Results of the 8 th grade proficiency assessment recently given to LCMCISD faculty and administrators resulted in an overall score of 78%. We must increase our proficiencies in Communication and Collaboration to support improvement in this area. We must support the teachers by being change agents, help to facilitate collaboration in planning, and implement more flexible schedules, and share our expectations for Technology use. How? – model collaboration, fully functional cohort teams, technology committee structure for planning, working technology for planning, developing strategies for student engagement.

Our Administrative team must help our teachers understand how to function as a collaborative professional learning community. Ask each teacher to prepare at least one lesson collaboratively with another teacher. Encourage the use of Professional Learning Communities (Skype, twitter, Google Talk, iGoogle pages) Encourage the use of online collaboration tools (wikis, blogs, Google Docs, calendars, etc.) Now to begin….the Amazing Technology Race

The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of people race around the world in competition with other teams. Trying to finish the journey first to win the race.

Eight stations (Journeys) for each team to complete in various locations throughout the District. You will learn how to use a variety of applications and complete tasks during each Journey. An opportunity for brainstorming and collaboration to develop ideas for integrating technology in your classroom/daily activities. Each team is a cohort group which will share technology with their campuses and mentor other teachers in technology infusion efforts in their classrooms in accordance with the District Mission, Vision, and Technology Plan.

1. Follow the clue (given to you by a race coordinator) to your first station. 2. Complete the challenge by following the directions found at each station or online in the Amazing Technology Race wiki. 3. After completing the challenge, a race coordinator will provide you with a completed” sticker.” Place it on your team’s passport and be sure to save your materials to your team’s network folder. 4. Get your clue to the next challenge (envelopes are labeled by team #... be sure to get the right one!) 5. Repeat! 6. Complete as many challenges as you can in the allotted time.

Some journeys may have two rooms listed in the location. If there is a team already working in one of the rooms, choose the other room. If both rooms have a team, pick the room that has extra stations set up.

My Computer ARACE_SHARE(R:) Teacher _Amazing Race Team # WAITING ON INFORMATION FROM CLAIRE

There may be clues in some rooms… look for them. If the computer screen is blank, press the space bar to wake it up. Computers are logged in as arteacher. If you have to re- log in for some reason, use arteacher and password “armentors”. (WAITING ON INFORMATION FROM CLAIRE)

Follow the instructions on the journey instruction sheets carefully. Some Stations may require you to do specific things so that the computers are ready for the group after you.

All team members must participate in each challenge. Each team member must be the “leader” of at least one task with input from all team members. Don’t let the team members who are most familiar with technology do everything. If you already know how to do a task, coach someone else on your team who doesn’t (tell them what to do… don’t do it for them!) The purpose is for everyone to get some hands-on experience!

At the end of the allotted time, each team will fill out a “Reflections” page on the Amazing Technology Race Wiki. Each team member has a copy of the reflections page in their folder. As you complete each challenge, you can take notes on this page to make entering your reflections at the end easier.

Are You Ready?

Team 1: Pauline Hargrove Michael Ridout Julia Dickerson Team 2: Greg Perry Leah Lebouef Buffy Knight Donna Fong Team 3: Sherry Combs Terri Estes Keith Lindsey Kayla Casey Team 4: Kathy Finch Kristy Brown Amanda Hallman Team 5: Stacey Brister Carie Broussard Todd Loupe Team 6: Jim Armstrong Mitzi Conn Steve Lisbony Kim Cox