This post serves as my final reflection upon the work I have completed in EDTECH 541: Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum.
Part One: Reflect on the entire course
What you have learned?
This semester, I have learned a vast amount of new content that I will be able to take with me to use in other courses and my professional work as well. One of the most valuable things I have learned is that there is not one correct way to integrate a resource or tool into a particular area. The tool must be decided upon based on the needs of the learner and the desired outcomes of the lesson. I developed a stronger ability to decide what the instructional need is for a particular lesson, and then search for resources that will help me to meet these needs. Having a ‘toolbox’ containing a variety of resources to utilize is okay, but if that is the only method one has of integrating technology he will be left behind quickly because of the constantly evolving nature of technology.
How theory guided development of the projects and assignments you created?
For me to complete the projects and assignments for this course, I found it important to make sure I completed the reading assignments prior to beginning work on any other assignment for the week. There were a few times, after reading through the objectives and assignments for the week, when I came up with an idea right away and had a plan for how I would complete the project. However, I still read through the corresponding chapter(s) in the Roblyer and Doering text and other materials prior to beginning the project. This was a wise decision, as the course reading provided insight into the purpose and theory of using technology in the given area. My ideas were usually a good start to effectively integrating technology, but with the additional knowledge gained through reading about the theories connected to a particular area, I was able to adapt my ideas to more effectively integrate technology into my projects.
How the course work demonstrates mastery of the AECT standards?
All of the coursework completed in EDTECH 541 required the development and mastery of AECT Standard 1, and the corresponding sub-standards. In order to develop any type of instructional material for use in the classroom, one must first consider the design of the instruction. Without first deciding what instructional systems design is appropriate to the learning task and then deciding what needs to be learned and how it will be carried out, what materials will be need to be created to support the learning objectives, and how the lesson will be carried out, it is unlikely that a lesson will successfully meet its objectives. The application of various learning theories when developing each project for the course was critical to designing instruction that would be engaging and beneficial to students. Instructional strategies and learner characteristics were necessary considerations in all of the projects in order to design learning situations appropriate for a particular group of students. For example, the content area I chose for my projects this semester was third-grade English Language Arts. Without determining that types of strategies are beneficial to students of that age, as well as what developmental capabilities they possess, it would have been easy to design instruction for this group that would prove to be either too simple, or too difficult for them to complete.
In contrast to Standard 1, not all of the coursework met each requirement proposed by AECT Standard 2. However, each standard and substandard were mastered by one or a combination of multiple assignments. The mastery of print technologies is demonstrated by effective use of both text and photographic content. The assignments I completed that demonstrate this standard include: the I Am Poem, Network Project, Instructional Software Presentation, Slide Presentation, Using the Internet for Instruction, Content Area Presentations for: Social Studies, and Art, Music, and P.E, and the Adaptive/Assistive Technology Presentation. Mastery of audiovisual technologies has been demonstrated by coursework that allows learners to interact with content that may represent real or abstract ideas. The assignments completed that demonstrate the use of audiovisual technologies are: Slide Presentation, Spreadsheet/Database Project, Video Integration Lesson Plan and Lesson Library, Using the Internet for Instruction Project, Community Building and Social Networking, and all three Content Area Projects (Social Studies, Science, and Art, Music, and P.E.). Computer-based technologies incorporate information stored electronically as digital data, such as instruction, communication, and resources. The assignments for this course that demonstrate the use of this standard are: the Slide Presentation, Video Integration Lesson Plan and Video Library, Using the Internet for Instruction Project, Community Building and Social Networking Project, all three Content Area Presentations, and the content discussed in the Adaptive/Assistive Technologies Presentation. Integrated technology consists of different hypermedia tools that allow users to control, interact, and create their own content. I believe that all of the coursework that I completed for this course build toward the mastery of this standard, as different types of technologies and hypermedia were utilized to create each project.
AECT Standard 3 focuses on the utilization of technology to apply various principles and theories to demonstrate one’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. EDTECH 541 and the coursework I completed meet the substandards of media utilization and diffusion of innovations by requiring me to think about the appropriate tools that should be implemented based on the needs of students, and by requiring me to think about how I will develop student awareness and attention by using those tools. I believe that each assignment required this to be done in some form or another, whether I was in the role of the student learning about different methods of integration, or whether I was in the role of the teacher designing instruction for third grade students.
Below is a table that lists each assignment completed in EDTECH 541 and the standards that correspond to each assignment.
EDTECH 541 Assignment:
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AECT Standards Addressed:
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I Am Poem
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Vision Statement
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Relative Advantage Chart
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Network Project
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Instructional Software Presentation
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Slide Presentation
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Spreadsheet/Database Project
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Video Integration Lesson Plan & Lesson Library
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Using the Internet for Instruction Project
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Community Building and Social Networking Project
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Content Area Lesson Plan: Social Studies
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Content Area Lesson Plan: Science
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Content Area Lesson Plan: Art, Music, P.E.
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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Adaptive/Assistive Technologies Project
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1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2
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How you have grown professionally?
EDTECH 541 has helped me to grow as a professional in multiple ways. At the onset of the semester, I mainly utilized technology for instructional games and blogging. I was unaware of how many different methods of delivery there are for technology integration. I feel I have become more efficient at finding new tools and resources to use for integration, and not just rely on the few tools that I know and am comfortable with. I also viewed technology use for simulations and similar technologies as only being usable by older students. After learning about a variety of resources and how to apply them in this class, I now understand that there are many resources that are available for younger students as well. I believe that the knowledge I have gained in this course will help me to collaborate with those I work with and assist them in technology integration practices as well.
How your own teaching practice or thoughts about teaching have been impacted by what you have learned or accomplished in this course?
The main notion that I had in regard to technology integration that has been impacted by this course is that technology is able to be integrated into any subject matter. The obvious content areas that I always integrated technology into were math and language arts. I now understand how to integrate technology in a cross-curricular manner to meet objectives in other subjects as well. I will make a conscious effort to pursue opportunities to integrate cross-curricular content as I continue my career as an educator.
Part Two: Assess Your Performance
Blog Grading Rubric Criteria:
Content 70/70
All of my blog posts provided insight into the relative advantages of a certain type of resource, or to whatever content it was we were covering that week. I was able to draw many connections between the ideas presented by course materials that I included in the post, to my own personal experiences.
Readings and Resources 18/20
I believe that this is the area I struggled with the most out of all of the criteria for the blog posts. There were times when I felt that maybe I could have included a little bit more to support my statements in some of my posts. However, I did use APA style to reference all of my content.
Timeliness 20/20
I held myself to shorter deadlines than what the modules for each week held us to. Because of this, I always tried to post my blog entries by Saturday at the latest. There was one week that I did not post until Sunday, but with it still being over a day before the end of the week’s assignments, I still received ample feedback from my peers.
Responses to Other Students 30/30
The requirement for “Outstanding” was to make “two or more substantial posts with at least one detailed response made to address another student’s post”. I believe I met this requirement, as I upheld my own standard to make both of the posts I made to be detailed. At times, I posed questions to a student’s post inquiring about something I read, or I commented on personal connections I was able to draw from what the post was stating. I did not see a point in commenting if I wasn’t going to give constructive feedback, so I believe I earned all of the points in this area.
The final blog grade that I would assign to myself would be: 138/140
