Week 5 Assignment

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

From the course title and syllabus, I was under the impression that we would be learning how to integrate technology on campus. I felt that I learned a little about this, but not as much as I needed to. Learning how to use the Web 2.0 tools and what they could be used for was interesting and fun, but I need to know how to integrate them on campus. This is especially important, not to mention difficult, for me because my campus is not open minded about technology. The tools we learned about are very useful, but I need to know how to utilize them on a campus that is in the Early Tech stages of technology use. The action plan helped me to brainstorm ways that we could remedy a lot of the problems we are currently facing, and I hope that some day these technology problems will be solved. I did learn about new technologies and was able to experience digital technology in a way I never had before, which was a great outcome of this course. If everyone were able to experience these technology tools, then I believe schools would have more enthusiasm about technology. I wish we had a way to make that experience happen.


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?

Learning how to use the Web 2.0 tools will help to advance my communication with staff, students and parents as an administrator. Blogs can be used to send out data, bulletins and announcements. In addition, teacher trainings and meetings can be held online through the use of podcasts and video clips within blogs. Students can use these tools at home to improve their homework completion and understanding. Podcasts and blogs can be used by teachers to reinforce and reteach lessons. Teachers can also use these tools to collaborate with each other on campus and district, state or even nationwide. This would be great for administrators too. Whenever they wanted another person's insight on a subject, they could blog, podcast or video conference with them and have almost instant feedback. These tools are very applicable to schools and should be used as often as possible. Student exposure to these tools is absolutely necessary in order for students to succeed. With today’s students we can’t expect to teach in the same old ways and get new and better results, if we want to improve student learning we have to change the way we teach these students. Currently in my role as a teacher, I am not able to use these tools because we do not have the technology available to utilize them. Many students do not have computers or Internet access at home and many staff members are not comfortable with technology use.


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

My district and school do not currently have technology plans in place that apply to the integration of technology in schools. Because of this, I was unable to analyze a district plan to determine what is positive or negative about the plan. I had hoped to do this so that I would be able to build upon and improve the plan. Also, I was unable to find out how technology is truly used to form the Campus Improvement Plan. When I asked my interviewees, they all mentioned Item Analysis, but no one seemed to mention anything else. Technology has to be used for more than simply Item Analysis when creating the Campus Improvement Plan. I would like to visit and observe a campus that is optimaly integrating technology because I have never been able to do that. It would be interesting to know how the teachers, students and administrators are utilizing technology each day. Comparing student achievement data from a technology-driven school and a traditional school would also be interesting so that the effects of technology on student learning could be seen.


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

I successfully completed the course assignments although some of them proved to be more frustrating and challenging than others. When the assignments only depended on my technology ability, I completed these assignments with ease because I am very familiar with many forms of technology. I experienced no problems analyzing the Texas Long Range Plan and Technology Applications TEKS. Creating a blog and PowerPoint presentation also came easy to me because I have previously received trainings and have used these tools on many occasions. The other assignments that involved my campus technology plans and campus usage proved to be more difficult. Technology is not readily available on my campus and my administrator does not see much value in technology. This made information gathering very difficult and I usually had to rely on my own observations and conclusions to fill in the areas that were left blank by the lack of administrator knowledge. Creating an action plan was also complicated because there is no existing technology plan on my campus, so I had to start from scratch. This action plan had to be developed without help from administration because they are unfamiliar with many of the aspects of technology and technology requirements.


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

I learned that while I am skilled in a lot of technology areas, there are still a lot of things I have to learn. I had no idea the Texas Long Range Plan existed and was not familiar with the NETS, ITSE or Technology Applications TEKS. Continual learning of technology tools and Web 2.0 tools will be vital to my success as an administrator. I can’t rest on what I know now and expect that to carry me through, I have to stay up-to-date on current trends and the ever-changing world of digital technology. My attitudes about technology have changed because now I feel more positive about technology use. I have always felt negative towards technology because my campus does not utilize technology in the classroom. When I found out this class was about technology, I was immediately discouraged because I knew I lacked experience with classroom technology integration. To find out that many schools nationwide are implementing technology in the classroom was refreshing and has changed my view. I hope that when I am an administrator, I can make positive changes for the integration of technology on my campus. I want to be the leader who is innovation and encourages teachers to experiment with technology to improve student learning.


What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?

Blogs can be very valuable communication tools for students and teachers. Teachers can post assignments, lessons and instructions for students who can then view these at home or anywhere they have access to the Internet. This will help students to accomplish more on their homework assignments if they get confused or forget what they are supposed to do. If they run into obstacles, they can check the blog to overcome these challenges.
Students can also create blogs to express themselves and publish their work. Web 2.0 tools are something that students need to be familiar with today, and blogging could be the first step to opening many digital technology avenues. Through blogging, students can communicate with others who live outside of their communities and in different cultures. Students can be exposed to many different opinions and viewpoints by reading blogs written by others. These diverse viewpoints can also be evaluated by the student through comments left on the student’s blog. Students who do not like to read novels or textbooks may enjoy reading what people have written in their blogs which will give them a more wordly view which is needed to be productive citizens in today’s society.


What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?

As with everything, blogs can be abused when used by the wrong people. Adults, teachers included, can make inappropriate comments about a students blog. Or the student may make improper comments about another person’s blog. Students, teachers or administrators may post blogs about subjects that are inappropriate for someone in the education field to discuss publically. This is why blog users must be taught what is ethical and unethical, and use their better judgement to determine if something would be deemed unsuitable for reading by other users and especially stakeholder.
Another concern is determining what is truthful and what is fraudulent when evaluating information in blogs. Some blogs provide factual information for readers, while others are meant to express opinions. Readers have to analyze these blogs and determine if the information is accurate or biased in some way. A lot of blogs are not meant to be used as factual resources because they are used to express the opinion of the writer. However, new blog users, especially students, may not fully understand this and mistake an opinion for a fact.


How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?

Blogging can be an effective form of communication when trying to keep stakeholders up-to-date on assignments, changes in policy or schedules or school bulletins. Teachers can post the course syllabus, six weeks lesson plans and assignment names with due dates online for parents and students to read at home. This will allow parents to take an active role in their child’s education and help the student to make certain they have completed all of their assignments. Other teachers and administrators can also read the blogs to assess what the teacher is planning to accomplish. Changes or updates in school rules and regulations can also be posted in the blog so that stakeholder can receive that information in a timely manner. To achieve this, the blog must be updated by the school and monitored by stakeholders on a regular basis. When the school needs to send home a note or bulletin to the parents, they can post this information in the blog as well. This prevents the communication line from being broken if the note is misplaced and is not received by the parents. Parents can read the information online which would still allow them to stay informed if they don’t received the notice.