Analysis

This blog project is aimed at supporting BTSA teachers using technology in Madera Unified School District.  This blog would be moderated by the Director of BTSA and myself, and we are providing it as a central location for BTSA teachers to post thier reflections on the CyberCitizenship component of the BTSA Technology program.  As far as I know, there is nothing available like this for our BTSA teachers.  I am the instructor for the Technology classes our new teachers must complete, and this blog is a result of the classes I have taken in the EdTec program.  Most of the teachers in the BTSA program are mostly ‘fresh-out-of-college’ and consider themselves skilled with technology already.  So many of them will probably have the confdence and skills to utilize this site.  Their motivation for using it will be that they won’t have to sit in a 4-hour class session to complete thier work.  They will be able to leave and use the blog for reflection/replying to assignments from home.  (Just like us in EdTec!!!!)  Thier incentive is built in to using this, because they will not pass their BTSA course requirements without using it.

• Who are your users?
• What do you want them to be able to do as a result of using your web site?
• What have others done that is similar?
• What performance drivers might prevent them from learning with this tool? (skills/knowledge, motivation, environment, incentive)

Design

Users of this site will post their findings, reflections and comments about the CyberCitizenship component of the BTSA program.  Since AB 307 has taken effect, our district is required to inform and teach CyberCitizenship guidelines to our students.  This BTSA component (which stems from our new CyberCitizenship webquest) will help teachers develop grade level appropriate curriculum for their students.  They will visit the blog and post according to the webquest tasks repeatedly over the course of five class sessions – which will take place over a Fall/Spring semester.

• What do you want users to be able to do when they visit this site?
• Is it a recurring effort, or a one-time project?

Development

This blog is an extension of Madera Unified’s Cyber Citizenship Webquest for BTSA teachers.  They will be guided through posting thier reflections during the Technology Classes they take in our district this year.  They will be afforded the opportunity to post to the blog outside the class during the time between class sessions which is a different approach to BTSA technology work than our District has taken in the past.  As moderator of the site, I will monitor and reply to their comments as appropriate.

I will still need to modify the blog, but since this is the first one I have created to be used by others, I don’t know what pitfalls to anticipate.  But modifications will, no doubt, be necessary.  I will probably need to add another person(s) as administrator or moderator in addition to myself.

I am sort of happy with the way it turned out.  I wish I had more time to develop it, but I am hoping that each semester, as the teacher/user group changes, I will make adjustments and modifications for the better.

• What tools (or combination of tools) will you use to support the site?
• What customizations will you need to do to your site?
• Are you happy with how well it turned out?

Implementation

This blog will be introduced to the BTSA teachers during the CyberCitizenship webquest.  Additionally, to familiarize teachers with blogs in general, the beginning of the semester will begin with the BTSA teachers creating their own blogs.  (I will push the CommonCraft videos on them as well….)

Regarding this blog for BTSA teachers, I am the powers-that-be, so I hereby approve this idea.

• How will you introduce this to the class?
• What do you have to do to get permission from the powers-that-be at your school?

Evaluation

My first inclination is that we would have a survey that teachers would complete regarding the online reflection component of the CyberCitizenship webquest.

• How will you know if this site is helping your users reach the objectives you’ve defined for them?