HOPE COLLEGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY TEAM
Meeting Minutes
April 18, 2012
Opening:
This meeting of the Technology Team was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on April 18th,
2012 at advisor Sue Cherup’s house by Karli Brant and Amber Lemme.
Members Present: Amelia DeVries, Abby DeVries, Alexandria Klomparens, Amber
Lemme, Ashley Blauwkamp, Brady Van Malsen, Hannah Loula, Kate Bauer, Krystal
Hornecker, Kyle Mireles, Rachel Lundstrom, Samuel Pederson, and Susan Cherup
Members Absent: None
A.
Approval of Agenda
A formal agenda was not needed for this meeting.
B.
Approval of Minutes
No minutes were presented at this meeting.
C.
Meeting Business
•
Welcome Newest Members!
Brady Van Malsen (sophomore), Hannah Loula (freshman), Kate Bauer (sophomore),
Rachel Lundstrom (freshman), and Samuel Pederson (sophomore).
•
Secretary and Newsletter Composer
Kyle Mireles will continue composing the “Tech Team Tidbits” newsletter, and
Ashley Blauwkamp will be the new secretary.
•
Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) Conference
Karli and Amber reviewed their experience as presenters at the MACUL Conference
in Grand Rapids this spring. Susan and several of the Tech Team members had the
opportunity to attend various technology workshops at the conference as well. Susan
sparked a conversation about next year’s conference in Detroit, stating that anyone
interested in presenting at (or even simply attending) MACUL should speak with her.
•
Education Class Representative Assignments
We did not have the list of fall semester education classes at the meeting, so we will
be watching our e-mails for a Google doc from Karli or Amber containing the
schedule, in which we will sign up as representatives for (1) education classes we will
be taking, (2) courses that meet during open times in our schedule, and/or (3) courses
that need Tech Team representation after all other members have signed up.
•
Informing Professors about the Tech Team
The Tech Team discussed ideas for how best to let education department professors
know about who the Tech Team is, what we do, and how we can benefit them and
their students. Abby offered to compose a Google Doc newsletter outlining the
aforesaid, which would ultimately be sent to all of the professors next fall.
•
Summer Work
Once we receive our class assignments, we will contact the professors we represent,
asking them if they would like us to do any specific research for them over the
summer. Susan mentioned researching virtual environments for future education
department use, as well as possibly re-constructing our Tech Team website. Also,
Jane Finn is in need of assistance with taping her Exceptional Child (EDUC 225) exit
interviews during May and June term. Contact her if you are interested and available.
•
Goals for Next Year
Using what they learned from attending the MACUL conference this semester, Kyle
and Amelia, the new Tech Team chairs, have come up with three main themes on
which we will focus during the 2012-2013 school year:
1) Project-based learning;
2) Data-driven instruction, which is a key component of a student teaching
portfolio and should be included in next year’s student teaching workshops; and
3) Classroom management, another topic essential to student teaching portfolios
but too often neglected in elementary and secondary methods courses; we may
possibly host a separate workshop for this subject.
•
Schedule/Timeline for 2012-2013
We reviewed the schedule of workshops we held during the 2011-2012 school year,
which included a series of Chalk and Wire workshops for incoming freshman taking
Educational Psychology, three student teaching technology workshops, and a
technology workshop for Linda Jordan’s Curriculum and Methods course. In addition
to continuing these workshops, we hope to provide junior education students (i.e. all
those in Secondary Block and/or Curriculum and Methods) with technology
workshops as well. We are also looking into bringing in Tom VanderArk, a speaker
about online technology support and professional development from Holland
Christian, as a kick-off event that would be hosted by the Tech Team. Susan will be
finding out more details, such as the cost of hosting such an event.
•
Regular Meeting Time for 2012-2013
We were not able to come to an agreement on a workable day and time for our first
meeting next semester, so Ashley volunteered to make and email to everyone a
Doodle scheduling chart in which members’ availabilities would be charted and then
compiled to establish a good meeting day and time.
•
Summary of the 2011-2012 School Year
Amelia compiled a summary of all that the Tech Team did during the 2011-2012,
which included a review of what went well and what did not. The summary is
comprised of six categories: Chalk and Wire introductory sessions, Exceptional Child
portfolio workshops, student teaching portfolio presentations, student teaching
portfolio evaluation sessions, the MACUL conference, and a general overview of our
other events. We need to add one more category summarizing the technology
workshop given by Abby, Ashley, and Alex on Delicious, the SMART Board, and the
Live Scribe pens to Linda Jordan’s Curriculum and Methods course. We may
possibly attach the full summary to the newsletter we give to professors in the fall.
•
Other Notes
There are a few things we plan to keep in mind as we launch into next year. First, we
need to make sure that all student teachers know they can rent items from the
Technology Tool-Kit during their student teaching semester. Also, during our
technology sessions, we should work on teaching students how to use the iPads as an
educational tool (e.g. hooking up the iPad to the projector, etc.), not just showing
them a collection of educational apps on the iPad.
Adjournment:
Meeting was adjourned. The next general meeting will be at the beginning of the fall
semester. The exact day and time will be determined at a later date.
This concludes our meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Ashley Blauwkamp, clerk