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.