EDLD 5352 Week 5

 Week 5.1:  Post your ONE web conference reflection of the web conference sessions you attended to your  blog link or your Google Site and submit to your IA in course ware.

While reflecting over the web conference sessions, I realize that each year in education sees a tremendous amount of advancement and curiosity when it comes to technological advancements and applications. The use of tools such as Google Docs, Live Binders, and the Flipped Classrooms all stem from a need to further reach varied learning styles through differentiation. Immediacy and 24/7 access is an integral tool of collaborative learners which allows for individual pacing and reflective awareness of educational learning. I would say that the conferences allowed for discussion of the usefulness and necessity for why a collaborative catalog of this type of teacher tool kit would necessitate a variety of approaches. Technology and Fair Use policies per school district, Technology Budget Items, Connectivity to real-world application and usability is all very helpful in the areas of adult and student learning. Making sure that accountability partners are engaged is a helpful way to keep certain learners on task-- who may stray or get left behind if they are left to their own individual organization and time-management efficiency or lack thereof. Relevancy of tool connectivity to promote the “Why” of using the technology application prevents resistance with some new users. If you can change their thinking of why it is important, you will be able to change their behavior. These technology tools aren’t meant to replace teachers, but to better enhance delivery, engagement, productivity, and student success at faster rates. How the “curator” uses the tools will be greatly dependent on how well a school program of technology curriculum is implemented. My classmates had enthusiasm in trying to offer ideas and advice in how they have seen technology working in and around their schools. When some learners are more advanced with technology, it is very important for those who aren’t as comfortable to be supported.

 Week 5.2: Write brief Reflections and Status Report of your technology skills and knowledge gained in this course, your progress with your Campus-Supervised Internship Activities, and your progress with your Action Research Project. Submit to your Google Site, Wikispaces, or Blog and to your IA in your course ware.

Technology Skills Status Report: I would say that I am definitely emergent and moving in the correct direction! It is something I don’t naturally gravitate towards, but I feel that by working with those who are stronger with a particular skill set, i.e., technology, I better my understanding and confidence in leading others to explore and challenge themselves and their students with new applications that may allow for best practices and products that they hadn’t dreamed of before. The foray into Live Binders, Flipped Classrooms, and various Google doc applications make for more informative decisions when trying to teach a large number of varied learners. Blackboard learning through this course has also allowed me to be several steps ahead of our campus transition to the one-to-one technology initiative at the onset of this coming school year and for that, I am grateful.

Campus-Supervised Internship Activities: I find myself just finishing up documentation and needing only a few small bits of closure with the activities at large. It has greatly added to my confidence, respect, and gratefulness for those who work in various positions in public education administration. Until you are in the midst of investigation, you may not have seen the need for why particular events or departments are run the way they are. My patience in working with others from various departments has increased. I realize that not everyone is working with the same information all of the time and at the same pace. An entire school year does allow for a variety of experiences especially when the campus building project allows for our campus to move in the middle of the school year, so the aspects of building facilities and budgets were seen maybe more frequently than if my campus hadn’t been moving.

Action Research Project: Knowing that I am nearing the finish line with my Masters Program has me trying to finish up details and information gathering before my final product is due. I have found that we in education are constantly researching, whether it be formally or informally. With our quick paced society and need for immediate information and communication, it can sometimes be overwhelming. Action Research is a forward thinking way of having multiple conversations and brain trusts going on at the same time. Oftentimes, these researching individuals or teams may cross pollinate and offer data that the others find helpful. Most of those educators that I have worked with are more than eager to assist with any information they may have regarding enlightenment in particular areas. Differentiation in leadership styles does allow for a variety of successes in public education.