Initiatives

Initiatives to Address Needs - EDT 6040 SEA


As a result of the ELMO Digital Presenter Survey’s findings I have concluded that:  100% of teachers would like to have access to an ELMO on a regular basis  60% report they would use the ELMO at least 75% of the time  The only concerns teachers reported regarding the ELMO were: o Concerns that they could be fragile, space, and classroom design. o The teachers stated that they would work around these issues if given the opportunity to have an ELMO  100% of teachers surveyed stated that they felt that the ELMO would result in increased student achievement It is a fact that CRHS is now under Academic Watch. This is due in large part to the high percentage of Special Education students not meeting AYP. Special Education students make up 15% of the total CRHS student population. It is a fact that the ELMO provides teachers with an opportunity to offer a wide variety of hands on and visual representations. These additional examples and representations should result in higher retention of information by both special and regular education students in the inclusion environment. It is imperative that CRHS find ways to meet the needs of their Special Education students in order to increase student achievement. No additional hardware will be needed to support the ELMO beyond that which is already standard within every classroom at CRHS.

Evidence
Research has shown that all learners retain more information when given the opportunity to interact with the learning material presented and explain their thinking. Active Learners retain information best when given the chance to work with and manipulate the information. In contrast, Reflective Learners retain information best when given the opportunity to think about the information first and then reflect on it. The ELMO provides opportunities for both. Active Learners will be given the opportunity to work with manipulatives, complete practice problems, and view additional visual representations. Reflective Learners can watch and think about the additional visual examples prior to taking a turn of their own. The additional examples should provide Reflective Learners with more time to think about the information presented. Visual and Verbal Learners are very similar in that they will learn best and retain the most information by seeing the additional visual representations and hearing the examples and explanations. Sensing and Intuitive Learners can benefit from being able to listen to and watch their teacher or peers explain their thinking and how they got their answers. This will give these learners more opportunities to see the relationships and connections between the information presented and the world. Even Sequential and Global Learners can benefit from the ELMO. The time lapse photography, step-by-step instructions, and/or the option to review a recorded lesson all will help the Global and Sequential learner. All of these various methods for learning are made possible with ELMO. In order for the ELMO to be able to help the educator reach all students, the teacher must use a variety of the functions provided by the ELMO unit. If not, despite all of these possibilities for reaching the multiple intelligences of our students, the ELMO will no more reach these students than would a projector from thirty years ago.

Click here to watch a short video about the ELMO TT02RX [[image:plaly.png]] See functions below:

 * = Features of ELMO Model TT02 = ||
 * 5.2x Optical Zoom 8x Digital = 42x Total Zoom Capacity ||  ||
 * Microscope Adapter ||  ||
 * Can be used in conjunction with any of the following: computer, projector, TV ||  ||
 * Rigid arm || Allows to view object at any angle ||
 * Removable Stage ||  ||
 * Camera 1.3 Mega Pixel || Allows you to capture area up to 11”x17” ||
 * Wireless Remote and Lanyard ||  ||
 * 360o Receiver || Allows remote to be used anywhere in the room ||
 * Brightness ||  ||
 * Autofocus ||  ||
 * Highlighter || Allows teacher to highlight an area ||
 * Shading || Allows teacher to keep part of a selection or answer covered ||
 * Camera can save to SD card || (must purchase SD card separately) ||
 * Button allows teacher to toggle back and forth between PowerPoint or movie and projector ||  ||
 * Digital Audio and Video Recorder ||  ||
 * Picture in Picture option || Allows teacher to show pictures of before and after ||
 * Time-lapse Photography || Takes still pictures at varying intervals ||
 * Image Based Software || Allows teacher to integrate with Smart White Board ||

Based on the above summary, it is clear that the staff in agreement with the purchase of ELMO Digital Presenters in order to complement their current teaching methods. The ELMO units will allow teachers to integrate additional technology that allows for student involvement as part of their lessons. The ELMO is great for warm-ups and daily journals which are excellent ways to start any lesson. Prior to implementing the 4 year tiered plan for purchasing ELMO units, it is important that we cover any concerns that have been brought to the table:  Portability  Limited Space  Classroom Design  Staff Development **Portability:** There have been concerns that the ELMO is fragile and not very portable. The ELMO weighs in at just under 6.5 pounds. This is light enough to be carried. However, due to the cost and make of the ELMO, I would not recommend carrying it around. The ELMO is relatively durable if kept in one place. If moved from room to room on a regular basis, the ELMO is at a higher risk of being accidentally knocked over or dropped which could result in damage to the audio or visual capabilities. We will be purchasing the 3 year warranty and protection plan but we should still do our best to prevent breakage. **Limited Space** There have been some concerns that the ELMO, with all of its features, would require a large amount of space. The ELMO TT02 is of the following dimensions: 14”x15”x17” when completely set up. The ELMO should easily fit on top of a student desk, small table, or to one side of the teachers desk. When stored, the ELMO’s dimensions become 8”x10”x18”. In order to avoid theft, it will be required that the ELMO be locked up at the end of each school day either in the teacher’s desk or in a cabinet. **Classroom Design** The ELMO TT02 was designed such that classroom design should not be an issue. The ELMO can be hooked up to either a computer, projector, or TV. In addition, the 360o remote was engineered to work from any angle within the room.

**Staff Development** Staff Development is my main concern. The ELMO is easy to use, however in order for it to be effective it must be used. In order to make sure each teacher is comfortable with using the ELMO we will ensure that all teachers receive training prior to receiving their ELMO. First, our school Computer Technician and each of our department chairpersons will attend an ELMO Training Seminar. They will then come back and be instrumental in training our teachers. In addition, throughout the year, each teacher will be scheduled time to visit another teacher’s classroom to watch them utilizing the ELMO. In addition, teachers will be provided a monthly newsletter with new suggestions for using the ELMO. These suggestions will be saved to our Teacher Share Drive for future reference. Finally, there will be a contact person within each department for teachers to contact for questions about using the ELMO features in addition to our regular Technician. Below is a table that includes a list of initial suggestions for using the ELMO:


 * = Suggested Uses for ELMO = ||
 * All Classes || -provide additional visuals -zoom in on objects for larger pictures -show student work: good/bad examples -**save time**: can show entire class steps in using a calculator, keyboard, or other object – instead of going to every individual student -**save board space** – only display agenda, centers, schedules, or announcements when needed -go over **tests/quizzes** as a whole class, discuss answer -record audio and/or video of lesson for students who are absent or for students who need to review the lesson ||
 * Social Studies || -display maps and books -display and zoom in on pictures, artifacts -use for show and tell of teacher or student items without risk of breakage -discuss and view current events ||
 * English Language Arts || -Model good/bad examples of writing -Show students proper way to write notecards and where to get information from books -Model proper usage of dictionary/thesaurus -Allow students to share their work -Allow teacher or students to read aloud and students can follow along by viewing book on ELMO ||
 * Math || -Model correct way to use graphing calculator -Model correct way to solve a problem -Allow students to come up and show how they got their answer -Use manipulatives on ELMO allowing entire class to see -Zoom in on rulers and measurements ||
 * Science || -Model the correct way to use a graduated cylinder -Model the correct way to do a lab prior to having students complete lab on their own -Show students how to use formulas -Allow students to conduct mini-experiments -Record audio and video of lab instructions for absent students ||

Click here to continue to Standards




 * 1) Vision and Personal Philosophy of Education
 * 2) ===Needs Assessment & Identification of Focus Area===
 * 3) ===Initiatives to Address Needs===
 * 4) ===Addressing Standards===
 * 5) ===Hardware & Software Components and Licensure===
 * 6) ===Funding===
 * 7) ===Professional Development & Support===
 * 8) ===Maintenance Procedures & Recycling Timeline===
 * 9) ===Evaluation & Modification Strategies===
 * 10) ===Bibliography===



http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm http://profiles.doe.k12.de.us/SchoolProfiles/school/Student.aspx