TF/TL Facilitator Standard VIII: Leadership and Vision Reflection

In this chapter, I gained some valuable knowledge on the expectations of the facilitator and the leader.  Both need to have a strong vision and relay that vision to the administration.  “The foundation for successful technology implementation requires educators and policy makers to possess a viable vision for technology use, enact the vision, and link the vision to other important organizational endeavors.” (Williamson, & Redish, 2009)  The problem lies in the lack of imagination among educational stakeholders.  Some people may not be sold on the benefits of technology in the learning environment.  In order for the vision to be a shared endeavor, there has to be a complete buy in by everybody; teachers, students, administrators, staff members, etc….  This standard also discusses long range technology planning and the factors that go into it.  This facet of technology has been a difficult process for me to understand.  I understand the need for the plan; I have trouble understanding the devising of the plan.  Since the process will involve the state and district to be in correlation, it seems like this would be a difficult task to achieve.  The text displayed a flowchart that displayed the planning process for technology and it was very helpful.  During stage three of the flowchart, I question the need for the community to identify barriers of the vision.  Sometimes there is a disconnect between the school and the community.  “Creating a strategic direction requires a unique skill set, including managing groups of people with divergent viewpoints and achieving consensus.” (Williamson, & Redish, 2009)   To achieve consensus, I think this discussion needs to occur with people who are directly related to the educational environment.  The information covered in this standard will be of great use to me in the future.  I have a general understanding of the difficulties faced when creating a shared vision and the challenges facilitators and leaders will go through to plan for an overall use of technology.  Most of the new information that I gained opened my eyes to many aspects of technology implementation.  Initially, many of the factors were difficult for me to understand but as I viewed some of the performance standards, I began to get a clearer picture.  Prior to this class, I knew that it was important to involve educational stakeholders in the decision making process but I question the level of involvement by community members.  I believe that some members of the community can have a alternate agenda that may not be best for the schools.  I also knew the importance of establishing a vision so you are not walking blindly into the future.  Through this class, I had an opportunity to create a vision statement, but it wasn’t as detailed as the long range technology plan.  It was very difficult for me to implement this standard.  My action research proposal was based on the technology use on my campus and the perception of our technology environment.  Based on the results, the teachers on my campus believe our technology department is doing a good job in promoting the use of technology.  I also had a chance to promote the use of technology by allowing co-workers a chance to view how I use technology in my classroom.

            The approach that I used when implementing this strategy was to conduct a survey.  I sent the survey to several teachers within the core areas and several elective teachers.  The teachers answered question that dealt with the use of technology on the campus and the awareness of tools offered on the campus.  This method of gathering information worked out well because I had a fair amount of participants who were willing to answer the survey.  I also allowed teachers to come view the way I use technology in my classroom.  This gave them a chance to see one aspect of how technology can be used in a core subject area.  In implementing this strategy, I think I performed well.  There is always room for improvement.  Personally, I prefer any method of learning that involves movement and collaboration.  I had a chance to communicate with others on the importance of a shared vision by all.  Because of the feedback I received from the survey, I was able to gain an understanding on the general perception of our school technological environment.  Also from the response from teacher who visited my classroom, I was able to share different technological tools and skills that assisted them in their classrooms.  “Technologists must stay abreast of best practices and other related research and disseminate these findings to educators using technology to enhance the teaching and learning process.” (Williamson & Redish, 2009)

            Nothing has changed with regards to my learning.  If anything, I have been exposed to more instances of auditory learning experiences.  Kinesthetic/tactile learning is my preference.  In the future, I think the collaboration aspect of this standard will be the way to promote change.  I think I will need to be more innovative in devising ways to implement this standard in the future.  Based on my past interactions with colleagues, any type of collaboration will aid in the implementation of this standard.  I think the opportunity for people to receive immediate feedback in a formal relaxed setting will promote positive dialogue.  I also believe that the more I get to visit with other people in various fields of technology, the more open minded I will be when it comes to ideas concerning integration.  As a lifelong learner, I believe would like to become more involved in the process of conducting filed-based experiences.  I look at my experiences and I want to give prospective technologist the same opportunities I was given.

References

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p179). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p185). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p186). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

TF/TL Facilitator Standard VII: Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments Reflection

In this chapter I learned about how the use of technology in the school shows how accessible technology is in the school.  I agree with this particular statement based on personal experience.  I worked at a school where mobile labs were designated for a particular subject and this left a feeling of resentment by the other subjects because of the accessibility.  The labs that were used by all other subjects were in poor working condition.  Most of the time there weren’t enough computers for each student.  I can say this school had aspirations of utilizing technology but I don’t think they fully embraced the idea.  The school district I am currently employed with has embraced the idea of technology integration.  Not only do the have multiple mobile labs, they have many computer labs that can be used by any subject, as long as they reserve it.  “Implementing technology-supported learning strategies requires computers, peripherals, software, and telecommunications networks that are current, operable, well maintained, and adapted to specific K-12 contexts and goals.” (Williamson, & Redish, 2009)  Also, this standard discusses the need for personnel who are technology driven.  These people will be in charge of maintaining the equipment and supporting teachers when called upon.  An interesting perception was made in the text regarding the lack of access to technology in relation to student ratios.  I do not agree with this evaluation because in my experience, it’s not the lack of access it is the growing size of the classroom.  I had a chance to gain some insight on the stages of providing access to students and educators and what each stage encompasses.  I believe as teachers begin to accept technology as a valuable educational tool, they have to realize that sometimes things will go wrong.  Educators cannot have a negative viewpoint and dismiss technology as “unreliable”.  I don’t think that the sole responsibility of managing technical task should rest on the shoulders of the facilitators and the leaders.  If you are an educational stakeholder in the teaching environment, “all should support the integration of technology into instructional and administrative practices.”

            The textbook looked at some of the strengths and weaknesses of the technology set up in schools.  Through personal experience, I knew about some of the advantages and disadvantages of desktops in computer labs opposed to desktops in the classrooms, mobile labs, and wireless laptops.  I didn’t know about all of the types of technical support that defines a quality technology program.  Some of the examples I am familiar with because I have requested the services.  I am also slightly familiar with the implementation phase of technology.  I knew that it takes a great deal of communication to deliver products to teachers.  “Technology facilitators and leaders keep projects on schedule, accomplish installations while minimizing disruptions to teaching and learning, and keep stakeholders informed of progress toward implementation.” (Williamson, & Redish, 2009)  Recently, my team of teachers was awarded two mobile labs and the tech staff was very professional in handling the installation and delivery of the computers.

            The relationship between the old and new information that I learned didn’t have a major affect on my personal experience.  The only event of significance was the installation of the mobile lab that was awarded to our department.  Many of the aspects of this standard, I didn’t have any direct contact with.  At times, I did work with some of the technology staff to model the use of technology in the classroom.

            To implement this standard, I collaborated with some of our technology leaders to show them how I use technology in the classroom.  Many times I showed them evidence of student products and the applications we used to create them.  I also relayed information concerning technology professional development geared toward PBL lesson creation.  From the feedback I received, I met with some co-workers to share how this workshop correlates with the goals of our district.

            My learning style is geared toward tactile experiences.  This particular standard required collaboration which worked out good for me.  Without the input from other technical staff it would have been very difficult to implement aspects of this standard.   Because of access, there were only certain things I could do to promote this standard.  I think my overall performance was good but it could definitely be better.  It was difficult to promote this standard because of accessibility.  Many of the tasks are delegated to persons in the technology department at the administration building.

            My learning opportunities were slim in this standard.  I did have a chance to interact with some of the district technical personnel but because of my schedule, any conversation of length was difficult to have.  Any performance task that I could implement with help from campus technical liaisons was the main forms of engagement.  Several meetings I had concerning technology professional development were well received by all interested individuals.

            The major factor that will enhance my learning when implementing this standard will be the opportunity to collaborate.  Communication is key in creating a productive technical environment.  As a learner, it is important for me to take advantage and promote communication whenever possible.  Based on my past interactions with co-workers in the implementation of this standard, I will need to continue to keep the lines of communication open.  As I transition from facilitator to leader, I want like to be more available to others who are in need of assistance.  As a lifelong learner, I would like to be involved in the budgeting aspect of technology.  “When budgeting, technology novices may tend to focus only on the initial costs of the technology rather than the total coast of ownership (TCO) or the comprehensive cost of technology implementation, support and maintenance.” (Williamson & Redish, 2009)  In the leadership role, it will be important that the planning reflects the big picture.  With all of the different factors that are involved the implementation phase, leaders will have to be knowledgeable to make sure appropriate purchases are made.

References

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p147). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p156). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p158). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

EDLD 5345 Human Resource Management Course Reflection

In this class I gained some insight on issues I will com across as a principal.  As of now, I am involved in the technology program but I do have interest in pursuing the administrative side of education.  In the beginning I had a chance to view the principal competencies and what they involve.  I knew that a principal has many responsibilities and their leadership is important in running a good school.  I took a survey to look at my personal view of the competencies and which were important to me.  I also gained some additional knowledge on the “fight or flight” response system.  This particular theory was not new to me because it can be applied to other areas.  In this area, I recalled instances where I’ve seen conflict in the workplace and possible solutions to these conflicts.  In this I also discussed ethics.  I had a chance to discuss how I’ve seen these standards violated and the possible consequences to theses actions.  I had a chance to look at the different types of teacher contracts and how they compare with each other.  I like the assignment that discussed how the principal conducts evaluations and the process.  “Teacher observations, especially of new hires, usually begin early in the school year in order to provide assurance that the new teacher knows the curriculum, provides proper instruction, evaluates students’ progress, and manages students’ behavior.” (Patterson, 2008)  Each week, I realized that the assignments were focusing on how to deal with employees and different issues that might occur on the job.  The readings were informative and helped me learn about many aspects of education that teachers in the classroom don’t experience.  Prior to this class, I knew about conflict management and methods of dealing with conflict.  I knew about the “fight or flight” response system.  Fortunately, I have never witnessed this conduct in my workplace.  In week three, one par of the assignment addressed the many “hats” a leader wears during the course of a school year.  I am familiar with the concept and I agree that leaders will take on many different roles to serve the school.  During this class, the information that I gained opened my eyes to different aspects on my campus.  The relationship between the new and old information did not have an affect on my personal experiences.  If anything, I realized that my campus is pretty good.  I have worked in three different districts and the campus culture I is very good compared to the others.  I believe much of it has to do with the administration and the way they treat the students and the teachers.

            To complete the assignments during this class, I had to coordinate my schedule with other when I needed to conduct an interview.  Because of my extra-curricular duties, at times this could be a challenge.  Most of the interviews were conducted during my planning period or I emailed a copy of the questions if the schedules conflict.  To complete the remaining portion of my coursework, I had to balance my day after practice and my children were settled for the night.  Each week night and weekend was dedicated to getting my work completed.  By following a strict schedule, I usually could get everything completed by the sixth day.  I think I did a really good job completing assignments under the strict time constraint.  Some of the assignments called for collaboration, which is always good for me.  It allowed me to visit with educational professionals of varied backgrounds.  The interaction with all expressed their viewpoint on some of the same subjects, just a different vantage point.  “We have come to the realization that our workforce need all generations to have a diverse and viable pool of employees.” (Savage, 2007)  My performance was enhanced because of the wide variety of resources I received input from.

            What I gained from my learning that will have an impact on my future is the value of collaboration with other teachers and administrators.  Many of the techniques I have discussed with administrators they learned from on the job experience and conversation with other administrators.  They didn’t learn it from a textbook.  The tips that they have offered resulted in me considering administration as a career route.  Educational technology will always be at the forefront so I would like to infuse the two careers, if given the opportunity.  Because of my past interactions and collaborations with other co-workers, I am considering going into administration.  I realized that I like the conversation and the opportunity to receive feedback immediately in a round table type discussion.  Now I am debating enrollment in another program that caters to more face to face interaction because of the auditory learning opportunity, but I like the flexibility of the Lamar system.  I think the issue that deserves some research deals with the relationship gap between the school and some families.  “Students and families can access the best of what schools have to offer if educators can communicate effectively with them, understand who they are and the cultural context from which they come, and perceive and treat them with respect.” (Nuri-Robins, Terrell, & Lindsey, 2007)  I’d like to find out why the community and the school relationship can become strained in some communities when both groups want the best for the children.

References

Nuri-Robins, K., Lindsey, D., Terrell, R., & Lindsey, R. (2007). Cultural proficiency: Tools for secondary school administrators. Nat. Association of Secondary School Principals: NASSP Principal Leadership 8(1), 18

Patterson, J., (2008). Which comes first, the job description or the evaluation. Best Practices, 17

Savage, S.L. (2007). HR leadership of today: Taking on the hot issues of tomorrow. American Association of School Personnel Administration: AASPA Best Practices in School Personnel, May/June/July 2007, 18

EDLD 5363 Video Technology and Multimedia Course Reflection

I really enjoyed the educational experience I had in this class.  The pacing for this class combined with the prior knowledge I gained from other classes resulted in a fun experience.  I like the fact I had the chance to work with other colleagues from around the state to create a final product.  This was the first time that my group project would involve different types of digital media.  From this experience I learned about different types of video editing software, using movie maker software, creating a podcast, and using the cloud to save/transfer files.  All of the following applications will be of great use as I continue in the educational field.  The majority of the readings were relevant to what I was involved in for the week.  The articles gave valuable insight into different tips, tricks, and points of view for the weekly assignments.  Up until this class, I never used Microsoft Movie Maker.  I didn’t even know that it was a feature that came with my computer.  After viewing youtube to get an idea how to use the application, I found out quickly that this software is user friendly.  Immediately, I begin to think how great this would be for my classroom and I wouldn’t have to spend hours teaching how to use the program.  “Don’t be intimidated if your students learn faster than you do.  Many of them are accustomed to quickly absorbing technology.  Use their aptitude to your advantage by letting students teach each other; you’ll find that they show their strengths rather quickly.” (New, 2005)  During week 2, I had a chance to look at different video editing software.  This was a refresher from my previous experience in college.  My degree was in radio/television, so I’ve had a chance to edit video on numerous occasions.  This was a fun activity; I didn’t realize how much I missed editing.  There was a small learning curve because of the advancement of technology but the skill and technique aspects were the same.  The podcast was totally new to me.  I thought this would be very difficult to create.  Again, I found out quickly that this would not be the case.  I think that when I introduce this to my students, I won’t e able to do this all at once.  It may be too much.  “Multimedia adds complexity both to the screen and to the tasks that learners need to perform.  By definition, a learning environment is already an unfamiliar and perhaps complex space.  Use multimedia to help learners find there way around it.  If multiple types of media and content are required, use position and prominence to direct learners’ attention to the most important information.” (Shank, n.d.)  This will be an important consideration because some students my get overwhelmed and give up.  Based on my prior knowledge and personal experiences, the activities during his class were manageable.  My background in radio/television came into play as I completed my part of the project.  This was a great asset.  The new information I learned made the completion of the assignment easier.  In the past, to complete a project of this magnitude you would need to be in a studio.  With the advancement of technology, we were able to gather all of the information and combine it into one single product.

            To complete the task in this assignment, time management would be a valuable skill.  Throughout the program, I have improved upon this skill.  To begin I had to use the discussion board to find a partner.  It was just two of us in the beginning, but we added another partner during week two.  We utilized Google docs as our main form of communication throughout the week.  Once we established who would be responsible for what, then it was up to each to do their part and report the information to the document.  Since I had experience with video, I was in charge of gathering video.  The main thing I had to remember was to gather more video than what you will need.  To make sure I had all the shots and more, I used my conference time to film.  I scheduled times where I could go in to certain places and get shots, as long as the name of the establishment was not revealed.  Also, when dealing with student comments, I made sure they knew that their face would not be revealed and I would be using their voice only.  As a learner, this part of the assignment was easy because of the engagement aspect.  All aspects of the assignments involved active engagement, collaboration, and creativity.  These are the qualities to produce a relevant learning experience.  Because of my colleagues, I had a chance to learn about other aspects of media.  Each person in the group had an area of specialization and that helped with the completion process.  The majority of our communication took place in Google docs and other times we used email.  Since we all had different things we were involved in, Google docs was invaluable because we constantly update our information in real-world time.  I was able to get accurate shots because of this.  Each person performance was a direct result of positive collaboration within the group.

            “The only way to get things done is through team work.” (Edutopia, 2002)  This is true regarding how I learn.  I am more engaged when the activity is tactile and it involves collaboration.  I knew that this class would be favorable because of the type of assignments we had to do.  In the future it will be important that I pay close attention to the lessons that I plan.  I need to make sure that I can infuse a kinesthetic learning opportunity at some point.  I also need to make sure that my students have a chance to collaborate in a manner that is accountable.  As a leader, I want to promote the use of collaboration as a learning tool among professionals.  There are many things that can be learned from the person right next to you.  Looking on my past experiences, it will be important to discuss how using tools such as Google docs, blogs, or wikis can enhance communication from student to student and professional to professional.  In the future, I would like to research a classroom that uses multimedia tools in a geography classroom setting.  I’ve seen classrooms that use technology during this program, but I’ve never seen a classroom in a core content area that has the look of a 21^st Century learning environment.  I would like to research how the student performed on state mandated test in a 21^st Century classroom learning environment.

References

Edutopia. (2002). Multimedia serves youths’ desire to express themselves.  Retrieved on February 9, 2012, from http://www.edutopia.org/print/980.

New, J. (2005). How to use digital storytelling in your classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved February 9,2012, from http://www.edutopia.org/use-digital-storytelling-classroom.

Shank, P. (n.d.). The value of multimedia learning. Think Tank .Retrieved February 9, 2012, from http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/thinktank/valuemedia/.

TF/TL Standard VI Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues Reflection

This was an interesting chapter because the decisions a facilitator makes will encompass a social, ethical, legal and human issue.  Most of the issues today that I will face as a leader will have to do with online safety, copyright infringement, privacy, and digital equity.  From personal experience, I knew that student access to inappropriate content was an issue because it is a subject we speak about in class.  Many times students can’t get on certain sites because of the district internet filtering system.  This is good because students can suffer severe consequences if there account is linked to an appropriate site.  I was surprised to see that sites suck as nick.com is targeting younger children, which I don’t think is a good direction for our youth.  “Educators and parents are also concerned that too much time online impedes healthy face-to-face relationships and distracts students from their academic studies.” (Williamson & Redish, 2009)  I agree when looking at the issue of copyrights, many educators do not know all of the details concerning the topic.  I think the violations are so common that many people do not realize that they are in the wrong.  When looking at student privacy, I was surprised see that the most frequent security threats occur because of careless users.  I figured in this day and age, with the threats of identity theft that people would be more vigilant in protecting their information.  It was also interesting to see the FERPA law concerning student data.  “If a report on standardized test scores is disaggregated by grade level and racial subgroup and there is only one students of a particular race in that grade, the student is identifiable even though his or her name is not included.  The data cannot be published.” (Williamson & Redish, 2009)  It makes sense, but since I’ve always worked in a fairly large district I never considered the scenario.  Another interesting statistics dealt with the updating of acceptable use policies.  There is slightly more than half of the school districts have updated policies.  I figured this was a topic that is addressed frequently, at least before each school, year started.  Much of the information in this chapter was not new because of the literature I have received during my time in the Masters program and job related experience.   When I started this program I had just left a district that had aspirations of integrating more technology into its school culture but it never flourished.  The district that I am employed with now has really embraced the idea of technology integration.  “Deprivation from educational technology-or a lack of informed guidance regarding its use-perpetuates distinctions in the quality of education students receive and opportunities they have.” (Williamson & Redish, 2009)  There is a glaring distinction between the opportunities the students have at my current school verses my previous school.  Because of some of the students I had, privacy and the concealment of student records were always a topic of importance.  As a parent and professional, online safety is always an area of concern.  I have always been cautious about what sites my children and students are navigating through.  Internet safety is a topic that is constantly discussed whenever we use computers.  Copyright issues are a topic that I am familiar with but I do not know all of the ins and outs concerning the violations.  In the past I know I have violated some of the copyright laws because of ignorance but as an educator I will have to be more aware of my actions.  Implementing this standard was easy because much of the topics are based on safety issues for students or creating better opportunities for the students.  Digital equity can always be a topic of disagreement because most of the teachers want more access to technology.  All of the teachers are aware of keeping student records confidential.  Discussing online safety will always be a topic of concern because of the landscape of technology.  Out of all of the topics, copyright issues were the hardest to discuss based on my experience.  There are so many different dynamics to discuss and guidelines to adhere to.  The teachers I spoke with knew the basics and some were aware of the use for educational purposes.

            The strategy that I used to implement the standards came in the form of informal discussions and meetings.  Because of schedule conflicts, it was difficult to meet as a large group.  It was easier to meet in a classroom or conference room.  Since I only have one off period a day and coach after school, sometimes it was difficult to have an in-depth discussion.  At times, a simple piece of literature was sufficient.  The only problem is you never know if the material gets read.  I am a kinesthetic learner, so moving helps me become more engaged in the process.  The standard allowed me to be interactive and collaborate.  I look back on my performance and I believe I did pretty well.  I know there is always room for improvement.  The good thing about the collaboration that I was engaged in was the relevancy.  All of us really felt connected to the subjects addressed in this standard.  When collaboration was possible, most of the feedback was informative and positive.  The results of my performance had a lot to do with the willingness of my co-workers to take on the role of a learner.

            As a learner, it is important for me to surround myself with like-minded people.  It was good to see that I work with people who genuinely have a love for teaching.  I knew that an environment that requires me to sit and listen would not be good for an extended time.  Luckily, much of the interaction was quick and engaging.  In the future, it will be important to present materials in different formats.  This will not only help me clarify the objective but it will also help people with different learning styles.  Because of the success I had with this standard, I will continue to use some of the same methods for collaboration.  Hopefully in the future, I won’t have as many things going on that effects my time.  As I continue, I think the area that will be a must for research will be the copyright guidelines.  As an educator, I will be viewed as a person of integrity so it will be important that I act in a legal and ethical manner when dealing with technology.

References

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p124). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p128). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p129). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

TF/TL Standard V Productivity and Professional Practice Reflection

In this particular chapter in the textbook, there was much information that I agreed with.  I felt it is very important that I continue to grow professionally because it will help my students in the long run.  As we look into the future, technology will continue to be a major factor in the educational landscape so utilizing and promoting productivity tools we be a must for technology leaders.  “Helping others to use technology to enhance productivity and professional practice establishes additional responsibilities for technology facilitators and leaders.” (Williamson & Redish, 2009)  I had never heard of the term productivity tools until I read this chapter.  Most of the tools are devices and applications that I use daily.  I was aware that some of the devices can be difficult to learn because they have to be compatible with other devices; personally I have been guilty of giving up because of that.  I also was familiar with the term “professional practice” but never heard it in that context.  I agree that as a leader, I will need to take on a role that shows others how to effectively use productivity software and try to be at the forefront of the learning communities.  I do believe that in the future, both the facilitator and the leader will have to take on an active role in the educational community to promote the use collaboration and communication, which will ultimately result in educational success for our students.

            I knew prior to reading this chapter about the importance of continually growing professionally and how important this will be to the students.  I was unaware of all the devices that were considered productivity tools and professional practice.  From some of the classes I have taken through this program, I was familiar with the disconnection of how a student uses technology at home opposed to at school.  “If educators trying to meet the needs of digital-age learners are to be successful, school cultures must change.” (Willimason & Redish, 2009)  When communicating these concerns with different stakeholders, many agreed but we were still confused on which way to attack the issue.  Because of the indecisiveness, I attended a conference that discussed different resources that can be used at school.  The conference allowed me the opportunity to showcase different application that professional could use to help others.

The strategies I used in implementing this standard was difficult in the beginning because I had to first convince some people that we had a problem, even though it wasn’t a blatant issue.  I first had to show some research of current practices from other districts.  I had to show that we could do the same things if we just change our thought process.  It was difficult because showing research in a paper format was not the best method.  I had to actually show some examples of tips and tricks I learned from the conference to gain some interest.  “Models of professional development that are generative, meaningful, collaborative, and participant-centered are also best suited to supporting change- a frequent companion to most technology-related initiatives.” (Fullan, 1996)  Once some of the teachers understood what I was trying to convey, we realized that our districts has a similar feature we offer our teachers.  So I realized that I needed some help in the explanation process when disseminating new information.

When looking at this standard, I knew I was going to have to utilize a different learning style when gathering information.  I was not too pleased with my performance in implementing this standard, and I will definitely need more help.   One of the problems for me was I had to communicate with people who I’ve never spoken with.  I felt I was playing the role of a salesman.  Now, this didn’t happen all of the time, but it occurred more than I was used to.  Discussing the convention I went to was no problem.  My method of trying to convince people that we needed to change was the hard part.  I know that in the future, I will need to be more prepared, as far as literature is concerned.  My interaction with my colleagues was one that was needed.  There were a few times I had issues with interacting with colleagues throughout the program because it was poor planning on my part and the lack of interest with some of my co-workers.  Because of the experience, this particular problem wasn’t that bad.  I had an easier time adjusting to the issues and the implementation, though difficult, went better.  Again,  I blame myself, because I don’t feel I was as prepared to deliver the correct information.

I know that I will need to be prepared and pay close attention to the auditory facet of my learning style.  As a leader, this would damage my credibility if I am unprepared.  I have to realize that I cannot rely on activities that are purely kinesthetic to carry me through the process.  My past interactions with colleagues, for the most part, have been positive.  Most of my colleagues know that my intentions are for the improvement of all aspects of the educational environment.  As I continue forward, I value the learning experience even if they didn’t turn out quite like I expected.  As I complete this program, I think a topic of research will be catered to my district.  I want to investigate methods for utilizing distance learning for our teachers.  I think our teachers will be more apt to look into professional development opportunities if they can do it during a time that fits their schedule.

           

References

Fullan, M. (1996, February). Turning systematic thinking on its head. Phi Delta Kappan. 77(6), 420

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p101). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

Willamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). Iste’s technology facilitation and leadership standards, what every k-12 leader should know and be able to do. (p106). Eugene, OR: Intl Society for Technology in education

EDLD 5366 Digital Graphics, Animation, and Desktop Publishing Reflection

Out of all of the classes offered in this program, I enjoyed this one the most.  From the very beginning in week one, the assignments were engaging and fun.  I learned about the principles of design by analyzing a cover for a movie.  From that activity, I now find myself trying to find meaning to different movie covers.  Also in this class I got introduced to different types of digital formats.  I’ve seen the file extensions before but never gave it a second thought on their importance.  I had a chance to create a collage using a free web 2.0 application, which I still use to this day with my classes.  This application is great for students who are visual and kinesthetic learners.  “Taking a differentiated approach to instruction means accommodating these differences by tailoring teaching to students’ strengths and k knowledge.” (Wahl & Duffield, 2005)  In this class I also had a chance to create a logo.  Since I try to do personal training on the side, I use this assignment as an opportunity to create logo for my business.  I really enjoyed this assignment, because it allowed me a chance to be creative.  Another project that was fun involved using Stykz.  I had never seen any type of animation software on the web until this time.  Initially, I was thinking it would cost a small fee to use this but it was totally free!  At the time I was doing this assignment, I was out of state with my team at a basketball showcase.  I had so much fun doing this assignment that it was taking away from my basketball duties.  I also had a chance to create a newsletter in this class.  I used this opportunity to create a mock newsletter for my clients.  I sent the newsletter to a couple of people to get their opinion and they were impressed.  Because of the design principles I learned about in week one, I was able to combine the aspects of the two projects.  All of the information I gained from the readings were well received.  I believe many of the assignment introduced in this class will be ones that my students will have the most fun with.

            Much of the information I learned in this class was completely new.  There wasn’t any prior information that I could draw from.  I had seen different types of animation but none like the application I was introduced to.  I had seen newsletters but never created one.  I had seen software applications that had different types of templates where you could input the information, but that takes away from the creative aspect.  I actually created everything in the newsletter on my own. 

            As I stated before, most of the information I learned was new.  My personal experience with all of the assignments was memorable and great.  Many of the tools I learned, I use with my class.  I had my class create a newsletter covering different news topics that were discussed during the year.  “Teach students to use a wide variety of sources, including primary sources, oral communications, direct observation, and experimentation; the use of multiple sources accommodates various learning styles, interests, and abilities.” (Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory, n.d.)  I ended up using two of the assignments as an outline to improve upon my business.  The lasting effects of this class will extend years after my completion of this program.

            The way I went about completing my assignments each week was based on time management.  Since I was unfamiliar with many of the topics, I had to read on the topic before I started.  Once I got started with the assignments I was fully engaged.  Since I was really concerned about what my final product would look like, I sometimes asked for feedback from others.  From their feedback, I would look to make changes, if any were needed.  I ended up having multiple products for some of the assignments, so it put me in a position where I had to choose some weeks.

            The assignments in this class catered to my learning style.  I like the fact that I had a chance to be creative when engaged in an assignment.  I was fully engaged in each assignment, so much so that I introduced a couple of the assignments to my co-workers and my students.  “Because children are best able to show learning in ways that express their individuality, many students benefit from multiple ways of looking at and assessing learning.” (Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory, n.d.)  Looking back on my performance each week, I knew I was having fun because I was eager to see what new application I would be working with.

            My performance each week was not affected by my communication with my school colleagues.  I did turn to a few of my co-workers to get some feedback on a couple of my projects.  Because I valued their opinion, their feedback was critical to my success.  I learned that everyone won’t be pleased with a product I created.  There will always be someone that wants to add or take away an aspect.  In the end, I had to be comfortable with the final project.  Now with the newsletter and the logo, I might look closely at some of the feedback because that will be used for prospective customers.  I think my interaction and collaboration was a great learning experience that will help me in and out of the educational field.

            This class reinforced what I had already known about my learning style.  Any type of activity that allows me to e creative and moving is what I need.  In the future it will be important for me to realize that this may not always be the case.  One of my goals throughout this program was to become well- rounded when learning new information.  From the interactions I’ve had in the past, I know that there is much I can learn from my colleagues and co-workers.  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some people who were very knowledgeable in many different subjects; these people could become a very valuable resource as I further my career in education.  As a lifelong learner, I would like to do more research on the design principles.  I was fascinated with the different principles and how they apply to art.

References

Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory. (n.d.) Meeting the needs of diverse learners. Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/pub/sec3.pdf

Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory. (n.d.) Meeting the needs of diverse learners. Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/pub/sec3.pdf

Wahl, L. & Duffield, J. (2005). Using flexible technology to meet the needs of diverse learners. Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/kn-05-01.pdf