Course+Reflections

This course started off with the overwhelming task of analyzing the Texas Long-Range Plan and the Technology Applications standards. This assignment seemed incredibly daunting at first, but I was able to quickly adjust and get back into “school mode”. This assignment was a great way to see what Texas Legislature has in store for our public schools. Teachers frequently get stuck focusing on what applies only to their school, and this was a way to get a look at the big picture concept of where technology is headed. I was able to see that my current school district is far ahead of the learning curve when it comes to technology and its uses in education.
 * EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology-Reflection **

The readings in this class were very useful and full of information that I wasn’t aware of. Warlick (2007) discussed wiki’s and showed how they can be very useful in educational settings. Prenksy (2001) pointed out the amazing differences between generations and gave descriptor names of digital natives and digital immigrants. Guhlin (2007) made great points for open source software and this was a new concept for me. I think open source software has great potential and I hope that school districts can embrace this more in the future.

Blogging was not a new concept for me but I do think it’s a necessary tool for teaching with technology.I know that I will use blogging and wiki's more often in my new job this upcoming year. I prefer google docs to wiki's, but our district currently has some restrictions with gmail so we'll have to see how that will work out. Connections between the standards and the course were numerous. Technology Standard I was covered with internet communication skills and basic information from assignment 1. Cyber safety and internet socializing was covered in the week four lecture and this relates directly to Standard VI with human issues. Lastly, analyzing the Texas Long-Range Plan related directly to Standard VIII which covers leadership and vision.

References Guhlin, M. (2007). The case for open source. // Technology and Learning //, 27(7), 16-21. Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. // On The Horizon - The Strategic Planning Resource for Education Professionals //, // 9(5) //:1-6. Warlick, D. (2007). The executive wiki. // Technology and Learning //.

This class was very intensive. Right off the bat I felt like the project required more time than I was able to devote to it. Perhaps in the future this class project could be completed over two classes? Analyzing scores, focusing on areas of concern, targeting subgroups and devising plans were just some of the assignments that we completed in this course. It was really good to get to work with the actual numbers from my school and make suggestions. This was one of the best classes as far as practical applications. This class did a great job of giving insight into how administrators make the decisions that they do. It's important for teachers to understand why some decisions are made and this class is a great tool for that.
 * EDLD 5333 Leadership for Accountability **

I really liked that all of the assignments in this class were individual assignments. I find that I get more frustrated with group assignments and I prefer to work on my own time. Discussion boards are a great concept, but it's frustrating when you post at the beginning of the week and nobody else does for five days. It's hard to feel as if the continuity is there. I did like the web conferences more than the discussion posts simply because I felt as if we had more interaction. It's nice to place a face with a name and the web conferences did a great job of that. My only suggestion is that in the future the web conferences are offered at a variety of times. If you coach a varsity sport, conference times are always during game times and this is big conflict.

The assignments in the class were very closely related to Technology Standards IV, VII, and VIII. Evaluating data falls into Standard IV, and all of the assignments related to this standard. All of the assignments were closely related to planning and leadership. The assignments in this class were very real and are most likely very similar to those that would be needed during a technology position.

**EDLD 5362 Information Systems Management** This class had a wealth of information over several topics. The information on Student Information Systems was by far one of the most interesting that I’ve read. I had a greater understanding of what all information the school has to keep on each student, and how they are storing that information. Typically, teachers never have access to the programs that do the entire behind the scenes work and this class was a great look into how the information is kept and stored. Through this class I was able to find that my interest in technology might veer toward a career in Student Information Systems.

This class involved TF/TL Standard I by discussing Web 2.0 technologies and specific terminology that applies. I conducted an interview with a veteran teacher in my department that has gone from teaching without computers to teaching on a 1:1 initiative. This allowed insight in to how drastically education has changed in the past twenty years. This was a direct correlation with Standard VI and Standard VIII by actually getting to hear about a technology vision being followed.

I completed and analysis of The Horizon Report which was fascinating. This allowed me to see a realistic view of where schools are currently in technology integration and where they should be. This report made me realize that just because my school district is on the fast track to integration, that doesn’t mean that all the others are.


 * EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology**

The name of this class was teaching with technology. From the name I assumed that I would be learning ways to properly incorporate more technology into my current classroom. Seeing as how I teach at a 1:1 initiative school, I already use technology everyday in every lesson that I teach. It’s hard to come up with new things for me to use in the classroom. It would be beneficial to me to learn more things about the technology that I have available. For instance, how can I use the learning management system more to my advantage? I didn’t learn anything that I can use immediately in my classroom, but I did learn some things that I will be able to use if I take a technology position at some point. The course didn’t line up with the outcomes that I had originally envisioned, but this doesn’t mean that I am disappointed. I did learn how to work outside my current job area and see how I can adjust to different grade levels. I think this will be highly beneficial to me in the future.

For my current position, I didn’t really learn anything that I can currently use. Typically in these classes I find that they seemed to be more geared to a lower grade level of instruction. This can be frustrating when you teach the highest level of public education, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t find the information useful. The whole point of this master’s program is for me to find a technology job. I will need to be well versed for all grade levels and able to adjust to a number of different situations. Just because I’m currently in a district that is very advanced technologically doesn’t mean that it will always be the case. I am slowly becoming more aware that I’m learning for the future, not the present.

I didn’t learn anything new that I can currently use in my classroom. I think that having to work with a group that came from such a diverse background hindered that. My group consisted of three early elementary teachers and one middle school teacher. This made me the odd man out and therefore the focus was placed on an elementary classroom. Now, I have chosen to see this as a positive issue because I never know when I might be working with elementary teachers in some sort of technological capacity. Hopefully, this has made me more prepared for my future in technology.

I was successful in completing all of the course assignments. I find myself getting frustrated when I’m assigned group projects. I hold myself to a certain standard and I find it frustrating when I have to work with other people and their time schedule. With my current work load I like to work at the beginning of the week, and even though we are given a two day grace period to submit assignments, I don’t like to use it. It makes me nervous to wait until the last minute. I had to learn to step back and allow the group to work at it’s own pace. I did find the group scenario to be very vague, and that always makes things hard for educators. We like for our student’s to decide things for themselves, yet we like to have everything exact and explained. It’s frustrating, but it’s not the end of the world!

I learned several things about myself from this course, but I don’t think they’re very positive. I get very frustrated working with elementary teachers. They have to analyze things over and over to the point that it’s infuriating. I view my class work as a task and that it’s something to get through every week. It was to the point that I hated meeting with the group every week. I felt like I had to spend all of my time convincing people what the assignment was and that it didn’t require an hour of discussion to make a decision. My leadership skills are strong, but I know that sometimes I come across as aggressive. I coach and I’ve done it for years so I have a hard time turning off the “coach” part of me when I’m working with other adults. I have to remember that just because I see things as a certain way that it doesn’t mean that other people see it the same way.

What benefits do you see in educators knowing how to design and implement online learning? I believe that education is headed in a direction where we will see more and more online learning every year. With that being said, I think the benefits for educators being able to design and implement online learning is boundless. Education in itself is an evolutionary science, and educators must be able to adapt to survive. The university level of education is seeing less and less of students being able to spend four plus years just going to school. They realize that to survive as entities that they must evolve and offer flexible scheduling via online courses. I personally believe that this will make its way down to high schools. Every year my school has more students enrolled in Co-Op where they are only on campus for 3.5 hours before leaving to hold down 20-40 hours at a job. I think that in order for public education to be competitive online learning will need to be used more readily. How will you professionally use your course that you designed? With the fate of my grade for the course hanging in the balance, I’m choosing to be honest. I didn’t care for the schoology website. I’ve used it before and found many of its features lacking. I know that we should all be thankful for open source software and websites, but I still don’t find schoology to be very user-friendly. In my professional career, I would use my schoology course as an example of why other Learning Management Systems are easier to use. I find the assessment applications time consuming and when you teach online, you want to use whatever is the easiest and gets the job done quickest. I have experience with three other LMS programs and I’ve found all three of them to be better suited for online learning. I think that with a few changes that Schoology could be competitive with other courseware systems, but right now it’s just not for me. Will you integrate online learning in your role as a teacher/staff developer? Online learning is already a reality in my classroom. A typical day for my senior level English students involves logging into a Learning Management System (L.M.S.) where on their own they will take their attendance, read course announcements, locate assignments, complete assessments, upload their own work, and interact with each other. I am very blessed and fortunate to be in a high school that is ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. It makes my job easier and more enjoyable. The work that I get from my students online is light years above what I was getting from the same level students two years ago. They are allowed to explore and make decisions on mediums on their own. It’s amazing what can happen in a classroom when a little ownership is allowed. Online learning in the classroom is an everyday occurrence for my students. The convenience is great, and students that are absent are able to easily keep up with work. What questions do you still have about online learning? Online learning is relatively new in public education. Even though online applications aren’t new to the students, it’s definitely new to the teachers. With that being said the biggest issue I see with online classes right now is cheating. Teachers know how to stop 95% of cheating in a traditional classroom setting. It’s been around forever, and there are relative few new tricks. Online learning opens an entire new realm of cheating that’s new to everyone. I do know that there are many measures that can be taken to prevent some cheating, but what do we do about stopping 95% of it? My own students have told me that I’m one of the only teachers that disable to right-click option on their tablets while they’re testing, and that I’m one of the few that puts time limits on assessments. These things seem relatively simple, but the only reason I know about them at all is because I did some online research of my own. What are we doing to educate teachers on the evolution of online cheating? What will you do with this new learning? I am able to use what I’ve learned in this course to create an extensive pro/con list of different online learning applications. It’s quite clear to me that the Learning Management System that is chosen as the delivery option for a course can be what makes or breaks the entire experience. I know that as online learning becomes more and more readily available in high schools across the country there will be a need for real-life evaluation of the applications. I know that I can be helpful to other people with my knowledge and I’ve already made an impact on my campus. My Campus Instructional Technologist and I have already decided to put together a plan to evaluate several LMS applications and use it as a tool in our professional development sessions next August.
 * EDLD 5368 Instructional Design **

**EDLD 5366 Digital Graphics, Animation and Desktop Publishing** The assignment that I enjoyed the most was creating my own newsletter. It was interesting and I enjoyed it. I was able to actually put something together that I was able to use in my classroom. The lectures in this class were some of the most interesting in the entire program. I will never again look at a movie poster the same or any other piece of advertisement. I was able to use some of the information when my English classes were discussing propaganda techniques. **
 * I would have to describe this class as the most interesting of all the classes that I’ve taken. I think it was little odd, but some of the information was just outstanding. This class started by having us look at ancient manuscripts that were available from the British Library online. I was frustrated at first, simply because I couldn’t read anything that we were looking at. I don’t know Aramaic, and I became so frustrated. I began to realize that when I couldn’t understand the language I was actually able to take the time to see what I was looking at rather than just skim over it. The ancient manuscripts were gorgeous and they really were works of art. **
 * 


 * I hated the Second Life assignment. I’ve known what Second Life was for years and it’s simply not something that interested me. Of course, the moment that I created an avatar and logged in I was approached and propositioned in the most disgusting way. While I understand how Second Life applied to the course, I resented having to do something that I already had strong feelings against. ****I think this class mostly covered Standard VI with human and ethical issues and Standard II. Standard II covers design and experiences and this was definitely an experience. **

References The British Library Board (n.d.). //The British Library //. Retrieved from []


 * EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology **

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 name of this course is multimedia/video technology. I came into the class with the high expectations of learning how to incorporate video and various forms of multimedia into classroom projects. I assumed that time would be spent learning different programs and possibly working with the more advanced options in the more well known programs that a number of teachers currently use. I did learn how to use iMovie software, but not directly because of this course. I was exposed to that software because one of my group members has a Mac, and Mac’s are known for being better when it comes to the creative outlets in the world of computers. The first two programs that were presented, Windows Storyteller and Windows Movie Maker, were not new programs for me. My district stresses the use of these programs, so I didn’t actually learn anything new until the group project. I did enjoy having the chance to work with these programs from a student perspective. It gave me a better understanding of time management and an idea of how to change my guidelines for future use in the classroom.

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 work for this course is definitely relevant to what I do in the classroom. I teach English at a school that is on a 1:1 laptop program. The students have access to two of the programs that were used in this course, and I use them frequently with the students. Windows Movie Maker and Windows Storyteller are great programs, and they allow students to convey what they have learned in a more interesting manner than filling out a worksheet or answering a traditional test. I think many people would be amazed at how well-versed the majority of students are in these programs, and not in just in a 1:1 ratio school. Students use this type of technology in their everyday lives; it is just a matter of getting students to use it to further their education. Teachers as a whole need to embrace these multimedia programs and the way that they can enhance the learning process in their classrooms.

3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?  According to our class syllabus, there were seven learning outcomes. Through the class project and assignments, I feel that I was able to achieve all seven of the listed learning outcomes. According to the class syllabus, there were seven performance outcomes. I managed to achieve all of these performance outcomes with the exception of participating in an optional web conference. In the middle of the course, my grandmother passed away and I was unable to attend any of the offered web conferences. The web conferences in the syllabus were listed as optional, so I did not think it would impact my overall grade. My group was able to communicate using Web 2.0 Tools via a wiki. We all live within a 15 mile radius of each other, but one member was on vacation and was unable to meet with us. The Wiki was an easy and useful way for us to meet as a group.

4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?  I was successful completing all the listed assignments for this course with one exception. Due to a death in the family, I was unable to complete the week three discussion board posting. I felt that all assignment instructions were clearly explained and needed no further clarification. Time allotted for each assignment was adequate and I did not feel pressured for time to complete. For this self reflection there are ten points on the rubric devoted to copyright attributions. According to class lecture and notes, copyright attributions are to be included when giving credit to prior work. In the instructions for this assignment it is stated that this is to be written in a narrative style with personal reflection. I am confused as to how I am to be evaluated on copyright attributions when this is my own work. I strive to always complete my work correctly, but I am unable to do so without further explanation.

5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?  From this course I learned several things about myself. I found that I might be a little ahead of the group when it comes to the more popular technology. I like technology and I frequently use it in my classroom. I know many of my colleagues have a fear of using technology in their classrooms. It was easier for me to understand how to use the programs and what the assignments were asking for since I was already familiar with the software utilized in this course. I realized that I have leadership skills, but that I have to allow decisions to be made as a group when you’re working on a group project. The only drawback with working in a group setting is spending time teaching others how to use the software when I am already familiar with it. I end up spending a great amount of time teaching when I could be completing the task on my own in a much quicker time frame. I think teachers have a tough time working in teams because they are so frequently left to their own devices to accomplish anything. I’ve also learned that my attitude about school isn’t so great during the summer time.

Lambert, J. (2007, February). Digital storytelling cookbook, 1-30. //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Story Center //. Retrieved April 4, 2009, from [] Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Web 2.0: New tools, new schools //. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

This class covered a myriad of topics within the web design umbrella. Web 2.0 tools and topics were discussed at length and I really enjoyed getting more information this realm of internet tools. The class started with an analysis of our own district web policy and governance. This was interesting, especially since our school district has such an issue with internet safety. The website planning and design assignments were a little vague for me, and since I don’t have much experience in this area I did find myself getting frustrated. It was interesting to read all about web design from the books that we used. It’s always been such a mystery to me, but the books did a really good job of breaking it down. Survey Monkey was an interesting tool that was fun to work with. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use it in my classroom since our Learning Management System already has a survey application. I found myself wishing that I could explore more applications that are available to me in my current position. This class had some seriously difficult exams. I felt that it didn’t matter how hard I studied or how many notes I took, I always felt inadequate when it came to test time. This course would directly correlate with Standard I simply from all of the terminology and planning. Kaiser, S. E. (2006). //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Deliver first class web sites: 101 essential checklists //. Collingwood, Vic: Sitepoint. Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Web 2.0: New tools, new schools //. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
 * EDLD 5365 Web Design **

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