TLC: Teaching, Leadership & Communication

Are you tired of teachers telling you what to do? Have you ever wished you could switch places with them, and give them assignments? Well, attention all Jamesville-DeWitt High School students, your dreams are about to come true.

Teaching, Leadership & Communication is a new course that will be offered next year to J-DHS students. In TLC students become experts in how to use a certain type of instructional technology like Blackboard or Microsoft applications. When a student has become very familiar with the technology, they will then partner with a teacher who wants to learn how to use it. The student then takes on the teacher role, familiarizing a member of the J-DHS faculty on the uses of guiding technology. The next step is developing a technology-based lesson for the teacher's class with their assigned teacher.

Not only will students get a chance to boss their teachers around, but they will also be earning credit for it! This course will be a regular one-semester course open to all students in grades nine-12, and will be taught by J-DHS math teacher David Nylen. Each semester is worth a half credit, and there is a possibility that students could re-enroll in the course in order to work on different projects. Students receive a grade based on the effort they put into this class and how they help out the teachers. Not only will this class teach students leadership skills, but it also looks great on college transcripts.

This course is a way for students to take a walk in their teacher's shoes, all while gaining useful leadership and professional communication skills. Technology is used in every aspect of life in today's society and students are at a loss in the world if they do not have these skills. Many jobs and colleges today expect their students and staff to already posses advanced computer knowledge. Therefore, this class will give students a leg up on their competition.

Overall, this course seems too good to be true. What's the catch? The truth? There is no catch. This course is designed for students to help teachers become as skilled with technology as they are. The ability to upload videos, use the Internet or Smart Boards, or log on to the Blackboard website come more easily to students because they grew up with computers. For some teachers, however, using the computer is not something that is second nature and they need someone to guide them. TLC is a way to connect students and teachers.

Although being taught at J-DHS, this course was not the creation of any member of the school's faculty. "I heard about a program called GenYES a few years ago at a technology conference," says Charles Clinton, math teacher and technology coordinator at J-DHS. "As the High School Technology Coordinator, I am always interested in how to improve our professional development for teachers. We have no one on staff dedicated to instructional technology for teachers. This seemed like an ideal way to take advantage of the great untapped resource we have within our school; our students."

As the Technology Coordinator, Mr. Clinton is responsible for the creation of the TLC class at J-DHS.

Q. Has there been a lot of positive feedback from students?

A. Yes, the response has been great. This course appeals to a variety of students with diverse interests including leadership, community service, technology and those interested in authentic project-based learning. I believe we will have more than enough students to fill two semesters of the course next year.

Q. How will students be graded?

A. We have not gotten permission from the administration to purchase the GenYES course materials until we have demonstrated that there is enough student interest to run the course. So, once we get those materials, we will begin to plan the details of how the course will run, including how students will be assessed. Mr. Nylen and I have had several conversations on the subject and we think it will be primarily performance-based assessments. For example, prior to doing their project with the teacher, students will role-play various scenarios in the class. These might include teaching peers how to use a particular piece of technology, using professional language and communication skills, and trouble-shooting. The student's grade will ultimately be based on the evaluation of the project they do with the teacher.

Q. Is this course only targeted towards students with advanced technology skills?

A. Not at all. We are looking for a diverse group of students to make up the class. Students who can take apart and rebuild a computer bring a certain skill set, but so do students who can plan and organize an event, those that can explain themselves articulately or students who give up their free time to help others. We want all of those students to consider this class. The only prerequisite skills are an interest in learning, working hard, and a commitment to the program. Today's teenagers are "digital natives:" even those who may not consider themselves technological have grown up with so much technology (cell phones, mp3 players, mobile computing devices, the Internet) that they learn more quickly than most adults and are less intimidated by new technology. Teachers may be reluctant to try something new in front of a class or do not feel as though they have the time to learn how to effectively incorporate new technology into their instruction.

Q. What are the main goals of this course?

A. The first half of the semester will be dedicated to learning about various technologies and improving students' "teaching, leadership, and communication" skills. In the second half of the semester, students will collaborate with a teacher to assist them with developing a specific instructional technology in their classroom. Much like in the Corporate Communications course, TLC students will learn professional skills that are applicable in almost any job. Students will learn that, while they may be young, they have much to offer and can play a key role in improving our school. Once they graduate from TLC, they will have the skills and confidence to be leaders within the school, whether it means offering to help the teacher that seems to be having trouble getting their DVD player to play through their projector or doing something that they never saw themselves doing, such as running for student government or taking an honors class.

Q: What about teachers?

From the perspective of a teacher partnering with a TLC student, this is a unique opportunity to get one-on-one professional development at a time that is convenient. Many teachers just don't have time to learn about new technology. Having a student show them how the technology works, how to integrate it effectively into their instruction, and then be there to support them when they actually use the technology in class allows teachers to grow professionally with little risk involved. Teachers have busy schedules and lives outside of school. They are often unable stay after school to attend workshops or research new technology on their own. With TLC, the student does the research and most of the communication between student and teacher will be done via email. We envision maybe two or three face to face meetings between student and teacher during the semester and those could take place during activity period or during a mutually free period.