Important Steps Ahead
With over 40 in attendance at our SIGTE Business Meeting, Kyle Peck, Teacher Education Representative to the ISTE Board, outlined ISTE’s planned “refresh” of the National Educational Technology Standards and the Board’s consideration of ISTE’s next major initiative. SIGTE members discussed the need for assessment of higher order skills; how to measure teamwork, creativity, and problem solving skills; and assessing outcomes of people and computers working together to solve problems.After dialogue at both the Business Meeting and SIGTE Forum later in the week, the SIGTE Board forwarded a recommendation to the ISTE Board. In capsule, we recommended that ISTE focus its expertise and energy on the development of a collaborative effort to create viable methods of authentically assessing higher order learning outcomes and the higher order skills required by collaborative, lifelong learners in the 21st Century.
Learning Together
The second important topic addressed at the Business Meeting was how to take advantage of new communication methods (e.g., Webinar, wiki, blog) to extend our collaborative learning activities throughout the year. One major step is that the SIGTE discussion listserv will be linked to the ISTE database of SIGTE members; this will provide an easy and inclusive form of communication among our members. Conversation at the Business Meeting and thereafter led to three new ways for SIGTE members to support one another. These include opportunities for:
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Informative Learning (quarterly webinars on different topics, e.g., UDL; book discussion),
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Collective Learning (wikis; example discussed was planning technology courses—sharing of modules, resources, and syllabi), and
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Collaborative Work (example was distributed research model on topics such as preservice teacher education or digital equity/social justice as addressed by faculty in teacher education).
In Fall 2006, solicitation via our listserv of topics, volunteer leaders, and participants, will enable SIGTE members to identify their learning needs and share their expertise!
In addition, immediately available online is material presented by our colleagues at the SIGTE Forum on digital equity and SIGTE-sponsored workshop on e-portfolios.The SIGTE Forum modeled true cross-SIG collaboration, with panel members from SIGTE (Colleen Swain, Rachel Vannatta), SETSIG (Dave Edyburn), and SIGDE (Bob McLaughlin). Panelists expanded the session from focus on teacher educators to K-12 teacher practices related to digital equity and provided a wealth of resources for college faculty who may be teaching about this issue and school leaders influencing policy decisions. The 60+ attendees at the session also proposed ideas for decreasing the digital divide in educational settings. Check http://www.coe.ufl.edu/online/tlsi/sigtenecc/ where panelists have posted three PowerPoint presentations and a paper adapted from a forthcoming publication in Learning & Leading With Technology.
Attendees at the e-Portfolio Workshop examined sample methods, products, and outcomes of e-portfolio systems. Online materials include two PowerPoint presentations (http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2006/program/search_results_details.php?
sessionid=13204658), and an ePortfolio WebQuest (http://www.uvm.edu/~jmorris/ePortquest/ePortfoliointro.html). The quest aids college faculty and technology specialists who are selecting a process and tool for their institution’s ePortfolio system. Thanks to Joyce Morris, Gail Ring, and Ann McCoy for conducting this workshop!
SIGTE Leadership: Recognition and Opportunities
ISTE Conference activities including the Forum, SIGTE-sponsored workshop, and panel sessions served as the focal point for member collaboration throughout the year. Between proposal development (September) and conference presentations (July) many SIGTE members were in frequent contact. We appreciate their hard work! Taken as a whole, our SIG activities at NECC 2006 enabled progress on the topics identified by workgroups at past conferences: professional development practices, research practices, best practice, and advocacy.
In September 2006, the preparation cycle for NECC in Atlanta will begin. I hope you will join the expanding number of volunteers serving SIGTE—through NECC proposal development and review, leading or participating in SIGTE online learning (webinar/wiki format), and/or leading or participating in a distributed research project. Also, take advantage of upcoming opportunities to submit a paper for the SIGTE Research Award (paper must focus on technology in teacher education) and to involve graduate students in concurrent or paper session proposals. We’ll post further guidelines for possible SIGTE financial support to graduate student presenters at NECC 2007, as a way of encouraging future teacher educators to get involved in SIGTE activities.
Although recognition of our 2005-2006 SIGTE volunteers took place at the SIGTE Business Meeting, I want to repeat my thanks to Melissa Pierson for her outstanding service as President from 2004-2006; her gracious and enthusiastic leadership increased active participation of SIGTE members! Thanks also to Karen Grove who was elected to a second term as Treasurer. Finally, at the Business Meeting, we recognized deceased member Bill Halverson’s many fine contributions to SIGTE and the educational community. As a community, we have much to be proud of and thankful for in the way of member contributions to the profession, both past and present.
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