Teaching+With+Technology+Start

=Interesting video from Edutopia= =//Schools Use Games for Learning and Assessment (below)//= http://www.edutopia.org/computer-simulations-virtual-learning-video#

media type="custom" key="5081835"

Five Cards Technology Team Video Presentation (below) media type="youtube" key="b1Ko2PwWXT8" height="344" width="425" WEEK 5 ** 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 stated in my opening remarks in the first week’s discussion that I considered this course to be the flagship course of this program. I now believe that it definitely is and I was not disappointed in the outcome. I was very excited about being able to contribute in a team environment and especially being the only member of my team that is not currently teaching. At first, I felt like I was sticking my neck out a little because I asked my team members if they would be willing to trust me as the team captain. They all agreed and I did my very best to not let them down. Every team member had common strengths as well as some individual strength. It was very interesting to watch team members prepare and complete their UDL book. Some members really focused on the content, some blended the content with technology and I concentrated more on the applications of technology in searching for the content. I believe with the right technology tools, applications, and knowledge of how to use them a student or teacher can find the information they are looking for on just about any specific category of content. I am very thankful that the Texas Education Agency understands that our students need to have and be able to use these technology tools.

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 are very relevant. Working in teams is always relevant. Improving technology skills such as updating our web page or our shared document greatly improved our skill set

in these areas. Working with a team in trying to decide where to place certain documents, graphics or images forced us to improve our graphical organizing abilities. In my daily routine,

I must constantly be working on keeping my data and information organized with easy access. Time management is critical and technology and knowing how to use it properly saves

time and reduces stress. Technology is definitely a tool that can allow one to work smarter not harder. I work with people and I am a “people-person.” Just as I was anxious to gain

some firsthand insight as to what it will be like when I reach the classroom I believe I provided some insight on some technology applications that can be adapted for classroom use that

several of my team members were not familiar with. We each learned something from the other team members. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge of screen capture software for making

instructional videos. We used this as an example of how we could use technology to help provide professional development. It is easy to say that as an instructional technologist, you

will meet with a teacher to provide training in these needed areas but time has always been and will continue to be the enemy. With this one tool, screen capture software such as Cam

Studio any teacher can easily create an instructional how to video on a software application or lesson plan that can be sent to others to view and learn at their convenience.

3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? I wanted to try some of the WEB 2.0 tools out as a team. A particular activity that I had an interest in is called “voice thread.” This is a site where teachers and students can collaborate by video and audio as well as text. Maybe it was because our team was a full team of five members but it was hard to get everyone online at the same time. We made it happen a couple of times but it was only in a simple text chat environment, which was similar to Instant Messenger. I was hoping we could use our microphones and web cameras in more of a Skype type communication at least once. I was finally able to log in to one of the live chat video events with Dr. Mason and enjoyed that very much. Most of my team members said they did not have the equipment to participate in that type of meeting. Maybe if it were required to purchase a web cam and a headset more team members would participate. It might help if the program gave specific recommendations for the purchase of a web cam and head sets. The HP web cam I bought from Walmart was about $40, had a built in microphone and was easy to set up and install. The headset with microphone was about $25. I do not see much difference in requiring a textbook to be purchased for a course versus some inexpensive technology equipment. After all, we are supposed to be teaching with technology.

4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? I was successful in completing the assignments. A couple of times I was discouraged because I would make my initial postings on the discussion board but it would be two days or more before most of the group began showing up. I would like to get the discussion postings completed earlier in the week so I can concentrate on the assignments. I was very thankful for the two days grace period for some of the assignments. When it comes to technology, I try to make things perfect and especially graphics. The Google site does not offer some of the finer adjustments like a conventional web site does. I would spend too much time trying to make the page graphics line up perfectly. It might have helped if we would have had the web page course before this one but that forced me to brush up on some of my html skills that I had not used in a while.

5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? I gained a lot of confidence that when I do begin looking for a teaching position next year that I will be able to handle the load and do it efficiently. Several of my team members I had worked with before complimented my technology and leadership abilities. I believe I will become a good teacher and especially one that will adapt, adopt and apply the applications of technology. I hope that I will always have an excellent attitude about teaching and using technology to create student centered learning. I also hope I will be able to find a school and a principal that truly wants to hire a teacher or instructional technologist and support that position and effort that it requires. Whether that will be in a specific, content area or instructional technology leader is yet to be known but I believe I will have a good attitude regardless of my position and promote the educational principals and techniques that I have learned about in this program.