Week+1+Internship

Web Conferences Reflection: **
 * Assignment 1.1

During this master’s program, we have had many opportunities to participate in web-conferences regularly. We had to get a pair of headphones with a microphone in order to participate. The first web conference I attended was in February of this year. It was not as I expected as the sound kept coming in and out and it was very frustrating for both the presenter and the learners. We were able to ask questions about assignments and make clarifications on directions. That first web conference made me realize that if we are going to work with technology, it’s not ALWAYS going to work the way you want it to ALL THE TIME! There are just some things you cannot control. After the first web conference, I was hesitant to attend another one, but they definitely got better over time.

I really like the format of the web-conference because it gives students a chance to see and interact with each other and the instructor synchronously, which is somewhat difficult to do in a completely online setting such as this. The web conference allows us to clarify instructions or directions given in assignments, ask questions about future classes (like the internship), hear the questions or concerns of our fellow classmates, and directly interact with the instructor. They have been especially helpful in giving us direction for the internship class.

Although using web-conferencing may have its technical difficulties from time to time, it is an essential aspect of any online course to provide a forum for synchronous interaction between classmates and instructors.

Title Page and Introduction to Comprehensive Exam**
 * Assignment 1.2



Course-embedded Reflection from EDLD 5306 Assignment**
 * Assignment 1.3


 * Assignment:**

B. Students summarize (1) the four strands of the Technology Applications TEKS and (2) two C. Create, implement, analyze, and evaluate a technology survey for a group of at least eight educators to determine hardware and software preferred and used. D. Analyze Texas STaR Chart data, create a presentation for faculty on results, post the presentation to blog site where you also write 250-word opinion piece on one of the four areas of Texas Long Range Plan for Technology. Include (1) Description of the area. (2) Progress in the area (include local, state, and national progress. (3) Trends in the area (include local, state, and national progress. (4) Your recommendations for improvement in the area. E. Create a wiki reference document for campus** || This assignment taught me a great deal about how to asses where a school is technologically. We had to look at the results from our campus STaR chart that the faculty on campus filled out and determine where our school ranks in Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, Leadership, Administration, and Instructional Support, and Infrastructure for Technology. Since this was the very first class in my master’s program, I knew that I had participated in filling out the STaR chart for my campus, but was not aware of the overall results. This assignment helped me to analyze our campus’ strengths and weaknesses and realize that we have the infrastructure in place, but that we are declining in the areas of Educator Preparation and Instructional Support. This knowledge helped me to be a stronger technology leader on my campus and support other teachers in integrating technology into their classrooms. ** The basic truth, however, is that if the leadership in the district and at individual schools do not make technology a priority, then neither will any of the faculty. I think our school and district has ****some **** of the things necessary to support 21st Century Learning, but the lack of a cohesive initiative for all schools causes technology integration to be scattered and inconsistent across the district. Some teachers still don’t use any technology in their classes, while others use in constantly. ** Another issue analyzng the STaR chart uncovered is the lack of follow-through in implementing initiatives in my district. For example, they encourage everyone to have a website and spend a day or two emphasizing this, and then the momentum shifts to something else and is forgotten. A system for training, support, and accountability must be put in place to aid educators in advancing their technological skills. We have plenty of facilitators and leaders in our district, but no plan to put them in action. I guess I wonder why such a growing district as Leander ISD, which has the technology and resources to become a model district for 21st Century Learning, still has not developed and implemented a district-wide plan for educating and supporting teachers in technology implementation into their individual classrooms. **
 * **A. Students summarize key ideas of the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology in a table format.
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Course-embedded Reflection from EDLD Leadership for Accountability 5333 **
 * Assignment 1.4

Create an action plan for the campus. Develop an agenda for a professional development day that addresses the targeted campus needs and include a timeline for follow-up professional development.**
 * Assignment:


 * One of the most important things I have learned from my master’s courses is undoubtedly the need for teachers to be properly trained and supported in their transition into a 21st Century Educator. In this assignment, we were to conduct a needs assessment of our campus based on the current AEIS data. After targeting a specific area in need of improvement, we developed a professional development plan to address that need, being sure to include a follow-up plan for continued support. **


 * The first thing I learned from this assignment is that you have to know where you are and where you have been in order to know where you are going or want to go. All schools do not have the same needs, so actually looking at the data that supports why a certain area is being addressed is important. Using actual data also provides a rationale to educators for “why” they are needed to make this change happen. **


 * In addition to being supported by data, professional development training must be engaging, interactive, learner-centered, and allow time for teachers to absorb, reflect, and provide feedback on the information they are given. Professional development must model the way we expect teachers to teach their own students. If you are going to have teachers do team-building exercises with their students, then you must engage them in team-building activities in the training. Not only does this provide a model for teachers to use, but it helps them understand why a particular activity is important to their own students’ learning and success. Why does this not happen in every training an educator attends? **


 * Teacher feedback must also be encouraged and used. No process or product is perfect in design until it is tested in the field and actually works. As teachers are learning new materials and strategies to reach the needs of their students, their feedback is imperative to refine and fine-tune the process. Using and responding to their feedback also gives teachers a sense of buy-in into the process or product that is being developed. **

Well-designed professional development for educators is essential for any real change to occur in teaching ideology and strategies to meet today’s learners. Do people wanting to make these changes realize how important it is to have effective training and provide follow-up to that training? I certainly hope so; otherwise, we are all just spinning our wheels and not going anywhere! **
 * Finally, an effective professional development session must be supported and followed-up to ensure the areas of need are still being addressed and to secure accountability. Many times, teachers leave a training session and throw the handouts away on their way out or put them in a drawer at school never to be referenced again. If a change is going to be made, then teachers must be held accountable for the changes they are expected to make. They need to feel supported, connected, and also held responsible for implementing those changes. **
 * 


 * Assignment 1.5**
 * Reflections on Technology Facilitator Standard I: Technology Operations and Concepts **

TF/TL Standard I addresses Technology Operations and Concepts. This standard explains the basic needs of effective educators to have general knowledge of today’s technology including identifying various hardware and basic computer components, being familiar with common features and functions of operating systems, applying basic troubleshooting techniques, selecting and using the correct software for specific tasks, practicing proper care and maintenance of technology, understanding common internet features and communication tools, and having knowledge of basic networking and infrastructure. I can see why this is the first standard, because it outlines “the basics” of what teachers should know to educate the 21st Century Learner. The standards and research are quick to point out that training teachers on these skills should not be done in “isolation”, but that “current best practices in technology facilitation and leadership integrate technology operations and concepts with professional development related to teaching and learning”(p 23). In other words, if teachers are expected to integrate technology into their classrooms to engage students in retaining and transferring knowledge, then professional development should be conducted in the same manner. This rationale is difficult to argue with, for sure.

In addition to identifying basic technical skills needed for today’s educators, Standard I also differentiates the roles of technology facilitators and leaders. After reading this chapter, I have a better understanding of the differences. Technology facilitators work directly with teachers by modeling and assisting them in integrating technology into their classrooms. Facilitators may help design lessons or activities, assist teachers during actual implementation, or model appropriate strategies for technology use. Leaders, however, usually research and evaluate the strategies being used, conduct professional development on current and new technology operations. I like to think of it as a school—the facilitators are the teachers actually doing the teaching and working directly with the learners while the leaders are more like administrators who research best practices, disseminate the information to the facilitators to use with the teachers, and provide support.

I have been to many workshops and trainings that pertain to operations and concepts from Microsoft Office, to Eduphoria, to basic grade book and attendance training. I have helped fellow teachers (both new and veteran) to learn Gradespeed, how to use the production center via the internet, use a common drive to save collaborative documents, and how to setup and maintain a website for a total of 2 hours (probably more) towards my internship. Most of my experience in receiving professional development, however, has been with isolated use of technology, where teachers are just shown the basic “ins and outs” of some new technology. The best training I have attended has been on the Classroom Performance System (or clickers) where they actually modeled using the technology through integration of an actual lesson. Oddly enough, teachers were engaged and learning—just like their students should be! Why don't professional development staff always teach the way they want teachers to teach? It works!

Citations:

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //Technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education

Reflections on Technology Facilitator Standard II: Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences **
 * Assignment 1.6

Standard II identified in the ISTE’s Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards addresses Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences. Facilitators and Leaders must aid teachers in creating classrooms that use technology to “solve problems or create original products” which “aid students in constructing meaning and demonstrate learning” (p 33). Often this is not easy to do and requires teachers to “engage in sophisticated planning and design processes” (p 34). Teachers need a lot of support from technology facilitators and leaders to accomplish this task.

Outlined in this chapter are the different levels of technology implementation from 0 (non-use) to 6 (refinement). Teachers may fall into any of the categories along this spectrum and facilitators need to be aware of their current level in order to help them integrate technology into their classrooms. The most common issue is that teachers may know a considerable amount about technology, but are unsure how to implement it in the classroom to improve student learning. I feel I am in this category. It is difficult to spend a lot of time developing authentic activities integrating technology, especially when the lessons must meet course standards and teach students technical skills simultaneously. If teachers are not given support, time, and resources to develop this kind of instruction, change will be inconsistent and slow. Technology leaders must help teachers change the way they teach—which is extremely difficult because it “challenges teachers’ long-standing beliefs about teaching and learning” (p 38).

The following guiding principles are used to help facilitators aid teachers in designing engaging and appropriate technology-rich lessons: specify the types of learning experiences students should have, model the types of technology teachers should use, train teachers in the same manner in which they will be teaching the technology, show teachers a process for designing such activities, provide sound research-based rationale that improves student learning, link the technology to the curriculum, understand where teachers are in the spectrum of technology integration and help facilitate that change, and provide time for teachers to reflect and revise their processes and lessons. Leaders and facilitators must “facilitate” the change that needs to happen for teachers to shift from designing teacher-centered strategies to planning learner-centered activities. Their role it to act as learning coaches and mentors to help teachers make this inevitable transition.

During this master’s program, I have worked with other teachers and even made efforts myself to implement more technology into my classroom by using clicker systems, computer labs, and classroom computers and the internet. I have worked collaboratively and independently to construct lessons using and teaching technology skills such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and search tools on the internet for a total of 4 hours towards my internship. Using technology is not so difficult, but learning how to integrate technology with the curriculum and design truly interesting activities which keep students engaged, teach the content standards, and teach them technology skills is very difficult. I think instructional facilitators must make time and set up meetings with collaborative teams instead of waiting for teachers to call them. Change is not an easy process and won’t happen for some unless they are forced to do it. I question why facilitators and technology leaders in my district don't take a more proactive role in changing the way teachers teach and use technology in their classroom. Implementation must be supported and facilitated, but absolutely mandatory for teachers to be effective in reaching the needs of the 21st Century Learner.

Citations:

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //Technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.