Module+2+Reflection


 * Reflection Prompt:** How do the artifacts in your pre-competencies verification reflect your technology use as an educator? In light of your learning about TPACK, identify areas of improvement needed.

**Description**
During Module Two, I searched through my computer files from my undergraduate courses and previous classroom teaching experience to find artifacts to complete my Pre-Admission Competencies Verification assignment. Some artifacts were assignments for an undergraduate class that was called Instructional Technology Applications, while others were PowerPoint presentations and SmartBoard files from when I taught seventh grade math and social studies a few years ago. To display these artifacts, I created a Google Site for the first time. I used a template and create pages for each of the NETS standards. I wrote reflections about these artifacts and uploaded them to the website. In our textbook and the materials on Springboard, I read about the TPACK model, which is technological pedagogical content knowledge, and how teachers can develop and apply this knowledge to make teaching and learning more effective.

**Impact**
From the TPACK handbook, I learned that integrating technology into the classroom is a complex problem that has no perfect solution. Technologies have strengths and weaknesses that have to be taken into consideration when designing instruction for students. As educators, we should be more creative and flexible in our thinking of how a technology can be used to help students learn. We have to think beyond a technology’s original design or capabilities. I was also reminded that technology is changing at a rapid pace, and it is important as educators to keep up with these changes and keep our knowledge of technology current. However, as the TPACK model suggests, having current technology knowledge is not enough. Educators also need to have strong knowledge of their subject matter (content) and a deep knowledge about methods of teaching and learning (pedagogy). However, just having knowledge in the areas of technology, content, and pedagogy is not enough, according to TPACK. Educators need to be able to integrate these three areas of knowledge to develop solutions to the “wicked problem” that is created when technology is introduced to teaching and learning. Educators need to be able to choose the right technology that engages learners in an appropriate way to help them develop the skills and concepts that are needed to achieve instructional goals and objectives. When the three areas of content, pedagogy, and technology knowledge are put together, the effect is successful teaching with technology.

In the article by Harris and Hofer, I learned that educators can develop TPACK by becoming familiar with technology-based learning activities in their content area and choosing from those activities depending on the situation. However, Harris and Hofer suggest that educators should write learning goals and objectives //before// choosing the type of technology that would benefit students the most and maximize their potential for learning. By focusing first on the content and strategies when planning their instruction, teachers can then develop their technological knowledge in a meaningful way. Harris and Hofer provide a detailed chart that lists 42 social studies learning activities along with corresponding computer software and technologies that could be used to help students demonstrate their understanding of a topic or concept. These individual activities can be combined to create more interesting lessons, projects, and units.

I feel that one of my greatest strengths when it comes to using technology is being proficient in making Word documents and creating PowerPoint presentations. I feel comfortable teaching students how to set up Word documents that are well-organized and use effective formatting styles. Also, I feel comfortable teaching students how to create PowerPoint presentations that can communicate information clearly and effectively and are also visually appealing to an audience. I believe that another one of my personal strengths when it comes to designing digital learning experiences is knowing how to use interactive whiteboards, in particular SmartBoards. When I taught seventh grade math and social studies a few years ago, I had a portable SmartBoard in my classroom and used it every day. Since then, I have also used SmartBoards on many occasions as a substitute teacher. Being a substitute, I used the SmartBoard to follow the regular teacher’s lesson plans. Some of the ways I used it include writing notes, showing PowerPoint presentations, and playing videos. One strength that I have for digital citizenship is being able to document sources when I write reports or create presentations. I am comfortable using MLA or APA format to cite sources in research papers and including websites where I found images. I feel that I could communicate that knowledge to students when they are working on projects.

**Intent**
I read in the TPACK handbook about the “somebody else’s problem” syndrome, which suggests that there is a division between teachers who are willing to learn new forms of technologies and those teachers who are resistant to change. After I read that, I realized that I can’t let that happen. As a younger educator, I have the ability and the resources to teach other educators (in particular older educators) who might not have as much experience with technology in their personal lives. I am not intimidated by learning about new technology; I see it as a challenge. I know that technology is here to stay, so I am not going to stop learning about new ways to use it in both my personal and professional life. I would be patient and thoughtful when teaching a colleague about technology. Since I didn’t grow up with a lot of access to technology, I feel that I have a greater appreciation for technology that I can share with others. When I was in middle school and high school, I didn’t have Internet access at home like other students. I had a hand-me-down computer and a dot-matrix printer that I used to type and print assignments for school. When I was in college, I didn’t even have a computer in my room. I had to go to the library or computer labs on campus to access the Internet, send e-mails, and complete my schoolwork. I didn’t get my first personal computer and home Internet access until I was a senior in college. Therefore, I feel that I could empathize with other educators who might feel unprepared to implement new technology-based learning activities or overwhelmed with the rapid pace that technology keeps changing.

Once I completed my Pre-Admission Competencies assignment, I feel that my greatest strengths when it comes to technology are using interactive whiteboards, creating PowerPoint presentations, and sharing ideas with colleagues through online discussion boards or websites. However, reflecting on when I taught using a SmartBoard every day, I feel that I might have been more focused on using the technology myself more than helping my students learn from it. I’m afraid that I might have been the technocentric teacher described by Seymour Papert in the article by Harris and Hofer. I spent a lot of time creating math lessons using the Smart Notebook software and making PowerPoint presentations that I could show to students using the SmartBoard, but I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about how students could use the SmartBoard. In math class, I did have students come up to the SmartBoard and write answers to problems using the electronic pen, but in social studies class, I mostly used it to show PowerPoints or just write notes when I didn’t have time to make a PowerPoint. Since it was my first full-time teaching assignment, I feel that I was more concerned with classroom management and developing my teaching skills than I was with using technology to its full potential for student learning.

As an undergraduate, I participated in several online discussions that helped me learn about new websites and teaching strategies. However, I did not stay active in online conversations until I began using the discussion boards on Springboard for this Master’s program. Today I need to increase my involvement in online learning communities, so I can stay up-to-date on the best ways to apply technology that will improve student learning. As a graduate student, I hope to evaluate and reflect on current research to develop a personal vision statement for using technology as an instructional tool. My long-term goal is to use the information that I learn from others in the field of education and apply that knowledge to help others improve their technology skills. I plan to visit the Tapped In website and look at the online discussions that are currently being offered to educators, particularly ones related to technology. I realize that I can’t learn everything about technology myself, so I need to learn from my friends and colleagues - either through face-to-face meetings or online conversations.

In order to use emerging technology to create quality experiences that inspire student learning and creativity, I need to learn more about how to use technology to help students work together to share ideas and solve problems. I want to learn more about using programs like Elluminate, where students can meet in a virtual environment to collaborate on projects, develop possible solutions to global problems, or just discuss what they learning in class. In addition, I want to learn more about websites that allow students to send e-mails to schools around the world in a safe and responsible way, helping students develop a global perspective. Finally, I want to learn how students can design their own website or wiki to share knowledge with others in a creative way. I realize that technology can be such a powerful tool for student learning, and I have the responsibility to learn how to maximize its capabilities.

I can make a connection between an idea discussed by Harris and Hofer and something that I learned about this week in my Instructional Design class. Harris and Hofer state that educators should write goals and objectives and plan instructional strategies before choosing technologies for student learning. This is similar to the idea of backwards design that I learned about in my Instructional Design class. According to backwards design, the first step in the instructional design process is creating an assessment that shows what learners will be expected to be able to do when instruction is complete. Once the assessment has been created, a teacher chooses appropriate instructional strategies and develops instructional materials that will help learners master the objectives. One of the instructional materials that teachers could choose to use is technology. I like the idea of backwards design and plan to use backwards design in the future. Therefore, I will need to carefully consider //why// I am using a particular type of technology. Since my objectives, assessment, and strategies would be established ahead of time, I could make better choices about the types of technology that I introduce to my students to help them achieve their learning goals. By combining my knowledge of the content that I want my students to learn, my knowledge of teaching and learning strategies that would appeal to my students, and my knowledge of technological resources, I can produce a more effective and meaningful learning experience. I feel that this is the ultimate goal behind the TPACK model!!