Technology Colleagues,

Marian Thacher mentioned that I helped to review the TISA  
competencies. As I was considering the technology competency  
categories and, within them, the specific competencies, I was  
thinking that the list should be wide-ranging, that it should cover  
the basics and also push in some new directions for using technology.  
I thought that the assessment that would be developed based on the  
list should be useful for a teacher who was new to using technology  
in the classroom and not confident, and also for a teacher who had a  
lot of experience using technology but was ready to take on new  
skills and knowledge. When you take the assessment, please let us  
know if  the range of comepetencies met your needs for professional  
development.  Were you able to identify ways that you could grow in  
using technology in the classroom?

Speaking of which, please do take the assessment. It's at http:// 
adultedonline.org/ If you can, do it today so you can fully  
participate in this discussion. If you have more time, use the TISA  
to build yourself an Integrating technology professional development  
plan.  Then let us know how this worked for you.

For those who may be confused about what this is, the Technology  
Integration Self Assessment (TISA) is an online self assessment of  
one's skills in using technology in the adult education classroom,  
and it is more. It is a planning process that leads to a professional  
development plan.  And more. It includes strategies for using local,  
face-to-face professional development learning resources, and for  
each competency it also includes links to free, online learning  
resources for teachers.

Since I was very involved in selecting the online learning resources  
for teachers, I am particularly eager to see what you think of them.   
I would also appreciate knowing about other (better) free online  
resources that would help a teacher master a particular integrating  
technology competency.  The list of learning resources is useful, I  
believe, but could be better.  If you have suggestions for online  
learning resources that could be added, or other suggestions, please  
let Marian and me know.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net



On Oct 2, 2007, at 8:29 PM, Marian Thacher wrote:


> One of the interesting challenges in creating the Technology  

> Integration Self-Assessment (www.adultedonline.org) was to  

> determine exactly what should be included in the definition of  

> technology integration. After looking at a variety of tools, lists,  

> and sets of standards, we decided on 12 categories of competencies.  

> The list was reviewed and discussed by several experts in the  

> field, including Mariann Fedele, our fearless list moderator; David  

> Rosen, a consultant and frequent list participant; Laurie  

> Cozzolino, a consultant who has been active with technology for  

> adult education for many years; and Donna Price, a technology  

> resource teacher for adult ESOL in San Diego. With their input, and  

> feedback from a number of teacher/reviewers and pilot testers, we  

> settled on the following list:

>

> I. Basic Computer Operation

>      Includes file management, minor troubleshooting, and helping  

> students learn these skills

>

> II. Productivity Software

>      Includes word processing, presentation programs (like  

> PowerPoint), spreadsheets, and graphics

>

> III. Instructional Software

>      Includes evaluating instructional software and assigning and  

> tracking learners

>

> IV. Assistive Technology

>      Includes making computers accessible as well as locating  

> appropriate software and assistive devices

>

> V. Using the Internet

>      Includes using the Internet personally as well as in the  

> classroom

>

> VI. Virtual Communication and Collaboration

>      Includes using email, discussion boards, blogs, podcasting and  

> other ways of communicating, both personally and in the classroom

>

> VII. Video Technologies

>      Includes using a video camera and doing video projects with  

> learners

>

> VIII. Evaluating and Incorporating New Technologies

>      The list of new technologies will always be a moving target,  

> but the questions mostly ask about strategies for keeping up with  

> whatever is new

>

> IX. Managing the Technology-Enhanced Classroom

>      Not a specific technology, but a set of strategies and  

> attitudea about integrating new technology possibilities into teaching

>

> X. Assessment

>      Asks about both standardized testing and creating online and  

> performance-based assessments

>

> XI. Professional Development

>      Includes professional development about technology, and also  

> professional development through technology

>

> XII. Social, Legal and Health Issues

>      Includes acceptable use policies, copyright laws, ergonomics  

> and the role of technology in society

>

> This can be a pretty daunting list, but the site encourages users  

> to focus on only 1 or 2 competencies at a time, and definitely not  

> to select more than 4 items to include in a professional  

> development plan.

>

> Hopefully just taking the self-assessment will be an enlightening  

> experience for some, raising the possibilities and providing examples.

>

> Not everyone has access to all kinds of technology, so the  

> assessment asks people to rate both their skills and the importance  

> to their teaching now or in the future. You might not have access  

> to a video camera right now, for example, but that could change in  

> the future. The areas that will show up as priorities for  

> professional development are the ones that have an average rating  

> of above 2 in priority, on a scale of 1 to 4, and below 2 on skills.

>

> Does it seem to you that this list covers the important areas? Any  

> thoughts about the areas covered, or how the self-assessment might  

> affect teachers? Can you see the teachers in your program using the  

> self-assessment?

>

> Marian

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> Marian Thacher, OTAN

> P.O. Box 269003

> Sacramento, CA 95826-9003

> (916) 228-2597

> www.otan.us

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Technology and Literacy mailing list

> Technology at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

> Email delivered to djrosen at comcast.net