Collaborative


 * UPDATE Final Wiki Activity** - (Due May 6) Please download and read the Educational Technology WebQuest. It explains the WebQuest activity. Your job is to evaluate the WebQuest activity and make suggestions for improvement on the collaborative page. I modified the assignment so you can spend additional time on your websites. I like how you started and hope you can give me suggestions for improvement. I can use your descriptions in the WebQuest as well.


 * Assignment:** The Wiki Starter will be the editor for this assignment and get the ball rolling. Your work is to continue the story from the first paragraph I have written. Each Wiki member should take a turn and continue the story with a new paragraph that will be consistent with what has been written before it. Once the group goes around the starter will either finish it or continue for another round if the story is robust enough or there are only three or less Wiki members.

The teachers in the //Connecticut City School// //District// (CCSD) finally got what they wanted. While the superintendent, Mrs. Cook, has given the teachers enough technology to fill two districts, most of the them are not able to use it and have been calling for training to finally learn to use this stuff. Mrs. Cook has relented and hired a group of grad students from CCSU to come in and provide workshops and training for a week.The pay is good, $500 per day per trainer and the group, Alan, Adam, Joseph, Luisa and Maria were expected to make significant changes in how technology would be used after the training week was finished. However, the group immediately identified several problems they had to deal with. The first problem was that the superintendent wanted all the training put online.

(Adam) Part of the problem was that many faculty members were hostile towards the new technology. Some remarked that students were learning the subjects effectively without the use of new technology, while others asked why they should spend their own time training for a job they already had. Fortunately, some faculty members were interested in learning how to utilize the new technology in their instruction. They were grateful that the instruction would be online, giving them the option to study from the comfort of their own homes.

(Maria) It was important to have a first meeting in person to guide the teachers about the online process and give them confidence that they would be able to do it successfully. We made sure they knew the basic steps and were able to ask any questions regarding the use of computers for the online training. We also needed to have an idea of the level of computer knowledge as well as the needs of our audience to define our plan for the training.

(Luisa) Another issue the CCSU Team had to deal with was creating the on-line training. They were hopefully given a good idea of what type of training that was needed as they were not allowed time for pre-assessment other than the one "in person meeting". They also had to delegate responsibilities within the Team to create the on-line training. In addition, was the time necessary to create the on-line training billable?

(Alan) Once the team thought about the challenges, the team began to draft out the project. They thought about the flow of the course, and what would be needed to successfully create their on-line training. Adam the team leader had Maria gather all the content needed to complete the on-line training while Maria and Luisa worked hard on the graphic and visual elements that supported the learning styles they felt would be most beneficial. Once all the elements were gathered together, Alan and Joseph put everything together and created the final product. However, before they held their workshop the group tested the program several times and made sure that everything was working as it was supposed to.

(Joseph) With a collaborative effort from the team and through hard work and perseverance the program they created was successful. While originally the plan to put everything online was met with some initial hostility on the part of some faculty members, after the workshop was held it seemed as if everyone within the school system was finally on the same page. It is understandable that some faculty be hesitant of change. But instead of resisting new technology everyone needs to learn to co-exist with it. One is not a replacement or substitute for the other, the only way for technology to work in the school system is to have knowledgeable faculty putting the practices into play.

(Luisa) The feedback form given to the faculty at the end of the training showed that the teachers liked and appreciated the training. They felt it was very useful to what they do and they appreciated the fact that they could go back and review what they needed to online at their convenience. The Team is hoping to be able to go to other schools and offer the same training in the future.