Ellen Akers
EA 1166
EDLD 5352
December 18, 2009

Week 5 Assignment: Course Reflections

I expected to learn more about role of the administrators with regard to technology when I began this course. I had no idea the extent of what that role would encompass. This course enlightened me not only to many of the technologies available for education, but also to the many responsibilities and challenges that the administrators must address regarding these technological issues. I was familiar with STaR charts, Technology TEKS, The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology and how this must be integrated into the goals of the Campus Improvement Plan. There were many other issues, however, that I had never heard of or considered prior to this course. Intellectual property, copyright laws, cyber ethics and online safety were issues that I felt should be handled by the technology department. I now am aware that administrators must know the laws and be prepared to educate their staff on these issues as well as ensure compliance on the campus. This course gave me insight on these issues and now I feel that I must continue to do research and keep abreast of these issues. I have just begun my education in the area of technology for education.
I believe that as a teacher, I am more prepared to embrace the technology that is available. I had never considered blogging, podcasts or wikis as a classroom tool for learning. I am now excited about exploring these options to enhance the technological aspect of my teaching. More importantly, I have information that I need to sit down with my administration and propose the use of this technology. I understand the safety and ethical issues that must be first addressed with both school administrators and parents before embarking on this cyber journey with my students. But I believe the value in the use of these online tools for teaching far exceeds the work needed to make it a reality. I think that as a teacher, I can become a role model in my department and my school for implementing these technologies which will better prepare me to measure and monitor them as a future administrator. I also have a better understanding of the funding that is required to make this technology happen in a school and realize that budgets will not always cover the costs. This cannot be an excuse but a motivational factor to seek other methods of funding to provide 21st century learning in our schools.
In regard to outcomes that were not achieved, I simply think that there is so much more to be learned. If asked how I would modify the course, I would suggest condensing weeks 1 and 2 and expanding on the information in weeks 3 through 5. Most educators are familiar with TEKS, STaR charts and Texas Long Range Plan for Technology. This was nothing new. Once we embarked on how different our students were in terms of technological savvy and the various laws concerning technology, I was fascinated. I enjoyed to the opportunity to blog, as this too was a new experience for me. I would like to have spent more time on other technologies available such as podcasts and wiki’s. I would also like to have spent more time discussing how an administrator can find alternative sources of funding for more technology.
I felt I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. I was fortunate to have the assistance of my campus administrators and technology liaisons. They were kind to take time out of their busy schedules to help with several elements of the assignments. I think the most difficult part of completing the assignments was the time frame in which this course fell. Most of the assignments required outside interviews, assistance and guidance and the class began during the Thanksgiving vacation. It was difficult to have access to all of the people that I wanted to talk to . Additionally, as a teacher, we are in the middle of mid-terms, checkpoints, and benchmarks so our time was also extremely limited. There are assignments I would have liked to have done more extensive interviews or research for but it was impossible to do so with the time constraints. Here again, is where I believe the course could be enriched by providing actual experience with podcasts and other online tools. The blog was especially fun to work on and I learned so much from that experience.
After completing this course, I find that I am much more excited about technology as a learning tool in the classroom. I am definitely a digital immigrant and I realized that I did not know as much as I thought I did. I also had the attitude that cell phones must be turned off and students should not bring their technology into the classroom. Now I find that my attitude has shifted to one believing that we must embrace this technology and find ways to incorporate it into the classroom. I feel that I have strong arguments for integrating this technology and I see how excited my students have become as we share ideas on how we can do this. I will be a better administrator and advocate for technology now that I understand the importance of adding it into the curriculum. I see it as an enhancement to learning, not a burden to incorporate it into the curriculum.
Prior to taking this class, I really did not know what a blog was, and I had certainly never used one. Now, I am so excited about blogging that I can’t wait to incorporate it into my classroom. There is such an emphasis on collaborative learning and I can’t think of a better way for students to express their thoughts and interact with one another than with blogging. Blogging allows students and teachers to create meaning and develop critical thinking skills in a way that is so much broader than just the classroom experience. It allows students to interact with their peers worlds away. Isn’t that what a 21st century education is all about? We want our students to participate in education in a dynamic and meaningful way and learn to collaborate with people from other backgrounds and cultures. Blogging is a wonderful tool, when used properly, to accomplish that task.
Certainly, there are safety issues to consider when blogging. But as so much of our reading pointed out, the classroom is a great venue to teach cyber safety. We can be the good role models that our children are lacking. The classroom and the computer lab are where we can have discussions relevant to the issues of safety and ethics online. There are many educational safety tools available to make blogging a safe learning experience for our students. As future administrators, we must educate ourselves about the technology that is available and bring it to the attention of parents, district administrators and technology specialists. If we don’t advocate the addition of these wonderful learning tools, then no one else will come forward and do it for us. With careful implementation, blogging is a tool that can increase the power of learning.
Blogging is also a great way to communicate with school stakeholders to include the parents and the community. Because blogging is an interactive communication, everyone can participate and express their ideas. I know of no one today who thinks they have enough time. Blogging provides an outlet for ongoing communication between the school and the community. Almost everyone has access to the internet. Blogging would give parents a voice in the education of their children and it would give schools a voice and a more distinct identity for the parents. Blogs are easily created and even those with little experience can quickly and easily participate. I find that I have most of my conversations with parents via email. The problem is that it is a one on one conversation and you can only reach one parent. Blogging would provide a forum for teachers to interact with all parents at once. Parents could become active participants in the classrooms by knowing what their children are doing and why they are doing it. Schools could communicate with all parents at once and receive input from parents on a more continuous and immediate basis. Blogs would be a way to publish student work and parents could see exactly what they children are learning and doing. It would allow for a timely source of information and it is free for educational use. It is a dynamic tool to use for everyone involved.

Action Plan 5.xlsx

Action Plan 5.xlsx