Course Reflection Post

What have you learned with regards to critical issues in Tech and Communications

As we have talked about before, I have been pretty heavily involved with technology from a classroom perspective and, as much of the reading has shown, the major issue there is the use of technology in support of learning. While I was on some technology committees, involved with tech from a staff development perspective, and have been part of the teams of staff leading change initiatives, I really had my eyes opened to TWO major issues: money and time.

In terms of time there were many areas that jumped up, but how quickly technology changes and how long it takes (and how difficult it is) to get folks to make a pretty big philosophical shift are a few that really jumped out. Just as it’s tough for teachers to make the shift from teacher centered to student centered classrooms, which can help effectively integrate technology, there are also ‘district wide’ shifts that need to be made to effectively systematically integrate technology into their systems.  This could be at the classroom level as well as the administrative level (secretaries, directors, principals, etc.).  There is a flexibility and adaptability that all levels, ie- curriculum, need to subscribe to for effective integration of technology.  Whether changing platforms or systems, it could take some folks a while to get on board and make the shift, and some may not even get fully on board.  I do believe that while some of this is a 'technology use' issue, most of it is more a resistance to change.

One of the more eye opening parts to class was the conversation with our tech director on what he did to make his decisions on why we are making a big change in our technology next year.  It was nice to hear about how much background research and thought went into his decision, but also interesting to hear how much money played into the decision.  No surprise because of the current state of things, but still worthy of note.   The key in both these cases is to not let challenges like time and money become barriers; these will always be challenges, so I need to figure out a way around them!

How have your perspectives evolved or changed over the last several months (if they have)?

I’m not sure they have changed a ton (I’m still in favor of purposeful, effective use and purposeful, well thought out systematic change), but my understanding of the larger issues involved around and how important a school leader’s role is in the success of technology integration has grown.  The ISTE standards for school leaders was really good information as they touched on a variety of areas from being an instructional technology leader as well as creating a digital friendly environment.  This is so important to the success of any change initiative, but even more so with technology.

What tools or technologies do you want to get better at using or learn how to use? 

One challenge this summer will be adapting to our new Dells (we are making the move from Macs) and using Microsoft’s ONE note.  It sounds/looks awesome from what I’ve seen/played with so far. I like the idea of making a virtual binder of the course I am teaching and then sharing it, in pieces, with the students.  I think for them it will be great to be able to grab the whole year if they want from the 'cloud' ahead of time then work on some aspects of the course at their own pace. Figuring out the best ways to use it to support my students and curriculum will be key.

Where I am with the PC right now:

What areas interest you most at this point and how do you expect to learn more about them?

I do not know too much about PLN’s, and after a few folks in class discussing them and some of the articles posted in our Diigo group I am definitely interested in pursuing more info and getting myself wired into a few; I am going to start with some of the blogs and articles that were posted in Diigo and on some of the principal blogs that are listed in Google Reader.  Along with this, my larger interest lies in studying and further working with changing ‘old school’ curriculums to reflect a more 21^st century environment.  After writing several grad courses that use tech in support of standard curriculum, use it in a hybrid format, and now getting ready to work on a full online course, I am fascinated by the possibilities and challenges that creating meaningful, useful, and challenging 21^st century curriculum poses.