EDLD5306+Course+Reflection

The first course that I took in the master's program was EDLD5306 Concepts of Educational Technology. I was very excited and anxious to begin my new journey toward pursing a higher education degree. My first task was to complete the Technology Applications Survey which would demonstrate my level of proficiency using technology skills in each of the four domains. I was pretty pleased with my results and level of technological skills. Before this course, I was not fully aware of the Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 and how it related to the TEKS. After reading and summarizing the key ideas of the Long Range Plan for Technology, I became knowledgeable of how the plan aligns with the four TEKS domains. //“The goal in teaching and learning must be to empower young citizens to live and learn continuously changing 21st Century environment and to enable this citizenry to effectively interact in a global marketplace.”// (Texas Long-Range Plan, Nov. 2006.)

The following week I was able to learn about the STaR Chart. When I began the master's program I had been teaching for two years. I recalled having to complete the STaR Chart but I wasn't sure the reasoning behind taking the survey annually and what it was used for. Before this class, I had no idea that the STaR Chart was designed to help campuses determine their progress toward meeting both Long-Range Plan and district goals. After reviewing my campus results I was enlightened with what I discovered. I agreed that the campus weakness was Educator Preparation and Development. This is where I discovered the term that teachers are "digital immigrants" and students are considered to be "digital natives." Alot of the teachers on my campus are veterans and have on average 13+ years experience. Many teachers are not accustomed to using technology in an instructional setting. Changing teacher's perceptions will be a challenge for me as I push toward using technology to enhance a 21st century learning environment.

In the technology world we refer to these teachers as "Digital Natives." Even though the old methodologies may have worked for our learning and in the past, educators must adapt our teaching to reach the generation that is before us today. Students are no longer engaged by writing on the whiteboards/chalkboards, and overheads. "//Our students today are all "native speakers" of the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet."// (Prensky, 2001). With this information that I'd gained from the STaR Chart, I created a powerpoint presentation for my campus that showed the results from a 3 year comparison of where we stood against statewide data. I feel that understanding the data is a positive step in the right direction of making positive change.

Toward the end of the course I was able to use Web 2.0 tools to collaborate and share the ideas I've learned during my first course with my colleagues. It was fun creating a blog which I called Teaching and Learning_21st century learners because that is one of the reasons I chose the Lamar Educational Technology Leadership Program to obtain my master's degree. My first entry involved writing my viewpoint on Preparing 21st century learners for the future. Learning how to set up an online learning community of learners was very beneficial information for me to learn as a educator. //"With Web 2.0, the focus is not on software, but on practices such as sharing thoughts and information through self-publishing and harnessing the collective intelligence of all users to generate information and solve problems"// (Mills, 2007). Everyday teachers get bogged down with reading emails, memos, as well as attending meetings and Web 2.0 helps to keep all of the documentation in one place for future viewing and collaboration. With five other ladies at my campus I was able to start a Technology Professional Learning community to brainstorm ideas of what teachers were doing or would like to know about technology. //"Of importance to educational leaders is that the pace of Web 2.0 technologies can almost ensure another process or tool will be gaining notoriety and presence among our students as quickly as we gain an awareness and understanding of these established tools"// (Mills, 2007). In conclusion, Web 2.0 tools allow for real time, anywhere, simultaneous communication 24/7.