EDLD+5364+Final+Assessment

 **Course Reflection Prompts**  Respond in the expandable boxes below. Remember to copy and paste your responses to your wiki**.**  **1. 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 start this course as I always do by downloading the software. I am excited about the course, Teaching with Technology, it sounds like I am going learn about all the different tools that are out there that will enhance learning in the classroom via various technology applications. I expect that we will have some readings to do and some projects. I am familiar with one of the texts by name, Marzano is a staple in the district and I have facilitated some staff development on his “Classroom Instruction That Works” book. I look forward to learning how to incorporate technology into his strategies.  As the class goes on, I am beginning to understand that collaboration and all its intricacies is a major theme. It was not what I expected but I remind myself that this course is preparing me to be a leader in technology integration not just a teacher who uses technology in the classroom. It is difficult sometimes to coordinate with my group members but the google docs area has been a big help and I can see real potential for it at my school. All the possibilities of enhancing student learning through the use of technology tools is becoming much more of a reality. Solomon and Schrum (2007) said, “Because the new technologies and new capabilities engage and motivate students, we can use them to educate.” I think it is time to begin 21  st   century education.  Source:  Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007).  //Web 2.0: New tools, new schools.//   Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, p.9.
 *  2. 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? **

 With the tools that I have, I will be able to use my influence as principal to encourage teachers to utilize such wonderful tools as CAST's UDL site. The ability check your lessons and see how they are or are not meeting the needs of all students in the classroom is invaluable. I can use the knowledge I have gained in collaboration to create more meaningful staff development opportunities. I look forward to using the district's Elluminate software to set up webinars that will allow my teachers to work with teachers from across the nation on how to use technology to enhance their lessons and meet the needs of all students.  One particular technology I found during this course was the Smart Pen from Livescribe. This is a wonderful tool that I think will be a good one to start with teachers and their ascension to technology proficientcy. First of all, it's a pen that you use to write on paper and that is something that is familiar to everyone. The pen then records sound and downloads to the computer. Oh, it's gonna be fun watching what the teachers can do with this tool. We can move from there to taking that information and placing on a wiki, google doc, website and many other places. I can see us scaffolding from one level to the next. The only thing that our district must do is make a financial commitment to this change.
 *  3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? **

 One thing that I really wanted to investigate was how to use Second Life or something similar in the classroom. We touched on it briefly in my previous class and I found it to be an exciting new pathway to learning. I know that we had the freedom to explore any area we wanted and use any tool we felt would meet the challenge of our scenario, but I wish we could have specifically focused on the virtual world tool. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> To an extent, I suppose my own ignorance of virtual learning software prevented me from achieving this outcome. My group was not particularly interested in using it and I found myself under the deadline of completing tasks the group wanted to finish. Yet still I can see where Second Life could be a wonderful tool. We could spend an entire course on the possibilities. My dream is to one day be the facilitator of a Second Life High School where students come to class, interact and learn all while in the comfort of their home. I believe that changes in the world around us may make it happen sooner than later.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> 4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> This course was, by far the most demanding course when it came to completing assignments. Working out the schedule between our team was difficult. Some schedules were such that they could only work on weekends or after the kids went to bed. I am one that likes to work a little at a time over the entire week. I was often nervous when I did not hear from some in my group for days. The collaboration was the most difficult challenge to finishing course assignments. I do know that one of the major goals was to have us figure out ways in which the collaboration can happen. I also know that one of the technology standards want students to “ <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> use technology as a tool that supports the work of individuals and groups in solving problems” and what better way to learn how to do it than do it yourself. The collaborative piece was the most discouraging and the most rewarding. I learned so much from my partners and hopefully they learned a little from me. The whole was greater than the part.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> 5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> This course has shown me that I am not and can no longer be an island unto myself. The world is not as it was when I was a teenager. There is simply too much “stuff” to learn and filling in blanks in a workbook is not going to prepare our students for the worldwide economy of today. Just yesterday I bought some jeans and never left my office at home. I gave some money to my two daughters to go Christmas shopping. They were in Austin and I was 300 miles away. I tell my youngest daugter goodnight and I love her each night she goes to bed 50 miles away. The world has changed and I must change with it. I am going to change my leadership style to one that asks more questions than gives answers. I will also be willing to accept answers that I did not think of because they are based on a strong gathering of data from many sources found by utilizing all the technologies available. I don't have all the answers but I have lots and lots of questions. The great thing about that is the answers are literally one click away.