Position+and+Leadership+Goals

Position Goal:

I currently teach senior English and I coach volleyball and soccer. I would like to obtain a technology position in my district called CITS. CITS stand for Campus Instructional Technologist Specialist. Essentially this is a position that enables one to work with teachers on how to best use the technology available to them in their classrooms. Since the high schools in our district are all on or moving to a 1:1 laptop initiative this makes for a great challenge and exciting job. I want to help teachers feel more comfortable using all of this great technology and help them understand that it isn’t as scary as it seems. This job would get me out of the classroom and off the field and that’s my ultimate goal.

Leadership Goals:

I am a natural leader. I’ve always been outgoing and I can make a friend anywhere. I think it’s important that technology is used to its full potential. Since I work in a school where there’s technology everywhere I expect everyone to be using it as much as possible. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I know that many teachers choose not to utilize technology because they don’t understand it or they have some fear of it. I know that I have the ability to help people realize that it’s a great thing, and not something to be feared. Technology can make our jobs easier and I know that I could show them how. I started this masters program for three reasons. My father has his master’s degree and I promised to myself when I was young that I would at minimum have the same level of education that he acquired. He graduated from Lamar in 1976 and I was thrilled to find this program. The other two reasons are my personal goals. I wanted a master’s degree and I knew that I wanted to explore other career options. I frequently find myself bored in the classroom and a master’s degree gives options that aren’t available without one.

Vision for Technology

The concept of Educational Technology is an evolutionary one. As new information is available, it’s basically outdated a quick as it comes out. Education must keep up with new technology in order to make sure that students are being educated to their full potential. According to the 2010 Horizon Report, within the next two years more schools should be using cloud computing. This allows students to use certain tools available online such as Gmail, Learning Management Systems, Google Docs, and many more. Cloud computing takes away the need for districts to house expensive servers simply for storage. Students are able to make adjustments and save their work without ever having the fear that they will run out of room or that their work might disappear. Sadly, cloud computing seems to be integrating slowly into classrooms, but the Horizon Report is showing that many school districts are opting to this idea simply because of money. (2010) I foresee technology in classrooms having to go to a 1:1 initiative. I don’t see how schools can keep up with the learning curve without jumping on board. Every student should have their own laptop with high-speed internet access available to them during the school year. Schools need to get over their fear of allowing students to have access to email and other forms of online communication. There’s no stopping it, so why not allow students to access all things Google and then you can actually keep them off some of the weirder chat websites that they are forced use? Mobile technology is a must, and for the United States to even try to compete with other countries we’re going to have to invest the money in our future. According to the 2010 Horizons report, students learn better through use of game type scenarios. The idea is that if more instruction were set up in a game type situation then kids would be more motivated to learn. I have no arguments against this in lower level instruction. I think it’s a great idea for elementary and middle school kids. However, I feel that once a student has made it to high school they need to be able to learn without having to be gimmicked in. I think that high school curriculum needs to push to become completely Learning Management System supported. Simply stating, students should be able to attend school when it’s convenient for them. If a traditional classroom isn’t going to be an option for a student, they should be able to take their classes online. There’s no reason that having to work should be a reason that a student can’t complete high school. Overall, my idea high school in five years would involve every student having their own laptop. Each teacher would have a classroom that has a projector, document camera, and eInstruction hardware. Students will have broadband access with limited website restriction and the teachers will be able to communicate with their students online. Collaborative online learning will allow students to have broader horizons and be aware of other students around the globe. Teachers will have access to the professional development they need, and they will be able to attend online when it’s convenient for them. If the 2010 Horizon Report is correct, this should be the classroom that you see. References Nmc.org. (2010). Horizon Report: K-12. //The New Media Consortium.// Retrieved on May 31, 2010, from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2010-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf

Through my internship activities I was able to learn many things about myself. The internship allowed me to explore different areas of technology that I am unable to experience in my current teaching position. I was given many wonderful opportunities and I enjoyed being able to explore different avenues of technology and what possible job I might enjoy in the technology department. The greatest challenge that I find within myself is my tendency to take on too many things at once. I learned that it’s very easy to overload yourself when you are in a job that helps teachers. The Computer Instructional Technology Specialists (CITS) at my school spend the day running. They have specific tasks and projects that they are trying to complete and while completing these they have to assist teachers with any issues that they may have in the classroom. This balancing act is something that I can tell will need some adjusting to, but I know that I will thrive on the constant change of pace and setting. I need to understand that with that specific job your own projects get to take a backseat to helping other people. I think that is the biggest and most valuable information that I learned through the internship process. During my internship I was given the opportunity to teach professional development training on new grade book software. This was an excellent venue to show my leadership skills and capabilities. I find that I am a natural leader and I am very comfortable in front of a crowd. I was very excited to be teaching a class of my peers and the experience was one of happiness. During the training, I noticed that I was able to use some of my typical classroom management techniques to ensure that I had the attention of the entire class. Since I’ve sat through software training as a student before, I know that it can be frustrating for people that learn at different speeds. The training was set up in small groups, and this did an amazing job alleviating any issues. The groups had been pre-selected and everyone took the training as a curriculum team. This made the process much easier. Overall, my leadership skills had a chance to shine and I hope to have more opportunities in the future. My outward attitude is very positive. It’s something that I get complimented on quite regularly and I know that it’s an asset of mine. I will be honest and say that I have been struggling on the inside with things that I see as inept or that come across as having a lack of organization and planning. Educators are typically well organized personalities that have high expectations for themselves. This is not untrue for me and I find myself holding other people in education to the same standards that I set for myself. This does cause me to have moments of impatience when I feel as if something is done in an odd way. I know that I need to learn to be more patient with other people and it is something that I am working on.
 * Week 3 Leadership Responses**




 * Week 4 Reflections on Six Classes**

All of the classes that I’ve taken have helped me in some aspect on my educational path. However, there have been several classes that were beneficial in more ways than one. This class involved looking at the accountability and ratings system that TEA has for schools. It was a very research-based class that involved locating several different reports and disaggregating the data. While this class didn’t really cover any technological aspects it did give great insight into the administration side of education. I think this class gave great background information into why administrators make the decisions that they do, and that is very helpful for understanding. Information Systems Management was a great class. It was very beneficial because it explained specifically about Student Information Systems (SIS) and the impact that good software can have on a school. The information I learned from this class is very valuable and useful. The Horizons Report was one of the top readings that were covered in this entire program and it was a wealth of useful information. It happens to be one of the two readings that I go back and reference within my work at school. This class had some great real-world applications and I found that to be very valuable. This class was one of the most beneficial of all the classes I took, but for different reasons that normal. The main assignment in this class involved using a Learning Management System (LMS) to design an online lesson. It wasn’t actually the lesson design that helped me, but it was the self-realization that I’m on track or possibly even ahead of the curve when it comes to online learning. I’ve been working with an LMS for over two years and I’ve learned how online lessons can be great and how they can epic failures as well. This class affirmed my confidence in my own abilities plan, implement, and execute online lessons and classes. This was the first course of the program, and it remains one of the best. Analyzing the Texas Long Range Technology Plan ended up being very beneficial. It’s helped me in my current teaching job, and it’s been beneficial to me in interviews for technology jobs. The class gave great background information on where the state of Texas is headed with education and technology. Prior to this class I wasn’t even aware that the state even had a plan for technology use in the classroom. The information from this class is undeniably useful and I refer to this on knowledge on a weekly basis. Teachers seem to find themselves frustrated frequently because they don’t understand why administration makes some of the decisions that they do. If a teacher never follows the rules, why do they get to keep their job? This question was one of many that were answered through the school law class. I found this class to be one of the most interesting classes that were offered. Even though it didn’t directly have technology implications, it was nice to finally have an understanding as to why some decisions are made they way they are. Frequently, teachers get left in the dark on how decisions are made. This class made me realize that the law has a very important place in education and educational decision making. I found this to be very useful and I frequently refer back to the information that was presented in this class. Research is typically the least favorite class of all students, no matter the age or level of education. However, this class was very beneficial to me. I didn’t find it to be an exciting class but it did revive the skills that I hadn’t used in quite some time. It was a tough class, and I had a hard time getting back into the groove of research and writing but it was well worth it. These skills are lost if they aren’t used and it’s important to do research as part of being a lifetime learner. This class made me realize that I was competent and that I had the ability to complete this program. It’s important that I keep researching and working to understand more about technology and education so I can stay up to date with current information.
 * EDLD 5333 Leadership for Accountability**
 * EDLD 5362 Information Systems Management**
 * EDLD 5368 Instructional Design**
 * EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology**
 * EDLD 5344 School Law**
 * EDLD 5301 Research**

Degree Program Reflection When I first started this program I recall feeling very nervous about my own ability to do graduate level work. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up, and I had no idea on how I could balance work, coaching, and graduate school. For the entire first course I basically became a hermit and spent every waking moment on the computer trying to make sure that I was doing everything right. The program started right in the middle of district soccer season so I typically had a full day of school, a good five hours devoted to soccer, and then the late night for my own homework. It didn’t take long for me to settle in and realize that I was doing a great job. All I needed was some confidence and my grades reflected my hard work. The information that I was learning was interesting and it applied to everyday activities. It amazes me how different my attitude has been for this program versus my undergraduate work. I’ve become this nutty overachiever that wants to know exactly why I might have one point deducted. Needless to say, this was not how I acted when I was an undergraduate. My cohort is one of the very first to go through this program. This is an exciting label, but there were times when I wished that the program had been more established. It can be frustrating to be the “test group” and there have been several learning experiences for everyone in the program; from the students to the professors, we’ve all had to adjust. I think that most of the classes that worked in conjunction with the administration program had been tested numerous times and had the majority of any issues worked out. It was the technology specific classes that typically had some issues. I recall the New School Spaces project that became a complete disaster. It wasn’t the University’s fault, it was actually an issue with the website but it was frustrating for everyone. The main issue was communication. Once we started having web conferences things started to get better. I think it was easier for everyone once we started to realize that everyone was new to the program and that we all felt a little lost. There’s nothing like a group disaster to bring everyone closer together. Overall, I feel as if I’ve learned some very invaluable information through this program. I know that online learning is the future of education. I feel as if this program has prepared me to be ahead of the “game” for whatever comes next. I’ve managed to land my dream job as a CITS (Campus Instructional Technology Specialist) for a school in my district. I was chosen out of 50+ applicants and I know that this program helped me achieve this job. I am excited about the future and I am interested in a doctoral program once it becomes available. I never would have been able to obtain my degree if a program like this didn’t exist, and I am grateful to Lamar University for allowing me to pursue my dream.



Three Year Professional Development Plan

2010-2011 2011-2012  2012-2013
 * HP Tablet Advanced Training
 * Angel LMS Administrator Training
 * Starboard and eInstruction Advanced Training
 * Advanced Microsoft Suite Training ||
 * Possibly begin doctoral program
 * Prepare for Master of Technology examination
 * Attend State Technology Conference
 * Possibly become Academic Coach for Lamar University ||
 * Present at State Technology Conference
 * Attend trainings at TEA
 * Research different SIS options for school district presentation ||