EDLD 5366 Course Embedded Reflection

When I was registered for this course I was extremely excited about taking it. In reading through the syllabus I began realize that this would be a very fun and exciting class for me. My first assignment went over CRAP which I had not been familiar with. I have seen many websites, posters and flyers without really thinking about the principles of design that were used to create them. Looking at the examples I began to appreciate the simplicity of the CRAP that is used to design these sites and posters. When I designed my personal logo I became so involved in the principles that I made half a dozen logos all with different CRAP! Our class began to form our groups so that we could work together on our final website project. I was very lucky in that I was able to pair up with very eager and talented peers. I have experience in working with websites, designs, logos and animation. I however did not have the experience in working with other people on such tasks. The process of building a site and sharing information between us was almost flawless. My approach while completing the assignments was to communicate with my peers on the website process. Our main means of communicating was through email and Google docs. Our group also participated in weekly phone conferences so that we would be able to discuss what was needed and what was expected throughout the class. This course has taught me that it is possible work as a team to create a website that combines all of our experiences and knowledge. This is a great method to have students learn to work collaboratively on one website while they each contribute their own ideas, suggestions and opinions. Students could use the websites to express themselves, communicate with other peers and share information amongst their peers.

EDLD 5363 Web Conference Reflections

June 5, 2012 In week one of the web conference, Dr. Abernathy wanted us to promote technology integration in our classrooms. She advised us that the purpose of the course was to learn about multimedia and video technology in the classroom. The week one assignments on our digital story and advised us to view Joe Lamberts video and website to get ideas. Discussion on video editing software such as Adobe Premier but advised us to find free open source software if Premier was not available. Also discussed clarification of the Instructional Associates assigned to students. June 17, 2012 This week the discussion was on the project and the content. Dr. Abernathy advised that the project should not be a PSA, but instead and introduction to a Core Curriculum subject area which would reflect the style of a flipped classroom. Dr Abernathy discussed creative commons and Audacity review and how to post tutorials for the assignments. In order to collaborate effectively she suggested that we post all documents to Google docs so that all members of the team would have the same work and proper documentation for their work. July 1, 2012 This week was for clarifications and included how to list the assignments to TK20. We were advised that there is no discussion board for week 5. Evidence of collaboration must be submitted by means of Google docs. We reviewed assignments 5.8 and that we needed to post to eportfolio and not the discussion board. Assignment 5.9 is a reflection on what we have done. We need to document any information even if we have not worked on it.

My Life in Pictures

My name is Adriana Zavala and this is my story. My life has been one of constant change and opportunity, always moving and making new friends. It has made me who I am today… this is my story. I was born in Reynosa Mexico on the Texas Mexican Border. I am the youngest of four children. I lived there until I was three. My parents moved us to McAllen Texas so that we could attend school. We lived in a one bedroom apartment until the age of 10. We moved to Edinburg Texas and I lived there until the age of 12. Once again, we relocated and moved to Alice Texas, where I would spend my adolescence. Growing up in Alice I made many friends and participated in sports. I lived there until the age of 17 when we again moved to Weslaco Texas. While in Weslaco, I decided to receive my GED and attend college. I received my Associates degree in technology management. While living in Weslaco I met my future husband. My family moved back to McAllen but I continued to date my husband. We dated for six years when we decided to get married in 1996. We both received jobs in Tulsa OK and moved there for two years. After those two years we moved to Dallas, Texas and both of us worked for American Airlines. We got to travel and enjoy our first years of matrimony. In 1998 my first daughter was born and in 2001 my second daughter was born. That same year we moved to McAllen where my son was born in 2003. I worked many jobs but felt that I needed to continue my education in order to better provide for them. In 2005 I enrolled at South Texas College and received my Bachelor’s in Computer and Information Technologies. With this degree I was able to enroll in a teacher certification program. My first teaching job was with Valley View ISD in which I am the Audio/Video Production teacher. I decided to enroll at Lamar University and receive my Master’s. My goals are to become a director for career and technology.

Action Plan Template

Reflection Week Two Action Research 5301

Week two of our Action Research course provided me with information on how to select a topic of my research.  I watched three interviews with scholars that have received their Doctoral degree and use Action Research in their districts.  The readings in the Dana text focused on the nine topics that administrators have “wonderings” on.  Each of the topics gave examples of what research question was used.  The meeting with my site supervisor to discuss which three topics I would be able to perform action research on was discussed and approved. 

Action Research Blog

Action research is a methodology used for bringing about change.  It is a cyclical process in which you use your experience to pose a question or “wondering” to find a solution.  Action research differs from traditional research in that you do not rely on outside experts to tell you what you need to do to improve your school.  The purpose of action research is to use the administrators or teachers as the “head learners” and engage in the process of bringing about change by reflecting on their own actions.  Administrators are directly involved in process of gathering data, analyzing the data, developing a plan of action and sharing this information with other staff members.  One of the ways that we can use action research at work is to find pose a question to which we can make a change for the better of the school.  An example of such as question would be “how can the use of digital video assist in promoting positive behavior and discipline for students and teachers?”   By researching and engaging in this research, we can find a solution to the problem and implement the possible solutions then sharing the findings with the rest of the school. 

Blogs are a great way for administrators to reflect on their thoughts.  By posting their reflections on blogs, they can share information with colleagues find ideas and practice inquiry.

Course Reflections 5306

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?

The outcome that I envisioned with this course was to become more familiar with how technology played a role in our educational system.  Focus on my weaknesses and strengths as a leader in educational technology and how to incorporate my learning into my classroom.    I believe that I did achieve the outcome that I envisioned from taking this course.  The course alignment was in par with my visions of what the course was going to be and I feel that it provided me with a thorough understanding of the concepts needed in educational technology.  I feel that I can use my newly gained knowledge to be able to integrate some of the tools and techniques that I acquired. I was given the opportunity to examine and review standards that are used in the state for the Technology Plan.  I was able to model tools that are available to assist with technology education.

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?

The outcomes of the course are relevant to what I do in school.  I work for the Career and Technology Department and am always interested in learning new ways of incorporating technology in my students learning.  I can assist other teachers and administrators in developing new ways of the using technology in the curriculum.  The Web 2.0 tools were very helpful and it allowed me to think of new ways to use them in my classroom with my students.  By developing leadership skills in the classroom, I can use them to assist teachers in adapting new ways of using technology in their curriculum.  In my weekly readings, I was able to get new ideas and share those thoughts with my students.  My classroom is a class whose foundation is strictly based on technology, which makes it much easier for me to be able to communicate these ideas with my students.

3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

I feel that I achieved most of the outcomes that were presented in the course with a few exceptions. There were many topics that I was not aware of, and was very excited about implementing them into my curriculum.  In reviewing the course outcomes, I was very pleased in knowing that we had covered all of the topics presented and that I finished the course with a very thorough knowledge of the topics.  I was able to learn several areas of technology and how to identify the problems and get the solutions to those problems.  There were many strategies that I was not aware of that gave me a perspective on how technology in the classroom goes beyond just using a computer or a program.  I was able to identify areas of concern with respect to the use of technology when I came to students and staff.  Provide the staff and students those tools to assist them in becoming effective learners.

4. Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?

I had practically no problems with the course assignments.  The Draft Internship Plan and the Principals Competencies Chart were challenging and had several questions on how to complete it.  Attending the web conferences really helped in answering questions that I had on the assignments.  Receiving feedback from the instructor and other students was essential in keeping up with the assignments.   In working collaboratively with others, I managed to overcome any of the obstacles that I was facing during the course.  The use of our wiki’s and the comments made by other students provided me with guidance on how to proceed with the assignments.  The tutorials on how to use the Tk20 system were very helpful and allowed me to upload and attach the necessary documents.  I don’t feel that I felt discouraged at any time during the course and all of the assignments were very well written and explained in a matter that was easily understood.

5. What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?

What I learned from this course is how much the leadership role is essential.  Not only do we need to know about technology and how to use it but we must also be able to communicate and teach that technology effectively and efficiently.  We must become involved with the everyday aspects of technology in the curriculum and stay current with any trends or changes that occur.  I learned that I am very good at communicating and teaching technology.  I like to for students and teachers to be proficient with their use so that they understand the vital role that technology plays in their lives everyday.  My attitude has certainly changed for the better, as I now understand the significance of using aligning technology with the curriculum and how much it impacts our society when we are knowledgeable in using it appropriately.  I learned from this course how to become an effective leader and how to implement ideas to become reality.

Web Conference February 19, 2012 EDLD 5306

Attended the Web Conference for Week 5 on Thursday February 16, 2012. In our web conference we discussed several items. The class began with the assignment for week 5. The Internship Plan and the Principal Competencies and Skills chart are both due this week in the Course Section and in the TK20 system. The assignment also discusses the course reflections that need to be answered, there are five questions and each question must be at least 150 words in length. The Internship requirements for the course presented as was how we were to fill out the Draft Internship Plan and the Principal’s Competencies and skills chart, we were advised that most of the performance indicators from the Internship plan will satisfy the skills in the Principal’s Competencies chart as well. The Summary report and evaluation is to be filled out and posted to our wiki, this is a new chart that no longer has to be done on a monthly basis. We were given examples of activities for the Internship Plan. Discussed the Course-Based embedded hours and was advised to use appendix H in the handbook as a guide. We talked about the requirements that were needed in order to advance to the next course. Some of the students had issues connecting to the wiki’s and other issues with site mentors. The Draft Internship plan needs to be signed by your site mentor prior to submitting. We were advised on our next course and given an outline of our courses for Cohort 26.

E-Rate and VVISD Technology Plan

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National Education Technology Plan

The National Educational Technology Plan builds on the foundation of using technology in order to compete in the global economy.  The plan has calls for a transformation of our use of technology. There are five areas of the plan that are targeted:  Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure and Productivity.  In respect to learning, the plan calls for us to teach not only what the student needs to learn but also how we can use technology to match what they learn.  Learning needs to be a continuous and lifelong process.  Students have access to technology daily and we must use this technology in their learning process.  We must have a universal design for learning and provide multiple methods of opportunity and means of engagement.  The model of learning supports student centered learning with the use of technology tools.  These tools give the students’ greater flexibility and more access to resources to make better connections to learning.  Learning with technology allows students to go beyond the traditional classroom setting where the teacher would provide what the student needed to learn.  In respect to teaching, the plan calls for all educators to use technology to connect teaching.  Educators must have the proper training and skills set into place in order to be able to communicate with their students.  A problem that is occurring today is that not all educators are comfortable with technology and do not know how to use it.  Many school districts do not have the adequate technology for budgetary reasons, and therefore the teachers do not receive the proper training. 

School or District Technology Plan

The Valley View ISD Technology Plan is to provide a coordinated, multi-year blueprint for the development of technology within the community.  The plan has been developed to provide a consistent focus for developing and supporting technology, establish priorities for implementing various technologies, promote the efficient and effective use of district resources, and develop a framework for decision-making related to technology.  Funds have been allocated for the continual professional development of staff in technology on a monthly basis which will be coordinated by the Director of Technology.  Valley View has a yearly inventory on the equipment and services to ensure that proper maintenance and upgrades are done in order to ensure student learning.  Since 95% of the school is low income, the district qualifies for the 90% e-rate discount on all connectivity and telecommunications.  This allows for the continual upkeep of the infrastructure for the district.  The district provides needs assessments to identify the objectives of the instructional technology plan and makes recommendations as needed to improve on those needs.  The district technology plan will be reviewed annually to ensure that the project is on track. A team of administrators, teachers and librarians will be in charge of the review and responsible for making the appropriate recommendations to the stakeholders.   The plan will be updated and revised as changes arise or if the status changes on any areas of the plan.  There are several methods in place to ensure the success of the implementations for all areas of the technology plan.

Technology Assessments

I believe that assessment surveys such as the Star are very important in determining how technology literate our educators and students are.  It provides an insight into what needs to be done by the school district to better prepare and plan for instruction.  The assessments are not only used for one area of technology, they serve as an overview of how Educators are using technology in the classroom.  Educators must meet certain standards so that they can then utilize their knowledge and skills and effectively teach our students.  For example, educators who want to incorporate technology into their lesson plan must understand what the best tool is for delivering that lesson.  Without proper knowledge and skills, they would not be able to effectively communicate with the students.  Students are assessed as well they are assessed in the level of skill and how well they use technology to meet their needs.  It is very important to know at what skill and knowledge level students are, so that the Educators accommodate the instruction for maximum learning and participation from the students.  The cons on the assessments are that they may not always be accurate.  There may be times when the teachers or administrators do not have time to fill out the surveys.  Although they are mandated by the state, they may be overlooked or just forgotten thus providing false data.  The pros are that it can be used by school district to determine the needs of the students and teachers and make appropriate recommendations for support.

Web Conference January 25, 2012 EDLD 5306

I attended a web conference today January 25, 2012 for Concepts of Educational Technology course.  We discussed several topics including the Degree, Internship, Internship handbook, Comprehensive Examination Summative Final Report and web conferences.  Went over courses and which rotation we may get.  Discussed the textbooks that we needed and also talked about the Tk20 system and what it is going to be used for.  Reviewed requirements for the internship over the course of the 18 months and how to choose your site mentor as well.   Mrs. Borel discussed the accreditations that the degree plan has to offer and how we can also get certification in either EC-12 Technology Applications or Principal Certification.  The handbook as of today is going to be revised since there have been some modifications made to it, and we also need to find out if we are exempt from taking the GRE for the program.  Provided Mrs. Borel with our gmail account so that we could have access to the class website.