August Internship Reflection

August was my biggest month yet for internship activities. At the beginning of the month, I was working with my principal and district technology officer to get Google Docs open across the distict. After working with the district technology office, I learned Google encrypts its Web 2.0 tools (like Google Docs). That encryption can play havoc with school filters. Such is the case with my district. One day, Google Docs would work perfectly on the school networks. Next day, there would be problems: Log-ins would not work, and pages would not open. However, the technology department assured me it would monitor Google Docs to see if it could be allowed on teacher/administrator computers. In an email this past week, the technology office advised me Internet filter restrictions had been loosened on Google Docs. Therefore, Google Docs is now open on teacher/administrator computers. I plan to monitor Google Docs in the coming weeks to ensure it will run smoothly on my school's computers. The last thing I want is to train teachers on Google Docs, only to discover the application works intermittently on the district network. Such disruptions would not facilitate teacher buy-in. Afterward my initial monitoring period, and with administrator approval, I will train my colleagues on Google Docs.

In addition, the technology department has also asked me to train my school on the district's newest technology buy: www.mybigcampus.com, a CIPPA-compliant social-networking and file-sharing site that can be accessed by students and teachers. After reviewing the website, I spent several hours designing a training session. On August 20, I delivered that training session to teachers. Since then, several teachers have inquired about moving their classes into My Big Campus (MBC). These educators wish to utilize the discussion-board features the program offers. Though there were not as many teachers as I had hoped, I am please several have inquired. I must keep reminding myself that changes come in baby steps. If I want more of my colleagues to accept technology and incorporate it into their curricula, I must move in baby steps. I doubt sweeping changes will occur rapidly. I must fight a war attrition - slowly weed away the naysayers by showing them technology is an asset not a liability. Because of my enthusiasm for technology, the district's technology office has elected to use my school as part of an experiment. The district will be training intermediate-school students on student-log-ins. In other words, my district is moving away from open log-ins on student computers. Students at my campus and the high school will soon have their own log-ins. I like this change: Now we will be able to monitor student Internet activity more closely.

Lastly, earlier in August, I discovered the program my district adopted for teacher websites has a podcasting feature. However, there is no podcasting software on district computers. I spoke to the technology office about this ironic set of circumstances. The technology office gave me permission to download Audacity, an open-source podcasting program, to my teacher computer. I'm now the only teacher in the district with district-sanctioned podcasting software on a school computer. I'm to create podcasts for my classroom. I'm to upload them to my teacher website. The technology office will monitor my podcasts and how Audacity reacts to programs already on the district network. If Audacity jives with the network, the technology department will allow Audacity to be downloaded throughout the district, and I will be in charge of training each campus. I'm so excited - Google Docs, MBC, and Audacity all in one month.

August's internship activities help me master Technology Facilitator Standards TFI, TFII, TFIII, and TFIV.

Source: http://matthewkitchens.blogspot.com/2010/08/august-internship-reflection.html