Course+Reflections

EDLD Teaching with Technology Course Reflection
When I began //**EDLD 5364**// //**Teaching with Technology**//, I honestly did not know what to expect from the course. Sure, teaching with technology is what this degree is all about, and it is something that we, as educational technology leaders, should be able to train others to do, but I still had no idea of what the class would truly consist of. As soon as the class opened and I was able to view the materials I was delighted. I was already happy with the two textbooks required for the course, as I feel I will use them later in my career as great reference tools. But as I began to read the syllabus, I worried. I group assignment – online collaboration? I had never done this before.

I immediately began to try to find a group on the discussion board and I was very lucky to team up with two public school instructors. They were knowledgeable in areas that I was not, and I could bring ESL and higher education knowledge into our assignments. I was happy to get off to a fast and organized start with our Google site and online collaboration “conversations” in order to plan to solve our scenario. We spoke at length about the Constructivist Theory, which would basically govern our lesson plans, for “knowledge is constructed in multiple ways, through a variety of tools, resources, experiences, and contexts” (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1999).

Moving into the next week I was introduced to the UDL Lesson builder as well as the EBook builders, neither of which I had ever had experience with. I was immediately drawn to the EBook builder as something I could use straight away in my adult ESL program, both as a way to present information but also has another Web 2.0 tool for the students to use to express themselves. This information was complimentary to the article by Michael Page, where he explains that the integration of computers into the classroom builds students’ self-esteem, especially in impoverished areas, or in my case, for adult ESL students who have come from nations where computers are not a readily available resource, at home or in their schools (Page, 2002).

The diversity of students in the classroom was another topic that I found extremely helpful in my line of work and found tools within that week’s lesson that I could put to use quickly. For instance, the use of blogs or wikis for students to express themselves and receive feedback on their writing is a great way to help students start writing, especially since American teaching methodologies are not necessarily what my international students are accustomed to (Lessonbuilder.cast.org, n.d.).

Going into further detail about blogs, I was interested to read the information contained in our //Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools// regarding that particular Web 2.0 tool. Blogs allow students to brainstorm, arrange their thoughts, personalize their blogs, and better yet, receive immediate feedback from both peers and instructors (Solomon & Schrum, 2007). Student are at once interested in anything that allows them easily personalization, as that is what they have become accustomed to in this digital age of technology.

Using the UDL lesson builder gave me a better understanding of lesson plans in general, as I had never had to make one (working in higher education), and I was impressed with how easy the UDL lesson builder was to use. Within this assignment I also learned the importance of including activities which appeal to the students’ recognition, strategic, and affective learning (Rose & Meyer, 2002). These were not terms that I had used before nor was I familiar with the technical terminology for the way I was presenting my lessons. Although I had been roughly using those strategies, the assigned readings really explained things for me.

Learning assessment barriers were not something I had ever taken the time to think about. We give our students a standardized test without ever thinking about the internal and external factors that affect the outcome of the assessment on these students, including student characteristics, media characteristics, student supports, and poor integration of curriculum (Rose & Meyer, 2002). All of these are at play in our assessments, and we have to be sensitive to the students’ needs in order to have accurate assessment outcomes.

Completing the lesson plans with my group was something that was challenging and rewarding at the same time. Having no contact other than through email, Google doc conversations, and instant messages, we were able to complete an eight day lesson plan (unit) on 8th grade literacy. This is not something I would have thought possible before this class. Collaboration online for five weeks sounded both frightening and impossible. As we began to communicate and our plan began to take shape, I became a true believer in online collaboration and its various uses and importance in today’s teaching climate.

I also found myself going back to ethical issues regarding the use of Web 2.0 tools after watching the interview with Howard Gardner. His interview reminded me that changes within technology are also changing the role of the teacher in the classroom, and they are expected now to be role models, coaches, and facilitators of knowledge (Edutopia.org, n.d.). His interview was reminiscent of Don Tapscott’s work in //Grown up Digital//, where he discusses digital immigrants and digital natives, as well as the use of Internet knowledge for academe and the ethics involved in integrating technology into the classroom (Tapscott, 2009).

However, I think for me, one of the most important aspects of the course came at the end. In week five the class discussed reinforcing effort and its importance in the classroom. This really caught my attention because I work within a program where there is very little to no motivation to do well. The students receive grades, but they do not count within their college GPAs, and they do not receive a diploma. The idea of rubrics and other graphic displays that would clearly show and indicate effort and progress was an eye-opener. We have never used rubrics for our students for assignments, but doing so would allow them to much more clearly understand what was expected of them, and after the assignment was graded, understand how their effort did, in fact, increase their grade (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

Teaching with technology, as a course, basically taught me some fundamentally important technical terminology as well as new and innovative ways to approach students in both learning and assessment. I have a new understanding of diverse learners and assessments boundaries, as well as a newfound appreciated for online collaboration. I have a clearer understanding of the way that students learn, and how I must present my lessons to appeal to those learning systems.

Edutopia.org. (n.d.). Big thinkers: Howard Gardner on digital youth [Video file]. Retrieved from @http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-howard-gardner-video

Lessonbuilder.cast.org. (n.d.). Diversity of learners [Video file]. Retrieved from @http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos

Page, Michael. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socioeconomic status. //Journal of Research in Education, 34//(4), 389-409.

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

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). //Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web Site. Retrieved from @http://www.cat.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, new schools.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. (1999). //Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism//. Retrieved from []

Tapscott, Don. (2009). //Grown up digital//. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

__**First two references cited from examples from the 6th Ed. APA Style Manual, Sec.7.11**__

Teaching With Technology 5364 Week 5 Reflection
This week I focused on the reading in __Using Technology With Classroom Instruction That Works__, as it touched upon a subject that I am frequently talking to my faculty about: reinforcing effort. In an ESL program such as ours, there are grades given at the end of each university semester, but the students do not actually carry a GPA, therefore a failing grade in a class does not affect a student's GPA. This tends to lead to issues with student performance, as they have no motivations to do well in class. As instructors we struggle to find ways to make students realize the importance of believing in effort. With Web 2.0 tools (new technology) this has become easier for us. As discussed in chapter eight of the text, even students who do not initially believe that effort pays off are able, at some time, to come to the realization that it absolutely does. As discussed in the book, using technology like spreadsheet software to create a rubric so that the student can clearly see what is expected of them on any assignment, and they can assign a "grade" to their effort in the form of numbers. For many students, this visual is a great way to jump-start their interest in investing in effort (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007).

I also found figure 8.3 interesting, as it shows a class specifically how note taking does in fact help them to make better grades on tests. Once again, giving students a visual is an extremely helpful way to help them realize the important of effort. We, as instructors, can preach all day long about the importance of trying, but new technology allows us to measure their efforts more effectively by graphically illustrating those efforts (Pitler et al.,2007).

What a great set of videos we had for this week -- big thinkers, indeed. I especially paid close attention to Dr. Howard Garner's interview. His explanation of the new age of technology and ethics within his "The Good Play Project" was very interesting. I liked how he explained the idea of community in the past, and then contrasted it with the online or technology-based community of today, stating that once you enter the digital world, you are a member of a community of unknown size and duration: amazing and true. According to Dr. Garner, students are thrust into a territory of ethical challenges, as the same rules do not apply in the digital world as they do in our virtual one. He goes on to discuss and explain the use of masks, or multiple identities, which could be both confusing and damaging not only to the person, but to others involved with that person. This is where teachers, parents, and mentors step in to teach students the ethics of technology. Because of the tremendous amount of information available online, the role of the teacher has changed, and teachers serve more as facilitators of knowledge, coaches, and role models because many of the didactic aspects of teaching are no longer needed. Dr. Garner also makes a great point in discussing the synthesis of information, or more simply put, teachers teaching student the right and wrong ways to use technology, so that we have a more of an "edutopia than an edunightmare (Edutopia, n.d.). This also reminded me of Don Tapscott’s book //Grown up Digital//. These students are younger, and they have been raised while immersed in technology. Teachers, for the most part, //can// remember wired telephones and "getting up to change the channel." This, as instructors are starting to learn, is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome, and I think John Tapscott clearly explains it when he writes, "A new generation has emerged, with new values, and it understands the new media much better than the boomers do" (Tapscott, 2009).

Edutopia.org. (n.d.). Big thinkers: Howard Gardner on digital youth [Video File]. Retrieved from @http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-howard-gardner-video

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

Tapscott, Don. (2009). //Grown up digital//. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

References for this posting reflect the 6th edition of the APA Style Manual and have been reviewed by a style manual editor.**

Teaching With Technology 5364 Week 4 Reflection
For me, this week's most informative reading came in the way of the explanation of the barriers to accurate assessment. I especially like the metaphor used that included the butcher and his two customers. As educators, we sometimes do not realize all of the factors (internal and external) that affect the outcome of our assessments on students. We use these assessments for a number of reasons, including, and most importantly, to evaluate students' knowledge and skill levels. Four barriers are discussed in the article, including student characteristics, media characteristics, withholding student supports, and poor integration with curriculum. Students all learn in a different fashion, in reaction in external and internal stimuli, including levels of encouragement. Instructors must also take into account how students' knowledge is being assessed, and through which media medium the instructor is channeling the assessment. Failing to provide students with the tools they need during an assessment is also a barrier we must overcome. Many studies have found that things that we thought in the past got in the way of students learning have been found to be necessary tools for success. To ensure that curriculum is integrated properly into lessons for students, instructors must maintain open lines of communication with their students and use various methods within the classroom (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

Linda Darling-Hammond's video, which explained the collaborative classroom, was very insightful. Educating the whole child is about kids engaging one another and having the tools to handle the stresses in their lives. It's impossible to prepare teachers without talking about the emotional and social learning of students. Teachers must learn to help students get along with one another as well as support each other as colleagues. Teachers must learn to work in environments that are not predictable, and they must be able to handle the ever-changing climate in the classroom. The design of the school must lend itself to a healthy environment rather than the factory model adopted years ago. Darling-Hammond discusses this outdated model and how it is about control and how students are being asked to do things that are not natural. She suggests teams of teachers working together as well as the students collaborating with one another and having more interaction (Edutopia.org, 2007). I found that this was excellent information, and coming from higher education, I'd never even taken the time to think about the design of the school or the way in which students' days were lined out. I found this information to be the most useful.

I also found chapter 7 in //Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age// helpful when dealing with barriers to successful assessment of students. Individual learning differences is one of the biggest barriers in standardized testing and assessments. As pointed out in the article, even the most well-timed, textbook-based, multiple choice test is not fair to the entire class because each student is affected by problems in content recognition, strategic expression, as well as individual differences in engagement (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

Also, when reading about cooperative or collaborative learning in __Using Technology in Classroom Instruction that Works__, I was impressed at the ease in which the authors relayed information regarding the use of informal groups and the five basic components that should be included. The material was presented in technical terms along with terminology that allowed instructors new to the information easily understand it. For example, "positive interdependence" is described as "sink or swim together." "Face-to-face, promotive interaction" is also explained as helping each other to learn, and applauding efforts and success," while "individual and group accountability" was also tagged as "each of us has to contribute to the group achieving its goal." Lastly, when using informal groups for short activities, teachers should make sure "interpersonal and small group skills," also known as "communication, trust, leadership, decision making, and conflict solution," as well as "group processing" or "reflecting on how well the team is functioning and how to function even better" are also included as components (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007).

Edutopia.org (December 10, 2007). //The Collaborative Classroom: An Interview with Linda Darling-Hammond//. Filmed at the CASEL forum in New York City. Retrieved March 13, 2011 from @http://www.edutopia.org/linda-darling-hammond-sel-video

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 140.

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). //teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Chapter 7. Available online at the Center for Applied Special technology Web Site. Retrieved March 15, 2011 from @http://www.cat.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Personal Reflection of UDL Lesson Building and Principles
I had never built a UDL lesson, and I had never used Cast UDL to build one. I was immediately happy with the way that the site worked, and it was very easy to navigate through the different areas of the UDL.

I began my lesson by having the students all learn to power up their IPads. As simple as this may seem, some children may not have ever had the chance to use one, and I have to ensure that they are all familiar with the workings of the IPad. I used a PowerPoint instructional slideshow that will be shown throughout the duration of the lesson to appeal to the students' recognition learning by providing examples through pictures, short video clips, and instructions (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

I also used multiple media and formats to appeal to the students' recognition learning. By using the PowerPoint on the overhead projector, coupled with the IPad AND the YouTube website, I was using multiple formats and therefore increasing the students' learning (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

By presenting a model of what their IPad screen should look like on my overhead PowerPoint presentation, I was appealing to the students' strategic learning. Just as they would have to know what a perfect tennis served looked like before attempting it themselves, I was gave them the background knowledge needed for them to exercise their strategic learning. (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

I also provided the students with ample opportunities to practice while I look on, showing me that they can do the assignment and reach the website as the lesson asks them to. This is also a way to have them strategically learn -- providing opportunities to practice with support (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

My entire lesson plan supports affective learning by offering the student choices of content and tools. They are not using just one source of digital content, but three: the Powerpoint, the IPad Safari browser, and the YouTube video. My lesson also leaves room for adjustment in the next lesson for those students who were moving faster than the others in this lesson. This is part of affective learning because it provides adjustable levels of challenge (Rose & Meyer, 2002).

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002) //Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning.// Alexandria:VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved on March 3, 2011, from []

UDL LESSON:

//Introduction to the of Your Ipad//

Lesson Overview Title: Introduction to the Use of Your Ipad Author: Lisa Moseley Subject: Reading/Language Arts Grade Level(s): 6-8 Duration: 45 minutes

//Unit Description// This introductory unit is designed to help the students become acquainted with and semi-proficient in the use of their Ipads for later lessons. They are simply going to to use the Safari browser to access an online tutorial in YouTube. The link will only be accessible to the students in the class - it is not a public link. The main goal of this lesson is to ensure that all 30 students know how to access the browser and direct themselves to the YouTube link given so that they may view the first tutorial as well as the other lessons to follow.

//Lesson Description for Day// The teachers engage the students in the use of their Ipads by assisting them in using the Safari browser function correctly, and then accessing the YouTube tutorial about their Ipad. This lesson is in preparation for further literacy lessons.

**State Standards** **ISTE NETS** 1. Creativity and Innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues d. identify trends and forecast possibilities

2. Communication and Collaboration Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems

6. Technology Operations and Concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students: a. understand and use technology systems b. select and use applications effectively and productively c. troubleshoot systems and applications d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies

**Goals** **Unit Goals**: 1. Students will become proficient in the use of their Ipad Safari brower. 2. Students will be able to access assigned links in YouTube to view tutorials and other lessons presented through YouTube. 3. Students will engage in the lessons presented in the YouTube videos and slideshows. 4. These slideshows and videos, designed to improve 8th grade literacy, will advance the student's reading abilities through the use of Web 2.0 tools.

**Lesson Goals**: 1. Student will learn and understand how to access the Safari browser on their Ipad. 2. Students will have the ability to access the specific link to a YouTube tutorial. 3. Students, after viewing the tutorial, will have a complete understanding of browser functions and accessing YouTube for future lessons.

**Methods** **Anticipatory Set:** Time Frame: 10 minutes

Have students turn their Ipads on, showing them how to properly do this using an overhead projector, screen, and informative PowerPoint Presentation. Ensure each student has their Ipad powered up and is on the welcome screen.

**Introduce and Model New Knowledge**: Time Frame: 10 minutes Recognition Network

Have the students open their Safari browser. Show the students how to do this by once again using the PowerPoint Presentation as a guide. Ensure that all student have their Safari browser open and are on the welcome screen.

**Provide Guided Practice**: Time Frame: 10 minutes Strategic Network

Have each student type in the web address of the YouTube tutorial video that you would like them to watch. Show them the link using the same PowerPoint above. Ensure that each child is on the correct YouTube video before proceeding. Have each child push play, so that they may watch the 3 minute video which is explains how the use of Ipads and YouTube together can help students improve their literacy. Have the list of instruction on the overhead projector -- they will be contained in the PowerPoint tutorial.

**Provide Independent Practice**: Time Frame: 5 minutes Strategic Network

Allow the students to play the video, back it up, pause it, restart it, and refresh the footage. Have them adjust the sound on their headphones to their liking, and also take this time to ensure that the two special needs children are using their special equipment (louder headphones for the student with hearing loss) and an aid to help the blind student navigate the Ipad by zooming on each page, as the student does not have complete sight loss. The PowerPoint on the over head will also help with instruction, as it contains a list of instruction as well, for reference, so you are not repeating yourself.

**Wrap-Up** Time Frame: 5 minutes Affective Network

Ask each student if they have any questions. Show each student how to close the Safari browser and then log off of the Ipad and power it down or put it in "standby" mode. Walk the classroom and make sure the students have all completed this task. The PowerPoint on the overhead will also contain instructions.

**Assessment** **Formative/Ongoing Assessment**: During this tutorial, make two lists of students: those that had problems with the tutorial and accessing the browser and Youtube site, and then another list of students who seemed to have a higher understanding of the processes of the Ipad. These students will be split into two sections during the next lesson so that more attention can be given to the students who are not as proficient as the others, while the other students are not held back because the instructor is spending extra time showing other students how to carry out actions that the advanced student already clearly understands.

**Summative/End Of Lesson Assessment:** Go over the list of students who had problems and those who had few problems. Divide them into groups and form the literacy lesson around those two subsets, modifying the literacy lesson for those that were struggling as well as for those that showed a higher techno logy/Web 2.0 proficiency level.

**Materials** //Web Sites// • YouTube www.youtube.com The tutorial lesson will be contained on this website in a video/slideshow format. Students will need to access this video for the lesson.

//Video & Audio Resources// • 30 Ipads for less use Each of the 30 students in the class will need an Ipad to complete the lesson. • Headphones 29 sets of headphones, with one extra pair that has audio boost for the hearing impaired student. • Laptop, Projector, and Screen Must have in order to present PowerPoint instructions to students throughout the lesson. Other Resources • PowerPoint Presentation The PowerPoint presentation will give visual written instructions to the students for the duration of the lesson. • Student Aid The student with limited vision will need an aid to help him/her through the lesson on the Ipad and to help the student ZOOM on the pages for ease of viewing.

= = = = =Course Reflections, EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology, Week Three= When we as teachers talk about the use of Web 2.0 technology with our students, many different tools come to mind: Kidspiration, Inspiration, YouTube, Word Processing, Search Engines, Wikis, and then there is "the blog." I always find the blog fascinating, for a number of reasons. First of all, from Kindergarten through adulthood, people like to write about themselves, and for most, it IS the easiest thing to write //about.// So when teaching students how to write, it only makes sense to implement the use of blogs. Blogs are a natural tool for writing, offering the student the ability to brainstorm and then organize their thoughts, revise, and then with the addition of the comment box, the student had access to peer revision in the form of comments from other students (Solomon & Schrum, 2007). Even better than paper-journaling, online blogs allow a student to add in clips of video, photographs, sound waves, and most importantly, as we have learned in previous lessons, to personalize. Each student can choose the layout, links, formatting -- they can even add a music player at the bottom that plays a few of their favorite tunes while their readers peruse their site. Then, because the information is already online, once the student gets their writing into a finished product, it is that much easier to share it in the public sphere (Solomon & Schrum, 2007).

I was absolutely blown away by the video of Cameron. At the age of 11, he's doing things I could not do until I was in college, after MANY computer classes. I think the most important thing about this video is the fact that it shows JUST HOW INVOLVED children are with technology, in every aspect of their lives. And they can use this technology from a very young age -- just as Cameron shows us, he's been using his toddler laptop since the age of 4. This child wakes up at 5:00am to post videos online. That is true passion. His green screen projects were amazing. He described his learning style and it struck me -- I wish all children had the ability to explain HOW they learn best and how we could best help them. Obviously the use of technology from a young age has given Cameron the ability to clearly state his learning style. Cameron used the green screen technology into his own school, where his fellow students are now learning how to use it. He is a resource for his intermediate school. This tells us that we should listen to our students. When it comes to technology, they DO KNOW MORE than we do (Edutopia.org, nd).

When it comes to using web 2.0 tools, we use the insert comment and track changes tools frequently with our ESL students. When they submit their papers electronically, which we almost always have them do, it is very helpful for them to see the colored comments. These comments immediately catch their eye and we find that they pay more attention to the comments (or their mistakes) of they are pointed out in this fashion rather than on paper with a red pen. These features ALSO allow the students, before submitting the paper, to insert comments on the text that they may be unsure about. This is much easier than them emailing me a question on a paper I can't really see, or having them trying to explain through email which sentence they are talking about.

On our wikis for each of our writing classes, we allow everyone editing access, and so peer editing is done in this fashion. We find it extremely helpful for the students. Like you, I was unaware of the tools true usefulness until we began implementing their usage last semester. We've been very impressed with the results. We were prompted to start using the tools after an action research project lead me to poll my students on how the corrections on their writing assignments affected them. Inserting comments was one of the ways we came up with to keep the students interested and engaged in their own writing.

On the topic of using blogs as a learning/teaching tool: as an experiment on yourself, then next time you have to write something for one of you graduate courses, and you feel a little "brain-blocked," take about five minutes in a blog or in a word document and just allow yourself to write whatever comes to mind. Whether that's the events of the day or a serious event that you recently experienced, you will find that after you've written for that amount of time your mind clears, opens up, and allows you to be a better writer.

And who doesn't like to read other people's ramblings, especially if they are funny and well-written? The blog is the ultimate communication tool, and I compare it to today's Facebook threads, where one person initiates a thought sequence, and then it is quickly followed by many others collaborating on a single thread about the same thing, or sometimes, if the thread is "hijacked," about things completely unrelated. Either way, the student is absolutely collaborating with others, and that is the entire point of the lesson!

Edutopia.org (nd). //Digital Youth Portrait -- Cameron//. Retrieved on March 2, 2011 from @http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-profile-cameron-video

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007).//Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 41-58, 217-225.

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, New schools.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 81.

=Course Reflections, EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology, Week Two= In week two of Teaching with Technology, we, as a group, concentrated on our brainstorming efforts and strategies for our week three assignments. But besides working with my team, I read the readings and watched the videos and found that there were certain new ideas (for me) that stuck out more than others.

I was especially intrigued with Michael Page’s article, Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Michael Page presents the idea that technology can bring a certain level of self-esteem and confidence to students in the classroom in his article Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Specifically, he explains the use of computers and their affect on children in the classroom. Page states, "Modern American educators have an increased interest in students' perceptions of individual worthiness or self-esteem. Numerous studies have demonstrated that young children's self-esteem or self-concept directly affects their academic performance. Elementary students, overall, have attitudes regarding computers that are quite different from the adult population-- preferring to view these new technologies as pragmatic and instrumental (and thus as a means to an end), while adults tend to perceive them in a sociopolitical perspective (Breakwell & Fife-Schaw, 1987). Because students tend to prefer computer learning over traditional instruction (Clements et al., 1993: Kinzie, Sullivan, & Berdel, 1992), and because they appear to perceive technology as a tool to increase the likelihood of school success (Breakwell & Fife-Shaw), a logical conclusion can thus be made that computers and self-esteem are complimentary" (Page, 2002).

Page's connection between computers and a child's feeling of self-worth is a powerful one. It only makes sense that a child from a low socioeconomic situation would feel important and "confident" with the opportunity to use technology, or computers specifically, to aid in their education. These students do not have these opportunities at home, so they equate technology and computers with success. Give them an Ipad, a laptop, time in a computer lab, and you give them the feeling that they are trustworthy, important, and have the potential to be very successful in their academic endeavors, and it very well may help them to realize that with hard work they can change their situation, rising above their socioeconomic status and becoming first-generation college graduates within their families.

I also found one of the assigned videos very fascinating, and I really concentrated on the information in contained when I was brainstorming with my group. In the second assigned video, Diversity of Learners, it is explained how today's educator is faced with an ever-growing diversity in their classroom population, and that the one size fits all approach no longer works. In our 21st Century schools, the mix of students is more diverse than ever. While educators are challenged to teach all kinds of learners to high standards, a single classroom may include students who struggle to learn for any number of reason, including being an English as a Second Language student (Lessonbuilder.cast.org, nd). This quote from the video is very important to me as I teach only English as a Second Language learners. Even with them all being LEP students, there is diversity among that group. These students come from different countries, speak different languages, and many do not even share our alphabet. Another challenge is that many other cultures' approach to teaching is completely different than the American methodologies. Many Asian students, especially those from Japan or China, when asked to write about themselves in a narrative essay, they do not understand why they should write about themselves because in their cultures their personal experiences and feelings are not important, and for them, writing about themselves is an entirely new concept, not simply the same concept translated in English.

Page, Michael. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socioeconomic status. //Journal of Research in Education, 34//(4), 391-392.

Lessonbuilder.cast.org (nd). Diversity of Learners. Retrieved March 1, 2011 from @http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos.

= = =Course Reflections, EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology, Week One= In week one of my EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology class, I think I was most impressed and surprised at the experiments done by Kevin Warwick and his Cyborg Theories. Although I can easily see the potential for critics to his findings and studies, I feel that he is definitely headed in a very promising direction as far as the way people learn and interact with one another and machines. His theories and experiments reminded me of the movie Avatar, where the inhabitants of the planet were able to communicate with one another through an intricate central nervous system that they could essentially “plug into.” In the Solomon and Schrum readings I was interested to learn about their views on web 2.0 applications and their effects on learning and student participation. In their own words, “Intellectually, Web 2.0 signals a transition from isolation to interconnectedness – not just for programmers but, more important, for end users. The tools allow multiple users to participate editing, commenting, and polishing a document collaboratively rather than working alone” (Schrum & Solomon, 2007). This quote explains what this class is all about, and what learning has become. Students are no longer learning alone, but are working with others and can do so because of their connection through the Internet. I think the main idea in each of the readings is that we, as educators, must “bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn” (NCREL, 2003). These students, as we learned reading Marc Prensky’s Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, “young people play video games, communicate using text messaging and instant messaging, conduct Internet searches, download music and share files, and use the Web for homework. These technologies have always been available to them. Their parents and teachers and the rest of us who weren’t born into a technologically interactive world have to struggle to keep up” (Schrum &Solomon, 2007). Also presented in week one’s lesson was the Constructivist Theory, which contains six principles: “Learners bring unique and prior knowledge, experience, and beliefs to a learning situation. Learning is internally controlled and mediated. Knowledge is constructed in multiple ways, through a variety of tools, resources, experiences, and contexts. Learning is a process of accommodation, assimilation, or rejection to construct new conceptual structures, meaningful representations, or new mental modes. Learning is both an active and reflective process. [And finally,] social interaction introduces multiple perspectives through reflection, collaboration, negotiation, and shared meaning” (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1999). Finally, within the week one work, I learned that forming groups early in a group-centered activity is very important, and putting pride and the need for control aside is necessary for successful collaboration and a positive outcome on any collaboration assignment.

=Course Reflections, EDLD 5335 Curriculum Management= ==== The title of this course led me to believe that I would be studying curriculum, and only curriculum. I thought about new textbooks and introducing them to teachers and learning outcomes. That is what I thought I would be getting from this course. I could not have been more wrong. ==== ==== I have learned throughout this course the many techniques available to educational leaders to not only introduce new textbooks, but also to foster trust and empowerment among my faculty. For me, one of the most important topics discussed in this course was the responsibility of the educational leader to ensure that teachers were equipped to teach the student what the needed to be learning so that they could reach those learning outcomes we had set forth. Simply handing them a new textbook and set of learning outcomes is not enough. An educational leader must maintain a relationship with his faculty which allows those teachers to speak their minds, voice their concerns, and have their opinions heard, all the while avoiding conflict, as it interferes with progress. ==== ==== From my perspective, I now have the knowledge to help our students reach their full potential because I know that my teachers are going to be equipped with the resources necessary to help every single student. I have also learned that evaluation tools and methodologies vary, and that no single set of tests or data can be used to implement new curriculum or learning objectives. These ideas, for me, are the most important in my current position, and the lessons that will help me be a better educational leader. ==== ==== Regarding collaboration and trust, I was impressed that the course touched upon these subjects. I honestly had not put myself in the position of the faculty/instructor, and had only viewed curriculum and policy changes and the effects on the program through my own eyes. This course quickly taught me that much more can be gained of educational leaders and instructors work together, through discussion, action research, and data analysis. ==== ==== Because of this class, the next time I must implement new learning objectives, textbooks, or provide the faculty with a new curriculum plan, I will keep in mind the steps, and how in the varies stages those faculty members might have feelings of animosity, victimization, and confusion. I must address those issues rather than overlook them or act as if they do not exist entirely. ==== ==== Unfortunately, my position requires me to make daily ethical decisions regarding students and their academic progress as well as their immigration status. I think the most importantly I should remain consistent in my decisions, so as to have the faculty trust me and trust that they will always get a fair and just answer from me in any situation. Double standards lend themselves only to conflict, which as I mentioned before, is to be avoided at all costs. To maintain my ethical decision making, I will document my decisions on other students and instructors so that I have a sort of guide to go by; templates so that I can remember my earlier decisions and remain consistent and ethical ==== ==== As an educational leader, I must consider many factors while making most decisions. Although the problem at hand might be dealing with an issue within my program only, I have to take into consideration how the Dean and Vice President would react to my decisions, and how outside factors are influencing the attitudes of the students and faculty. ==== ==== Within the community, when talking about an ESL program that services adult learners in the area, it is very important that I be involved at a level higher or just “different” than my involvement within the program. I am involved with the Beaumont Public Library as the serve the very same community and also have ESL courses. We work together to ensure we are doing everything we can to help the same population of people. I have the same working relationship with the Lamar Institute of Technology. The director of their LEP (Limited English Proficiency) Program is always willing and happy to collaborate with me on ideas in relation to the students, their instructors, and teaching methodologies, as well as university resources and our related needs. ==== ==== Within the public sector, as an educational leader, I can involve myself more on committees on the campus, attend school board meetings, and voice my educated opinion on agenda topics. At the state level I have every right (and the education) to send my suggestions and concerns to those at the TEA. As an educator, I am the one that sees the problems and am able to perform action research to help find remedies to those situations, and my opinion is valuable. Involvement and collaboration leads to success. ====

= = =**Course Reflections, Research EDLD 5301**=

For me, this research class resulted in me understanding the difference between conventional research and action research. As a History undergraduate major, I was well versed in conventional research; however, I had never done any research that dealt with issues that directly affected my academic program. As an academic leader, I feel that I now have the tools necessary to embark on action research ventures that will serve to improve and provide needed change within my small ESL program.

One of the most helpful assignments in the course was completing the Action Research Plan Draft. This forced me to step back and really take a look at how I was going to carry out this research, and if it was even possible – and on what timeline. I did manage to find some reference information that focused on the issue at hand, and I did reference it quite a bit when deciding how to format my research. One statement from Ilona Leki’s “The Preference of ESL Students for Error Correction in College-Level Writing Classes” research really caught my eye: “the students are likely to feel that the methods [that they have used in the past] must have been good ones since, thanks to those methods, they have achieved a high enough level of proficiency to have been admitted to U.S. universities” (Ilona, 1991). This is what I am trying to determine. Have the students abandoned their old ways of learning, or are they holding on to them?

The discussion board and blogs were a lifesaver. I would equate them to having someone else proof read something that you are about to submit, although you have read over it twenty times. We rarely can see our own mistakes, so to allow the entire class to have access to our research process, and to allow an outsider to analyze our research design was the most helpful tool in the class. It is very easy for someone outside of the research to be able to point out “gaps” and “holes” or ideas that are not clear or concise. I always looked to the discussion boards and to my blog for information about my action research topic, and I also “borrowed” some really great ideas from some of the others students, in reference to the way their research was organized and displayed. It helped to hear and see others going through the same processes I was.

In conclusion, I basically learned how to research from the inside. I learned how to initiate research that is for the betterment of my personal academic program, not research for the sake of research, which is all I had done in the past. Now I feel I am armed with the tools to make real changes within my program, and I feel very confident doing so as I have been given the tools necessary. A class that I really thought would be absolutely boring turned out to be one of my favorites. Delightful.

=Course Reflections, EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology=

This being the first course of my Graduate Education program, I did not know what to expect. Quickly I realized that I would have a short learning curve, and I would have to make myself knowledgeable of the vocabulary used for public school technology information. For each and every assignment, I had to do extra research to understand just what it was that I was looking at, and exactly what the instructor was asking of me. I envisioned myself learning the K-12 TEKS and ISTE jargon, and that’s exactly what I feel that I have done. I set out to learn a new vocabulary set, and I was successful. My first obstacle was to understand the TEKS and STaR charts. I had no idea what ISTEs were, and I did not even know what children in K-12 were doing in the classroom. When I met with and discussed my courses, degree plan, and goals with my mentor, she was anxious to help me and guide me. She was perplexed in the beginning as I was: How were we going to mold these exercises and Internship Plan to fit my current career? I have very little access to public eduction, although my mentor is allowing me to sit in on various technology projects and I am going to be there when she does her our STaR assessment. She is going to pass on the knowledge that she learns concerning technology TEKS. I feel like, so far, although the course was not originally what I thought it was, I have found a balance a and a plan that will allow me to move smoothly through the program, applying technology leadership as my role of coordinator of a program.

Learning K-12 technology implementation is not exactly relevant to my career, as I work in higher education. But, as in most assignments or suggestions, one can always find something that applies to their situation, so that is what I tried to do for every single assignment. “What in this assignment pertains to the Lamar Language Institute, and how can I use it to better my program?” In the beginning I could not see how the assignments could benefit or apply to my position within my own program, but through careful critical analysis, I began to see that these assignments could be molded to fit me ESL program, and more importantly, that my ESL program needed technology learning outcomes, as we call them in Higher Education. They are the equivalent of K-12 TEKS, and through these assignments, I have started to outline and implement learning outcomes involving technology for each of my 6 levels of ESL in my Language program. I found the course assignments to be long, but not necessarily challenging if you followed the directions and used all the sources given to you. I say this, but there is one exception: the Internship plan is an assignment I have yet to complete as it seems very daunting, mainly because I do not understand what I am supposed to be doing. I have even spoken with my mentor on several occasions, and she is confused as to what I should be doing because as she put it, “at her campus, not even their technology specialist does the things listed on some of the example plans [I showed her].” We will work together, however, and I will finish it by this weekend.

For the most part, I completed the majority of the outcomes I set out for myself at the beginning of this course and program of study. I wanted to understand the K-12 TEKS and STaR charts and the Texas Long Range Plan. I have now researched and I understand all of those things. I am glad that I took the time to learn them, and to be quite honest, I was surprised to see just how involved the State of Texas Board of Education is in the implementation of technology in Texas classrooms. I think it is a wonderful thing, as I strongly feel, with children IN grade school, that we are sadly behind many other nations in our curriculum -- technology included. I did not achieve the outcome of completing integrating the campus dynamics of the technology plan with my program. For instance, the technology discount plan for K-12 state schools does not apply to my program whatsoever. As a matter of fact, this was the hardest area to try to mold into my program. We work off of a budget. We do not have discount programs, and I am not even in charge of the technology at Lamar University, when speaking of the networking, firewalls, or contracts with Dell and software companies. So, for this portion of the class, I was at a disconnect. I am hoping that later I can find a way to implement the discount program into my Language Institute -- just at a different level.

I am very happy to say that I was extremely successful in carrying out my course assignments. I will say, however, that this was not done with ease. As I mentioned earlier, for each assignment, I had a learning curve. I had to first understand what the K-12 technology vocabulary was, and I then had to brainstorm and find a way to compare to, or implement the technology or technology standard into my own Language Institute. For most of the assignments this was feasible. However, for the STaR chart assignment, I simply had to find a school district online, decipher their data, and answer the assignment as if I worked there myself. I found this assignment the most disappointing because I did, technically, have to "make it all up." I do not like completing assignments this way. I like sources, and I like knowing that what I am answering is truthful and DOES apply to my Language Program. This assignment did not at all. I will never have to complete a STaR chart, nor will I ever be privy to the information Lamar has (if there is any) regarding the use of technology in the classrooms, and whether the campus as a whole is on target or not. This I found extremely frustrating.

From this course I learned that I am extremely organized, that I work well under pressure, and that I can certainly meet deadlines, normally ahead of time. I’ve learned that I work well with others, and I can be counted on to help the ones that ask for it. I’ve learned that I had more leadership skills than I initially thought I had, and that’s a good feeling. I did find some character flaws, however. When I am frustrated, or I feel that an assignment is unfair, I tend to quickly and easily get frustrated, and I take those frustrations out on coaches and instructors. This is not a good thing and something that I have worked on throughout the five week course. I was easily frustrated with the wording of the assignments, the instructions, and the assignments themselves, especially when I knew I would have to "make things up" to complete the assignment. I think most importantly, however, I learned that I can do this program while raising two children and working full time, all the while recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis a year ago. I think this program is one of the best things I could have done to get my "back into the game," and to work on my chemo brain and sharpen my memory, vocabulary, and thinking skills. From this first course I have learned that I am resilient, and although at times difficult to communicate with, I am one that can be counted upon to have the answers, or at the very least, be working very hard to find them.