Educational Technology Course Reflections
Here I will be sharing reflections for each of the courses I have participated in during my time in Loyola University's Educational Technology Program.
1: Educational Technology, Departmental Core
AD. 662 - Leadership, Supervisor, and Professional Development
This course was one of the most valuable courses I participated in during my participation in the Educational Technology Program at Loyola University because it truly helped me to develop my view of the change process and gain an understanding of why people are reluctant to change. AD 662 also helped me to better develop my critical thinking and question skills.
The understandings and skills I gained from AD 662 helped me to better prepare myself to work with adult learners and participate in cooperative and collaborative situations with other adults. These become necessary elements of my internship. Helping to increase buy-in and assist in the acceptance of changes that are put in place in order to fulfill the mission and reach the goals stated in the technology plan, is and will continue to be a role of mine as a writer of the technology plan. It is now my responsibility to help facilitate any changes that coincide with the updated technology plan that is a result of my internship.
This course also helped me better understand change. Through discussions and readings provided within this course, I was able to approach change in a manner that reflected an understanding of why one might be hesitant or afraid of change. I often tell my own students that it sometimes is through an understanding of misconceptions that we fully understand a given concept. This course helped me better understand my own misconceptions regarding change.
ED. 608 - Educational Innovations
In this course description of ED 608 it states that this course "provides an historical look back at past school innovations, and also promotes analysis and understanding of current and future innovations and how they influence education with an emphasis on promising practices." This statement encompasses how this course influenced me during my internship. My internship required me to analysis and gain an understanding of both current and future innovations that my school is employing and hopes to employ.
Gaining an understanding of innovations and programs and how they are and/or were initiated and implemented within other schools from this course, allowed me to gain an understanding of how to approach the innovations that my administration and Technology Director/Manager wanted to have included in the updated technology plan. This course also provided me background information on many of the educational innovations that we have seen implemented throughout history. This information has helped me grow as an educator and student. I know have a better understanding of why many of the change processes that have taken place within education.
ED. 670 - Teacher Research and Inquiry
ED 670 helped me to develop research and inquire methods. I was able to use these methods during my internship when I researched outside information in regards to technology plan. I also was able to better evaluate and assess components, strategies, resources, and programs.
I also continually use inquiry and research methods and knowledge I gained from ED 670 to reflect and improve on my performance as an educator.
2: Educational Technology, Technology Core
ET. 605- Introduction to Educational Technology
Within ET 605 I was asked to work in several collaborative settings to create activities that support developed curriculum and align with local and national standards. Working with others to continually connect to a stated goal helped prepare me to be able to work with others to develop and revise components within the technology plan, as well as fulfill my roles in other situations that have come my way as an educator.
Within and outside of education through the use of technology, collaboration is become a major platform used to develop and create products. ET 605 gave me an opportunity to better develop my collaboration skills.
ET. 610 - Curricular Application Technology
ET 610 allowed me to understand the importance of a hands-on, field-based approach to technology applications and resources. Throughout this course we discussed and evaluated a variety of different educational technology applications, resources, and tools. We also continually assessed how these applications, resources, and tools aligned with national standards. This course also helped me understand that it is important to be aware of why a technology resource is being integrated into curriculum.
"The most important thing that schools can do is not to use technology in the curriculum more but to use it more effectively." This quote was from one of a reading "Born Digital; Understanding The First Generation of Digital Natives," that became a discussion point during one of the classes of this course. The quote also has stayed with me ever since. It was this quote that I reminded myself of during many of the discussions and evaluations I had regarding different components while updating the technology plan, as well as the 1:1 device program within my school.
ET.620 - Multimedia Design in the Classroom
ET 620 helped me to gain an understanding of ways to integrate technology within curriculum. It also inspired me to approach new programs and resources with an open-mind and to try to view technology integration from a variety of perspectives.
ET 620 also provided me with hands-on experiences in technology development. I feel the skills I acquired will creating my own technology resources helps me to better understand the roll the back office plays in the implantation of technology integration. This allowed me to understand the process that is required in order to successful support technology resources and programs within a school.
ET.630 - Digital Communication in the Classroom
It is stated in the course rationale of ET 630 that in order "to prevent schools from wasting their money, teachers must know how to take advantage of the educational opportunities of the Internet. Furthermore, as part of schools mission to prepare students to be lifelong learners, teachers must be prepared to help students learn from the Internet on their own."
This course's rationale became a central focus ingrained in the mission, goals, professional development, and strategy components of the updates I made to the technology plan. The purpose of these listed components of the technology plan is to ultimately prepare and support students to become lifelong learners in the 21st century.
It was within the course that I also gained my first understandings of technology tool Weebly. This understanding has stayed within me and became the resource I used to showcase my internship.
ET. 631 - Distance Education
ET 631 provided me with lots of information regarding the inter-workings of technology. It was within this course that I was able to develop initial understandings of what distance education means. Distance learning systems are now becoming common place within educational settings and can be seen being addressed within the updates I made to my school's technology plan during my internship.
ET 631 also provided me with background information in regards to the main aspects that are required in order to successful implement technology within a school. It was eye-opening to realize the financially obligations of technology. Developing an understanding of the requirements of the deployment technology resources and tools within an organization helped prepare me to participate appropriately and effectively in meetings with administration, my school's Technology Manager/Director, other technology facilitators, and outside stakeholders, meetings that my internship required me to participate.
ET. 640 - Adaptive/Assistive Technology
It is stated in the course description of ET 640 that "this course is designed to introduce educators to assistive technology (AT) for all students with low and high incidence disabilities... The learner in this course will be introduced to various technologies ranging from non-electronic solutions to low technology to sophisticated high technology strategies for implementation within any curriculum."
The understandings and skills I was able to gain for this course that helped me during my internship were not directly related to AT, but rather to the approaches my teacher shared in reference to the implementation of the use of technology within curriculum. This course allowed me to gain a better understanding on why we as educators need to continually evaluate our own skills and knowledge to better support student learning. These understandings are reflected through much of the wording and language I used when updating my school's technology plan. The importance of awareness of one's own skills and knowledge to better support student learning can also be understood as an element to the updated professional development component of the technology plan.
ET. 680 - Role of Technology Leader
It was within ET 680 that I was able to develop understandings regarding what a technology plan includes, as well as many of the components needed to successfully and appropriately integrate technology into curriculum. ET 680 was actually the first exposure I gained to my school's original technology plan. It was for a project for this course that I was tasked with communicating with my Technology Manager/Director to access my school's technology plan. Looking back, it was this course that began my understanding of what eventually became my internship.
It was within the course I began to define what it meant to me for something to be considered an effective change. An understanding of effective change helped me develop the tone and approach I wanted readers/users of the updated Technology Plan to perceive. I wanted the plan to invoke effective change within my school.
It was also within this course I learned what it meant to be an outside stakeholder. It was not until my internship that I was actually able to see outside stakeholders in action and fully understand their importance.
ET 680 helped me understand the responsibilities and roles of a technology leader.
ET. 690 - Educational Technology Seminar
It is stated within the course objectives that "students will understand the deeper impact of technology on the educational process, be able to apply critical analysis to issues of technology and education, examine current issues from a critical perspective, and understand the positive and negative impacts of technology on society and education." I truly feel I was able to meet these objectives throughout the duration of this course. This course allowed for me to participate in discussions and evaluations of technology's role within schools. This course helped me develop the skills I needed to evaluate and discuss the components and roles of technology within the updates I made to my school's Technology Plan.
The ideas regarding technology's role within education I was able to generate and the discussion and evaluation and critical thinking skills I was able to develop as a result of these course have helped me immensely during my internship, as well as in other areas of my professional and even personal life. This course was one of my favorites during my time in the Educational Technology Program at Loyola University.