EDLD+5364+Reflection

=TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY= =Final Assessment Course Reflection Responses and Weekly Reflections=

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? I expected this course to use a number of technology tools and call for the creation of several lessons that included technology use, and it has pretty much turned out to be what I expected, plus more. The course outcomes included even more technology products than what I had expected, considering the projects from the UDL sites. These lessons were very unexpected material that I found very useful and interesting. The way the software allows for listening in additional languages is very useful and it was an easy process to set up. As a technology specialist, these UDL tools and the learning theories we studied will help me to provide options for teachers based on their lesson content and their learning goals. There is something available for most any lesson plan a teacher wants to cover and justification for using the newer methods of education. In summary, the course included a wide variety of technology tools that are relevant to integrating technology into the classroom. 2. To the extent that you achived the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not? The videos and reading material we covered in this class included various sources of learning methods, theories, success stories from other teachers and examples of how to use technology to make education more interesting. Part of getting the students involved in more technology in education is getting the teachers more involved and excited about using the tools. This makes all of these tools relevant because they can be used in a high school setting in a variety of subject areas. The more examples a technology specialist has of what options are available for teachers, the easier it is to find an appropriate match for a lesson plan. Learning about new technology methods and theories helps to keep the desire to help teachers integrate technology into their class rooms exciting and interesting. Especially when some teachers really don’t want to make any changes. An example of how learning improves when technology is used is published at this Website: [] 3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? The only outcomes from the course that I did not feel that I could achieve was the complete investigation of all of the technology products and the opportunity to try them in my classroom. When I use software, I like to utilize it all. Not just a few things I get comfortable with. I like to think of it as getting my moneys worth! I discover new abilities in software most every day. I just today found out that the Google sites has a Filing Cabinet page option. I had seen the term but did not understand it’s use until I looked around more while trying to find a way to link to a file. The second outcome I mentioned was regarding the ability to try out all of the products in my classroom. I typically “guinea pig” my students and I tell them that! We have tried out most all of the products I’ve used throughout my coursework. With the exception of Second Life, of course. 4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? My group was awesome! We completed all of the course assignments. Most of the time we were finished ahead of time but we kept double checking to make sure we didn’t miss anything. The most challenging thing for the completing the course assignments was the collaboration aspect due to the distance issue. There is a great benefit to on-line programs but it does make group work more challenging to accomplish! One of my partners lives close enough to meet and we made use of that to plan out assignments and draft a plan for the four of us in the group. Establishing times that all of us could talk was difficult so we mostly worked around that by communicating regularly what ideas we had and overviewing what was left and who was doing what. If anything, the process makes you more organized and requires you to plan ahead. 5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? This course taught me that I have more than average technology skills as compared to my peers and I love being able to help others. I am definitely in my element when I can explain how to use technology to others and they understand. Trying new technology out is one of my favorite things! I like to learn the whole package and not just the easy stuff. Organizing and keeping everyone on track was a very easy process for me. Every job I have had for years has required strong organizational skills and it has always come natural for me. I am always thinking ahead for options in case someone doesn’t complete their part. Luckily, everything worked out for our group. I have a very positive, optimistic attitude and enjoy working with others who are interested in technology like I am. So much can be learned by just spending a short time discussing what each other has done.

Discussion Statement for Week 5
In the //Using technology with classroom instruction that works// book, I really like the discussion about the Achievement Spreadsheet. It's like a detailed method of journaling with a visual outcome. My students start off having a difficult time understanding that I want to them to try the new software and I don't have a set pass/fail criteria. They want to know the minimum they have to do to pass, most of the time! This method can help them to understand that progress and effort is what really counts. Also, surveys have helped me to find out the level of knowledge my students come in with and what they have when they leave. It's a lot like benchmark testing. The benefits of positive feedback have been proven any many studies. Achievement Spreadsheets sound like a good idea and they require the students to maintain them regularly supports improving responsibility.

Links to positive feedback articles: http://www.rwkenterprises.com/Feedback-Motivation.htm http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv.htm ctl.stanford.edu/Newsletter/**motivation**_to_learn.pdfhttp://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affective/motivation.html//

Reflection Statement for Week 5
Week five included more excellent material! The ideas about the Achievment Spreadsheet for students was a very new but obvious way to help students see their learning and encourage them to manage and promote their own learning. While there has been a lot to do finishing off our project, the week has not been as bad as I originally expected it to be. It seems like my group stayed ahead by reading the entire course before we started our work. There has been so much reflection during this last week that it is hard for me to decide what to put where! Basically from week five, the learning record was the most significant topic for me.

Discussion Statement for Week 4
The following statement from the Pitler book comes to remind me at an appropriate time! Planning is so important to keep group projects running smoothly. I hate it when part of a group is doing all of the work and then you have a couple who are “playing” on the computer saying they are done! I always include individual assignments/grades when we do group projects. Truly, if they have worked hard and finished a difficult part of the process, some playing is deserved. But it really annoys me when some of them think they don’t have to do anything!

I would love to hear ideas from you guys on techniques you use to manage your group activities. I’m always looking for ideas! "By nature, both multimedia projects and cooperative learning groups require attention to detail in the planning process. When these type of activities go astray in the classroom, it is often due to inadequate up-front preparation." Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works//. Alexandria, VA; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 139-154.//

Reflection for Week 4
This week had more topics that really relate to what teachers are dealing with. The Pitler readings still seem to be my favorite. I also especially enjoyed the video Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts//. This is the same theory I have with regards to the fact that the teacher does NOT have to know how to do everything already. If we waited for that, students would never get to learn very much because there aren't enough hours for us to learn everything first! So much more can be learned together but teachers have to let go of their have to know it all attitudes.

Each week I find something new to get excited about. I really like the digital book software and the capabilities it has. I hope no one at my school is getting too tired of me telling them about new things! They just seem so fun. It has to be like this for the students when we use new technology also. We need to keep it that way! Hopefully, we can keep getting teachers interested a little at a time!//

Discussion Statement for Week 3
It was hard to pick one quote but I chose the following one because it is a hot topic for me at my district right now. "As we see it, schools have two choices: to ban any form of online communication that might present a potential danger, or to teach appropriate and ethical use of the technology....teachers lose the opportunity to engage students in much-needed conversations about keeping safe online. These conversations need to occur because students will use these technologies personally, whether schools ban them or not." Our district has made great strides toward technology use but it takes a few steps and then locks up in caution! This continues to let technology use get too far ahead of us. Someone mentioned last week how teachers get comfortable with a mode of technology and then new ones appear and antiquate the one you chose. The students will continue to find new technologies to do what they want like access MySpace, etc. We are spinning our wheels if we think we can block anything from them! We are there to teach and we should be teaching students how to use the technology safely!

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works//. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Reflection for Week 3
Week threes material provided a wealth of technology options for use in the classroom. Some of these I was already familiar with but I found at least three more that I can try myself. It was really neat to see the excitement last week about all of the technology tools we covered and I bet there will be more of the same this week after all of the posts are made!

My favorite readings so far in this class have been from the Pitler book. It goes right along with how I like to present my lessons in the classroom. Along with the post I chose for the discussion post, I really agreed with the following statement from the book: "At this point in the planning process, it is important to determine how your students will demonstrate their learning. The way students will demonstrate learning shouldn't be an afterthought; it should drive the lesson design." It reiterates the fact that you have start out with the end product in mind.

Another aspect I found interesting this week was the range of Web 2.0 access there is among school. In reading the posts this week I was rather surprised by the range of access to Internet tools the different districts have. It seems that the excuse is always tied back to the law about protecting students yet there are districts who clearly open up more and don't seem to be "skeared" about it! Will the war between the technology department and the teachers ever end?!

Wow! Was that book builder site something! I really did not see the benefit given the work required when I first started the process but I was pleasantly surprised at what that site was capable of. I also found it to be very user friendly.

Discussion Statement for Week 2
I really appreciated seeing the summary of research that was included in The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement by Schacter. The repeating theme that students showed gains in higher order thinking skills is more proof of what appears to be happening in the classroom. With the change from more traditional teaching and grading methods using tests with a set scoring system to a more open accomplishment driven method with collaborative groups, etc., the research data gives concrete evidence that we are doing the right thing. The difference in using a test score and saying "Yes, you know what you're doing" and "No, you don't" to "You understand the information and can accomplish the task you have been given" is a big change and a lot of teachers want to have documented justification to back them.

Reflection for Week 2
This week I dove right into the assignments so I could have more holiday time later in the week. The videos that were included this week were very easy to view and informative. In my opinion, there has not been a universal design for learning primarily due to the lack of time and the effort involved to be more specific for lesson plans for multiple students. In today's age of computers and unlimited tools, such as over viewed in the Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works reading, teachers should be able to provide the more individual based lessons that students need.

Regarding the reading about different socioeconomic level students, I can easily see how self esteem is increased through using technology. The article linked below has additional research regarding the same topic. Most every student I have had finds something they are good at or they just really enjoy and you can watch them bloom as they are able to help others. As with anything else in education, how you use the tools (technology) will effect what you gain. If teachers are given math manipulatives and choose not to use them, or not to use them to their fullest, students will not get much out of them. I feel that this is where the inconsistencies in research come from and not necessarily that technology does not help in some areas. Learning to try new things and investigation can only help students in their education.

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Discussion Statement for Week 1
In the book, "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works", it is stated that "We understand that individual teachers' decisions about technology integration will reflect the technology available, their students' facility with that technology, the curricular goals pursued, and the time available." This statement appealed to me on two points. Regarding the technology that's available, I don't think we can limit ourselves from the start anymore with all of the available free options on the internet. When I worked in a small district that didn't have much funding, I found free options so my students could have access to photo editing and animation software. As teachers I feel we should be good at knowing where to find what we need. (That's actually another topic from our readings that I liked!) The second point from the statement is that while we should consider how well the students know the technology, we can't be afraid to start off with something that is not well known given the capabilities that our students have to learn and figure things out. I was talking to a teacher just Friday who was asking me about how to use GIMP because they said they have to learn it before teaching the students. I encouraged him to learn it WITH the students. I've done this many times in class and it has always been fun, exciting and we all learn more than ever! I tell the students I don't know everything about the software and to let me know what they discover and we share everything with the class. The students will often help me create tutorials or sometimes, they create them for me. Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. McRel.

Reflection for Week 1
The material in this weeks lesson has been "right up my alley"! I love teaching technology and helping others to incorporate technology into their lessons! My daughter once called me a geek. I paused a moment and then said "Yeah, I guess I am one! I never was considered a geek in school but when it comes to computers, I am!" Then I told her I really think the people who don't use technology are the geeks now days. You're just weird if you don't have some kind of cell phone, iPod, PDA, computer or something!

This weeks readings have also been a reflection of my philosophy on teaching and therefore, have been especially enjoyable for me. I read ahead in the Pitler, et. al. book because I found it so interesting! The Solomon and Schrum book includes the opinion about the know-where being important not just the know-what and know-how and is another opinion that I agree with. Especially now that I have started using Google more and more to find technical information and just about anything on any topic! (With scrutiny of course with regards to what is accurate or not.) I also appreciated the statement in the article by Sprague and Dede regarding the chaotic classroom not necessarily meaning there was not learning going on. Some days my students are gathered around computers working, talking and laughing. To some people there is an assumption that means they are on a site that they shouldn't be. Gathering around a computer and having fun doesn't mean there's a problem! I look forward to the rest of the course!