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Ana-Lauren McKeen
Reflecting on the Development of My Educational Technological Literacy
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Contents:
1. Technology Operations and Concepts
2. Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences
3. Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum
4. Assessment and Evaluation
5. Productivity and Professional Practice
6. Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues
7. Final Reflection |
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TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS.
Teachers demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts. Teachers:
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A. demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills,
and understanding of concepts related to technology (as described in
the ISTE National Education Technology Standards for Students)
B. demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies.
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My Narrative:
Throughout the term I have acquired many new
technology skills and worked to improve them. I started this term
pretty technologically illiterate. I knew how to use word processing
software, powerpoint software and use a web browser and that was pretty
much it. Also, I was PC literate only and have since become very
comfortable using a Mac as well. I now feel confident and comfortable
not only using many more programs and technology resources, but also
feel much more confident about exploring and learning any new
technology that comes my way. It is this latter skill that I think will
serve me best, as in the future it is most likely that virtually every
technological program I have used will become obsolete, but the skill
to learn and explore a new technology will help me to further my
learning and growth throughout my lifetime.
I feel particularly proud of my work at learning website development technology, specifically the program Nvu.
This has been a process which was rough at times, but in the end I not
only acquired the skills I needed, but enjoyed the process and felt
proud of my products as well. I am proud that I have been able to put
together a professional looking website (see Exhibit 2) that I can
update with new information as my teaching career continues. I am also
glad that I learned to use this program, as posting pedagogically
powerful information to the web will help me to contribute to the
professional community of educators by sharing my research, practices,
and knowledge. I also feel that my website showcases my growth in this
field. When you look at my inital pages vs. my most recent pages (see
Bringing Oral History into the Classroom pages) you can see how my
organization and design has improved over the course of the term.
I have also included a link to a brochure that I
produced with some of my colleagues for a Learning Communities class.
It was used in conjunction with aa presentation on the book Love & Logic
by Jim Fay and David Funk. This book describes classroom managment
strategies that are a part of the Love & Logic method. The
brochure contains the main points in the Love & Logic method, as
well as resources and reflections from the group. I did not know how to
create a brochure before starting this program. I feel that this
demonstrates growth in another area of technology.
Finally I have included a link in Exhibit 3 to a
professional conference I attended this year that focused on technology
and learning. This, the OTEN conference, was a wonderful experience as
it allowed me to engage in discussions with practicing professionals
about how they use technology in the classroom and also let me learn
the basics of some of the programs that they use. I include this link
for two reasons. First, at this conference I experimented with new
technologies including Comic Life. Secondly, I use it to demonstrate my
eagerness to continue to attend professional conferences and seek out
other resources for continuing my development in the area of technology.
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Exhibit 1: Love & Logic Brochure
Exhibit 2: Website
Exhibit 3: Attended Professional Conference
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II. PLANNING AND DESIGNING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES.
Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology. Teachers:
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A. design developmentally appropriate learning
opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies
to support the diverse needs of learners.
B. apply current research on teaching and learning with technology when planning learning environments and experiences.
C. identify and locate technology resources and evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.
D. plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.
E. plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment.
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My Narrative:
This is an area I feel I have
really grown in throughout the term. What has been particularly
powerful for me has been the discovery that I can easily integrate
technology into the subjects, lessons and units I am already teaching,
instead of creating new lesson just for their use of technology. I now
feel confident that I can utilize technology in the classroom in some
ways, even as a first year teacher. I have also been sure to take
the time to get to know the technology staff at my placement and the
resources.
I have spent time learning
about the current research surrounding the use of technology in
education, including attending a professional conference, researching the use fo digital storytelling in the classroom as part of a large research project on oral traditions,
and subscribing to and reading the professional magazine . This has
been powerful as it has exposed me to new ideas and practices about
technology in the classroom.
In Exhibit 1 I have provided a link to a webquest I
created for a 4th grade classroom about the city of Portland, Oregon.
In creating this webquest, I had to visit a variety of websites and
evaluate them for accuracy, relevancy and appropriateness in the
context of an elementary classroom. While I use a template for the
basic design of the webquest, I located and researched all the links
and pictures contained in it, as well as designing the lesson plan. I
feel that a webquest is an excellent demonstration of a way in which to
incorporate technology into the classroom in the context of learning
activities. On the teacher page of the webquest I have also provided
appropriate directions and tips to manage students learning and
activities while using the webquest.
In Exhibit 2 I have provided a link to the OTEN
grant application I submitted this year. I wrote the grant with
the purpose of attaining funds to buy a digital videocamera and tripod
to use in my classroom to create what I have termed Learning
Documentaries. These will consist of students using the camera to
record their progress, experiences and learning throughout the course
of a unit in order to document the growth that they experience, the
difficulties they have and to engage them in thought about themselves
as learners.
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Exhibit 1: Webquest
Exhibit 2: OTEN Technology Grant Application
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III. TEACHING, LEARNING, AND THE CURRICULUM.
Teachers implement curriculum plans, that include
methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student
learning. Teachers:
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A. facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content standards and student technology standards.
B. use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the diverse needs of students.
C. apply technology to develop students' higher order skills and creativity.
D. manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced environment.
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My Narrative:
Learning how to implement technology in the
classroom is one thing, being able to use it in pedagogically powerful
ways to address the needs of a diverse student population is another.
Throughout this term I have been learning how to do both. I have
learned to use programs such as Inspiration and Kidspiration
which can be used to help students meet content standards by allowing
them to organize information and construct meaning out of the knowledge
they are recieving.
I have also again linked my webquest as an example
of a way to create a learner centered strategy as students can direct
the course of their investigation of the city of Portland. It is also a
good lesson for a diverse group of students as it can easily be
modified to fit the needs of certain students. Finally, the creative
element of this lesson - the designing and producing of a brochure and
presentation - will challenge students to reach higher levels of
Bloom's taxonomy as they take their acquired knowledge and use it to
create a new product.
I have also listed as an Exhibit the skills I have
acquired using iMovie and iDVD. I have not been able to provide a link
to the iMovies I have created as all of the contain images of students
which I cannot ethically link to the web. However, I can describe them
here. The first iMovie I created was for a class presentation about the
classroom management method of Love & Logic that I did with a
group. In this video, we interviewed two practicing classroom teachers
who have been trained in and use the Love & Logic method. The
second iMovie I created on my own was for Project TEAM, which was to
create an expressive arts lesson and film yourself teaching it to a
class. The purpose was to then watch the vid, add commentary and
reflections, and edit it down to the essential 10 minutes. Wht I
learned from these specific projects will be discussed later in this
portfolio in more appropriate sections, here I would like to showcase
the skills that I acquired while working on these projects and the
applicability of these skills to enhancing students learning. iMovie
and iDVD can be powerful tools for students to use in the classroom.
They can create their own iMovies about content area, which will engage
them in the learning and support the constructivist view of learning
and education that I hold. Now that I have acquired the necessary
skills to use these programs, I can teach them to my students and make
these resources available for their use.
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Exhibit 1: Webquest
Exhibit 2: iMovie & iDVD skills/ Love & Logic Video, Project TEAM
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IV. ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION.
Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies. Teachers:
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A. apply technology in assessing student learning of subject matter using a variety of assessment techniques.
B. use technology resources to collect and analyze data, interpret
results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice and
maximize student learning.
C. apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine students'
appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication,
and productivity.
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My Narrative:
One thing I have been focusing on a lot this term
is the concept of authentic assessment for students. Technology
can provide an excellent way to assess students in a vairety of
contexts, many of which I have been learning about and attempting to
incorporate into my lessons and teaching strategies. I have provided a
link again to my OTEN Grant Application because my focus in this is to
use technology, specifically digital video of student reflection, as a
means of assessing learning and growth throughout and at the end of a
specific unit of study. Students will have the option to create a
Learning Documentary in which they will share their growth in both the
subject area and overall as learners, and reflect upon this growth. In
this way they will really have the opportunity to assess themselves,
something that can prove more powerful in many cases than any
assessment I could give them. I will also be assessing the iMovies they
create to evaluate their use fo the technological medium and if it
effectively improved or fostered better communication skills,
productivity and thought.
I have also listed my Project TEAM video as an
Exhibit (again I cannot provide a link to this as it contains video fo
students) because it demonstartes my use of technology to find ways to
improve my own instructional practice. By filming myself teaching I had
the opportunity to watch myself and evaluate how the lesson went from a
different perspective. I also had the opportunity to watch this video
with my mentor teacher and so get her feedback on the lesson as we were
watching. It was powerful for me as I was able to more clearly identify
points for improvemnet, things that went well, and also review the
difficulties I had and see what led up to them and how my response
affected the lesson trajectory. By analyzing the video I feel I
have become more aware of my own teeaching strengths and weakness and
so can work toward improving upon my weakness in the attempt to provide
my students with the best I have to give. I plan to record myself
teaching again in several months if possible so that I can determine if
I have grown in any areas and re-examine any areas that may need
improvment still. I think that this would be a good practice to
continue at intervals throughout my teaching carrer to contiunally
reflect and grow as an educator.
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Exhibit 1: Project TEAM
Exhibit 2: OTEN Technology Grant Application
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V. PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE.
Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice. Teachers:
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A. use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.
B. continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make
informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of
student learning.
C. apply technology to increase productivity.
D. use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents,
and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.
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My Narrative:
It is important that as educators we continue to
grow and learn ourselves through professional development. This is
especially true in the field of technology as it is a constantly and
rapidly changing field. In order to continue in my goal of lifelong
learning in this area, I plan to continue to attend professional
conferences, thus Exhibit 4 which provides a link to the conference I
attended this fall about professional development in the field of
technology. I also plan to continue to engage in discussions with my
colleagues and peers to learn about their ideas and practices and to
enhance and take advantage of the professional community in which I
will be working.
I have also provided a link to my website as I will
use this as a base to continue building my technological toolbox and to
utilize technology to increase my productivity in the classroom and as
a lifelong learner. Also, it will provide a way to communicate with my
peers, the parents of children in the classroom and the larger
community of educators and the world. As I post different things to my
site, such as a classroom news page for parents to learn about what is
taking place in the classroom, I will be sharing what I have learned
with others. I have also provided a link to the brochure created
for the classroom mangament method Love & Logic because this was
one form of sharing research and findings with a group of cohorts, by
supplying classmates with the information that my group had gathered.
Finally, I have provided as Exhibit 2 my Love &
Logic video. This was a huge learning experience for me, because I got
to hear first hand from practicing teachers advice and tips for
classroom managment which was a wonderful commuication to establish.
Also, editing the content of the video challenged me to become
comfortable with and explore further movie making software and to then
create a product that I could share with other professionals to inform
their practices and establish communication as well. It was also a good
experience to learn how to collaborate with my peers on a project to
create a final product that we can be proud of and to grow as educators.
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Exhibit 1: Website
Exhibit 2: Love & Logic Video
Exhibit 3: Love & Logic Brochure
Exhibit 4: OTEN Technology Conference
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VI. SOCIAL, ETHICAL, LEGAL, AND HUMAN ISSUES.
Teachers understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues
surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those
principles in practice. Teachers:
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A. model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use.
B. apply technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities.
C. identify and use technology resources that affirm diversity
D. promote safe and healthy use of technology resources.
E. facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students.
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My Narrative:
When using technology in the classroom it is
important that we use ethical practices and also that we teach our
students to use ehtical practices. In this course I have learned much
more about the ethical and legal issues surrounding technological use.
I have learned the proper channels to take when getting permission to
use others webdesigns, images and otehr technological property. I
have also learned about some ethical and legal issues surrounding the
use of videos and pictures from my classroom. I have learned about the
specific rules and regulations set up by the district I am working in
at the moment, and in the process learned who to speak to and what to
look for in any other school or district I many work in.
I have provided a link to some research I have done
on bringing oral history into the classroom because some of this
research examines digital storytelling as a method of bringing oral
traditions into the classroom and how to have your students create
their own oral histories. Both of the issues are entrenched in human
issues and ethics questions, about how to record and preserve oral
histories as well as how to create and share them. Using oral histories
in the classroom is somthing I hope to do with my students.
I have also provided a link to my OTEN Grant
Application because the lesson for which I wrote the grant was created
with the intention to be able to use and modify it to empower learners
with diverse backgrounds, abilities and needs. This will supply
technology for my classroom which I can then make accessible to all
students in the classroom. This will be particularly powerful if I work
in a school with few resources where students would otherwise be
unlikely to have access to or experience with a videocamera.
Both of these things will fit into my personal
standards for maintaining high ethical morality and supplying
technology equitably to a wide range of students. This may be one of
the most powerful things of all I have taken from this course, and
I hope I can use this knowledge to affect students lives for the better.
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Exhibit 1: Digital Storytelling/ Oral Tradition Research
Exhibit 2: OTEN Technology Grant Application
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Final Reflections
As a final reflection I just want to
reiterate that I feel I have really grown over the course of this term.
One way that this has been apparent to me is that in the last month or
so of the term I found myself able to help my classmates learn
technologies I had become competent in and troubleshoot problems they
were having. It felt good to know that I had acquired enough knowledge
to help others instead of only always being the one to ask for help.
Also, helping others to learn software programs and how to use various
technologies will be a part fo what I do as a teacher.
I am really pleased with my progress
this term, but also excited to continue to learn and grow in this
field. This is something that surprised me. When we first started the
class and were creating websites I felt so lost and frusturated and now
I can easily spend hours happily tweaking and playing with webpage
design and content. The fact that I have learned to enjoy the process
means more to me than the product as this is what will encourage me to
take the time to use technology in the classroom and continue my
professional development in this area.
I also am pleased that I feel more confident
implementing technology in the classroom as a supplement and
enhancement to my teaching and lessons. Technology can help to create
powerful learning expereinces and I look forward to sharing this with
my students.
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