Robert Ives
Guiding
Question:
How have
you grown in your applications of educational technology from the beginning of
this course of study until your reflections preparing this culminating
portfolio?
Before
starting my Masters degree in the spring of 2005, I used educational technology
in a very limited way. Over the course
of the last few years, I’ve grown greatly in my applications of educational
technology. While taking classes in
pursuit of my Masters, I learned how vital it is to step up my use of
technology within my instruction and within my communications with the school
and surrounding community. In EDU 621,
Supervision Teach/Learn with Technology, we discussed the use of technology and
the ways in which curriculum is changing to reflect technological advances in
our world. In
a world that becomes more and more dependent on advancing technology, it
becomes paramount that administrators and educators integrate this technology
into their school and class curricula.
By integrating technology, teachers not only effectively teach material,
but also teach the use of important technology. In EDU 577,
Educational Computing- Theory and Practice,
we had discussions leading to a description e-Learning and
the direction that it is heading in the future. It’s important to understand the fundamentals of e-Learning if we
are to understand its impact on the classroom and the students within. E-Learning: Concepts and Practice, authored
by Bryn Holmes and John Gardner (2006), specifically dealt
with the theory e-Learning. It
describes a revolution where education becomes more reliant on this new access
to knowledge created by the Internet. The book outlines a greater access to
knowledge, new learning skills, new ways to assess, and much more. Due to the World Wide Web and new computer
technology, knowledge is more accessible to a larger number of people than ever
before. Students can look up
information and view nearly anything from the seat in front of their computers. They can use this information to pursue
learning that they are motivated to discover.
This puts a higher demand on educators to make sure that students are
prepared to use this new technology.
Students have new skills they need to learn to use this technology and
access this knowledge base (Holmes and Gardner, 2006). Understanding these principals set the
purpose for learning to integrate educational technology, and when in agreement
that technology is vital, one is more motivated to make substantial
improvements in this area. Over the
course of the last 3 years, I feel I’ve made substantial changes in subject
area instruction, communication with colleagues and parents, and been more
efficient with classroom management.
I’ve
substantially changed the way I integrate technology in all subject areas that
I teach. In Language Arts, I initially
used technology in a limited way. I
would have students use Microsoft Word to type some written assignments, but
that was about as far as I went with educational technology. In EDU 545, I explored the positive effects
of technology on a language arts curriculum, and the curriculum standards
governing this use. The
International Society for Technology in Education (2005) established a set of
national standards that aim to instruct students in the use of modern
technology. Standard three involves the
use of productivity tools. It states
that productivity tools should be used to “enhance learning and promote
creativity.” It goes on to say that
students should use tools to “prepare publications and produce creative
works.” Standard four of the technology
standards state that technology communication tools should be used to “publish,
collaborate, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.” They wrote that a variety of media and
formats should be used to “communicate information and ideas effectively.” These standards suggest the use of computer
technology to produce literature and other communications, which is what
literacy development, is all about. I
now use technology extensively when designing and implementing language arts
instruction. I teach all English
grammar lessons using an instructional program I devised using Word (see Appendix A).
Students follow along with instruction on their computers. After instruction they complete the
activities right on the computer. With
each grammar lesson, they also learn a word processing skill. All work is saved in a student’s network
folder, where I can assess their work and offer feedback. I also utilize a program called SOLO. When a student types, their sentence is read
back to them by the computer. Being
able to immediately hear what they write helps them make sure their sentences
make sense. The program also gives
suggestions to students of words that can improve the descriptiveness of their
writing. My language arts instruction
has been substantially enhanced by the technology integration I’ve discovered
through my time in this program.
In
the area of science instruction, I’ve also enhanced my planning and instruction
with technology. Before starting this
program, I did not use technology at all when implementing instruction. In EDU 542, Current Issues and Trends in
Science, we discussed ways to integrate technology into the science curriculum. Technology can greatly enhance science
instruction, and current science trends recognize this. I now use PowerPoint (see Appendix B) to present notes to students. Students also use PowerPoint to complete
projects and display results of research and experiments they’ve
completed. I also facilitate the use of
spreadsheets so students can display experimental data in graphs and
charts. In the past, they completed this
by hand with graph paper, now they use computer programs to do this more efficiently. I use Brainpop
to show videos to students pertaining to certain concepts. After watching videos, they take online
quizzes. I also use a site called YouTube to show students real footage of
events, like a solar eclipse for example.
I also make study guides (see Appendix C)
for students, using Word, which I can attach to my classroom web page for
parents and students to access at home.
All of these tools were developed or discovered during my time in this
Masters program.
I
also now utilize technology to enhance Math.
Earlier in my career, I tended to follow the book closely. Throughout my Masters, I’ve developed ways
to enhance math instruction with technology.
Our new Math text series comes with a built-in technology
component. All of my students take
tests on the computer, and receive immediate feedback. I can print a spreadsheet that tells me all
their scores, which types of problems they each got incorrect, and recommends
activities to re-teach the concepts.
This technology helps me plan effective, targeted lessons to meet the
needs of all my students. I also
develop math activities that deal with estimation, using word and PowerPoint,
that students complete on the computer (see Appendix D). Throughout my coursework, I’ve gone from
following a math book to developing comprehensive lessons that integrate
technology and provide real life math experiences.
During
the last four years, I’ve also changed my social studies curriculum to include
technology. I utilize many forms of
technology now that I didn’t before I began the Masters program. Earlier in my teaching career, my lesson
focus tended to follow along with the selected social studies text. Throughout my coursework, I’ve changed my
instruction to include technology that greatly enhances instruction. When learning about particular geographic
regions, I often use Google Earth to show students actual satellite pictures of
the area of study. I have also
developed significant multicultural units that meet the 5th grade
social studies standards. With my
sister, I developed an Authoring Cycle that includes, lesson plans and
technology rich activities that promote all levels of instruction (see Appendix E).
In EDU 553, I was part of a group that created a multicultural unit on
Asian Immigration. I’ve utilized this
unit to provide rich learning experiences for students in my social studies
class that integrate technology and enhance student learning (see Appendix F).
Lastly,
I’ve greatly grown in my use of technology in relation to colleague, student,
and community communication. Before I
started this masters program, my technology focus in this area involved
exclusively the use of e-mail. I now
use technology to enhance all area of communication greatly. I still use e-mail to communicate with all
my parents extensively. However, I now
also use my class web page to communicate policies to parents, post homework,
display student projects, provide access to class materials, and notify the
community of important calendar events (see Appendix G). I also use Microsoft word to develop
newsletters to send home with students.
I’ve also created a useful tool to help with communication among my
teaching team. I developed a
spreadsheet that we use to track late homework among common students on our
team (see Appendix H). The file is stored on a network folder so any teacher can
access. As we update late homework in
the file, any other teacher on the team can see patterns of late work.
I’ve
grown greatly in my applications of educational technology during my
participation in this Masters program.
As stated in this response, this growth has occurred in all areas of the
curriculum. In following narrative
responses, I will go more in-depth about many of the programs and tools I
alluded to in this first response.