Technology Integration

Teacher Post-Observation Questions

Teacher: Griggs, Kimberly C.
Subject: Spanish III Period: 3rd	No. of Students: 13
Observer: Ms. Bennett
Length of Class: 90 minutes	No. of Computers Used in Lesson: 13

Brief Lesson Description: Students completed a WebQuest designed to enhance vocabulary and language skills by selecting and researching a Spanish-speaking travel destination. Students chose their travel destination and then prepared and delivered a PowerPoint presentation in Spanish presenting specific information about their country in the following areas: general information, travel arrangements and lodging, entertainment, and cultural information.	Curriculum Standard Applied: Please see my lesson plans.
To what extent do you feel this technology lesson increased the depth of student understanding and learning engagement for this curriculum standard? I believe the students gained more insight on Spanish-speaking countries, culture, travel arrangements, hotel accommodations, etc. They gained some "real world" information that might help them in the future if they do decide to visit/travel to a foreign country.
How have students been impacted by using technology for this lesson? Has the efforts to integrate technology impacted student achievement, had no impact, or negatively impacted student achievement? Students were excited about the information they "discovered." They were able to more adequately compare and contrast other countries with their own country. They learned about differences in culture, made adjustments in their own thinking about foreign countries, and determined whether visiting Spanish-speaking countries would be appealing for them in the future. The students were greatly impacted by this WebQuest.
What did you expect to see in your classroom that would indicate effective use of technology? Did it happen? If so, why? If not, why not? I expected students to work both individually and in groups in choosing their destination, completing their information forms, completing their notecards, and creating their PowerPoint presentations. I expected them to search the sites I provided for them and learn additional information that would not even be included in their presentations. The students went above my expectations in completing their quests. Their enthusiasm and excitement for this project was enormous. The more they worked together, the more excited they became about their country. They learned so much in their quest, far more than any textbook could give them.
Identify how this technology lesson has impacted your ability to teach this curriculum standard. Has the experience been positive or negative? Why? It was wonderful to see so much information available within a click of my mouse! This experience has been both positive and negative. Negative: High stress in learning about computers so fast. Positive: I had a strong desire to learn about computers. I knew about the benefits they could produce for me as a teacher and for my students who already had an extensive background in computers. I felt I was being left behind, and I wanted to catch up. This training helped me to catch up even though there is still so much for me to learn. It has empowered me to better motivate my students, create additional teaching materials for them, and use technology as a tool to meet the curriculum standards.
Did your professional development training prepare you to implement this technology lesson? If so, how? If not, why not? Yes!!! I could not have completed a project of this magnitude without the development training. I knew nothing about computers with the exception of using one to submit my absentees to the office. I have learned so much this year!

Check all that apply.

In preparing and implementing this lesson, I used the following types of technology:

_X__ Word ___ Excel

_X__ Internet _X__ e-mail

___ PowerPoint ___ gradebook

_X__ video/audio ___ CDRom

___ Access ___ Other _______________

Engaged Learning Indicators:

Indicator	Evidence
Did your students take responsibility for their learning with technology? Did they meet, exceed, or not meet your expectations?	___X_ Yes The students used the Internet to get information needed for their information sheets and their PowerPoint presentations. They exceeded my expectations. The technology became the teacher; I was the facilitator. ____ No
Did your students develop, define and/or modify problem-solving strategies using the technology basics you gave them?	___X__Yes The students developed problem-solving skills as they became more familiar with the lesson and the sights they were using. They had individual work to complete first, and then they had to come together as a group in order to plan, prepare, and organize their PowerPoint presentation. ____ No
Did learning with technology energize students? Did they remain motivated? Did they take pride in their work?	___X_ Yes The students were excited and enthusiastic in their adventure. They remained motivated and excited, and had a great deal of pride in their accomplishments. ____ No
Did your students work collaboratively to understand the technology task to plan, implement, and evaluate their assignment using technology?	__X__ Yes The students had individual assignments to complete first. Then they had to come together in their groups and work together in planning, creating, and delivering their presentation. They also had to complete a self-evaluation after the delivery of their presentations. Students worked well collaborating with one another in fulfilling their assignment. ____ No
Did the technology tasks your students accomplish bear resemblance to real world problems in the home and/or workplace?	__X__ Yes The students selected a travel destination, determined which airline to use, hotel information, + costs. They also sought information on entertainment, culture, and basic facts about their selected destination. ____ No
Were the technology tasks challenging to the students? Did they need to stretch their thinking skills to be successful?	__X__ Yes I placed students in specific groups. Those needing extra help in the assignment were coupled with students who were very experienced in completing a PowerPoint presentation. ____ No
Were there additional skills which were required to accomplish this technology lesson?	__X__ Yes Students had to have proficient vocabulary in Spanish in order to deliver their PowerPoint presentations to the class. ____ No

Additional Comments:

I was very pleased with this project. The students responded well, were enthusiastic, and discovered far more about their selected country than what they could possible include in their presentations. They learned; I learned! It was also fun to briefly get away from the regular classroom activities. We plan another “discovery” quest soon.