Kaleigh Braverman and Emma Webster

Internship Proposal
Integrating & Implementing Tech Tools into the ELA Classroom
Rationale:
As teachers at Vincent Farm Elementary School, we have had the opportunity to witness
the shift in education due to increased access to technology by both teachers and students.
When first beginning our teaching careers, students did not have consistent access to desktop
computers with uninterrupted Internet, let alone one-to-one, high-speed devices as they do
now. Teachers were able to use technology resources to plan lessons, but often were unable to
have students interact with such resources during the lessons.
Since gaining unlimited access to devices for all students, there have been many
professional development opportunities provided to learn how to maximize the benefits of
access to such technology. Now, teachers are incorporating interactive technology into their
lessons with ease, and students are almost as fluent in using this technology as their teachers.
To further this initiative, we are committed to providing professional development to English
Language Arts teachers in grades 3-5 specifically regarding three technology tools that we feel
are beneficial for the ELA classroom. Each of these tools can be used by both teachers and
students and enhance the Baltimore County Public Schools curriculum. The tools are Kidblog,
CommonLit, and Discovery Education’s Board Builder.
It is important that teachers learn this information so that we can have consistency
among grade level with the technology tools that we implement. In this case, students will
become masters in using specific technology from year to year, allowing for higher-level
thinking to occur in the classroom. The use of Kidblog will provide students with a safe outlet to
publish writing to an authentic audience, which directly relates to our school’s current focus on
writing and journaling. The use of CommonLit will provide teachers and students with an
abundance of reading passages to enrich the lessons and research suggested by the curriculum.
The use of Board Builder will provide students with a high-level creation tool to display their
work, taking publishing to a whole new level. Our professional development sessions will give
participants an opportunity to learn and explore each tool, encourage transfer from the session
into the classroom, and help us to determine as an intermediate team which technology tool
we should adopt school-wide in the future.
Participants:
Our professional development sessions are designed to meet the needs of intermediate
English Language Arts teachers at Vincent Farm Elementary. This includes all ELA teachers in
grades 3-5. All of our participants are females with varying teaching experience. Our
participants range from having less than two years of teaching experience to 25 years of
teaching experience, and some participants are more comfortable integrating technology into
the ELA classroom than others. We will also open these professional development
opportunities to special educators and support staff who work in intermediate ELA classrooms
in order to increase the likelihood that what is learned in the PD sessions will be transferred
into the classroom since all involved have access to the information presented.
Learning Objectives:
Overall, our goal is to organize and implement professional development sessions
regarding intermediate ELA technology tools in order to deepen participants’ understanding of
each technology and encourage transfer of new learning into the classroom. Since each PD
session will focus on a different topic, there are specific learning objectives that will be met in
each session. At the end of every session, however, participants will create an individual goal to
be met by the next meeting time in order to hold themselves accountable for their learning.
Session 1 – Kidblog

 Participants will complete an online poll in order to determine familiarity with Kidblog.
 Participants will practice using Kidblog in order to increase knowledge of the tool and
create their own classroom site.
Session 2 – CommonLit

 Participants will engage in discussion in order to determine what is required to classify a

reading-related technology tool useful.
 Participants will complete a CommonLit assignment in order to increase knowledge of
the tool and understand the benefits it provides the ELA classroom.
Session 3 – Board Builder

 Participants will complete and online poll in order to determine past experience with
Board Builder and identify positives and negatives.
 Participants will collaborate with grade-level partners in order to determine how Board
Builder can transform a current ELA curricular assignment.
Session 4 – Reflection

 Participants will compare and contrast each technology tool presented in order to
identify the benefits and drawbacks of each.
 Participants will decide which technology tool presented will be implemented school-
wide in the future in order to maintain consistency among technology in different grade
levels.
Models of Change:

When we take a look at the ACOT Model, our school as a whole functions somewhere
between the Adaptation and Appropriation stage. Most teachers in our school building are
integrating technology into their traditional instruction in the ELA classroom. There are some,
however, who have taken the next step and have been able to create and facilitate the creation
of cooperative based learning opportunities. With that in mind we believe that our sessions will
propel all our teaching staff into the Appropriation and invention stage of the ACOT Model.
In order to host and engage our targeted audience, we need to take into careful
consideration how adults learn. To do this we will consider a variety of factors. In relation to
our intended topics, we feel as though our school is currently functioning in the sufficient
knowledge and skills stage of Ely’s Eight Conditions of Change. At this point in time it’s not that
our colleagues are dissatisfied with the status quo, but rather a lack of knowledge as to the
number of resources available to enhance and individualize their ELA instruction. We have all
the resources necessary to implement this change seeing as Baltimore County Public Schools
has given teachers access to all three resources. When offering our sessions to our fellow
teachers, we will overcome the obstacle of time by scheduling professional development
sessions after school. In addition, we intend to post screencasts of sessions to our Schoology
page along with any resources so that staff members unable to attend the sessions in person
are able to participate and learn digitally. As adopters, teachers will naturally be given a month
to implement, integrate, and reflect between sessions. Teachers will be intrinsically motivated
to participate in these sessions because their opinion and future of their ELA classroom and
students will be directly impacted by which tech tool we as a school adopts. They will want to
participate so that they can, at the conclusion of our sessions, make an educated decision as to
which tool they feel will be most beneficial to their students. Students and teachers alike will be
active participants. Both will have a voice in the final decision at the conclusion of our
professional development sessions. Due to the high level of motivation, commitment should
come with that naturally. However, we will enlist the help of our STAT teacher, tech team, and
at least one administrator in order to establish leadership roles.
Our proposal addresses all five Perceived Attributes. The advantage is that we are
providing teachers with a voice and the opportunity to not only participate in but grow as
learners. These sessions will allow them to explore a variety of tech tools that they may not
have been aware of previously. It is compatible because the session goals and topics are
directly related to improving the implementation of tech tools in the classroom. These sessions
and topics lack immense complexity, making our goals attainable. Teachers will be able to
attend sessions in person or asynchronously on their own time if they are unable to attend in
person. Triability is also present in our current plan. In conjunction with the professional
development sessions, teachers will also be able to test out each tech tool in their own
classroom. Goals will be set at the conclusion of each session so that progress is observable.
Overview of Learning Activities:
Before the execution of these professional development sessions we will collaborate
with our STAT teacher to create our own Schoology group for the intermediate ELA teachers at
our school. This will serve as a place for us to host discussion, post presentations, answer
questions, and share helpful links and tips. We can also use this platform to check in with
participants and hold them accountable for meeting their goals.
As leaders of these professional development sessions, we have determined that we will
be hosting a total of four one-hour PD sessions. To engage our learners, we will start by first
engaging participants in an online poll that assesses their knowledge of Kidblog. We will then
instruct participants to join the Kidblog class using the join code on the board. They will
complete several tasks with our guidance to become familiar with the tool and its functions. We
will model and demonstrate the benefits of using such a tech tool from grade level to grade
level. We will conclude the session by setting goals for the month and by assisting teachers in
the creation of their own sites.
The second session will focus on a new tech tool called CommonLit. Participants will be
directed to participate in a discussion in which they answer several questions related to what
they feel that they want and need in a reading-related tech tool. After a brief discussion we will
introduce the tool CommonLit. Participants will join our class using the join code and will
complete the assignment that we have pushed out to them. After the completion of their task,
we will explain in detail the uses and benefits of using such a site with their students. We will
also suggest different ways in which this tool can be used and conclude our session by
supporting participants in the creation of their own accounts. Similar to the previous Kidblog
session, we will then set a goal to be met for the month.
The third session will center on the BCPS application Discovery Education’s Board
Builder. We will start our session with a quick poll to determine our colleagues’ past
experiences with this tool if any and if they have had experience with it, whether it was a
positive one or a negative one. We will guide teachers through BCPSone on how to access
Board Builder. Teachers will explore the site on their own. We will then provide a brief
presentation that will also help teachers to navigate through this tool, but also explain how it
can be effectively used and individualized to meet their needs. They will then work with their
grade level to explore the web tool and select an assignment from their curriculum that could
be transformed through the use of this application. Grade level teams will then share their
Board Builder creation and its purpose with the group. Just like the sessions before, we will
conclude the session by setting a goal for the month and answering any remaining questions.
The last and final session will serve as a brief meeting in which we use the feedback and
data from previous sessions to compare and contrast the variety of tech tools, specifically
analyzing their benefits and drawbacks. As a school we will then make a decision on which tech
tool we will implement next year as a school-wide initiative.
Online Learning Component:
Each professional development session will be held synchronously face-to-face, but all
participants will be engaged in online learning throughout. Through each PD session,
participants will access the technology tool being presented and engage in hands-on learning
with the tool. Participants will also be members of a private Schoology group where all
resources will be posted throughout the internship. This Schoology group will be a place where
participants will participate in online polls and discussions, leaving an open line of
communication between participants and leaders at all times. If a participant is unable to
attend a face-to-face session or want to review what was learned, screencasts of information
provided on each tech tool will be posted on the Schoology group. Even after the internship is
completed, this platform will remain open and online learning can continue if participants
choose. As leaders of this professional development, we will be available to help our
participants apply new learning in their classroom setting by consistently checking in on our
Schoology group to ensure success.
TPACK & SMAR:
When we reflect on SAMR and TPACK, our sessions will propel our teachers into the
transforming learning stage. Best practices require us to consider all parts and emulate the
most desirable and effective aspects of both models in our own instructional practices during
our sessions. Our plan at its current stage has us working in the transformative level of the
SAMR model. The use and implementation of a group page on Schoology allows us to create a
space for learning that can occur asynchronously or face to face. Participants will be able to
access the same learning online as they would have received in the PD session. Our plan also
addresses all aspects of the TPACK model because we are presenting and using technology
through the devices, the online tech tools that will be accessed through those devices,
presentations, online polls, and the use of a group page. Pedagogy is met through our
understanding of how adults learn as we expressed and explained through the models of
change. Content is also met as we as a team have worked extensively with a variety of ELA
curriculum and topics, spanning from 3rd to 5th grade. We also have a deep understanding of
each tool and have been able to effectively implement each in our own classrooms. Teachers
will engage in relevant and meaningful professional development sessions to transform and
individualize the ELA experience in our classrooms at Vincent Farm Elementary.
Timeline:
February = Approval of internship by administration
March = Conduct Kidblog PD session on Monday, March 4, 2019 from 4-5pm
April = Conduct CommonLit PD session on Monday, April 1, 2019 from 4-5pm
May = Conduct Board Builder PD session on Monday, May 6, 2019 from 4-5pm
June = Conduct Reflection PD session on Monday, June 3, 2019 from 4-5pm
Evaluation:
At the conclusion of each professional development session, participants will complete a
short online evaluation of their learning and the session as a whole. Their self-evaluation will
help us to meet individual participants’ specific needs regarding the technology tool and
differentiate our instruction if need be. Their evaluation of the session will help us to improve
our professional development sessions for the future and make adjustments to our instruction
prior to beginning the next PD session.
Before beginning each subsequent professional development session, we will have
participants reflect on their progress toward the goal they set in the previous PD session. We
will conduct a discussion, having participants note what went well during implementation as
well as any obstacles they faced. This will serve as an informal evaluation of successful transfer
between new learning in each session and incorporation into the ELA classroom.
References:
https://sites.google.com/site/elysconditionsofchange/history
https://www.apple.com/euro/pdfs/acotlibrary/rpt22.pdf
http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/district/AcademicAffairs/it/Pages/SAMR.aspx
https://matt-koehler.com/tpack2/tpack-explained/