I. Outcomes
The outcomes I envisioned for Concepts of Educational Technology were (a) to gain a deeper understanding of the workings of the technology team in a school district, (b) to learn the newest technology that can be integrated in school curriculums, (c) to find new methods of use and integration of the technology, and (d) to learn what it means to be a district technology director. I feel these goals were met and much more.
The examination of the CIPA, COPA, and FERPA laws gave a new awareness of what must be done to ensure the safety of our students. Through the e-Rate investigation, I now understand how funds for technology are allotted. By reviewing and reflecting on the national, state, and district technology plans, I know what must be taught and when it must be mastered. New technology tools: (a) blogs, (b) RSS feeds, and (c) social bookmarking, which I had heard about but didn’t have a good understanding of, are now included in my repertoire.
A new understanding of myself has emerged. My worries of having enough self-discipline and confidence to complete an online course are unfounded. I embraced the challenge of the time constraints and the rigorous coursework and finished my first course with the self-satisfaction of accomplishment.
II. Relevance
As an Instructional Specialist (IS) at the high school, a few things I am responsible for are as follows: collecting data, creating data documents, reviewing curriculum, co-planning with teachers, demonstrate model lessons, advocate for student-centered powerful teaching and learning, plan and deliver professional development, and serve as a resource person for our teachers.
The prime goal is advocating for student-centered learning environments. I have discovered new ways to incorporate technology tools into the educational setting in weeks two through four. By setting up my blog and having to reflect, I now understand how teachers can use those for student reflections of math procedures or historical events. In creating a wiki for my ePortfolio, I now understand how we can build student portfolios beginning their 9th grade year. RSS feeds have shown how students can have access to current events for discussion in history classes. By possessing a greater knowledge of these tools, I am better able to help teachers integrate them into their curriculum.
III. Issues of Non-Achievement
There was not a time when I felt that I didn’t achieve something. Nevertheless, I did have a few concerns. The first concern is time. The first four weeks went smoothly, but the fifth one was extremely stressful. I wanted to have more time discussing my plan with my administrators so actual project outlines could be drafted. After completing the session concerning safety and ethics, the need on our campus for the incorporation of activities and trainings to be in place and consistently revisited was clear. With a little more time with my mentor, ideas for implementing safety and ethics could have been addressed more in-depth on my plan.
Another issue I am still struggling with is the APA style. I bought another resource to use in addition to the required book. I printed documents from Prudue OWL and used those as well. I used the Word documentation tool and Son of Citation too. Although I have seen a subtle improvement, I still have much to learn concerning style.
IV. Success
My tenacity in carrying out the course assignments was unbelievable. I was worried that would be an issue, but once I got a system down and followed it, I was more productive; however, on occasion time constraints were a source of frustration. The frustration stems from feelings of inadequacy in writing. Since I am not familiar with the APA style and formats, I have to use valuable time learning as I go. Consequently, I have seen a bit of an improvement with my wordiness and excessive use of figurative language. Another discouragement encountered, was completing my own work to the degree that I wanted to see in my own students. By reading others’ blogs and discussion board posts, I was given various models to help me improve my writing.
Although time constraints seem to be an issue in all that I do, I believe they will make me devise ways of working more efficiently.
V. Knowledge
The knowledge I gained has given me a new perspective on my preconceived notions about technology. After completing the self-assessments, I realized I have quite a bit of information to learn about new technologies. I gained a new understanding of the laws surrounding technology and all that those entail. The national and state standards were not new to me since I had to use them to some extent in my technology specialist position; however, because of the deeper reading and reflective thinking, I have a new understanding of those standards. The wikis are not new to me, although, the google sites is. I have used edublogs to post educational technology updates last year, but the new learning gave me new ways to show teachers and students the value of this tool. The professional vita was brand new to me. By having to read others and give constructive feedback, I have found various ways to format for professionalism. Overall, I learned that I am self-motivated enough to take online coursework.
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