Course Outcomes Part One: Overview
Based solely on the course name, Instructional Leadership, I thought I was walking into a class that would hone the skills that I already had when it came to teaching. I was under the impression that there would be instruction on how to be a leader in the classroom. It turns out that my theory was way off, and not too far off at the same time. I was thinking of traditional teaching. This course opened my eyes to the promise that students would not be successful if I did not emerge as a technological leader myself. I achieved all of the outcomes I set out for, and more. I had low expectations, mainly because of my ignorance to the advancing world around me. My eyes have been opened, and in that, I have been empowered to continue learning.
Course Outcomes Part Two: Strengths
This course was designed to emphasize the techniques for improving learning through the application of the research on effective tools and models of instruction. Of the several course outcomes, mainly my focus was to be able to recognize the needs of the digital-age student. Through the knowledge gained in this course, I will be able to effectively implement the desired goals. All learning gained throughout this course is relevant to the classroom techniques that I work to enhance daily.
Course Outcomes Part Two: Weaknesses
Of the outcomes set for the Instructional Leadership course, I am still unable to describe the key components of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology. Of the assignments, this was one that I meticulously completed, but the information provided was not concise enough for me to grasp a complete understanding. In order for me to attain the goals outlined, I will be required to complete research on my own.
Course Assignments
In every class, I have found that the successful completion of the course assignments is where I gain the majority of knowledge. This class was no exception. I was able to complete all of the assignments successfully. I needed guidance on the Week 3 Assignment because there was no outline given and the instructions were a bit vague. I waited to see what my classmates would submit before I completed mine. I am a bit of a perfectionist and I like to have a plan before I begin. Usually, it is not a problem to complete assignments. The overviews that the professors provide help the students to mentally prepare for what is coming, and the feedback from the academic coaches provide guidance along the way. The only time I was discouraged was by how repetitive the discussions became. Many times, I responded to quotes, only to find that the quotes I responded to where the ones that stood out to me as well. During Week 2, I allowed myself to slack, with the resulting grade of a B. Needless to say, I overcame that discouragement and completed the discussions as requested.
Reflections: Self, Technology, Leadership, and Skills
This course was a wakeup call to me. There was a lot of technology that I shied away from just because I did not have the self-motivation to search how to utilize it. I had heard of blogs and even read them. I have used information from Wikipedia, but never contributed to the information or even knew that there were varied ways in which to use it. Podcasting is a wonderful idea for students who participate in distance education. I knew these tools existed, but I did not care enough on my own to seek out the answers they provided. This course was enlightening in so many ways. I will never be the leader I aspire to be if I do not embrace the technology that is available to me. I am a fast learner and have acquired many new skills simply by taking part in the class assignments and completing the readings. I have a long way to go, but I am very far away from where I began four weeks ago.
Blogs and the 21st Century Learner
Blogs are redefining the way students and educators communicate. Educators can use blogs to communicate directly with students and vice versa. Though they have been slow to adopt the use of blogs, due to privacy and security issues, many of them are now catching on. In addition to communication with students, it provides a way to communicate with parents and other stakeholders in the schools. Before, there was only Blackboard. Now teachers can use blogs as an alternative method for course management systems.
Concerns with Blogging
As mentioned before, the main concerns with blogging for educators are privacy and sectary. As with any communication via the Internet, safely and etiquette are among the concerns, too. Many times, individuals become very loose in their demeanor while online, and certain protocols are breached. Teachers must be careful to teach Internet safety to students, and apply the same rules they teach to their online experiences as well. Anything on the Internet becomes public domain, effectively opening what, to some, is their private journaling.
Blogging and School Stakeholders
Traditionally, schools have websites that provide an overview of the school its mission statements, maybe test scores, and a list of teachers. Blogging takes parent communication to another level. With a teacher’s blog page, she can post classroom announcements, homework, upcoming tests, etc. Parents in turn, can inquire directly to the teacher, and not through a web of secretaries, messages, and voicemails, about a student’s progress or other concerns she may have. It effectively eliminates communication barriers, and incorporates simple technology with which all participants are familiar.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
STaR Chart: Teaching and Learning
Teaching and Learning within the realm of the Texas STaR Chart is defined as the traditional model of schooling with the teacher choosing what is to be learned and then serving as the source of knowledge as the student acts as the receiver of that knowledge. This model is not adequate for 21st Century, world-class education. Roles of teacher and learner must continue to change. As technology advances, so must we if we are to give our students any chance of being able to succeed.
Learning and teaching must focus on connecting to students’ lives and reflect what research reveals about how people learn. What we must do in teaching and learning is to move from the traditional teacher-led learning model to a student-centered collaborative model in order to empower our young citizens to succeed in a global and digital world of information. Much of this has been put in place already with the No Child Left Behind Act, setting national goals to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology, ensure that all students become technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade, promote the effective integration of technology into on-going professional development and advance research-based instruction through technology integrated curriculum development.
Learning and teaching must focus on connecting to students’ lives and reflect what research reveals about how people learn. What we must do in teaching and learning is to move from the traditional teacher-led learning model to a student-centered collaborative model in order to empower our young citizens to succeed in a global and digital world of information. Much of this has been put in place already with the No Child Left Behind Act, setting national goals to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology, ensure that all students become technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade, promote the effective integration of technology into on-going professional development and advance research-based instruction through technology integrated curriculum development.
Pre-K Tech Apps Guidelines
The main focus of Prekindergarten technology applications are to introduce the children to technology including computers, voice/sound recorders,televisions, digital cameras, personal digital assistants, and MP3 devices or iPODs. While children are surrounded by technology,they can benefit from becoming aware of and interacting with voice/sound recorders and other technology that may be available. They develop techniques for handling and controlling various devices, becoming increasingly confident and independent users of age‐appropriate technologies.
In a scaffolding curriculum, there is one concept introduced at varying degrees of difficulty. If the objective is to use software applications to express their own ideas, the children could be allowed to submit a final project that is audio, video, word processor document, photograph or computer generated art, or any other such means, depending on how adept the child is in each medium.
In a scaffolding curriculum, there is one concept introduced at varying degrees of difficulty. If the objective is to use software applications to express their own ideas, the children could be allowed to submit a final project that is audio, video, word processor document, photograph or computer generated art, or any other such means, depending on how adept the child is in each medium.
Analysis of the Long Range Plan
I read stories about how far behind we (the United Sates) were, when it came to technology, but I really had no idea of the depths of that ignorance. Reviewing the Long-Range Plan showed that growth in technology has transformed every aspect of business, government, society, and life. Advances in technology, mathematics, and science across the globe have resulted in a global intellectual and economic race never before seen or imagined. As a result of the access to advanced technologies, increasingly diverse individuals and small groups of individuals not historically seen as a competitive force are able to participate in the economic structure of society. At the same time, large corporate organizations of the 20th Century are struggling with antiquated infrastructure and also struggle with securing the intellectual talent required for growth in an economy that thrives on intellectual labor.
We have a long way to go to catch up. It is intimidating, but it also displays where I, as an emerging leader, have to start (and finish), if I want my school, staff and students to be successful.
We have a long way to go to catch up. It is intimidating, but it also displays where I, as an emerging leader, have to start (and finish), if I want my school, staff and students to be successful.
Tech Assessment and Reflection
My strengths in educational technology leadership lie in foundations and information acquisiton. I was never formally trained on many of the things I know, it was mostly trial and error. However, I have come to find that there is so much that I do not know about the technology of the 21st century, as reflected in the multitude of "no's" I had for the remaining categories of solving problems and communication.
Both assessments confirmed that my lack of knowledge is substantial enough to be embarrassing. Aside from word processing, and basic spreadsheet functions, I am on the bottom of the totem pole. I disgree with the findings that say I am unable to use problem solving skills. I have no problem opening a help manual and searching for the solution to a problem I encounter.
In the future, I would benefit from more knowledge and skills in research, communication, and using open-access software. Also, I am aware that there are technology goals for my campus, but because I am not an avid user of student-centered technology lessons, I have no idea what those objectives are or how they should be implemented. I have left most of that to the technology applications instructors. However, I see that, even though resources are limited, my knowledge of what should be happening is the true problem. Therefore, my goal is to broaden my knowledge of the technology standards for my school district, as well as strive to find opportunites to implement them in my classroom.
Both assessments confirmed that my lack of knowledge is substantial enough to be embarrassing. Aside from word processing, and basic spreadsheet functions, I am on the bottom of the totem pole. I disgree with the findings that say I am unable to use problem solving skills. I have no problem opening a help manual and searching for the solution to a problem I encounter.
In the future, I would benefit from more knowledge and skills in research, communication, and using open-access software. Also, I am aware that there are technology goals for my campus, but because I am not an avid user of student-centered technology lessons, I have no idea what those objectives are or how they should be implemented. I have left most of that to the technology applications instructors. However, I see that, even though resources are limited, my knowledge of what should be happening is the true problem. Therefore, my goal is to broaden my knowledge of the technology standards for my school district, as well as strive to find opportunites to implement them in my classroom.
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