- What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
As an educational technology campus facilitator I envisioned some clear outcomes for this course. I envisioned that I would learn how to teach teachers and principals how to integrate technology into the curriculum. I also envisioned that I would learn how to analyze the technological needs of a campus and the needs of teachers and use this information to develop professional development sessions. I also felt it would be important to know and understand the Long-Range Technology Plan for Texas and for the district that I work in. It was also critical to me that I learned the ethical side to the integration of technology as it relates to teaching and learning. It was also my hope that I would learn the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to evaluate the progress of a campus towards meeting their technological goals. I also felt it would be important to learn how to identify the technology TEKS that are now required to be incorporated into the curriculum. I feel that after taking this course I was able to accomplish these outcomes that I feel are a critical part of doing my job effectively. The actual course outcomes taught me these things plus many more critical skills. One in particular was the use of blogs as a way of communicating with others.
- 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?
The outcomes in this course have very much been a part of my daily life at school and continue to be relevant to my everyday life. It is critical to understand the technological needs of students today. It is also important to know what direction the state and district are heading in with reagards to incorporating and implementing technology into the curriculum. Since technology is always changing it is important that I continue to strive to learn more about technology and the ever changing needs of both students and teachers. It is also important that I am able to assess the needs of the campus, students, and teachers to help develop a comprehensive plan for making sure teachers and students are fully implementing and integrating technology daily into the curriculum. It is also important that I educate the teachers and principals on the ethical use of technology and communicate to them the importance of communicating these ethics to the students as well.
- What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I feel that I have achieved all of the outcomes that I had envisioned plus I feel that I learned many more things that will help me in the future. I feel that I am prepared as an educational technology campus facilitator to fully support the teachers, principals, and students in the integration of technology into the curriculum. I also feel that I am prepared to analyze the needs of a campus and provide the necessary tools and support to help the campus achieve their goals. I also feel that I am prepared to help campus principals use data reports to set goals to improve student achievement through the use of technology integration in the curriculum. I also feel that I am better prepared to handle the social, legal, and ethical issues related to technology and teaching and learning. This course was very comprehensive in its approach to ensuring that students achieved all the intended outcomes of the course.
- Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was very successful in carrying out the course assignments. As I look back I can see the relevance and importance of each assignment. The information gained from the readings and interviews were valuable and critical to completing the assignments each week. I felt that after reviewing the STaR chart, my Campus and District Improvement Plans, as well as the Long-Range Technology Plan for the state and for the district that I gained valuable knowledge into the direction we are headed in our district for technology. I was able to determine the strengths and weaknesses of our campus and design an action plan that can be monitored to improve the implementation and integration of technology into the curriculum. As well, I was able to develop a professional development plan for my campus that will help my campus in reaching their technology goals while improving student achievement. The blogging gave me real world experience in communicating with other people online. I discovered the value of blogging and how it could be used in a classroom.
- What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
When I first began this course I was a little reluctant about using blogs. I didn’t really like the blogging part of the course. However, by the end of the course I see how it can be a relevant resource to use in the classroom. My attitude has become more positive toward the use of blogging now. I also have a better understanding of how the digital natives can relate to such type of learning. I also learned that I have developed the skills to evaluate the needs of a campus and how to develop an action plan for incorporating technology into the curriculum and for developing an evaluation plan that will monitor the success of all aspects of the action plan. I also learned that technology is constantly changing and it is important that schools keep up with the changing technology and try to incorporate it in the curriculum as much as possible. It is our responsibility as educators to prepare students for the ever changing technological society that they will work and live in.
- What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
Blogging is an exciting new way to incorporate technology into the curriculum. It is important that teachers are trained on ways to use them effectively in their classes. Students today spend a great deal of time blogging online at home and it is something they feel comfortable with. Incorporating something into the curriculum that students already enjoy doing will help students to stay more engaged in the learning process. It is critical as an educational technology campus facilitator that I provide support and training to my teachers on how to use blogging effectively in the curriculum. Along with that, it is important that both teachers and students are made aware of the safety and guidelines for blogging. Students who use blogging are able to communicate with so many more people than they would normally have come in contact with. It also gives students an opportunity to express their opinion without feeling judged or too embarrassed to speak up. It also gives students an opportunity to communicate with people that are from different backgrounds and have different opinions about a topic.
- What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
While blogging is very exciting and engaging for students there are some concerns that educators need to be aware of before they incorporate blogging into their curriculum. A major concern is that students might share personal information with someone online that they don’t know. There are child predators that can gain access to this information. It is so easy for someone to pretend to be a child on the other end of a blog when in reality they are predators. Cyber bullying is another concern for educators as many students are often being bullied online and never report the bullying. Another issue that teachers have to be aware of is posting student work on blogs. Teachers must get permission to post student work. Another concern can be the lack of actual social interaction that students are getting when they sit behind a computer rather than have a face to face conversation.
- How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
Blogging is a great way to find out feedback from stakeholders on various topics. As an educational technology campus facilitator I can set up a blog about a topic and have teachers blog about their thoughts and opinions on topics. This will give me information that I can use to better serve the needs of the teachers on campus. I can also set up a blog and discuss technological issues and needs with campus principals. I can even post a blog on the campus website to get parent feedback on certain topics related to technology. Blogs can also be set up as a professional development tool for doing book studies. I can also set up a blog with the other educational technology campus facilitators in the district and share ideas and strategies for better helping teachers and students incorporate technology in the classroom. Another use of blogs would be to set up one for teachers to ask technology questions and I could communicate with them through the blog if I am not able to come to their classroom to answer their question plus other teachers who might have the same question will also get to see the response as well.
