Lessons Learned

I am amazed at all the new technology tools that I have in my arsenal after only five weeks!  My attitude has always been positive in all aspects of my life.  However, it was tested during these past five weeks.  I found myself on an educational roller coaster.  One moment I would be riding high on the excitement of new found information and the next I would be a bit low with the amount of work that needed to be covered.  I am convinced more now than ever that technology integration must be put at the forefront in order for our students to compete globally.  Knowledge of Web 2.0 Tools is no longer adequate; our students must know how to use them in their daily lives prior to heading off to college.  It is my mission to make each teacher understand that technology integration is essential to all lessons and not just a “technology” course.  Students must see the teacher modeling the use of these tools to fully understand their capabilities and incorporate them into their own lives.

Course Assignments

I was successful in carrying out the majority of the course assignments.  The first hurdle was Discussion Board Posts.  All aspects of this assignment were a challenge.  It took the first two weeks for me to find a grove and to demonstrate my understanding of these posts.  The other portions of the assignments were a lot of fun and entailed a lot of new learning.  The assignments themselves were not difficult, however, completing all of them in the allotted time proved to be a challenge.  I frequently found myself still working on Sunday evenings to meet the deadlines.  Time management will be the key to my future success.  I feel like I am better prepared to meet the demands of this program with one course under my belt.  Another factor that came into play was my mother-in-law became very ill during the third week of this course and sadly died on the final week. 

Success of Outcomes

This course exceeded all expected outcomes.  I have taken several opportunities to incorporate my new found knowledge into my own lesson plans as well as share them with my peers.  On a personal level, I found the course very interesting and engaging.  The assignments were challenging.  It was often difficult to find a balance between work, family and school.  Time management is the key to success with an on-line program and I believe that I will be better prepared for future classes.  I was able to attend two web conferences and found the interaction with the instructor and class mates invaluable.  My plan is to attend the web conferences weekly in future classes.   Before this course my knowledge of Web 2.0 Tools was very limited.  I now find myself teaching others about these tools and the endless possibilities that they can provide for our students.  I believe that I can now prepare my students for the future in a way that I could not before.

Relevance

This course provided more than I ever expected.  After just week one of this course, I was able to implement new technology into our schools curriculum.  As a special education instructor and master trainer, I am constantly looking for ways to keep the students engaged.  My belief has always been that technology is the key to success with our students and it was confirmed with this course.  All of the information presented was and still remains relevant in my daily job.  I recently incorporated Wordle into a money matters lesson.  The students were very excited about the program as a learning aide and as a new fun tool.  This course also reaffirmed that, as educators, we must constantly strive to better ourselves in order to better our 21^st Century Students.  I plan to model the use of blogs, wikis and web conferences at our staff development next year in hopes of showing the ease at which they can be incorporated into our curriculum. 

Envisioned Outcomes

When I started this program, I envisioned that I would be exposed to basic information in regards to technology and education.  Wow!  What a surprise this course provided!  After only one course, I have discovered many ways to incorporate technology into my lesson plans.  I now realize that my school is not lacking in technology; we are lacking in instructional application of the technology we currently have available.  This course has inspired me to meet with my peers and share the news.  I truly believe that we can move our school three steps forward in technology integration based solely on the information that I learned through this course.  Google Docs, Wikis, and Blogs are a great stepping stone to get our instruction into the 21^st Century.  I am so excited that I chose this program to pursue my masters and anxiously await the next course.  This program is not only contributing to my personal growth, but to the growth of our school and instructional practices.    

Web Conference

I participated in my second web conference this term.  I met several new people and discovered that one of them works in the same district and another one is close by.  We decided to exchange contact information and provide support for each other.  There were about 8 of us in all and it was great to be able to put names to faces as well as hear others express their challenges.  It was nice to hear and see that I am not alone in being overwhelmed.  There was quite a bit of feedback/interference with the web conference connection, but was clear enough to gain valuable information.  Honestly, I was not convinced that the web conference would be of much value.  I was completely wrong.  The value of the web conference in terms of camaraderie and interaction proved to be invaluable.  It provided the motivation to keep me going.  I plan to participate in as many web conferences as possible.  This should be mandatory for all on line learning classes. 

Are Assessments Necessary?

    "There can be infinite uses of the computer and of new age technology, but if the teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom and make it work, then it fails." (Nancy Kassebaum, U.S. Senator) Teachers must be encouraged and motivated to bring their teaching into the 21^st Century. I strongly believe that Technology Assessments for teachers and learners are powerful tools that will provide the catalyst for our campus and districts' technology plan.
      The Texas School Technology and Readiness (STaR) Chart is based on teacher self-assessment of their campus and district's effort to effectively integrate technology across the curriculum. It also aligns with the new Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2010. State funded technology grants rely heavily on this information. The state also uses this information to determine if a campus is fulfilling the requirement for No Child Left Behind, Title II, Part D that states all teachers should be technology literate and integrate technology across the curriculum (NCLB Act, 2002). These assessments provide valuable information on current technology profiles, future goal setting and necessary funding. On a smaller scale, the assessments provide teachers with insight into their strengths and weaknesses and allow them to focus on specific areas of growth. The opposing view states that teacher assessments are damaging and are of little value. The basis of their opinion is that the focus will be taken away from the curriculum and driven by the technology. Therefore, creating an environment where the teacher is focused on "using" technology not "integrating" technology.
    The assessment of student technology skill levels is of equal importance. In The Principles for Fair Student Assessment Practices for Education in Canada (Joint Advisory Committee, 1993), assessment is broadly defined as:

The process of collecting and interpreting information that can be used (i) to inform students, and their parents about the progress they are making toward attaining the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors to be learned or acquired, and (ii) to inform the various personnel who make educational decisions about students. (p. 3)

This demonstrates that assessments are valuable in supporting learning and reporting learning not directing learning. Students are far ahead of their educators in terms of taking advantage of digital technology and using it to their advantage. We cannot, no matter how hard we try or how smart we are (or think we are), invent the future education of our children for them. The only way to move forward effectively is to combine what they know about technology with what we know and require about education. (Prenskey, Marc). The only way to know "what they know" is to assess the students' current level of knowledge. Student centered learning is essential to making us true competitors on a global level.
      In conclusion, assessments help schools and districts gauge their progress with learning technology and develop an informed plan of action. It also presents information on the effective uses of technology to advance student learning and the educational system conditions required to use technology effectively. I am a stronger believer that teacher and student technology assessments are of great value.

References:
Joint Advisory Committee. (1993). Principles for fair student assessment practices for education in Canada. Edmonton, AB: Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation.
Long Range Plan for Technology 2006 - 2010
No Child Left Behind Act, Title II, Part D
Prensky, M. (2008). Adopt and adapt: Shaping tech for the classroom.
Edutopia: The George Lucas Educational Foundations

 

The Babblings of A New Blogger

Okay, I am just going to do this - right, no, maybe, I don't know.  I am acting neurotic about this whole blog thing.  Am I required to post a bunch of mumbo jumbo stuff or just the actual assignments?  Design, layout, format, adsense...does all this matter?  Is it about the content or the design or both?? Do I post the assignments in APA format or in a traditional blog format?   Am I reflecting, giving an opinion or preparing an executive summary - CALGON!  Just relax...breathe...sip wine...breathe...Pressure, pressure, pressure - why?  The mere mention of the "blog” word and the magnitude of the assignment triples.  Is it good enough for a blog?  It is certainly good enough to turn in the "traditional" way.  Do I need to add an entertainment value now that ALL of my classmates will read my blog?  Why would they read my blog?  They won't - they don't know me; I was missed the web conference. It is challenging becoming a 21st Century Learner.