When I started the first class towards my Master's degree, Concepts of Educational Technology, I wasn't really sure what to expect from the class. I had been putting off going back to school for a long time, so I was really just hoping I would survive the course. As a single mom, working full time and raising two daughters, I was nervous about the time commitment and organization of the course, especially after viewing the first assignment. As each week passed, my fears eased a bit, and I adjusted to the assignment deadlines and requirements. I still had the occasional thought that this was just too much to handle, but I was determined to finish. As far as technology, I expected that I would learn more about technology and digital tools, and how to use them in an educational setting. And, I did gain experience using many different tools, such as blogs, wikis, wordle, and animoto.
The experience that I have gained from this course is incredibly relevant to the work that I do as a third grade teacher at Davis Elementary. As a classroom teacher, I have already incorporated many of the tools that I used in this course into my classroom and into my lesson planning. I have also shared many ideas and suggestions with other educators on my campus. Learning about our campus technology ratings and the Star chart have given me needed insight into technology areas that need to be strengthened on our campus. The weekly readings provided information and knowledge about ethics, safety and copyright laws, which I have used when teaching my classroom students about Internet safety and also when creating assignments. And, as I have juggled school work, family life and my full time job, I have become more confident in my ability to organize and manage all three.
I don't think that there were any specific outcomes that I did not achieve upon completion of this course. I feel like I accomplished what I set out to achieve when I began the course, which was to gain more knowlege about technology, technology assessments, and digital tools, and their use in an educational setting. I know that I will probably need to go back periodically and review the weekly assignments, just to gain more knowledge and also to be confident when discussing and sharing the information with other individuals and groups. I do feel like there were some challenges that I had to overcome after beginning the course, that I either was not aware of or had not realized prior to starting the class. For example, I had some technical difficulties with my personal computer, and needed to make some minor adjustments in order to complete the course assignments.
I feel like I was very successful in completing the assignments and meeting all of the required deadlines. To be honest, when I looked at the first weeks assignment, I was worried that I would have trouble finishing in the required time frame. There were a lot of requirements contained in the written assignments, but I discovered that for me it was all about organization and scheduling my time wisely. Once I realized that I was capable of doing the work, I was able to focus on creating a schedule that would blend my work load and classwork. Taking a class online is quite a bit different that taking a course on a college campus, and requires a lot of self motivation. As far as actual assignments, I found I enjoyed creating both the blog and the wiki, and have used my knowledge from the class and started a blog and wiki for my classroom.
I have learned quite a bit from this course, both about myself and about my abilities. First, I have learned to have more confidence in myself. And, I have discovered leadership qualities that I didn't know existed. I have had to step outside of my comfort zone in quite a few situations, and discovered that I would succeed, and in some cases, actually enjoy the experience. A big surprise to me is a new interest in the possibility of becoming a principal. It's never even been something I've thought of before, but as I put myself in leadership situations, I am finding that I enjoy the experience and the challenge. I've learned that I underestimated my technology experience, and that I need to take ownership of what I know and share the knowledge with others. I enjoy teaching and sharing technology, and am becoming more confident about sharing with my campus and team members.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
National Educational Technology Plan
The National Educational Technology Plan has two specific goals. The first goal is to raise the number of college graduates who hold either a two year or four year degree, and the second is to close our achievement gap so that all of our high school graduates are prepared for college and future careers.
Five strategies have been identified to help reach these goals. The first strategy is learning. We must give our students the power and flexibility to take control of their own learning. This means making a huge change from our traditional classroom and how we are used to instructing. Instead, students should be given options and different opportunities for learning, such as allowing them to work in small groups, tailoring the work to their own unique learning style, and using each student's prior experience to engage them in the process. We also need to realize the impact our community can have as a learning resource and use them as a tool.
The second strategy is assessment. We need to utilize technology based assessments that give us a true measure of student knowledge, and our assessments should involve higher level thinking skills. The third strategy is teaching. Teaching should be a team activity, not individual. Professional development should be a collaborative effort between teams, and also immediate and convenient. Online learning and 24/7 access will be used to provide learning opportunities for teachers. Strategy number four is Infrastructure. Every student and teacher should be provided with the resources they need, when and where they need them. Infrastructure is vital in allowing us to leave the traditional model of teaching behind and move forward into the future. The last strategy is productivity. We need to ensure that our students are making progress, and group them according to ability and skill level. We need to change and adjust our classrooms to reflect the world that we live in today.
It will take work and dedication to make this plan work. It's success will depend on everyone working together.
Melanie Starnes
EDLD 5306/ET8038
Five strategies have been identified to help reach these goals. The first strategy is learning. We must give our students the power and flexibility to take control of their own learning. This means making a huge change from our traditional classroom and how we are used to instructing. Instead, students should be given options and different opportunities for learning, such as allowing them to work in small groups, tailoring the work to their own unique learning style, and using each student's prior experience to engage them in the process. We also need to realize the impact our community can have as a learning resource and use them as a tool.
The second strategy is assessment. We need to utilize technology based assessments that give us a true measure of student knowledge, and our assessments should involve higher level thinking skills. The third strategy is teaching. Teaching should be a team activity, not individual. Professional development should be a collaborative effort between teams, and also immediate and convenient. Online learning and 24/7 access will be used to provide learning opportunities for teachers. Strategy number four is Infrastructure. Every student and teacher should be provided with the resources they need, when and where they need them. Infrastructure is vital in allowing us to leave the traditional model of teaching behind and move forward into the future. The last strategy is productivity. We need to ensure that our students are making progress, and group them according to ability and skill level. We need to change and adjust our classrooms to reflect the world that we live in today.
It will take work and dedication to make this plan work. It's success will depend on everyone working together.
Melanie Starnes
EDLD 5306/ET8038
District Technology Plan
The Royse City ISD Technology Plan's primary focus is on integrating technology with our core curriculum and campus operations. Not only will this will allow us to utilize the highest level of staff and student performance, but it will also lead to increased productivity throughout our district. Our technology plan addresses several goals and components for a successful technology program. These include the integration of technology, professional development for all employees, a high level of community involvement, incorporation of 21st Century Skills, trained and quality personnel, consistent technology access, and a management plan for the infrastructure. Growth challenges do exist for our school district, in the form of new buildings and expansions. This is causing a large strain on our technology department and infrastructure, as they continue to try and keep up with the growth of our schools.
RCISD has formed a District Technology Improvement Committee, which consists of teachers, technology personnel and campus administration. This committee is responsible for performing an assessment of the current condition of our district and schools, and to use that information to help prepare for our future and make/adjust goals as necessary.
RCISD recognizes that they must provide more opportunities for professional development in the area of technology. This year, our district has made available several professional development opportunities for technology learning, utilizing technology experts within our own staff. The coordination of our professional development is handled by our Director of Technology. Technology integration is a priority on our campus and our classrooms. There are limited financial resources for professional development, and time is always a very limited resource. Our Director of Technology and other staff members do a great job in keeping us up to date with new technology information.
Multiple assessments are used to ensure that learning is student centered and continues to improve. Some of these assessments include: Technology Advisory Committee assessment, technology integration planning meetings, material and equipment inventories, STaR Chart data, online assessments, and formal technology skills testing.
I did not find information relating to having a sufficient district budget to support and acquire the non-discount part of the plan. But, considering the financial situation our state is currently in, I would have to say no, we do not. You can have a beautiful, well created and thought out plan, but without financial support it doesn't happen.
Melanie Starnes
EDLD5306/ET8038
RCISD has formed a District Technology Improvement Committee, which consists of teachers, technology personnel and campus administration. This committee is responsible for performing an assessment of the current condition of our district and schools, and to use that information to help prepare for our future and make/adjust goals as necessary.
RCISD recognizes that they must provide more opportunities for professional development in the area of technology. This year, our district has made available several professional development opportunities for technology learning, utilizing technology experts within our own staff. The coordination of our professional development is handled by our Director of Technology. Technology integration is a priority on our campus and our classrooms. There are limited financial resources for professional development, and time is always a very limited resource. Our Director of Technology and other staff members do a great job in keeping us up to date with new technology information.
Multiple assessments are used to ensure that learning is student centered and continues to improve. Some of these assessments include: Technology Advisory Committee assessment, technology integration planning meetings, material and equipment inventories, STaR Chart data, online assessments, and formal technology skills testing.
I did not find information relating to having a sufficient district budget to support and acquire the non-discount part of the plan. But, considering the financial situation our state is currently in, I would have to say no, we do not. You can have a beautiful, well created and thought out plan, but without financial support it doesn't happen.
Melanie Starnes
EDLD5306/ET8038
Technology Assessments
I believe that it is very important to have a thorough assessment of both educators' and students' technology skills and knowledge. There are obviously pros and cons to the assessment process, but I feel the pros outweigh the cons.
Technology assessments enable you to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to show where to focus teaching and learning. We all learn at different rates and are on different levels. By using the assessment results, you are able to individualize your teaching, concentrate on needed areas and to refresh those skills that have been mastered. Using assessments in the classroom can quickly inform you of a student's mastery of the skill. The assessment also provides year to year comparisons and shows the areas where growth was accomplished. It shows areas of decline, and allows you to quickly narrow down areas where additional teaching and assistance is needed. As a teacher, you are able to concentrate on professional development to build knowledge and skill in needed areas.
Technology assessments have many benefits, yet there are also cons to the assessment process. Students tend to rush through testing, not realizing the importance of the results. Although we stress that they take their time and encourage them to think through their answers, they still try to finish as quickly as possible. I also feel that a majority of our assessments are given too early in the school year. Kids haven't quite adapted to the school schedule yet, and this can impact their testing results. Educators often have the same problem, just wanting to finish so they can wrap up other projects. An example is the Star Chart assessment. We are told to finish the assessment by a certain date, so we rush to meet the deadline. Then, we are not officially presented with the results and what they mean for our campus. Until this course, I hadn't read and/or examined our campus Star chart results.
Although we can see both pros and cons in using technology assessments, conducting assessments and using the results to increase knowledge is a benefit to any classroom or campus.
Melanie Starnes
EDLD 5306/ET8038
Technology assessments enable you to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to show where to focus teaching and learning. We all learn at different rates and are on different levels. By using the assessment results, you are able to individualize your teaching, concentrate on needed areas and to refresh those skills that have been mastered. Using assessments in the classroom can quickly inform you of a student's mastery of the skill. The assessment also provides year to year comparisons and shows the areas where growth was accomplished. It shows areas of decline, and allows you to quickly narrow down areas where additional teaching and assistance is needed. As a teacher, you are able to concentrate on professional development to build knowledge and skill in needed areas.
Technology assessments have many benefits, yet there are also cons to the assessment process. Students tend to rush through testing, not realizing the importance of the results. Although we stress that they take their time and encourage them to think through their answers, they still try to finish as quickly as possible. I also feel that a majority of our assessments are given too early in the school year. Kids haven't quite adapted to the school schedule yet, and this can impact their testing results. Educators often have the same problem, just wanting to finish so they can wrap up other projects. An example is the Star Chart assessment. We are told to finish the assessment by a certain date, so we rush to meet the deadline. Then, we are not officially presented with the results and what they mean for our campus. Until this course, I hadn't read and/or examined our campus Star chart results.
Although we can see both pros and cons in using technology assessments, conducting assessments and using the results to increase knowledge is a benefit to any classroom or campus.
Melanie Starnes
EDLD 5306/ET8038
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