Week 5 Reflections

· What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?

To be honest, I thought the content of this course would be about the development of instruction across the board. I though maybe we would study different content areas specific to our grade level and then either develop staff development plans that would help improve our school’s TAKS scores or AEIS. I was not aware that the content of this course would be so heavily weighted on technology. The outcome I came away with was something that I already knew: technology should be a prevalent part in the development of instruction for students in today’s 21st Century.

· 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 content of this course as it relates to the work I do in my school is very relevant. As my campus’s technology instructor, I am exposed to technology on a daily basis. I am responsible for training the teachers on my campus in regards to their use. If they don’t know how to use a piece of equipment, it becomes my responsibility to show them how to use it. I realized, through this course, that there are many avenues not yet addressed in regards to my campus. Blogs, pod casting, and even online discussion boards, while seemingly unrealistic for elementary aged students, can be beneficial to all students learning and success.

· What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

An outcome I did not achieve was in regards to instructional development across the board. As I state earlier, the entire content of this course focused on technology. Instructional development goes across the board from English to science; from math to physical education. There was just so much other content that could have helped me understand and better facilitate my future staff as they develop their lessons for their students. Also, technology is not something that can be forced on people; they have to be open and willing to try it. Yes, our students need technology to aid them in their learning; but forcing teachers to use it without the necessary support is a losing battle.

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

These assignments had to be some of the most difficult that I have experienced in my Lamar classes. One of the main reasons for this difficulty is that the directions and pre-text leading up to the directions were so vague. The instructions specifically for Week 4, Part 3 were not even I the form of a directive. The instructions were in the form of statement. It is difficult to infer what the professors were wanting based on a set of 3-4 statements. Because of this, there was such a wide variety of responses possible, I feel that it took away the credibility of the assignment. We were asked to post our action plan on the discussion board. We were also required to respond to two separate posts by other students. In looking at other student’s work, it was clear that we all approached Part 3 from different perspectives. That is good….if one is “looking” for an answer instead of “knowing” what the answer should look like; however, it made it impossible for me to even read some of the posts because our perspectives on the assignment were so totally different. How do you critique another’s work when you don’t even know if what you’ve done is correct? It would just lead to conflict among a group of frustrated individuals.

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

This course did succeed in opening my eyes to new possibilities in regards to technology use. Pod casting, blogging, and even online discussions seem to be things in which high school students would thrive. Because of this, I do see the benefit. On the flip side of that, I do see district technology departments putting their foot in the ground to halt this type of learning. There are too many dangers and pitfalls involved in opening up these types of educational venues. There has to be great control on the part of the administrator, and I just don’t know that districts will expend the time and efforts needed to ensure these things.

· What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?

Blogging, in my opinion, has a negative connotation. This is mainly because I have friends who blog, and it just looks like a bunch of people who are writing their diary for the whole world to see. This class has shown me that it can be used for an educational venue instead of a personal one. Again, students like this type of activity, so I do see students, those who might not necessarily join in a classroom discussion, join a blog to express their opinion on a teacher guided topic. I do see a reliance on this type of communication becoming prevalent in the near future, so educators had better get on the wagon before it passes them by.

· What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?

An obvious concern of blogging is the content that may be posted. In an educational setting, there must be guidelines and filters in place to catch inappropriate vocabulary and content. I see this as one of the main reasons school districts shy away from allowing students to blog. Another issue is the “hosting” aspect. If the blog is directly related to a school campus, and if a student posts inappropriate content, who is the responsible one. There would have to be a person in charge of reading each and every blog to make sure it follows the district’s acceptable use policy. Without that monitoring, anything and everything will be said. Identity of authors must also be known. Schools cannot have anonymous posters to their blog.

· How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?

Blogging is a good way to keep stakeholders involved. Maybe not blogging, specifically, but online forums such as Twitter or Facebook are avenues in which many parents and students have immediate access to information. This can aid in getting quick messages out to them in emergency situations. Many people today carry telephones or other electronical equipment that allows them to access information and news with the click of a button. School districts could use this to their advantage in communicating with students and stakeholders.