Ekena Wilkins
EDLD 5306
Web Conference Reflection
The web conference I attended was quite helpful, and eye-opening to experience. I had never participated in a web-conference in which one “chats” with a large group of people via the internet, so participating was a bit daunting to me at first. I also was a little frustrated because my internet connection kept dropping signal and knocking me offline, causing me to have to sign back in to the chat several times. However, once we began the discussion, Dr. Borel was very patient and helpful during the duration of the conference. She put me at ease about what to expect during my time as a graduate student in this program, and also gave me some good news in regards to my not having to take the GRE exam! Overall, I was pleased with the outcome of the web conference because it showed me how interesting collaborative learning environments are, especially in real-time, and it encouraged me to take advantage of all the great resources I will be provided with during this internship in order to succeed.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
EDLD 5306 Course Reflection
Ekena Wilkins
September 20, 2011
EDLD 5306 Course Reflection
1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
I envisioned getting a strong foundational bearing of what educational technology involves from this course. Coming in to the course, I worried that I had been “out of practice” for quite some time, and was hopeful that this course would somewhat re-familiarize me with important technical terms and practices. For the most part, I think I’ve achieved that goal by branching out from my hub of PowerPoint presentations and word documents, and exploring databases, blogs, and educational social networks. The course itself aligned with my goals as far as me learning some of the basics of the educational technology trade. Though I felt like some if it was busy work at times, I do see the benefit of me creating and analyzing specific details such as data, educational practices, and technical strategies for use in the classroom and beyond. Overall, I can say that I feel comfortable with the newfound foundation I’ve gained, and I’m hoping it will adequately equip me for proceeding courses.
2. To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
Each day, I use some type of technology in my classroom. From Elmo document cameras, to online databases for data entry, mobile applications for emails, and even data projectors and slate boards, I have a variety of hardware and software at my disposal to use. Therefore, I feel that the progress I’ve made in gaining knowledge about specific functions and benefits of certain technologies is relevant to the work in my school, because simply knowing about at technology, but not understanding its purpose for use in my class refutes the work done in this course. Even if I decide to stay in the classroom throughout my career, I have developed skills and access to information that will challenge me to remain up-to-date with my students’ needs. If anything else, besides learning about new technology, I’ve learned the functionality and benefits of using specific technology for educational purposes, and I’ve become curious about how I can make my classroom learning environment more student-friendly.
3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I don’t think I achieved my goal in understanding the instructional design component of this course. While I understand the relevance of the course material, and the necessity for teachers to assess technological data as it relates to their district and campus, my planning my own internship, thought eye-opening, made me realize just how much I still have to learn about the field. For example, when it came to citing my leadership endeavors on the curriculum vitae assignment, I realized, I’ve got very limited experience in that area. Granted, I’ve only been out of undergrad for a year, but my expertise about many of the topics covered in this course is limited, and I’m not sure that I’ve gained total confidence in my abilities just yet. However, as I mentioned previously, I do feel comfortable with my foundational knowledge gained, and I’m just hoping that it will continue to build, and result in my leadership experience growing a well.
4. Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
ented or discouraged you?I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. The only things that I may have failed in were the progress check quizzes. Many times, I read half of the articles on the list, or f my week was busy, only the recommended two, and therefore, my quiz grades reflected that. It frustrated me a little bit that the quizzes wee over the entire reading list of the week, because it was like a guessing game as to what would or would not be mentioned from any of the 8-13 articles on the reading list each week. Also, the data and internship plan somewhat daunted me. I have never been a fan of math or data, so understanding, and honestly caring, what data had to say about my school and district took some self-coaching. However, after I began to take a closer look at my area’s results compared to others, I gained some interest in improving our current standings.
5. What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
Overall, I learned that I have a long way to go in the educational technology field, as well as a long road of work ahead of me. The positive of this is that I love to learn, and a little work never hurt anybody. On a light note, the idea that teachers make the worst students was reinforced throughout this course, because I found myself complaining the first two weeks about the workload and the fact that I missed teaching and being caught up on my grades. As far as leadership skills go, I learned that many of the Web 2.0 tools that I was aware of, or had used before have a relevant place in the classroom, and it is my responsibility to make sure that they find their way to the appropriate lessons. My attitudes are surprisingly conservative and “legacy based” when it comes to integrating technology into the classroom. I found myself resistant to many of the articles at some point. However, I am beginning to see some of the benefits of using technology, and I do not doubt that sometime soon, I will be just as holistically enthusiastic about technology use and implementation as many of my colleagues already are.
September 20, 2011
EDLD 5306 Course Reflection
1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
I envisioned getting a strong foundational bearing of what educational technology involves from this course. Coming in to the course, I worried that I had been “out of practice” for quite some time, and was hopeful that this course would somewhat re-familiarize me with important technical terms and practices. For the most part, I think I’ve achieved that goal by branching out from my hub of PowerPoint presentations and word documents, and exploring databases, blogs, and educational social networks. The course itself aligned with my goals as far as me learning some of the basics of the educational technology trade. Though I felt like some if it was busy work at times, I do see the benefit of me creating and analyzing specific details such as data, educational practices, and technical strategies for use in the classroom and beyond. Overall, I can say that I feel comfortable with the newfound foundation I’ve gained, and I’m hoping it will adequately equip me for proceeding courses.
2. To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
Each day, I use some type of technology in my classroom. From Elmo document cameras, to online databases for data entry, mobile applications for emails, and even data projectors and slate boards, I have a variety of hardware and software at my disposal to use. Therefore, I feel that the progress I’ve made in gaining knowledge about specific functions and benefits of certain technologies is relevant to the work in my school, because simply knowing about at technology, but not understanding its purpose for use in my class refutes the work done in this course. Even if I decide to stay in the classroom throughout my career, I have developed skills and access to information that will challenge me to remain up-to-date with my students’ needs. If anything else, besides learning about new technology, I’ve learned the functionality and benefits of using specific technology for educational purposes, and I’ve become curious about how I can make my classroom learning environment more student-friendly.
3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I don’t think I achieved my goal in understanding the instructional design component of this course. While I understand the relevance of the course material, and the necessity for teachers to assess technological data as it relates to their district and campus, my planning my own internship, thought eye-opening, made me realize just how much I still have to learn about the field. For example, when it came to citing my leadership endeavors on the curriculum vitae assignment, I realized, I’ve got very limited experience in that area. Granted, I’ve only been out of undergrad for a year, but my expertise about many of the topics covered in this course is limited, and I’m not sure that I’ve gained total confidence in my abilities just yet. However, as I mentioned previously, I do feel comfortable with my foundational knowledge gained, and I’m just hoping that it will continue to build, and result in my leadership experience growing a well.
4. Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
ented or discouraged you?I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. The only things that I may have failed in were the progress check quizzes. Many times, I read half of the articles on the list, or f my week was busy, only the recommended two, and therefore, my quiz grades reflected that. It frustrated me a little bit that the quizzes wee over the entire reading list of the week, because it was like a guessing game as to what would or would not be mentioned from any of the 8-13 articles on the reading list each week. Also, the data and internship plan somewhat daunted me. I have never been a fan of math or data, so understanding, and honestly caring, what data had to say about my school and district took some self-coaching. However, after I began to take a closer look at my area’s results compared to others, I gained some interest in improving our current standings.
5. What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
Overall, I learned that I have a long way to go in the educational technology field, as well as a long road of work ahead of me. The positive of this is that I love to learn, and a little work never hurt anybody. On a light note, the idea that teachers make the worst students was reinforced throughout this course, because I found myself complaining the first two weeks about the workload and the fact that I missed teaching and being caught up on my grades. As far as leadership skills go, I learned that many of the Web 2.0 tools that I was aware of, or had used before have a relevant place in the classroom, and it is my responsibility to make sure that they find their way to the appropriate lessons. My attitudes are surprisingly conservative and “legacy based” when it comes to integrating technology into the classroom. I found myself resistant to many of the articles at some point. However, I am beginning to see some of the benefits of using technology, and I do not doubt that sometime soon, I will be just as holistically enthusiastic about technology use and implementation as many of my colleagues already are.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
We're In This Together: The National Educational Technology Plan
The National Educational Technology Plan offers a plethora of insight on the approaches and objectives that should be involved in learning with technology. It even maps out what a well-rounded student’s relational circle should look like to ensure that students become academically independent, technologically sound, well-functioning citizens upon high school graduation. I champion this approach to education because it comprises all the elements of academia, literacy, and autonomy, and gives them a purpose for acquisition.
We live in a society when learning for learning’s sake is no longer justifiable to most students. Logic and rationale are key roles in students’ learning. With this in mind, I found the “School of One” learning approach New York piloted a great risk that lead to measurable gains. A personalized education calls for differentiation strategies, yes, but this technology plan also recognizes how valid technology is in personalizing educational experiences for students through databases, games, one-on-one interactive tools, and the like.
For teachers, the NETP recognizes the variety of sources and resources that are available for instruction, assessment, and reiteration purposes. Connecting with other teachers is an obvious suggestion; however, community youth leaders are listed as a source for educators to lean on for support—which is rare for some teachers.
Professional development is also given much attention in this tech plan. The NETP advises that continuous and collaborative professional learning that combine effective “in-person” courses and workshops are important to technological improvement in the classroom. The only question I raise to that sentiment is that teachers also need specific training that caters to their content area, and gives concrete, instructionally explicit examples of strategies and assessment techniques that maximize teaching and learning.
How Are We Doing: MISD District Technology Plan Evaluation
When reading over my district’s most recent technology plan, I discovered how dedicated it has pledged to be in providing equitable technological access, as well as ensuring the academic growth and technology literacy of students. This thorough description of Mansfield ISD’s commitment to technological advancement outlined strategies that include, but are not limited to, developing technology outlets for Gifted/Talented and SpEd students, providing convenient and valuable distance learning outlets as well as professional development opportunities that include online webinars, developing explicit administrative leadership groups responsible for monitoring successful implementation, and sealing infrastructure by synchronizing campus technology plans across the district.
Professional development is ongoing and diverse. In MISD, through Eduphoria, teachers have the ability to view upcoming professional development opportunities that are under the leadership of the district’s Chief Technology Officer. A district technology coordinator is responsible for sending out email alerts to faculty and staff regarding the progress of technology and new implementation strategies or opportunities
To ensure student learning, hardware, software, telecommunications services and more are assessed by District-wide low student / technology ratios that meet or exceed minimum operating standards. Although the district is adamant about its “conservative” spending habits, the budget plan does call for the use of E-rate discounts to improve equitable network and internet access for students. The evaluation process outlined for each area of implementation is preventative, and specific in what results should arise to indicate successful integration. For example, data scores that reflect the student ratio of improvement, classroom assessment results, faculty self-evaluations, and administrative walk-through evaluations are just a few of the methods that define the process of monitoring technology progress.
To Tech, or not to Tech?: The Value of Technology Assessments
Assessing the technological knowledge, skill level, and needs of teachers and students is a cornerstone of technological implementation and development in education.
The value of assessing educators’ technology leadership knowledge and skills springs from the necessity of a cohesive, consistent, commitment to instructional improvement that benefits the students’ learning in a comprehensive fashion. Assessing educators introduces accountability, and encourages teachers to collaborate to master the pairing of their instructional and technological strengths. In order for educators to spark the interest and effectiveness desired from students in the classroom, there has to be a consensus that involves a continuous evaluation.
Educators must also assess the knowledge and skill of student technology skill levels and their perceived needs, because this helps campuses and districts map out improvement plans that will meet the needs of students, and it pushes students to reach their academic potential. Statewide technology assessments administered throughout elementary and middle school grades inform school systems in many areas ranging from technology navigation skills, research skills, and even acceptable use policies.
However, there are “pros and cons” to technology assessment. Some considerable advantages are that technology caters to most students’ interests or comfort levels, since many of them already use complex technology outside of school. Also, these assessment techniques challenge students to use higher level thinking such as evaluation or synthesis in order to develop real-world skills through the mastery of content area material.
Unfortunately, not all students are affluent with technology, nor are all teachers; therefore, inexperience or apathy hinders technological implementation. Teachers who do not know how to effectively instruct their classes using technology have a more difficult time adequately assessing their students with it. Also, students acquired from outside districts do not always arrive with the same technological skills set as their peers, which can create difficulties in differentiation for measuring their progress through technological means.
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