EdTech 541 - Final Reflection
This is one of the courses that I was looking most forward to when enrolling in the MET program. With the high school redesign (reform) and the ever-changing technology available for our students, technology integration is so important in 21st century education. The course did not disappoint. The only negative is that it was held in a seven week span in the summer. There was way too much to learn and too many resources to look at to fully benefit from everything this course had to offer.
What Have I Learned
Where do I begin. There is no doubt that the impact of technology has changed the way students learn and teachers teach. It is obvious from this course that technology must be integrated into the classroom. There are so many ways this can happen; mobile apps, spreadsheets, assistive technology, instructional software, video integration and cross-curricular classes. The different types of technology is astounding. I have learned where to find these technologies and now know the need for all of these in the classroom. I also learned about the importance of relative advantage. It is so important to have a reason to integrate the technology and not just do it to impress. Another thing I have learned in EdTech 514 is that you can locate just about any resources as long as you take the time to find it. The list of resources and software that is available for student learning is incredible.
I have a detailed listing of how the artifacts from this course demonstrated AECT standards in my website. A short version would be to say that the artifacts and readings mainly demonstrated the following:
Section 1 - Content Knowledge
1.1 Creating - creates instructional materials and learning environments.
1.2 Using - selects and uses of technological resources to support student learning.
1.3 Assessing/Evaluatiing - demonstrates the ability to assess and evaluate the effective integration of technologies.
Section 2 - Content Pedagogy
2.1 Using - applies content pedagogy to create appropriate processes to improve learning.
2.2 Using - implements appropriate technologies based on content pedagogy.
Section 4 - Professional Knowledge and Skills
4.3 Reflection of Practice - analyses artifacts and reflects on the effectiveness of design, development and implementation of technology supported instruction.
Section 5 - Research
5.3 Assessing/Evaluating - applles formal strategies in assessing resources for learning.
5.4 Ethics - uses acceptable and professional guidelines in research.
How Have I Grown Professionally
As I stated earlier in this post, I am currently finishing up a professional improvement fellowship and will be starting at a new school in just two weeks. It is an exciting time to get back into the classroom. This course has given me an abundance of ideas for my upcoming classes. I want to be a leader in this reform. I will hopefully become a mentor in technology integration and continue on with my goal of becoming a school administrator or specialist in learning technology.
I have also learned some very important things about myself. I have become very disciplined at setting aside time to do my work and I am now able to reflect more about my learning. Through all of this I believe I have a deeper understanding of what it will take to be an exceptional educator and leader in the 21st century.
How my own teaching practice or thoughts about teaching have been impacted by what I have learned or accomplished in this course?
I teach in an area where I have always used technology as a support - or at least I thought I did. I have used computers, spreadsheets and the Internet to some degree. However, as a result of this course, I know I can do better. In the upcoming school year I will try to integrate more technology into the classroom to better engage my students. My goal is to have a highly personalized classroom with inquiry-based authentic tasks for the students to do. I have noticed a change in students over the last five to ten years and it is now time to try to catch up and be a better teacher. No more will I ban cell phones or the use of social media in the classroom. Instead, hopefully, the students will use these tools to engage and excel in the concepts in my courses.
How theory guided development of the projects and assignments I created?
Our school is expecting our teachers to use theories that will enhance student learning for today’s students. They are pushing constructivist views like personalized learning, inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, collaboration, reflection, cross-curricular teaching and authentic, lifelong learning. Even though some of these theories and strategies are new to me, I tried to keep them in mind when developing the artifacts for this class. In the lessons I constructed, I made a point to use only a limited amount of teacher-directed instruction. These lessons were designed to give students the opportunity to discover the content for themselves and to assess through formative means.
Part II. Assessment of Performance
Criteria
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Outstanding
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Proficient
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Basic
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Below Expectations
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Content
70 points
70 points
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Rich in content, full of thought, insight and synthesis with clear connections to previous or current content and/or to real life situations made with depth and detail.
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Substantial information, thought, insight and analysis has taken place with some connection to previous or current content and/or to real life situations but lack of depth and detail.
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Generally competent in summarizing learning, but information is thin and commonplace with limited connections and vague generalities.
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Rudimentary and superficial regurgitation of content with no connections and/or completely off topic.
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Readings and Resources
20 points
20 points
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Readings (from course text) and other resource materials are used to support blog comments. APA style is used to cite references.
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There is some reference to readings and other resource material. No or limited use of APA style references.
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Little if any reference is made to readings an other course materials.
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Readings and resources are not mentioned.
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Timeliness
20 points
20 points
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All required postings are made early in the module to give others time to comment.
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All required postings are made but not in time for others to read and respond.
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Some or all of the required postings are made, but most are at the last minute without allowing for response time.
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Some or all of the required postings are missing.
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Responses to Other Students
30 Points
30 points
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Two or more substantial posts with at least one detailed response made to address another students’ post.
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One or more satisfactory posts with at least one satisfactory response made to address another students’ post.
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One satisfactory post with a brief response to another students’ post.
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One brief post or no post at all and no response to another students’ post.
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Total - 140 points
Throughout the last several courses in the MET program, discussions and blogs have been an integral part of the learning process. It has allowed for a chance to reflect on the concepts covered in a module or topic. Along with the original posts, the responses from my colleagues have been very helpful. Many times these responses have lead to great conversations, but at the very least, it has left me thinking about other points of view.
It is because of this learning and reflection that I have worked hard at these blogs and discussions. I believe I have met all of the requirements of a good post. As shown through the rubric, I believe I deserve an outstanding grade as I have met or exceeded all expectations. I have four more courses in the MET program and I hope that the learning log is a major part of each of the courses I have left.
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