Thoughts from the cohort:

How has your use of the technology bundle enhanced or changed your teaching style?

• It has allowed me to deliver content in ways that appeal and are useful to my students. It has allowed me to create lessons that completely address the reading needs of my students from the lowest ability students to the highest.

• With the acquisition of the tech bundle, I have been able to open up my classroom to a host of opportunities that I was unable to give my students prior. I believe it has made my class more enjoyable for my students.

• My teaching style has changed immensely because not I can change gear seamlessly and vary activities frequently. I can walk around the room with my tablet to check homework. I can use the bluetooth pad and control the computer from anywhere in the room. I can have students pass the pad from person to person mid-problem and they have to be ready to take over and everyone can see what is being done. I can use the Internet and computer files any time, seamlessly.

• The technology bundle has truly enhanced my teaching style. I am able to differentiate my instruction with ease using the technology. The students are more engaged in the lessons and are able to take an active role in their learning.

• The technology bundle increased the ability to demonstrate problem solving techniques so that all students could observe. It also allowed me to demonstrate to the class using many interactive resources that students would otherwise need their own computers for.

• This tech. bundle was the greatest teaching tool that I have received in my 30 years of teaching. Every lesson and every subject is enhanced using this equipment. My students are more focused when I use this tech. They are more involved.

• I think it has made my classroom more of a room to experience learning rather than just a room to learn. The process itself has become more interactive. I have become more of a facilitator in the classroom than ever before. The tech bundle has allowed me to access many different forums of teaching topics. There is variety and excitement embedded with the learning. Although this has always been a goal of mine as a teacher, the technology has made the variety more accessible to my students and me. Having the bundle has also made me experiment more with techniques in teaching. It has given me the opportunity to take risks and look at my teaching with fresh eyes. The thing that has impressed me the most with technology is the way that it motivates the students. You can look around the classroom and see the level of engagement and it is wonderful. I use most of the equipment everyday in my class. I cannot imagine going backwards.

• I have completely redesigned my teaching style in so many ways. I use almost every piece of equipment every day. Students are constantly being exposed to visual aids such as internet, streaming video, and virtual manipulatives that enhance my instruction. The equipment helps students focus more on the lesson and there are less distractions then in my previous years teaching without technology. It also helps students who don't like to participate, feel confident enough to take part in my lesson.

• Using this tech. bundle has helped to fuel the desire of my students to learn. They are eager to use the technology. I believe that I have helped them to be excited about school. They want to show what they know and to learn more using the equipment from my bundle. I have been able to motivate students who may not ordinarily care. I have been able to gather a great deal of data to help drive my instruction and create flexible learning groups in my classes. I have become more comfortable with using technology and I have the confidence to try new things. I feel like a more, well-rounded teacher. It's been a fabulous experience and now my students are tech-spoiled.

How has your use of technology helped you reach your goals with your students?

• My students have made tremendous growth in reading ability. They have developed and extended specific skills that have made them more confident and independent learners in my classroom.

• I honestly feel that all of the technology has helped each student (working toward and on level) grow so much this year compared to the other classes (on and above level) I have had in the past. My goal for each student is to make significant growth from August to June. The SRI, AR, YPP, and other data that is collected really supports that technology is an important factor in educating students, every day. It helps them to focus on the task at hand and really gives them the visual aids that stimulate their learning.

• Technology has seemed to help them reach some goals quicker than they might have without it. The document camera is a great example. Using it allows the students to better understand the lesson and the manipulatives. Most got the concept of graphs from the first time that we did one. I think being able to see what to do with the manipulatives helped them understand the graphing concept easier. Message Time Plus has been integrated into using the School Pad. They are receiving the same benefits from doing it on the white board but now it can be saved electronically. I can see what mini lessons have already been taught and maybe any lessons I may need to add in the future.

• It has really helped me to differentiate instruction. I have had students work through a Kidpiration activity or a PowerPoint as part of center work and I have used the Palms (not part of the bundle but part of the technology I use) to assign varying levels of students to use different applications as part of my lessons.

• This has a been a fabulous year for me...although one of the hardest years in "working hours". All of this technology does require much dedication...but I have enjoyed the benefit of seeing my students' progress. My students are thrilled to interact with the TurningPoint, Interwrite etc. Their enthusiasm is evident and it has been a very exciting and successful year. Parents have enjoyed hearing the students' comments on "what they did at school today" and have expressed their appreciation for making this a memorable year.

• It helped to reach more of the students who tend to be behind the rest. The technology incorporated lessons motivated the students and there were really excited about learning, even though they didn't always realize that they were learning.

• My students are more engaged, therefore we get through more content. We have less classroom disruptions.

• The technology has been a great help in getting students to reach the goals I have set for them this year. The Turning Point technology is a great way to pre-assess, review, and informally assess the students. The eBeam and Interwrite SchoolPad are great pieces of technology that engage the students in the lessons and their learning. The document camera is a great tool to use when teaching students how to answer BCR's and ECR's This tool really helps the students become proficient at answering BCR's and ECR's. The tablet and LCD projector are the keys to using all of the technology, which helps the students reach all of their goals this year.

• Technology has definitely been a motivating factor for both myself and my students. Because of the School Pad and eBeam, all students can now participate with interactive sites. In addition, Turning Point has given me valuable data to assist with flexible learning groups.

• It is a wonderful motivator and increases engagement. With technology in use active engagement is almost always 100%. I have found it very helpful for the visual learner. Although I use manipulatives on a regular basis with technology visuals are always available. The students also like the instant feedback of many of the interactive programs. The instant feedback also allows me an opportunity to instantly pull students needing remediation as well as to quickly identify the students ready to move on. Often I find the use of technology has given me more time in the classroom for skill practice and enrichment. Information seems more direct and rather than trying to explain, I can show. Once I show, they can do. When they do, they become successful. The students feel successful and appear successful.