EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology Course Reflections

As I began my first online class, I was nervously excited.  I considered EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology as an introduction to the masters program and to online learning.  Other than one formal graduate course during my alternative certification program, I had not attended a university class since the early 80’s.  The learning environment has definitely changed since that time. My greatest concern was meeting the expectations set forth by the instructors and detailed in the course syllabus and weekly overviews.  At first, I became overwhelmed but the teaching and support staffs were very patient and understanding as I fumbled my way through learning new programs and the associated technology.  This allowed me to reach my goal of gaining familiarity with online learning and improving my knowledge of technology requirements for schools.  Through this course, I did gain a better understanding of the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology and the Technology Applications TEKS.  I find myself looking at technology in a different light and have started to apply this new knowledge to my classroom.

Every aspect of this course is relevant to the work I do at school.  With the information gained by analyzing various documents including the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, the Technology Applications TEKS and my school’s technology plan, I am reevaluating all aspects of technology that I use in the classroom and as the school’s technology liaison.  With each classroom lesson, I consider ways to improve my presentation of the material by incorporating new technology ideas gleaned from the information utilized in this course.  I have also realized that I must expand the students’ use of technology and offer more open ended opportunities that allow exploration of available technology.  I will also use my experiences in taking an online class to develop activities for my students using Moodle or Edmodo.  As technology liaison, I am responsible for planning and leading technology based staff developments.  Many of the tools we used in this course will be included in future staff developments as these will be of benefit to all our teachers.  The importance of continuously researching the most current technology developments was emphasized by the various weekly readings.  The establishment of a blog and a wiki gave two examples of ways to share this information with the staff.

While I now have a better understanding of the key components of technology requirements for both teachers and students as stated in the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, the Technology Applications TEKS and my school’s technology plan, I do feel I will need to spend more time analyzing these documents before I reach the level of understanding to truly be able to comfortably discuss all this material.  More time is required to adjust my classroom lessons to better reflect the technology proficiency expected of the students.  The completion of the draft plans for my internship and the principal’s competencies were a difficult component of the final week.  I realize the importance of these plans being put into place as soon as possible because of the 18 month time period of the program.   Developing all the activities for both plans was complicated as the descriptors were very open ended but the examples supplied in our last web conference did assist with the process.  I do feel that I will be revising my plans as I develop a greater understanding of the requirements and find activities that better reflect the required skills.

I did successfully complete all course assignments but not without some difficulty.  While the overviews and the weekly assignments were quite detailed, I did experience anxiety about completing all the requirements listed.  I constantly checked and rechecked these documents to ensure all assignments were completed on time and turned in properly. There was a learning curve associated with the Epic program.  It took me several weeks to find all the nuances of the program and to successfully access the detailed grading comments.  As this was the first time I have used Epic or any online courseware, I was expecting to have difficulty in the beginning.  I did find that my comfort level with the courseware increased significantly from the first week to the last.   My experiences with Epic will give me a better idea of how to successfully incorporate online learning courseware into my classroom.  In the first couple of weeks, I became discouraged due to the time required to maintain a fulltime teaching job and complete all the assignments for this course.  Five weeks is a very short amount of time to complete the requirements that are normally spread out over a much longer time period.  But with the support of the instructional staff, my classmates and my family, I realized that with proper time management anything was possible. 

I have always considered myself a lifelong learner and this masters program is another step in that journey.  I was educated as a microbiologist, trained as a histotechnologist, and later in life used my science education to become a science teacher.  As more technology was added to our campus, I was asked to attend summer training on the new Web on Wheels (WOW) carts. Little did I realize the love of technology that would stem from this exposure to technology and especially Web 2.0 tools.  I have attended additional trainings and taught myself to use many programs but I have reached a time where I realize that I must expand my horizons.  To truly become a technology leader, I will need to acquire a much larger knowledge base.  While I do have a greater understanding of technology than most of my peers, the job of technology liaison requires a continuous improvement of technology skills and a need to stay current on new developments and the latest research.  If I am going to train others in the use of technology tools, I must improve my leadership skills in order to present the best trainings possible to the staff.  I know that I will always want to stay current on the latest technology developments as I do truly feel that learning never stops and knowledge is power.

Web Conference Reflection

Participating in a web conference was a new experience for me.  I have used Skype so the techniques required to participate in the web conference were familiar.  The actual experience was very pleasant. I participated in the web conferences on November 16, November 17, and November 29.   It was nice to see and hear others who are participating in this Masters program and to see our instructor, Daryl Ann Borel.

In the first conference, Ms. Borel gave us an opportunity to make sure our equipment was compatible with the Adobe® Acrobat® Connect system and explain how web conferencing worked.  She answered all our questions and was very patient and supportive.  There was a very casual atmosphere and I feel this experience helped to put us all at ease.  While I am familiar with technology, I have not attended formal college courses for decades and I did have some anxiety about starting this degree program.  I knew there would be a learning curve with respect to course structure and expectations but this first contact with fellow students made me realize that we could all rely on each other for support throughout the next 18 months.

In the following two conferences, Ms. Borel shared an overview of the Masters in Educational Technology Leadership program and the first course, Concepts of Educational Technology.  She encouraged us to persevere through the next 18 months and ensured us that all our hard work would be worthwhile when we walked across the stage to receive our diploma. 

National Educational Technology Plan

The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, was released by the U.S. Department of Education on November 9, 2010.  The plan recommends incorporating technology used in daily life and the workplace into all aspects of the educational system.

Goals of the NETP

The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) contains goals and recommendations in five areas:  learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. 

Learning

All learners will have engaging and empowering learning experiences both in and outside of school that prepare them to be active, creative, knowledgeable, and ethical participants in our globally networked society.(NETP 2010)

Learning must engage and empower students.  This can be accomplished by using technology to improve learning across the curriculum, provide 24/7 access to learning resources and 21^st century expertise, and meet STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) objectives.

Assessment

Our education system at all levels will leverage the power of technology to measure what matters and use assessment data for continuous improvement.  (NETP 2010)

Assessment should be technology-based.  The collected data can be analyzed for needed improvements in the learning process.  Technology should be used to improve formative and summative assessment materials and uses.  Various techniques should be developed to motivate student learners.  Gaming technology, simulations, collaboration environments, and virtual worlds appeal to students and can be incorporated into student learning and assessment.  All of this technology integration must include student privacy and information protection while allowing data sharing to facilitate continuous improvement.

Teaching

Professional educators will be supported individually and in teams by technology that connects them to data, content, resources, expertise, and learning experiences that enable and inspire more effective teaching for all learners.  (NETP 2010)

Opportunities for teacher collaboration through technology-based content, resources and online learning communities will provide for increased teacher retention, more effective teaching skills and attract more people to the profession.  To effectively increase educator knowledge of technology, technology based professional development will be provided to pre-service and in-service educators.  Learning should be a career-long experience for educators with support networks that include schools, educational institutions, and professional organizations.  Technology will provide educators with access to numerous teaching and learning resources.  The ability to facilitate online instruction should be achieved by all educators.

Infrastructure

All students and educators will have access to a comprehensive infrastructure for learning when and where they need it.  (NETP 2010)

Students and teachers should have at least one Internet access device and have broadband access to the Internet and wireless connectivity both inside and outside of school.  Software and resources for research, communication and productivity should be available at all times.  Open source programs should be utilized and technology tools should be improved and added as these become available.  Educational and information technology goals should be established by states and districts.  A learning infrastructure should be developed by state and local education agencies.

Productivity

Our education system at all levels will redesign processes and structures to take advantage of the power of technology to improve learning outcomes while making more efficient use of time, money, and staff. (NETP 2010)

Educational productivity must be defined and improved to facilitate more efficient use of all resources. Technology is used to measure and improve learning outcomes and all costs including procurement.  Funding is provided for the development of interoperability standards that will enable the collection, analysis and sharing of data that is used to improve decision making for all aspects of the education system.  Realign our education system to include the use of technology to improve learning as opposed to more traditional methods.  Ensure that students are prepared for the workplace and citizenship upon completion of the K-16 education system.

All of these goals are important but let’s expand on the learning, teaching, professional development and training aspects.  Technology should be utilized to provide each learner with a program tailored to their specific educational needs.  Learning is not limited to the classroom but occurs 24/7 and includes resources that are only possible because of the worldwide reach of technology.  Students should learn to use critical thinking and problem solving skills.  They should also learn to use tools and techniques that are used for real-world applications.   These could include blogs, wikis, graphic design, and collaboration.  Assessments should be technology-based and include a variety of skills and real-world topics.  The collected data can be analyzed for needed improvements in the learning process.  The most appropriate techniques can be customized for individual students.  Teaching must shift from an isolated teacher-directed model to a connected teaching model.  In a connected teaching model, educators use a team activity approach.  Online learning communities are developed to provide students with 24 hour access to their peers, educators, professional experts on topics studied, community members and parents.  This approach uses data collection to constantly improve the learning experience.  Teachers become facilitators, mentors and co-learners.  Students have the advantage of online learning systems and self-directed learning opportunities. Teaching will be supported by technology both on an individual teacher basis and in team teaching situations.  Technology will be used to connect teachers to data, content, resources, expertise, and learning experiences that will help improve teaching techniques.  Professional development and trainings should be effective and continuous.  In-person courses and workshops, online activities and collaborative opportunities will provide a broader range of trainings.  Educators should have the opportunity to learn 24/7 just like their students. The development of career-long personal learning networks will allow educators to achieve a level of expertise in technology as well as other aspects of education.  These networks will consist of teacher preparation institutions, professional organizations, schools, educational peers and experts.

All of the goals and recommendations of this plan are worthwhile but several concerns emerge.  Technology integration requires money.  Providing internet access and an internet access device 24/7 to teachers and students that are not able to provide their own is a monumental undertaking.  This is made even more difficult with the economic downturn we are experiencing.  There is also the issue of parents who do not want their children to have unlimited internet access if any access at all.  Before this plan can be fully implemented, funding and parental concerns must be addressed and resolved.

Resource

National Educational Technology Plan 2010.  U.S. Department of Education.  Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010

McCullough Junior High School Technology Plan

McCullough Junior High School has a detailed technology plan which includes the Technology Applications TEKS.  The plan’s stated objective is ‘to ensure that all students and staff utilize technology as a tool for learning’.  The plan can be divided into 5 sections:  telecommunications and information technology, professional development, assessment of telecommunication services, hardware, software, and other services needed, budgeting and continuous evaluation of the plan.  There are numerous strategies involved to meet each of these goals. 

Telecommunications and Information Technology

Students are given the opportunity to take several different computer based courses to increase their understanding and knowledge of technology.  All students have a school email account and domain access that provides online space to store files.  The Student Access Center and the Parent Access Center provide students and their parents’ personal information including grades, absences, tardies, disciplinary actions, evaluation data and lunch account balance.  Internet safety is emphasized to students as well as research and analysis techniques.  McCullough has two 30 station Library computer labs and 6 WOW (Web on Wheels) carts that contain 28 computers each.  Teachers are encouraged to utilize these computers in their curriculum and for assessment purposes.  Classrooms contain 1 – 4 student computers.  Students may utilize these computers to complete school assignments before school, after school and during advisory.  Each classroom is equipped with a teacher computer.   There are several wireless access systems available at McCullough including a guest system, student/staff system and administration system.

Professional development

Professional development is an ongoing process.  Trainings have been scheduled on a monthly basis and occur during teacher conference times.  During the current school year, trainings have been held on Eduphoria, and eschools Plus.  Future trainings will include a refresher on the use of the WOW carts, INOVA Plus, Edmodo, Moodle, Quizlet and various ESL related tools.  Additional trainings will be determined utilizing surveys completed by staff members. As these trainings are provided by district or school staff, the only expense incurred is the salary of a substitute for the staff member presenting the program.   Coordination of professional development is provided by a team consisting of the principal, assistant principal in charge of technology and the technology liaison.

Assessment of telecommunication services, hardware, software, etc.

The STaR Chart survey is used to evaluate the current telecommunications services.   Additionally, staff members are surveyed as to their observations and needs to increase technology use in the classroom. 

Budgeting

Technology related budgeting is included in the campus budget. Current funds are limited due to the cut backs that all school districts are experiencing.  There are no plans for major technology purchases.  The current equipment will be maintained and repairs made as necessary.  McCullough is undergoing a major construction project.  Included as part of this project are a few technology related items including additional wireless access points to improve service, and internet connections and electrical outlets required for the use of technology in classrooms. 

Evaluation

The evaluation process has various components that utilize data from students and staff members.  A technology literacy assessment is administered through the science classes to determine areas of improvement needed within computer courses.  Campus and staff formative assessments occur in November and January.  The formative assessments utilized are technology professional development records and reevaluation of the campus and district technology plans to ensure these align with the technology strategies.    Campus and staff summative assessment occurs in July and uses the performance indicators of the STaR report. 

Technology planning is a fluid process because of the continuous development of new technology and improvement of current technology.  McCullough’s technology plan focuses on meeting these ever changing needs.

Resource:

STaR Chart.  Campus Statistics Statewide Annual Summary.  Retrieved from http://starchart.epsilen.com/statistics.html

Assessment of Educators' Technology Leadership Knowledge and Skills

Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. When it is embedded effectively within larger institutional systems, assessment can help us focus our collective attention, examine our assumptions, and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of higher education (Angelo, 1995).


While this quote was not specifically aimed at technology, the concepts expressed can be applied to any type of assessment. We are in the midst of a digital age that is accelerating with each passing moment. Technology is a keystone of learning and we much have a plan in place to incorporate all aspects of technology into the learning environment. This plan must be a basis for evaluating and improving technology integration for both teachers and students.


Teachers should be evaluated for knowledge and skills so weaknesses can be identified and strategies determined for improvement. The Texas STaR Chart is a tool used to identify the status of technology at the state and campus level. The results for the 2007-2010 school years indicate that the majority of Texas schools are classified as either Developing Tech or Advanced Tech in the Teaching & Learning, 97%, and Educator Preparation, 96%, categories. This change is indicative of a move to teacher –facilitated and technology integrated learning. While this move has started, it has a long way to go to reach the desired goals of teachers as facilitators, mentors and co-learners.


Students use technology constantly with smart phones, electronic tablets, E-readers, internet connected gaming systems and computers but do they truly know how to utilize these varied aspects of technology for educational purposes. Students are also evaluated in the 8th grade for mastery of numerous basic computer related skills. I have administered these tests to 8th grade students for the last several years. The scores have indicated mastery at a high level for almost all of our students. Tested are basic computer skills needed to use office suite type programs and a limited evaluation of data. From my own classroom experience, students may have enough skills to pass a basic test but they do not truly have the skills needed for higher level use of technology. These students are expected to do independent research, evaluate data, and make informed decisions on a variety of topics. I have repeatedly had to instruct students on email file attachment, saving and accessing files at a later date, basic word document formating and similar tasks I would expect students who had been exposed to technology for most of their lives to know.


The advances we have made in technology integration are wonderful but these are just a start. Constant assessment of both teachers and students is required for evaluation of both weaknesses and strengths. These will be used to update technology plans so that we, as educators, can continue to provide our students with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in this digital age.


Resources:

Angelo, T. A. (1995) AAHE Assessment Forum Definitions of Assessment. American Association of Higher Education, November 1995, 7.

STaR Chart. Campus Statistics Statewide Annual Summary. Retrieved from http://starchart.epsilen.com/statistics.html

E-Rate and McCullough Jr High Technology Plan

E-Rate and Mccullough Technology Plan

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