Jose Medrano's Big Blue Blog

How will I know if my site is helping my users reach the objectives I identified for them?

Although I don’t see my support teachers too often, we are in e-mail communication regularly. While e-mail has worked well for the most part, I feel my web site will dramatically lessen e-mail traffic. I’ll know if my objectives are reached if those teachers are aware of what I’m doing in MY class and use the information given to plan for the support class.

I will continuously check with them to see how they are liking the page and ask them for feedback. The goal is efficiency and improvement.

How will I evaluate what my users are doing?

I really hope that this site prepares my support teachers to better help special education students understand content in my class. If I notice that the special education students are participating, earning higher test scores all while e-mail communication between the special education teachers decreases, I will know my site is successful.

If it proves to be successful, I plan on offering a training at school so other special ed/general ed. teams could use a similar site for their own collaboration. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this site will change the dynamics of my team!

How will I introduce this to the class?

Since its not a class that I created this blog for, the introduction of the site will be very easy. I will ask the two teachers to meet me for half an hour right after school and I will walk them through my site. At this time I will answer any questions they may have and take note of any recommendations they offer.

How will I handle logins, passwords, and permissions?

This is a question I have payed very close attention to. Since this page will deal with special education students and their progress, I must make it as private and secure as possible. Our team of three will be able to edit any element of the web page except for my calendar and pacing guide. The rest of the page will be open for modifications and additions. I see my team making notes to lesson plans in order to make changes for the following year.

As for sharing my page with my edtec class, I will leave it open for about one week after our class ends so my classmates can see my work and make recommendations. After that week is over, I will have to make the site private.

What do I need to do to protect my student’s privacy and myself?

As mentioned earlier, I will have to modify the security and privacy settings. I will make it to where teachers will have to sign in any time they need to access the page. The “Anyone with the link can view the page”, is not sufficient security.

What do I have to do to get permission from the powers that be at my school?

I am going to show our school psychologist and an administrator the page I have created. I will explain the security features of the web page. I am prepared for them to tell me not to use the spreadsheet that keeps track of student progress and comments. If this is the case, I must listen to what superiors request, and only leave information that informs the instruction of my Special Ed. support teachers.

Am I happy with how well it turned out?

Yes, I’m happy with the way my site turned out. While some elements are not complete because class rosters are not finalized and my PLC’s indecision to make choices, I feel once the dust settles at work, my site will be very useful.

What did I learn from setting up this site?

While setting up this site, I learned several things. For instance, I learned how to embed a Google calendar and Google document into the page. I also learned that as the year progresses, it would be a good idea to add newer items above the most resent post. Yes, just like a blog. That way the teachers who I built this site for can easily access new content instead of searching for it.  This technique will prove to be beneficial after a few weeks have gone by and newer content is added.

What tools, or combination of tools, will I use to support my site?

In order to make my site useful, I will need to integrate a few widgets like a Google calendar and I’ll need to customize my sidebar to make all of the features easy to access. I really like Karl’s simple class blog design. While it’s simple in its design, everything is very accessible and easy to find. I do plan on listing the names of each student in the side bar in order for me and the other teachers to quickly click on a name and access the comments.

This is a screen shot of our class blog. My Google Page will attempt to achieve it’s functionality and ease of use.

What do I want users to do when they visit the site?

• I want my users to download worksheets
• I want my users to see my power point presentations
• I want my users to see my lesson calendar and assignments
• I want my users to use the page I create for each of our shared students, in order to inform IEP reports.
• I want my users to use my page as a one stop shop for English 10 support, specifically for my classes.

How will they collaborate? Be specific

Since this page is dedicated to support special education teachers who work directly with my students, I’m going to provide a space for all of us to have conversations regarding our students. This, in turn, will inform IEP reports. There will be an area for teachers to ask me questions regarding my lesson plans too.

Each student will have a dedicated page where the special ed teacher, my co-teacher and I could make notes about behavior and academic progress for each student.

**I must find time to show my teachers how to use this feature**

Who are my users?

My users are two other teachers at my school site who I feel will benefit from a Google site tremendously! Besides teaching AVID, I also teach 10th grade English Language Arts. All 10th grade students who have IEPs are in my classroom integrated with the general education students. Because of this, there is one other teacher in the class with me. While having another teacher in the room is very helpful, we don’t have much time to plan lessons because we don’t have a common prep period. The other teacher who I am creating my Google site project for is a Special Education teacher who provides one hour of English Language Arts support to the Special Education students in my English class.

What do I want my users to be able to do as a result of using my web site?

Because I am the lead teacher in my team, it is my responsibility to keep my team informed as to what I’m planning on teaching. My website will allow all of us to know exactly what is happening on any given week in my classroom. This will allow my support teachers to better prepare activities in the special education classrooms. I will also have an area for conversation to take place. In wiki form, this will be  a place for us to share links to videos, websites, and to documents we place in dropbox.com.

I essence, my web page will keep all of us informed in order to better support our special ed. students.

What have others done that is similar?

In the past, our district has used First Class, an e-mail client that also allowed teachers to form groups in order to share calendars, and other resources. Since funding is tight,   we no longer use First Class. This means that we don’t have a means to form groups!

There is a significant need for a place to share resources. I think my site will meet this need. (It’s also free! which is a huge plus)

What performance drivers might prevent my teachers from learning with this tool?

Both of the teachers that I am planning this site for are technologically literate. The only detail I do see them having trouble with is editing the page. I will teach them how to do this by going to their room right after school, or by sending them a Youtube video that shows them how to do it.

What are my objectives

My primary objective is to have a central location for my teachers to access resources that are directly related to what I am doing in class.  Having this team is great because they are giving my students extra support, but I need to support my team.

1. My first idea, and one that I would really like to develop, is a collaborative web site in which my AVID tutors (college undergrads.) , and new AVID teachers could find support. Our AVID program is expanding this year I have two new teachers that have never taught AVID before. They are familiar with the program but not with the daily activities, projects, or expectations. We don’t have a common prep period and this makes it difficult for me to train them and help them with lesson planning. As the AVID coordinator at our site, I feel I am letting down my team. As for the AVID tutors, I think I could develop a page within that site that allowed them to post questions  regarding tutorial groups, and best practices. Again, I really don’t have time to meet with my tutors throughout the day because they are all working in different classes, and when they are in my room they are working with my students. I think a wiki would meet this need.
2. My second idea is to create a blog page similar to our class site. I like how the assignments are posted and we can make comments directly underneath them. I could have my students explore a web page or online resource that informs class instruction and have them comment directly underneath the assignment. As a student, I enjoy reading my classmate’s comments, and I think my students would enjoy doing the same. This would also force them to write in a formal setting. A unit on cyber bullying and netiquette would be useful here.
3. This year I am teaching 10th grade English Language Arts. The detail to this assignment is the fact that special education students are mixed in with regular education students. However, the special education students have a resource period where they get support from a special ed. teacher. My responsibility is to  communicate with my special education support teacher in order for her to support our shared students. This is almost impossible because we do not have a common prep. I believe a wiki or a shared Google site would meet this need. Google allows me to embed a calendar, and combined with Dropbox, this site could be the missing link between my special education support teacher and I.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jose Medrano and I’m 30 years old. I have been teaching for seven years and each year feels like it’s my first. I just closed ESCROW on my first home and I’m supper excited to say I’m the first in my family to have graduated from a university in the United States. My entire life I’ve lived in apartments and my parents could never afford to purchase a home. While my house is a little of a fixer upper, my family has come together to assist me with repairs and remodeling.

I teach AVID and 1oth grade language arts for the Sweetwater Union High School District.

2 Truths 1 Lie…

1. I can eat two Oreo Cookie packages in one sitting. Just give me a glass of milk to go with my cookies!

2. This is the second time I take this class…. 

3. I was my school site’s Teacher of The Year last year.

Since this is a little late… I’ll give you the answer…… ———————————————————–> 3 is NOT true. That is one of my goals this year…