Chart, or simply the data shared in the reports, the fact is that along with the essential skills we in public education must teach our students, technology is no longer an option. If we want to prepare our students for the next 50 years we must give them the 21st century skills to be successful; and those skills are indelibly intertwined with technology.
Rob, Your thoughts about school websites and the CEO Forum website are well articulated. You receive 10/10 points for each of the assignments. I appreciate your comments about not forcing teachers to have a webpage. However, with how easy wikis are to use, I would suggest that each teacher could have a class wiki and that the wiki be linked to the school website. The CEO Forum website is useful, even if the information was published over a decade ago. I believe that speaks to how cutting-edge that information was when it was published and how slow schools are to change. Joe
I found the websites that I observed to be very good, albeit quite unique from one another. There is no question that the look of a large school website like Sioux Falls is quite different then say Parkston's. While I felt both were effective, it is probably safe to say that the Sioux Falls website would not be advertising for an all-school reunion and listing the time that the social hour begins next July. I certainly don't mean that in a disparaging way as the purpose of all websites is to pass on information to the public, but they are also very much a reflection of the local culture. Again, the size of the school and community will have a substantial impact on this culture.
ReplyDeleteThe role of the superintendent also varies widely, with the most notable being that of the Rapid City School's web page. I would submit that a contributing factor in how high profile the superintendent is on the website is probably his/her own comfort level with technology. Dr. Mitchell is, and has been, a very techno-savvy administrator and uses social networking as a strong tool in the promotion of his district.
One question posed by Dr. Hauge was whether or not each teacher should be required to have a website. I would probably approach such a demand with a great deal of caution for a couple of reasons. First is that forcing people to do something against their will is typically not the best way to build momentum and buy-in for a new proposal. But probably more importantly is that I would have concerns that if a teacher were forced to have a website, the maintanence of the page would be shoddy and unprofessional. I would suggest that no webpage is better than a webpage with inaccurate and outdated information.
Lastly I would comment briefly on the condition of ours at the Pierre Public Schools. We are currently undergoing a transition in this area as the past several years we have had a teacher who spent 40% of her time working on the district webpage. Due to budget constraints that is no longer the case and the webpage has now been turned over to the technology department, but with no additional staff. I would give our website a B and contend that it is pretty good, but certainly not spectacular. There is a tremendous amount of information on the website, but I don't know if I think the front page is very asthetic to look at and sometimes feel that following the links to find your information is a bit confusing. With that said, it is still a very information-rich website and is for the most part pretty user friendly.
Rob
Assignment 2
ReplyDeleteThe CEO website was very interesting and certainly had the research to support what most of us in education believe in regards to the importance of technology for our students. Specifically the way that technology is not a "stand-alone" component of our educational system, but rather a tool that is woven into every single aspect of our curriculum and school culture. Whether it is an avenue by which to stretch our high school math and science scores so that we better compete on the global scale or use it to improve the motivation and relevance of our elementary reading curriculum in a way that assists our struggling readers, technology is an absolute necessity for our schools if we wish to push our students academically.
One thing I found particularly striking was how the information and suggestions in the reports (specifically the final two that I looked at), which were done about a decade ago, say about the same things that we in educational leadership our encouraging today. The importance of using technology as an assessment tool as well as holding districts accountable for integrating this into their curriculums is as true now (probably more so) than it was in 2001 even though the improvements in technology over that period of time has been radical.
While the information in these reports is dated, their suggestions and findings are not. Whether it is utilization of the STAR Chart, or simply the data shared in the reports, the fact is that along with the essential skills we in public education must teach our students, technology is no longer an option. If we want to prepare our students for the next 50 years we must give them the 21st century skills to be successful; and those skills are indelibly intertwined with technology.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts about school websites and the CEO Forum website are well articulated. You receive 10/10 points for each of the assignments. I appreciate your comments about not forcing teachers to have a webpage. However, with how easy wikis are to use, I would suggest that each teacher could have a class wiki and that the wiki be linked to the school website. The CEO Forum website is useful, even if the information was published over a decade ago. I believe that speaks to how cutting-edge that information was when it was published and how slow schools are to change.
Joe