How have you used technology to enhance your productivity and professional practice, your reflection as an educator, and your leadership and collaborative skills?
    Over the years technology has tremendously helped my productivity.  It is very hard for me to believe that only 10 short years ago when I started teaching we barely used email to communicate with co-workers and my grade book was just that: a book with written grades.  Now with technology I use the computer for many communications and my grades are all stored and added up for me in a program that we use called grade quick.  I also used excel spreedsheets to pass along information to co- workers about their students.  (Follow link to grade 3 PE grades).  I sometimes get a little frustrated, because of co-workers who �just don�t get technology�.  In my Health and PE department, there are only two of us and my colleague doesn�t turn her computer on each day.  This gets a little frustrating when there are many teachers who have no desire to learn how to use technology as a tool, but see it as an inconvenience even though it would save them much more time and makes them much more productive.  My technology use has grown even over the course of my graduate studies, as displayed in my Technology Platform Appendix R and a paper I wrote for EDU-621, what is Educational Technology.   Computer use is very basic, people just don't want to spend the time learning how to use them.  I do have to say it is getting a little easier to collaborate with colleagues because of the influx of new teachers and the school's push and willingness to spend money and PD time on technology.  A tool that I became familar with in EDU-577 is the ISTE standards.  By using Appendix N I can very easily rate my technology growth. 
    A great example of saving time and resources will occur for me shortly.  I am in the process of getting my documents ready for field day.  This usually consists of me printing out documents, copying them, and putting a copy in each staff member�s mail box.  The appendix listed my field day event schedule (Appendix Q) ,as well as the field day time schedule (Appendix P), which are two documents that I would previously print and copy.  This year for the first time everyone is getting an electronic copy.  I know this will cause problems, because people will have to open a file but think of the time and paper I will save, as well as the possibility of the documents getting lost.  If they lose it they can retrieve it in their email.  I was very reluctant in the past to provide my data in this form, but once I got everything loaded into files, it just made it so easy for me to make slight changes in programs like Microsoft Word and Excel.   
     Technology has, to my surprise, allowed me to be on the cutting edge as far as my use, presentation, and willingness to learn new things.  Just recently I developed a complete unit which involved the use of technology in health education (Follow link to Unit Plan).  Most people are scared of change, but when they get used to the change, they understand that it is a great help to them.  The use of technology has allowed me to receive innovative lessons in PE and health from websites such as PE central and PE Lesson plans. This, along with the ability to share plans with teachers in other schools, has allowed me to be current in my practice.  Just a few weeks ago I sent a technology unit plan that I completed for one of my graduate courses to a friend who is a PE and health teacher in a middle school, similar to mine.  At the same time he is planning on sending me some lessons he developed using technology that I can use with my students.  Everyday that passes it is becoming clearer that technology is working it's way into every school and every home.  Just yesterday I sent an email to the PTO leaders about help for field day, and within 24 hours I had 10 responses; instant communication.  Ten years ago this would have been a letter that went home with the students where half probably wouldn�t have made it and I might have had two responses. 
     When I reflect back on what I am doing, have done, and am planning to do, I ask myself if I am fulfilling my obligations and responsibilities to the students, the profession and the community (State Department of Ed, 2007).   I like to answer yes to this question, because I believe that I have the best interests of my students in mind when I plan, develop and implement lessons.

Answers.com.  (2009).  Internet form.  Retrieved June 9th, 2009 from http://www.answers.com/topic/productivity

Holmes, B and Gardner, J., editors.  (2006) E-Learning: concepts and practice. London: Sage Publications.

Lever-Duffy, J. and McDonald J. and Mizell, P.  (2003)  Teaching and Learning with Technology.  Boston MA;  Pearson Education Inc.

MIStupid.com (2009).  Microsoft word mail merge tutorial.  Retrieved June 6th, 2009 from http://mistupid.com/technical/mailmerge/

State Department of Education. (2007).  Connecticut Code of Professional Responsibility.  Retrieved June 7th, 2009 from http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2613&q=321332

Wikipedia. (2008).  Internet Forum.  Retrieved June 6th, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum
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