Just a forewarning...this blog is going to go a smidge off topic, meaning it will not be all about my technology module for this week. I need to get some unbiased feedback on a scheduling issue I am having. In a nutshell, our Catholic School shares many things with our public school (busing, lunch, Title services, band, music, and PE). The latter is where I am having my issue. We only share band and PE for our 7/8 grade students, who are bused out to the high school near the end of the day to have these classes. This year they leave our school at 2:15 for the last 90 minute block of the day...IF they are in band or choir, they have that every other day for 45 minutes and then go to PE. Next year, they want to take our students a half our earlier so they can have band/choir for 30 minutes and then everyone can have PE for 90 minute A DAY! That is 360 minutes (our students only go out 4 days a week) of PE a week!! I have been told the reason for this is so they can have their sports practice at this time....okay, but I thought it stated in Rule 10 that sport practices could not be done during the scheduled PE time. I was quickly told by their principal that I was wrong. Anyway, that is not really my argument, if you want to have your practice time then..fine! My concern is our 7/8 grade students are getting 360 minutes (450 if they attend public school) of PE EVERY WEEK versus 210 minutes of their core subject areas...are we sending our children to school to be athletes or to educate them? Anyone want to give their two cents? Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Should I just be the quiet school leader and let this issue go? Thanks for any and all opinions...
Now...digital collaboration. In my comments from Dr. Mausbach on my research, she stated that I may be getting this idea confused with apps...and after rereading my paper, of course she is right! :) It is easy to say we are digitally collaborating at the student and teacher level; "We are using this app and that app to do this and that" but when I look at what digitally collaborate means, using digital devices, open source data and cloud technolgoy to share knowledge, manage information and contribute user-generated content to communities of people regardless of time or place (Wikipedia). In my brain, this sounds easy...I am finding it may be challenging, at least in the beginning. I really want to implement Google docs (or something similar) next year with my staff to help streamline meetings, have a central location for documents that need sharing. I know that is just a tip of the iceberg on what Google docs will do for us. Is there a good place to go for training, remembering we are a Catholic school with a tight budget?
I want our staff to be the best they can be when it comes to technology and for that to happen, I have to know how to help them. This class, your blogs and advice have opened my eyes to many things I hadn't thought of, so thank you. I will always work hard to help my students and staff succeed and technology is becoming a huge part of that, so with patience and practice we will learn new things and do great things!
