Framework for teaching - and technology

To what degree should teachers be held accountable for the effective use of technology provided to them by their district? And if there should be accountability, how might it be assessed?

Many districts use Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching as a guide for teacher evaluations.

Danielson organizes effective teaching practices into four domains each with several sub-domains:

Domain 1:  Planning and Preparation

• Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
• Demonstrating Knowledge of Students
• Setting Instructional Outcomes
• Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources
• Designing Coherent Instruction Designing Student Assessments

Domain 2:  The Classroom Environment

• Creating an Environment of Respect   and Rapport
• Establishing a Culture for Learning
• Managing Classroom Procedures
• Managing Student Behavior Organizing Physical Space

Domain 3:  Instruction

• Communicating With Students
• Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
• Engaging Students in Learning 
• Using Assessment in Instruction
• Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness

Domain 4:  Professional Responsibilities

• Reflecting on Teaching
• Maintaining Accurate Records 
• Communicating with Families
• Participating in a Professional Community
• Growing and Developing Professionally
• Showing Professionalism  

I find little to disagree with in this list of teaching practices.

I've been doing a little digging in regard to Danielson's attention to the use of technology to support effective teaching practices. And I am not finding much. Danielson pays scant attention to technology (CDs, overhead projectors, calculators, and computers! p36 in Enhancing Professional Practice - 2007) in her book. The page and a half that addresses "electronic technology" emphasizes that technology is a tool, not an end, reminds readers of the digital divide, and excuses us oldies who are fearful of those new fangled gizmos. One of the "seven common themes" is appropriate use of technology. but descriptions of what constitutes "appropriate use," do not appear in the teacher assessment rubrics.

Danielson justifies this lack of technology use definition by saying that technology is not what teachers do but how they do it. (p32). And I agree with that. But a case can be made for an inclusion for skillful technology use as a part of teacher assessment, whether using Frameworks or other tools. 

• First, effective technology use is still relatively new and not as well understood as traditional teaching practices by both teachers and those who evaluate them. There is no long history of effective practices that are a part of the culture of education. A simple guide would be a kindness.
• Second. communities through their very investment in educational technology demand that all teachers use and all student get the benefits from those investments. As educators and public servants we are not honoring the financial commitment made by our taxpayers if we do not require the use of the resources they provide. 
• Finally, this is one way to ensure that the skills and benefits students receive is not wholly dependent on the individual commitment to technology use by teachers. I don't think we are talking about "teacher-proofing" the curriculum here anymore than asking that every teacher teaches to a district curriculum, uses the selected textbook, or participates in expected home/school communications.

So, unless someone can point me to some who has already done this and  has made it available for anyone to use, I am going to be looking as some specific ways teachers can use "electronic technology" to do their jobs more effectively as suggested by the Danielson framework. (Seriously, let me know if you know of this having been done and save my weekend!)

Somehow we in technology have too long run on a parallel, but unconnected course with mainstream education - the world of curriculum directors, staff development coordinators and principals. Perhaps we need to change tactics with technology people working with mainstream tools, "frameworks, and goals rather than simply creating our own. I know I need to buckle down and do a better job of this my own district.

It's a concept.

My efforts here:

Domain 1:  Planning and Preparation

Domain 2:  The Classroom Environment

Domain 3:  Instruction

Domain 4:  Professional Responsibilities

Heart of the problem?

So long as educational decisions continue to be made not by seasoned educators (who engage with parents about the well-being of their children) but by politicians, bureaucrats, think tanks, businesspeople, foundation functionaries, and pundits—few of whom have been in a school since they got their diploma—our nation's education system will be in deep trouble. Diane Ravitch, Death of Federalism, Bridging Differences blog

Is Texas the new bell weather state?

Make that "bellwether." See comment below...

These are tough times for state governments. Huge deficits loom almost everywhere, from California to New York, from New Jersey to Texas.

Wait — Texas? Wasn’t Texas supposed to be thriving even as the rest of America suffered? Didn’t its governor declare, during his re-election campaign, that “we have billions in surplus”? Yes, it was, and yes, he did. But reality has now intruded, in the form of a deficit expected to run as high as $25 billion over the next two years.

And that reality has implications for the nation as a whole. For Texas is where the modern conservative theory of budgeting — the belief that you should never raise taxes under any circumstances, that you can always balance the budget by cutting wasteful spending — has been implemented most completely. If the theory can’t make it there, it can’t make it anywhere. Paul Krugman, The Texas Omen, NYTimes, Jan 6, 2011

You have to starve the Beast. That's one of the most important things about tax cuts. If you leave the money in Washington, it's going to be spent.Steve Chabot 

I feel Miguel Guhlin's pain. He has vociferously been fretting about the proposed budget cuts in education in his home state of Texas. These are concerns, I'm afraid, that many, many of us in a lot of states will be sharing over the next few years. Are we building the fence on the wrong Texas border? ;-)

Eventually, I hope, the public will wake up to the fact that "starving the beast" of government spending is actually starving one's own relatives, neighbors and friends who have government jobs or have jobs that are dependent on government contracts. I believe people will not be happy when their roads, schools and security all rapidly deteriorate on a starvation diet. But then I am no political scientist and P.T. Barnam's advice to never underestimate the intelligence of the American public has never rung more true.

In the meantime, perhaps it's time to revisit some job retention strategies. The last big round of school librarian layoffs was around 2005 here in Minnesota. At the time, I wrote "When Your Job is on the Line" for our Minnesota folks and modified it for national publication in LMC. Here are it's major points: 

1. Learn the timeline for your district’s budget adjustment process.
2. Let your state school library association president and any regional chair of that organization know as soon as possible when library staff cuts are considered in your district. 
3. Contact your teacher organization representative and check your state’s laws regarding library media programs.
4. Distribute and discuss “library advocacy” information with your building administrators, superintendent, school board members and site teams.
5. Begin developing a short statement outlining the consequences to students and staff of the potential cuts to your program.
6. Begin getting commitments from district teachers, parents and students willing to write and speak in opposition to the possible library staffing reductions.
7. Arrange for a state school library media association spokesperson to write and/or speak on your behalf to your superintendent, school board and community.
8. Keep doing your very best despite the possible cuts.

Of course, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Ongoing efforts can make your library media program less likely to be the target of budget reductions. Make sure you are already doing the things below.

1. Build and maintain a library media program that teaches critical information and technology literacy skills, builds student literacy rates, and supports all classrooms and curricular areas.
2. Serve the needs of your teaching and administrative staff through instructional collaboration, technology training and support, and filling requests for professional materials.
3. Establish a school library media program advisory board comprised of a wide range of stakeholders (including parents) that meets on a regular basis to discuss goals, policies, and budgets.
4. Create long-term goals and annual objectives that are supported by the principal and teachers and are tied directly to your building’s goals. Enacting long-range plans and multi-year strategies or projects makes it difficult to change horses in midstream.
5. Build a mutually supportive relationship with your principal.
6. Track and report to your administrator the use of your library media program, especially in terms of units of teaching, collaboration, and specific skills you, yourself, teach.
7. Communicate regularly and formally with administrators, teachers, students, parents and the community about what happens in your library program, through newsletters and e-mail. Communicate through e-mails and notes to individuals on "I thought you'd like to know about this..." topics.
8. Have an ongoing involvement with your parent-teacher organizations.
9. Serve on leadership, curriculum, technology and staff development teams in your building and district.
10. Be active in your teacher professional organization and remind officers that as a dues-paying member, you deserve as much support as the classroom teacher.
11. Be involved in the extra-curricular life of the school, attending school plays, sporting events, award ceremonies etc. Be visible! (I think it helps to be an active member of the community belonging to a church or other religious organization, community service group, and/or volunteer groups. It’s harder to fire a friend and neighbor than a stranger.)
12. Be active in your state school library association by attending conferences and regional events, reading its publications, volunteering for positions in the organization, and attending its legislative functions.

Effective school librarians are too important to too many children to let budget reductions that affect staffing just “happen.” We all need to get active and heed the words of Dylan Thomas – “Do not go gentle into that good night.”

Oh, I suspect much of this applies to technology integration specialist positions as well.

Any additional advice for avoiding having one's position reduced?