PSA Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ochd8gnsOJY&feature=youtu.be

Web Conference Reflections

I’ve not been very successful attending Web Conferences for this course.  I attempted to attend one before Thanksgiving Break on November 21, but due to technical difficulties it had to be cancelled.  I also tried to attend one on December 1, but apparently it was cancelled as well.  I had planned to attend two in the final week, but the dates and times were changed and I wasn’t able to attend the new dates or times.  So, I watched the recording and read the transcript from the December 10^th conference.  I was glad that Dr. Abernathy stated that we would be switching from EPIC to Blackboard in the Spring.  I keep getting emails about Blackboard being down, but I didn’t know what they were talking about.  I received clarification about the three documents that are due in week 5 and that the deadline for submitting is Friday instead of Sunday. It was also nice to hear that if we are ever going to be late submitting an assignment that we just need to contact Dr. Abernathy or our instructional assistant and let them know.

I also watched the recording for the December 11^th conference and read the transcript. I was glad to get clarification about what the eportfolio is. I thought it was the wiki, but it helped to hear that from Dr. Abernathy.  She also explained that we need to put a link to our blog posts in our eportfolio.  I was also confused about whether or not to reflect on two or three conferences.  I got clarification that we would not be penalized if we only reflected on two conferences. The explanation of the creative commons for our PSA was very helpful.  I was unclear about what a creative commons actually was. I was also curious as to whether or not I could avoid the principal certification course. It was explained that you cannot opt out of the course, but you aren’t required to take the certification test.   

Week 2 Reflection

The week 2 assignment was somewhat challenging for me. I was confused initially about what was required for the week.  I planned to attend the additional web conference on Tuesday to get some clarification, but due to technical difficulties, it was cancelled.  After reading Wednesday's web conference transcript and reading the discussion board, I think I finally got clarification.  After evaluating Windows Movie Maker and creating my script for my podcast, I downloaded Audacity and recorded my podcast.  In order to save it as a MP3 file, I then had to download LAME.  I was now ready to share it on the web and after setting up an account on Podbean I was able to do that.  I was curious how I was going to add it to my wiki, but Podbean had several embed codes that I could use. At first all of these steps seemed overwhelming, but after setting down and actually doing it, it was really fairly easy.  I have increased my knowledge of Movie Maker with this assignment and learned how to create a Podcast.  These are skills that will be very valuable for me as well as for my students. 

Week 1 Reflection

I really enjoyed the week 1 assignment.  The self-evaluation confirmed that I have very little knowledge about multimedia concepts or applications. All of the week 1 readings encouraged incorporating multimedia into the curriculum. Our 21^st century learners crave the engagement and excitement that multimedia can offer.  The personal digital story we were required to create was an excellent way to be introduced to a multimedia program.  The sample digital stories that we viewed on the Center for Digital Storytelling’s Web site were great examples to help get us started.  I’m not a creative storyteller, so I just stuck to telling a personal story.  I had already used Animoto in my Concepts of Educational Technology course, so I had to choose another program. I was unable to download Microsoft’s Photo Story 3 because there wasn’t a download for Windows Vista.  I used Windows Movie Maker since it was already installed on my computer.  It was fairly simple to learn to use.  When it came to embedding it into my blog I did have a little trouble.  From reading the internet, I learned that I had to save it as a movie and not just a project before I could embed it. I would be unable to incorporate this type of assignment into my dyslexia therapy class, but I could see that students would have so much fun with this type of assignment.  I’m glad that I am now knowledgeable about this program. I hope to be able to create movies with my personal photos of my son. I’ve wanted to learn how to do this for years, but haven’t taken the time to learn.  Without this class, I’m not sure I would have ever taken the time. 

Digital Story

Action Plan

BYOD Action Plan
Goal:  I will research my campus BYOD (bring your own device) program to determine ways it is effectively being used in the classrooms. ·         Through the use of teacher and student interviews and anonymous surveys, I hope to discern what is working and what areas we can improve. ·         Design and implement a campus wiki where teachers can view and share ideas that are effective.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Review BYOD policy	Self	October 2011	BYOD policy	Gain an understanding of the policy as implemented in the district
Create anonymous teacher survey to solicit effective ways in which they are implementing the BYOD program and ideas that weren’t effective.	Self Site Supervisor, Lisa Rubio	November/December 2001	Survey Monkey - teacher survey	Create a list of ideas that have been used effectively.
Conduct interviews with department heads (core classes, electives, special education) and assistant principal to discuss the effectiveness (including what works and what doesn’t) of the program and discover ways they are seeing  the BYOD program being used in the classrooms.	Self Department Heads	December/January	Time to meet with department heads. Lesson plans from teachers. Meeting space. Computer for note taking.	Review informal interview notes. Make list of effective lessons. Document how the program is working and ways it could be improved.
Meet with technology facilitator to find out other ways teachers are using the BYOD program throughout the district and get additional implementation suggestions.	Self Technology Facilitator	January	Time to meet with technology facilitator.	Create list of suggested activities. Compare and contrast suggested activities with what is actually being done by teachers.
Survey students in department heads classes to discern which BYOD activities they enjoy, and don’t enjoy, and any ideas they have for implementing the program.	Self	February	Survey Monkey-student survey	Create a list of enjoyed activities. Create a list of recommended activities.
Conduct internet search of current BYOD programs.	Self	Ongoing	Internet	Compile a list of additional best practices and ideas to consider for implementation.
Create a wiki that details BYOD activities and allows teachers to share and comment on others ideas. Include a section for teachers to post activities that were NOT effective.	Self	February/March	Wikispaces	Monitor wiki and remind teachers to post ideas.
Post blog reflections and ongoing wonderings, ideas for continued development.	Self	Ongoing	Blog	Reflect and document progress.

Format based on Tool 7.1 from Examining What We Do to Improve Our Schools

(Harris, Edmonson, and Combs, 2010)

5301 Research for Teachers Week 2

This year my school district has instituted a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program into the secondary schools. I plan to research how this program is being integrated into the curriculum. 

I’m unsure about what guidelines the secondary teachers have been given about ways the BYOD program can be used. I plan to survey teachers, administrators, technology facilitators, and students on how BYOD is being used in the classrooms.Once I gather the data, I will create a resource, possibly a wiki, that includes activities that are being used in my school. This will be beneficial to all teachers as they embark on this new technological journey, and will help evaluate if the program is effective and ways to improve it, if necessary. 

Ways in which educational leaders can use blogs:

The traditional way for researchers to log their thinking and discovery was through journaling.  Weblogs are taking the place of journaling as a tool for reflecting on their data analysis. An advantage of blogging over journaling is that the blogger can “combine text, images, and links to other blogs, as well as post comments in an interactive format.” (Fichman, 2009, p 87).  

Fichman, Nancy Dana (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Action Research:

I’ve learned that action research can be a powerful tool for teachers and administrators. When I think of research, I think of a very formal and complex progress. I like the fact that action research is an informal way to reflect on your current teaching methods and analyze what is working and what can be improved. I am impressed at all the ways that action research is being used in educational settings. It wasn’t surprising that it is being used in university coursework. I did find it interesting that action research is becoming increasingly popular in school districts.  Dedicating time for this during principal meetings makes perfect sense.  With their hectic, everyday, schedules it is crucial that time be set aside for this reflection and improvement process. In addition to the action research project for this class, I could see my department meetings having time dedicated to the process of reviewing current processes and methods and analyzing what is working and what changes could be made.  This would ensure that everyone was up-to-date on the curriculum and that all members of the team were implementing it consistently.  It will be an adjustment finding the time for this practice, but will be very beneficial for the team.

5306 Concepts of Educational Technology Course Reflections

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 expected to increase my awareness of technology concepts and ways to incorporate them into the learning environment. In addition to learning how to create a wiki, a blog, an Animoto, RSS feeds, and a Wordle I learned about my state/district technology plan, the E-Rate system, and cyber safety.  Not only did we create a wiki and a blog we continually practiced the application of those skills by posting our assignments online and commenting on co-hort members’ sites. I now feel much more confident about the design and implementation of blogs and wikis that I plan to build a classroom blog to communicate with my student’s parents. The actual outcomes surpassed my expectations of the course. I envisioned learning about technology that could be used in the classroom, but the application portion of the course was a hug benefit.

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?

The outcomes achieved are relevant to my current position.  As stated before, I am very excited about my newly acquired knowledge of blogs so that I can create a classroom blog to increase communication with parents.  Learning how to create RSS feeds will also be very valuable in helping me to stay abreast in current news regarding education and technology. I’m still trying to find ways to incorporate blogs/wikis into my classroom. I think incorporating these web tools into my middle school classes will be easier than in my elementary classes. At my middle school campus a BYOD program has been implemented and Google Docs is regularly used. I could ask my students to post reflections each week of a reading concept or spelling rule that has been introduced each week.  I could also use Wordle for vocabulary development or spelling patterns with both my middle school and elementary students.

3.     What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

I feel like I’m somewhat at a disadvantage from most other members of the class.  Begin a dyslexia therapist in a public school setting, I don’t have the same opportunities as the general education teachers have to implement technology. In going through this program I hope to find ways to use technology with my students, yet still keep the integrity of the program. I have to find ways to enhance my therapy sessions without taking away from the curriculum. I don’t have the freedom to incorporate new things into the program at will. It would have to be approved by the curriculum authors. My program is forty-five minutes per day and is very multisensory. We use manipulatives to represent sounds in words.  I envision being able to use an iPad to take the place of this lesson component. Instead of the student physically picking up the manipulatives and placing it where they hear the sound, they could touch the screen and move the picture. I know it is possible, I just don’t have the knowledge to make it happen, yet. I hope to learn how to do this as well as other ways to make this program even better by incorporating technology.

4.     Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?

I was successful in carrying out the course assignments, although at times I wasn’t so sure I would be able to complete all the assignments. The first week was definitely the most challenging, with trying to figure out how to access the course software and maneuver throughout it. Once I figured that out, it was much easier.  Getting access to Cohort 23’s blog was somewhat of a challenge.  Now that I do have access, I’m trying to let the other members of my cohort know to give me permission to comment on their blogs/wikis.  Since I was unable to edit the cohort blog and add my contact information, I’m now trying to catch up in that area. It’s also difficult to make sure everyone has been given permission to access my sites since everyone still hasn’t added their contact information to the cohort page. The time factor is the biggest issue. Trying to find time to complete everything while working and attending to family responsibilities is the biggest challenge, but it is getting easier. Maybe by the end of the 18 months, I’ll have it figured out.

5.     What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?

First, I’ve learned that I’ve been out of school way too long and it’s going to take me a while to get back into the swing of things. I learned during week 1 that my top three intelligences were interpersonal, music, and visual/spatial. I enjoyed doing this activity and finding out my learning styles.  It encouraged me to do an inventory with my students and they really enjoyed learning about themselves as well. I’ve been in leadership positions before and it’s really not a position I enjoy.  I have a hard time with public speaking and presenting and giving constructive criticism. I don’t plan to use this degree to get into a leadership role. My goal is to learn more about technology, so that I can incorporate it into my classroom. As far as my knowledge of technology, I know that I am way behind in the times. It’s like anything else, if you don’t use it, you lose it. 

Web Conference Week 2 Reflection

I was at first very apprehensive about attending the web conference.  I felt much better after reviewing the video on u-tube that explained the format of the conference.  I was able to connect very easily.  Although, I was surprised when I signed on at 7:45 and there were already a lot of people conferencing. It appeared that everyone was just introducing themselves, so I hope I didn’t miss anything. There was some confusion about not turning your mic on until it was your turn to speak.  There were several times when multiple mics were open and there was some unwanted feedback. I really like that you have the option of using your mic to talk, or typing in your question/response. This accommodates those who don’t mind asking questions aloud, as well as those (like myself) who aren’t comfortable asking questions. I got clarification on several things that I wasn’t sure about.  Now that I know how the conferences are conducted I will be more likely to participate in future ones.

E-Rate and Technology Plan

E rate and tech plan

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Week 2 Assignment, Part 3: The National Technology Plan

The National Technology Plan 2010 (NETP) urges a transformation of American education.  This plan outlines goals for achieving this transformation. The Obama administration desires to see 60 percent of our population holding a two or four-year degree plan by 2020.  The NETP strives to close this achievement gap by preparing our high school graduates to succeed in college and their chosen profession. With technology embedded into every aspect of our lives, the plan stresses that our educational system must provide engaging and powerful learning experiences. The NETP identifies five areas to address this technology powered learning model: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity.

Learning: This area revolves around providing an engaging and empowering learning experience for all learners. The learning experiences should mirror students’ daily lives and prepare them for their futures and must have technology woven into all content areas. To accomplish this goal, states must continue to revise and implement standards to include emerging technology.

Assessment: Educator’s must be able to assess student performance. Technology-based assessments can give important data about each student to help make improvements in our education system. To accomplish this educators and leaders must have the tools and training to be able to assess the data accurately.  

Teaching: We should be moving towards a model of connected teaching. Teachers have access to data and resources to help improve their instruction and also build online learning communities which give them access to fellow educators and professional experts. This model also replaces ineffective professional development with collaborative, continuous courses and workshops.

Infrastructure: Educators and students need access to resources when and where they need them. An infrastructure includes people, processes, learning resources, policies, and sustainable models in addition to effective hardware and software. A school infrastructure is driven by emerging technology and should provide for learning both in and out of school.

Productivity: Our educational system must be redesigned. Some schools have restructured their learning days by organizing around competence rather than seat time. If we are to see every student graduate high school with a diploma, we have to be more productive in our classrooms, and organize them to meet the needs of all students. 


Department of Education. National Education Technology Plan. [Online] Available http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010-execsumm.pdf, September 1, 2011

Week 2 Assignment, Part 3: School or District Technology Plan

Each campus will have a Technology Integration Facilitator, who must be a certified teacher, which is responsible for conducting on-going technology staff development. A variety of staff development opportunities will be available.  These include: campus specific workshops, summer technology integration classes, job-embedded training, online training modules, and video streaming seminars.

All campuses will meet a district-wide minimum standard for technology hardware and software. Technology inventory listings will be updated each year. To meet district standards, equipment will be provided to all campuses. Nortel system 11 switches will be installed on all new campuses, current Cisco switches for LANs will be provided, and Xirrus and Cisco wireless access points are provided as required by district standards. Each campus will be provided a high level voice and data services as well as a high bandwidth capability.

All available revenue sources will be utilized to fund the technology program. Funding will come from a combination of state technology allotment, M&O and bond funds. Alternative funding sources such as grants and federal programs will be secured.

Emerging technologies will be continuously researched for possible use within the district. To accomplish this, technology staff will attend state and national conferences, and discuss successes and best practices with another district. Technologies that allow the district to meet the 1 to 1 ration for students will remain a primary focus. A yearly technology plan that will meet the guidelines for E-Rate, No child Left Behind and the state long range technology plan will be adjusted and submitted, and the district’s business continuation plan will be reviewed and adjusted on a yearly basis. 


Frisco Independent School District Technology Department. District Technology Plan. [Online] Available http://www.friscoisd.org/ly/departments/technology/documents/2010-2012GOALSBreakout.pdf, September 2, 2011.

Week 2 Assignment, Part 3: Technology Assessments

Assessing educators’ technology leadership knowledge and skills is necessary to ensure technology is being effectively integrated into the classroom.  Most recent graduates are more knowledgeable about the current trends in technology. However, there are still many educators who are not comfortable using any type of technology.  Unfortunately, if these individuals weren’t “forced” to make changes to their instruction, they would continue to do things the way they’ve always done them.

Many of today’s students are much more computer literate than some of their teachers. Therefore, identifying the knowledge level of students is important. Their skills should determine how and what type of technology is incorporated. Just as we have been differentiating traditional instruction, the different skill levels require technology instruction to be differentiated as well. Educators should be compelled to improve their skills, so they can meet the needs of their students.

With all of that being said, I think there are certain educators who should not be penalized for their lack of technology integration. For instance, Physical Education teachers are very limited in how they can incorporate technology into the classroom.  It would be great if say, the Wii, could be used as an instructional tool.  However, a very limited number of students can participate, and thus not all students would be active. The cost would also be a factor. As a dyslexia therapist in the public school setting, I am prohibited from using technology. In order to uphold the integrity of the dyslexia curriculum I must follow the curriculum as it’s written (which does not include TEKS). Luckily, I haven’t had an administrator who gave me a low PDAS rating for the lack of technology used. Several of my co-workers haven’t been as lucky. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t like to include technology.  There are ways I think technology could be used, but I’m not sure how to go about doing it.  Through this program, I’m hoping to be able to learn the skills I need to help make a change.