Week 5: Course Reflection

When I began the course I was unsure what to expect but the title “The Technology Link” made me think that I would be learning ways to connect technology and learning in the classroom. I was looking forward to finding new and better ways of integrating technology. I must admit I was not thinking about applying this use as an administrative leader. As this is only my second class I am still becoming adjusted to thinking as an administrative leader instead of a classroom teacher. This class helped me to move forward in that area. As I took the self-evaluation at the beginning of the class I knew that I had a lot to learn about administrating technology in the school. I hoped that the course would help me to become better informed and better prepared to lead others in technology integration. I believe that I have begun to achieve that outcome. Some of the outcomes set forth by the course were related to the leadership I envisioned but many of the detailed knowledge expectations were not aligned with my own expectations.
The course outcomes included learning about the state technology plan and technology standards, assessing the status of a campus, and analyzing and facilitating technology integration on a campus. In these areas I have gained a great deal of knowledge that directly affects my ability to be a technology leader. My knowledge of the STaR chart and the Texas Long Range Plan, for example, is relevant to the work in my school because as an instructional leader I must be informed and knowledgeable of the state expectations. This knowledge leads me to expect more of myself and to intentionally model technology integration in my school. The use of e-communication in the course was a great way to find out how other schools and districts are dealing with common technology challenges and achievements. Any information gained in this way will be an asset to my learning and my future in leadership. The information is relevant because it is up-to-date and addresses the technological advances of our world.
An area that I feel that I did not achieve the intended outcome is in curriculum planning. The course outline suggests that a learning outcome is to design and implement strategic planning to enhance teaching and learning, including curriculum alignment and assessment. While these areas were addressed I do not feel that I personally obtained enough knowledge to facilitate this on my campus. I didn’t feel that the course delved deeply into the specifics of curriculum planning as much as it did into the state expectations and how to evaluate the campus needs and progress. I believe this is the case because there is simply no way for a five week course to cover all these areas comprehensively. However, I do feel that the focus of this course is correctly placed. As an instructional leader you will have curriculum specialists that will assist in that area. Knowing the expectation and plans of the district and state are imperative in the evaluation of a school.
The course readings were very informative and the discussion assignments were a good way to share information. In fact this was my favorite part of the course. After the initial confusion in posting the quotes the expectations became clear and I learned a great deal from the posting of my classmates. While I do feel that I was successful in completing the assignments I did experience some frustration about needing more information. I wanted to know a little more about what the outcome should look like. I understand that this is part of my learning style and in absence of an example I often debate about what is correct. I also understand that it is good for me to have to work in this manner as it stretches me to consider many possibilities. I find it difficult to more onto the next assignment while I am unsure if I have completed the previous one as was expected. It is a relief each time a grade is posted as I am able to see if I am on the right track.
Through this course I learned that, as stated above, I really prefer to have an example to follow. Of course it is also important to realize that an example won’t always be available and I need to be confident and do my best. I recognize my personality and learning style and I have to work outside of my comfort zone. Fortunately technology is something that I am comfortable with. As I read the articles I realized that I have quite a bit of basic techie knowledge which I must attribute to the fact that my husband is an information systems manager. Due to this technology is a great part of our lives and he keeps me informed of the newest trends. This helps me to have an open attitude toward technology and as a leader that is important because new ideas and possibilities present themselves on a regular basis. I learned that while I regularly use technology in my classroom I need to work to incorporate more activities that allow the students to use the technology individually.
Blogging is a valuable way to give people an opportunity to share their knowledge or opinions without having everyone present in the same room. Posts can be made at times that are convenient for everyone and the restraints of a meeting are removed. My principal and I are currently working on a grading committee in the district. The committee is using Edmodo to facilitate discussions outside of the meetings. My principal has created a blog to allow campus staff members to share their opinions with us. This removes the need to meet as a group and everyone is able to read the information and contribute at their own convenience. I also think that blogs can be a valuable teaching tool because they allow students to express their opinions or ask questions that they may feel unsure of presenting in front of their classmates. I found many suggestions for blogs in the discussion board that could be used to enhance the current learning. Blogs can also give parents an opportunity to interact with each other and staff members.
As is often the case when we are dealing with the internet and anything that is posted online privacy, security and control are issues that must be addressed, especially when we are working with children. Our district has moved to a new webpage system this year and it has controls that help in these areas. I am able to set up my pages and blogs with parameters that only allowed those with passwords to view the material. Pages can be set that allow only parents or only students to log in. The grading committee blog mentioned above is on the principal’s page and is only available to teachers from our school. This is a way to protect information and deal with security issues. Another concern is when inappropriate comments are being posted to a blog that is open to students. The blog administrator must monitor the postings and remove anything that is questionable. We must also teach our students to report this type of behavior so that it can be dealt with in a timely manner. Teaching students to recognize what is inappropriate is important and will help them to understand what is acceptable in their own blogging behavior.
As mentioned above parameters can be set that limit the audience of a blog. This allows the blog administrator to remain in control of what is viewed. To provide information and availability to all stakeholders I believe that you must first identify who will, or should, be involved. Once that has been established then those members will need to set up passwords that allow controlled access. This is available to teachers, students, and parents. When a blog is available to the public it is important to remember that while that will ensure that all stakeholders have availability it also creates an even greater need for security. Caution must be taken in what is posted to ensure the safety of all. It would be an interesting use of a blog to have teacher post daily or weekly to keep stakeholders informed of what is happening in the classroom. The administrators could also maintain such a connection that allows everyone to stay up-to-date about happenings at the school and in the classrooms.