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? As I was downloading the materials for EDLD 5352 “Instructional Leadership: The Technology Link,” I thought that this class would be about how an administrator can help the classroom teacher with the implementation of technology into the classroom. I had no idea that the class would entail so much information. I learned much more than I expected and in looking back, the information that I learned is necessary for an administrator to be successful. The course started out by filling out the SETDA Teacher Survey and I realized that I didn’t know as much about the technology field, as an administrator, as I thought I did. In order for teachers to successfully implement technology into the classroom, they must expose themselves to a variety of applications. As a campus technology coach, it is also important to be familiar with the laws and regulations governing cyber-bullying, internet etiquette, as well as copyright infringement issues as it applies to technology in the educational setting. It is necessary to train the teachers and staff so that teachers are less likely to break a rule, which could be costly to a district. It is also necessary to monitor and supervise students. We are a society of digital immigrants teaching digital natives who are much savvier than we are. We must be persistent in order to keep the students, parents and faculty in line. In summary, the course exceeded my expectation. I am glad that I learned as much as I did and that the class exceeded my expectations. I am more aware of what technology consists of in the education field and the responsibilities that go along with the use and application of technology. To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not? The outcomes of this course are very relevant to the work of a technology coach. As I stated before, it is important to be knowledgeable about the different technology applications, but this is only a small part of the responsibilities of a technology coach. It is important to keep up with the new programs and filter out the older ones because I believe this helps improve the engagement of the students in the classroom setting. I think the students are already several steps ahead of us with respect to technology applications. Where the students are lacking knowledge and where I think our focus should be as a technology coach is the area of online safety and the social, legal, and ethical issues that confront today’s digital age students. Week 4 and the readings provided a wealth of information that dealt with these issues. As a technology coach in the educational setting, I think online safety should be of utmost importance. It is important to be aware of the online dangers and to inform parents and students so that they can make informed decisions when a problem arises. Monitoring students while using online applications is a necessity, as a teacher and as a parent. Another area of concern for me that needed to be addressed and that was covered in this class is copyright laws and the boundaries of the cyber world. I think that there are teachers and students that are violating copyright laws on a daily basis. The laws need to be communicated to the district and the district needs to communicate these laws to the individual campuses. The campuses must then communicate these laws to the teachers and students on a consistent basis. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? After reflection, I realized that there is a wealth of information that I do not know and still need to learn regarding technology. I am a digital immigrant. I do think that creating a blog, posting it, importing the power point to the blog made me feel a little more tech savvy. As I stated earlier, I do think the title of the class is a little misleading. I thought the class would be about instructional leadership and the implementation of technology in the classroom. I know that the world has taken on a more technical role and we need to adapt or classrooms and educational life to the changes. I am excited about the new ways that technology can be implemented, but I am a little fearful about all of the laws, ethics, and dangers that are involved in the world or technology. I don’t think that I know enough about this part of technology. I feel at this point, I am not capable of teaching someone to create a blog or import a PowerPoint onto a blog site. I don’t think I could do this without looking at the directions. I think the class should have been spread out over a longer period of time. This is a lot of information to squeeze into five weeks. I also think the timing was a little off; I am so busy with work and everything that encompasses and then the holidays and family. Life is crazy. It seems like the duties pile up and the days get shorter. I am feeling very stressed, but if the class were taken at a different time, I am sure I would feel stressed then too. Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. I was a little disturbed about the clarity of the expectations of the discussion board. Prior to Week 1, the expectations of the discussion board were not there and many seemed to be a little confused. Then by Week 2, the expectations were written down in a clear and concise manner. I was bothered that people waited so long to post and my grade was dependant on other people’s work. There was one week that I did not receive full credit on the discussion board because the person that I commented on did not do all the articles. As a single working parent, I have limited time to work on assignments and when I do have the opportunity to work, I want it to be productive. I also coach basketball and I have to plan my homework around games and practices. On the other hand, I do understand that the professors want the students to be involved on the discussion board, but isn’t there a better way to do that? I think one solution would be to have the academic coach post a thread and have the class discuss the thread. Overall, I think the class has gone well and I have learned a lot of information. What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? This course opened my eyes to my technology knowledge and shortcomings. I know that I am not the most tech savvy person in the world, but I thought I knew more than I really did. I thought I was up to date on the technical applications, but I have found out that there are many new applications being introduced on a daily basis. I am a little disappointed to know that my students are more technical advanced than I am. I try really hard to stay up with the times, but they are out learning me exponentially. I am also amazed at how anyone can publish anything at anytime and get a group of people to follow them through blogging. I thought you would have to pay for a service like this. I think it is an awesome application and using it in the classroom would be exciting. After practicing blogging and posting several blogs, I realized how easy it really is. This is an application that I can use and my students can use and we can create a learning community. The entire legal side of everything scares me and I will use the articles that we read as a reference guide. I will also research this area. My attitude toward technology in the classroom has been modified. I am a digital immigrant and I would like to be a digital citizen. What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner? As any classroom teacher knows…you add technology into an assignment and the students’ enthusiasm level rises. Even a small amount of technology gives the learner motivation to work a little harder. Using a blog in the classroom adds an element or technology and allows the learner to reflect on their work and others in an open forum. This appeals to the digital natives. Before the implementation of technology, teachers would use journals as a way for students to reflect, improve their writing skills, connect to literature, and practice grammar. In today’s technical age, blogging can replace or supplement journal writing. Not only will students be able to post their comments and thoughts, but have others respond and give insight. It is a new way for students to share their thoughts and feelings in the educational setting. What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education? There are some concerns about blogging in education. My initial thoughts about blogging include how to monitor who is actually posting. While you can encourage students to register using their name as identification, there is nothing to stop a student from creating a fictions blogger and responding to peers in an inappropriate or hurtful manner. Another concern would be surrounding the extent to which teachers expect student participation. Would they still be mindful of students who do not have student access at home? It would not be fair to expect a student who has access to technology to do the same work as a student who does not have access to technology. Another issue would be connectivity. Would teachers be able to access the work 24/7 in order to grade from home? Also, would this be a safe environment for students to publish their work? Overall, there are some concerns for blogging in education that need to be addressed. How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders? Blogging is a quick and effective way to communicate with school stakeholders. Schools and districts can post information such as upcoming events, district or school achievements, or changes in the district calendar. In the past information was sent home through letters, or posted on the school marquee and more recently information has been posted to school websites. Many times when the information was sent home, it didn’t make it to the parents, it was often lost in the way. A blog allows for the quick distribution of information as well as a way for people to ask questions when and if the information is unclear. With this feature, stakeholders have an immediate voice on what is happening and a forum to discuss new topics. This feature is not available through email or district websites. When a post or comment is made then the entire community can see and this would help to clarify for more than one person at a time.