Week 5 Assignment, Part 2: Course Reflections

What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?

To be honest, I was not sure what to expect. I am pursuing a master’s degree as part of my interim contractual agreement. I knew I wanted something that was dynamic, relevant and quick paced. This was my first online course, and naturally I was rather anxious as I am the quintessential procrastinator; however, I managed to fit the assignments into my schedule relatively easily…after that first week. 

At first, I felt the course concentration and content was more relevant for K-12 faculty and administrators; however, I have found that the things I have learned can be applied to higher education and student affairs.  As college’s and K-12 research innovative ways to align curriculum and ensure that students exiting high school are college and career ready, the knowledge I have gained in this introduction will be valuable.  I already feel as if I am more familiar with the K-12 environment including their challenges and triumphs. 

To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?

Not everything is relevant.  I am not in the classroom and do not supervise any faculty. In addition, I struggle with the TEKS and K-12 standards. Because I am not in K-12, I am not familiar with the standards and the learning curve was steep. As I progressed through the course, I did realize that in order to provide efficient and effective service to our K-12 partners, my familiarity with the standards is essential. As we look for ways to align both career and technology as well as academic dual credit courses, I will leverage the knowledge I have and will gain in the coursework. 

I did benefit from the wiki, blog, wordle, animoto, etc. assignments and immediately identified relevant applications in higher education, student affairs, in particular.  I look forward to sharing with my staff so they can integrate into their own routines, presentations, and communication with prospective students. 

What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

I can’t say that I did not achieve any outcomes. Again, I was not sure what to expect.  I have been out of school for 16 years and this was my first online course. I thought that I would be too distracted for online learning and that I needed to be in a classroom with my peers and an instructor. I am a product of chalk and talk and am a digital immigrant.  I am very skilled and nimble with Microsoft office as I was a former end user trainer, but my desktop and web publishing skills are minimal.  I also did not realize how may open source and/or free programs are available to support and enhance instruction, social networking, personal communication, etc.  I also did not realize how the course would result in me more closely examining what is occurring in my own children’s classrooms.  I am certainly more informed about the integration of, and the need for technology in my children’s classrooms.

Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?

Yes, I have been successful in carrying out the course assignments. The assessments and summaries in the first week were overwhelming. I was discouraged and was having second thoughts.  After all, I started this course at the same time my husband started a new job and is working out of town Monday through Thursday.  As we progressed I became more interested and engaged. I have learned to pace myself during the week and am fortunate to use work time (when available) to read and complete assignments.

Although my assignment and discussion scores have been relatively high, I do miss the feedback regarding the quality of work and areas of improvement. Perhaps both are available in Epic, but I have yet to find it. 

Although this is an online course, I print everything. It seems counterintuitive, but the digital immigrant in me needs to feel the paper.  By the end of the day, it is difficult for me read from a computer screen. 

What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?

I feel as though I my technology skills and attitudes have improved and as a result my ability to lead the young, digital natives that I supervise. I am fortunate to be working at a young community college that values technology in the classroom.  Our classrooms are state of the art and our information services and planning division is diligent in researching and reviewing innovative ways to support and implement technology both in and outside of the classroom.  While I do have leadership, strategic planning and assessment/evaluation experience, I am missing the classroom experience my peers bring to the discussion. I am unable to contribute to the classroom discussion threads unless I am able to consider my past experiences or experiences with my own children.  

I also was surprised to discover how much idle time I actually had in my life prior to enrolling in the course.  At first, I was concerned with integrating one more obligation into my routine…but it is working and I only have 17 months to go!

EDLD 5306 Week 2: Web Conference

I found the web conference to be useful, and enjoyed putting my classmates’ faces with names. Although my children and I Skype weekly with my husband, this was my first experience with a multi-person web conference, outside of Microsoft Meeting. 

I appreciated the APA style insight and the internship information.

During my first week in the course, I was overwhelmed with the quantity and type of work…a common theme.  It was reassuring to know that my peers were having the same thoughts.  With no K-12 classroom experience it was easy to become discouraged and distracted during that first week; however, Dr. Abshire’s response to my question/concern was reassuring.  In addition, I found a higher education colleague via the web chat…I am sure he will become a valuable colleague and peer.

Unfortunately, my schedule does not permit frequent web conference attendance.  I do look forward to the next required session and learning more from my peers and the content expert.

EDUC 5306 Blog Posting #3 – National Educational Technology Plan

In 2010, the US Department of Education issued a plan to address the need to transform education by leveraging technology.  The National Educational Technology Plan: Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology addresses President Obama’s far reaching goals of increased degree attainment and closing the educational gaps.  The plan gives educational and community leaders goals to address at the local level including:

• Learning
• Realizing that education in the 21^st Century is no longer “one size fits all,” the plan sets out to develop meaningful, relevant learning experiences for both educators and students to ensure that they are prepared to compete in our global economy.
• Assessment
• Assessment is necessary to define technology infrastructure and skillset capacity. The assessment data will drive educational transformation. In addition, assessment provides tools for evaluation and continuous improvement.
• Teaching
• The teaching profession must undergo a systemic shift to the connected model, whereby teachers are connected to data and data tools to support and enhance the learning experience. The new classroom will allow teachers to create, share and assess relevant learning experiences
• Infrastructure
• Infrastructure is expanded to include resources beyond hardware, software and connectivity. It includes all resources required for systemic change and continuous improvement such as people, processes and policies as well as scalable and sustainable models.
• Productivity
• Productivity addresses the standard business practice of measuring progress and success that K-16 has not fully embraced. Productivity maximizes planning, implementation and financial resources to monitor success. It provides the means and evidence for redirection as we meet the needs of the 21^st Century educator and learner.

Ultimately, to remain competitive in this global economy, we must transform education and the educational experience. An experience that leverages technology to plan, implement and monitor scalable solutions that can impact degree attainment and educational gaps.

EDUC 5306 Blog Posting #2 – School or District Technology Plan

The Mission CISD Technology Plan 2009-2012 incorporates the four major areas established by the State Long-Range Plan for Technology and outlined in the Texas STaR Chart: 

1.    Teaching and Learning

2.    Educator Preparation and Development

3.    Administration and Support Services

4.    Infrastructure for Technology

The plan acknowledges both the strengths and weaknesses of the district and addresses needs of teachers, students and the district’s technology infrastructure.  Although the district’s STaR analysis reveals that they are above the state and the region in many areas, they have yet to reach Target Tech in any category.  Opportunities to improve in all areas are defined as goals in the technology and district improvement plans, with laser focus on Educator Preparation and Teaching and Learning.

The plans primary needs were extracted from the campus based STaR data and identified the following opportunities for improvement:

·         Teacher Training/Professional Development

·         Technology Integration

·         Student Skill Improvement

·         Technology Course Offerings

·         Acquisition of Equipment and Software

·         Support Personnel

·         Community Access

The district has defined four goals that specifically address each category and include objectives and budget as well as E-Rate and NCLB correlations. Furthermore, the technology plan includes strategies, status, timeline, person(s) responsible and evidence. The comprehensive committee designed the document to be evergreen so that as progress has been made the plan can be updated or corrected.  The evidence provides stakeholders with tools to evaluate the plan’s success and allows for re-direction if necessary.

Ongoing assessment of the plan’s implementation is reviewed by an advisory committee that includes campus and district level representation as well as members from the community. This process ensures that implementation is evident, and that the plan is positively affecting change.

EDUC5306 Week 2 Blog Posting #1 – Technology Assessments

Assessment of a school’s technology capacity and readiness for both infrastructure and staff, is an integral part of leading change and developing a realistic plan that will meet the needs of 21^st century learners. The assessment provides an inventory of hardware and software as well as staff and student competencies. The inventory will review the schools strengths and weaknesses as they move forward in developing an effective and efficient plan.  The strengths will determine infrastructure as well as skillsets and knowledge that can be leveraged to enhance and technology both in and outside of the classroom.  The weaknesses will aid in developing goals for both infrastructure and employee professional development. 

Assessment should be inclusive of all stakeholders: administrators, teachers, students, parents and the community.  An appreciative inquiry process will identify the “best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them” (Appreciative Inquiry Commons, 2010).  Inclusion will allow all stakeholders to address the “social barrier” Prensky references in Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom and encourage more buy in from the “conservators of our culture” (Prensky, 2005).

During the school assessment it is vital to assess the knowledge and skillsets of students. Although most students in the digital age are tech savvy, their experience and exposure to technology and technology tools may vary. The student assessment will provide a baseline of knowledge from which the plan and goals for students may begin.

While assessment of educators’ technology leadership knowledge and skills will ultimately improve educators’ and students’ experiences in the classroom, it can lead to resentment and resistance:  Resentment from seasoned educators who may not value the introduction of technology and are resistant to the idea of learning from their peers. In addition the assessment may identify social and economic disparities in the student population.  However, good leaders can address these issues during the appreciative inquiry process, ensuring the all stakeholder realize the value of “Edutopia” (Prensky, 2005).

References:

Prensky, M. (December 2005). Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom. Retrieved December 2, 2005, from Edutopia.org.

Appreciative Inquiry Commons. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/intro/whatisai.cfm.

e-rate and mission cisd technology plan

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