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?
I found that I was “aware” of many of the items in the pre-course self evaluation, but only at surface level. As far as what I envisioned I would be learning in this course, I feel I have a much better understanding of the Texas Long Range Plan, Technology TEKS, STaR Chart, cyber bullying, copyright information, and acceptable use policies. While these were all aspects that I thought I would be learning, I would have liked to learn more specifics about how to use technology in the classroom. The discussion board with my classmates was helpful in learning some things that you might do with technology in the classroom, but as a technology leader on my campus, I would need to continue my efforts in life-long learning in this area. For example, the creation of a “blog” was a bit of a stretch for me. Not the actual task of creating it, but the need for it. I do not see myself continuing it for personal reasons and would need to examine how others are using it for educational purposes before I would continue posting. Most importantly, I understand the importance of keeping up with “digital natives” as a “digital immigrant.”
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 I achieved in this class are very relevant to the work I do in my school. Knowledge in the key components of Texas Long Range Plan, Technology TEKS, and both district and campus STaR charts is vital in the planning aspect of technology in my school. The information gleaned from these resources gives focus to needs and goals for my campus. It would be an irresponsible use of time and money to provide unnecessary materials or professional development to my staff. These tools will help me make decisions that will move my campus forward towards “advanced technology” standards. In addition, as a technology leader it is my responsibility to model and uphold the criteria in acceptable use policies and copyright laws that I expect my faculty and students to maintain. As a key stakeholder in the success of my campus, I am charged to create a culture that all members feel supported in becoming digital citizens.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I feel that I may need to do more research in the areas of “patterns of classroom use” as indicated in the focus area of the teacher STaR chart and copyright laws and their integration into classroom instruction. While I am aware of the importance of these aspects, the details of implementation are not solid for me. As a technology leader, I should be able to make recommendations to classroom teachers about how they can use technology in their class. What prevented me from achieving this goal at this point is just the novelty of technology in general for purposes other than communication through email, or research. I would like to know more about student collaboration and computer use for things other than games or concept drill and repetition. As far as copyright laws and acceptable use policies, I would need to do more research to ensure my knowledge is current and accurate. This is important because of my expectations that our campus follow the laws and acceptable use policies.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I felt successful in carrying out the assignments in this course and actually felt the article readings were the most interesting of all the classes I have taken. The articles were shorter, yet they were packed full of useful information. The only part of the assignments that I thought was frustrating was the posting on the blog and through the discussion boards. I understand the purpose of posting in both places, but it seemed repetitive. I know the purpose of posting on a blog was to get practice in doing so and the purpose of posting on the discussion board was to get our classmates opinions about our work. The need to comment on every article and the responses of two classmate’s postings seemed to be repetitious. I think it would have felt better to have a more natural discussion take place, but I understand the challenges in making that happen on its own with people posting at various times during the week. Unfortunately, the established timelines for posting only created more frustration for me because of the time constraints I have at the beginning of the week. But, all in all, the assignments were doable and helpful in mastering the objectives set out in this course.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
This technology course has taught me a few things about myself. First, I agree with the need for educators to educate themselves about the needs of the 21st century learner. I feel it is my job as a leader to motivate my staff to want to learn how to better equip their students for their future. I believe I have a positive attitude about change and would use data as reported in reports from AEIS and STaR charts to show my staff the need for change. I believe I can help my staff make these changes by showing them the technology TEKS and giving them support through budgeting for materials, personnel, and training. I also realize that I am learning too, and I can support them by learning along with them. My goal is to encourage small steps of change towards the larger picture. I would like to see my teachers participate in webcasts, blogs, and wikis as learning tools.

What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
Blogs are a communication tool that can help educators by creating an interactive discussion group about a topic of choice. Educators can use blogs to inform, discuss, create, and display personal or student work to the world. It can be used to bridge the gap between school and home, school and community, and school and the world. Blogs can bring distance learning to the home of the blogger. Student use of a blog can assist them in mastering grade level state requirements and create a community of learners. Blogs can be of great interest to the 21st century learner and can create a sense of ownership in a student’s own learning thus motivating them to achieve. When blogging, teachers and students need to take safety precautions to ensure the safety of all children while on the internet.
When done correctly, a blog can be a successful learning tool for both teachers and students.

What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
While there are many beneficial uses for blogs in the world of education, it is important to take safety precautions as a protection for students. There are many ways predators will seek out information from students on the web and it is important that students are aware of the dangers of posting personal information for the world to see. They need to be mindful of posting anything that could identify them, their family, or their school. Schools have a responsibility to protect students from these predators. Another concern about blogging in education is accessibility to blogging. Many school districts install filters that might cause issues with accessing their blog site, may not have enough work stations to be effective use of time on a blog site, or may have teachers who assign projects to students who do not have the technology at home to complete these assignments. Another concern is the teacher’s ability to monitor appropriate use of the blog. Schools, parents, and the community must work together to teach students acceptable use policies and federal and state laws regarding documentation of borrow materials. Being aware of these guidelines will help ensure that teachers and students are using technology for appropriate purposes.

How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
School stakeholders are each important pieces of a successful school and include students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. Communication among these stakeholders is vital to a school’s momentum and can enhance collaborative efforts. Any stakeholder can begin communication with another stakeholder through the use of blogging. Minutes from meetings, calendars with upcoming events, summaries from activities, future needs, newsletters, question and answer sessions, and many more things can be posted on blogs for all members of a blog. The use of a blog can get information out to stakeholders in a timelier manner and can include all people who participate in the blog. Blogging can cut down on paper usage and creates documentation of what has been said for future usage. Blogging can give each participant a voice which may not be heard in typical face to face format. When used correctly, blogging is a useful tool for all.