TWT+Final+Assessment

1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
A course like Teaching with Technology is why I decided to go back for my Masters. I was hoping to learn strategies and tools to further the use of technology in the classroom. That is exactly what I got out of this course. Through web 2.0: new tools, new schools and Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works I learned how to implement the newest technology tools like wikis and blogs and how to lead others toward adoption of these tools. The videos were replete with visions of how these tools can be used to engage our students and provide authentic experiences to prepare them for the 21st century world in which they live. I didn’t realize that this course would emphasize differentiation and how to address the needs of all levels of learners, but I am glad it did. The weekly activities have helped me improve my lesson planning to include everyone.

2. To the extent that you achived the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
This course has already had an impact on what I do as an Instructional Technology Facilitator. Each new week brought new ideas to take back to the teachers I work with to integrate technology into their lessons. Student data notebooks are highly encouraged in my district, and I was able to refer to Chapter 1 of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works regarding collecting data with online surveys (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 25.) and helped teachers implement this tool that same week. Students benefitted from the idea that their opinions mattered. I have been able to help teachers use tools like rubistar to develop rubrics that define the important criteria for products and get teachers and students on the same page. I have even been able to present some of the videos to some teams. Those are always good for sending the message about what our students need to be prepared to do in their future.

3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
Overall, I think I and my team achieved all of the outcomes. I am pleased with our unit lessons, products, and collaboration. Where I think we strayed some from the course objectives is in the area of online collaboration. My teammates all work for the same district, so we had no trouble with meeting face-to-face to discuss our assignments and roles. Then we would go home and take care of our parts and upload them to our team site. In a way, I feel like meeting face-to-face was like cheating, as other teams did not have partners in the same area. To truly experience online collaboration, I think we would have needed to force ourselves to do ALL communicating via the Web.


 * 4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? **

I appreciated the way this course was laid out. Each week built on the previous one, leading to a project that could be used to improve integration of technology and curriculum. I was able to complete all the tasks. I struggled some with the book builder (http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/), as I could not get my “coaches” to talk. But I made a phone call to CAST and helped them discover and correct a server issue. The book builder site is a great tool to use that reminds us to provide supports for all levels of learners and makes the task of doing so quite a bit easier. I enjoyed participating in lesson planning—without this course, I would not have taken the time to consider things so deeply. I marveled at our ability to collaborate among the “clouds” and create something that could really be used. Working in teams, and counting on others to do their jobs, has always presented special challenges for me, as I am pretty stubborn and like things done my way! But I am pleased with our end-product and enjoyed getting to know my teammates. I can envision lesson-building across the Internet being beneficial if each person takes on one part, making the task easier.

5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
I have learned that there I so much more I need to learn! It is a challenge to stay on top of the latest and greatest tools that can benefit education. I feel I am on the right track, but I know I never focused much of my attention on the special causes in a classroom. I felt I understood all I needed about differentiation, but to truly differentiate, I would need to guarantee that my lessons are reaching all of my students’ networks: recognition, strategic, AND affective. As a leader, I am eager to share my recently acquired knowledge with others. But I tend to have a strong personality and like things to look a certain way, to the consternation (at times) of my team. I may have been too concerned about things that do not really matter to the big picture. So much of my job depends on building strong relationships. I would like to think that my sociability is one of my strong points.