Dawn+C


 * Technology Mentor Report**

1. Month: **December and January**

2. Goals for the months:
 * Setting up Professional Development days for most schools in district 18
 * Develop and begin a project with South Devon School involving 2 teachers and 12 children
 * Continuing to create “help manuals” for individual needs of teachers
 * To offer to peek at teachers report card files to see that they’re in order for the next round

3. What did **I** do to bring about success in achieving your monthly goals?

I contacted the principals, starting with the schools that had been booking me during their own time after school, and offered Supply Teacher days as relief time for PD. I was very welcomed and feel the teachers felt relaxed and non-threatened. Each school dealt with the day(s) in a variety of ways. Some simply had a supply teacher move from class to class while I waited for them to arrive every hour. They either asked me to cover a topic, or they brought along a project that I could help them with. They came to me singularly, in pairs or small groups. Some sessions were full mornings or afternoons. I carried handouts on all topics and when I ran out, I emailed them. One teacher sent me a note that reads: //“Dawn,// //I wanted to thank you for the informative, but relaxed in-service on Monday. I used the lesson we prepared on Tuesday (using the Smart Board) with great success. The children loved Google Earth! Thanks. I feel so much more comfortable with the technology.// //Nan// //Chisholm”// I am now booked solid until mid-March and am thrilled to be making a difference out there! I cross my fingers for no flu, colds, or car breakdowns!
 * School PD sessions:**

I have a nice little project underway one afternoon a week with 2 teachers, 12 children, 3 extra laptops, and lots of enthusiasm. We are running 2 separate projects to create Photo Stories on the Devon Fire Station and a Welcome Story for new students. The children feel that their assignment is real and are returning their respect for us and the project.
 * South** **Devon School** **Project**

I have been looking over a small sample of the Elementary Teachers’ report card electronic files. I have found about 40 percent to have several data files within their files, when they should only have one. It’s tricky to have them really understand how to manage this problem if their file management skills aren’t strong, so I have been creating sheets to help them identify what “healthy” groupings of files should look like! As March approaches, I will go a little further with contacting the schools.
 * Report Cards and extras**

4. Accomplishments/Successes Well, if being out there every day with 10 minute lunches and not getting to the bathroom is a measurement of success, then I’m there. However, I know there’s more to it. With every “wow” moment and with every huge “thank you” I get when I finish working with teachers, I know I’m helping out and getting teachers more involved in technology. I think they see me as dependable, on time and easy to work with. Just yesterday a teacher said, “With what you have taught me today, I now finally know why we were given these laptops. I can’t wait to go ‘play’ with all the software in my classroom!”

While at a school the other day, my start was delayed with a school assembly. A teacher and small group of students with whom I had worked on a Photo Story project was delivering their product to the rest of the school. Although I helped the teacher set up the data projector and so on, she really could have done it without me. What a difference from when I started working with her!

5. Challenges:

The big challenge over the past couple of months is to get to everyone. I’m not used to telling someone that I don’t have an opening for a month, and that I’ll get back to them!! I know things should slow down a bit and we’ll just do the best we can. I also miss the learning that comes when we, as mentors, are in the office from time to time working on a project. It’s amazing how much we can get each other over a hump and stretch our abilities!