Course+Embedded+Reflections+-+EDLD+5362

The assignments in this course seemed to cover a wide-spectrum of topics which included the interview of a veteran teacher, a network comparison project, evaluation of my district’s Student Information System, a personal blueprint for what a model classroom would have (partially based on information gained from the Horizons Report 2009 K-12 edition), and an overview of my district’s Technology Plan.

The interview assignment provided me the opportunity to gain valuable insights from a veteran teacher on the technological progress SWISD has made over the years and how well this district has handled the introduction of the internet in the classrooms.

Like Henrico County Public Schools, our district adopted, defined and implemented a strong plan for the integration of technology in our classrooms approximately 5 years ago. It was understood early in the planning process that in order to successfully meet the needs of both teachers and students, “All of our technology based professional development had to take the approach of an instructional rather than technical viewpoint. Rather than simply learning the basics of how to use a technology tool, teachers must learn how to use the tool to improve teaching and learning in the classrooms. Training is embedded in instruction, not isolated from it, and is driven by the skills that teachers need to use in the classroom, not by the technology itself” (Jones, 2007).

As the Campus Instructional Technologist, I take great pride in the progress made, and perceive it to have been successful just as she does. Our district technology leaders went to great lengths to create and carry out a well developed technology plan. The perceived and obtained success proves that if there is a well developed plan and all attempts are made to address and handle all foreseen obstacles in advance, progress is attainable and inevitable.

The network comparison project, in which I chose to discuss and compare Diigo and Ning was very useful for me as the Campus Instructional Technologist. These two popular networks offer a variety of quality, up-to-date suggestions, tip & tricks, lesson plans, and the opportunity to collaborate with other educators around the world. I actually used this presentation in a Professional Development session with my campus staff. The purpose of the presentation was to introduce some of the online resources that are available and can offer continuous support to educators. Most of the teachers had never heard of these resources and seemed very intrigued by them. As a result, several of my teachers actually created accounts and subscribed to specific and educationally relevant online communities.

Aside from simply gaining more indepth knowledge and understanding about our district’s Student Information System, RSCCC, the evaluation assignment, I did not directly implement this knowledge within my role as a CIT. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to interview our district’s Executive Director of Employee and Student Services. Her insights and detailed information of RSCCC was quite interesting. For me, it really provided a more thorough and indepth understanding of the “behind the scenes” interworkings of our district. As a CIT, I did not deal directly with the input of any of the data placed in the SIS, but I can now appreciate the valued of the system as it provides me with a broader picture of how various departments interact and rely on the data stored and provided by the SIS.

I have also found that my understanding of how RSCCC was utilized and relied upon for various tasks and information, has been very helpful to me in my new position as a Technology Integration Facilitator in SAISD. The system SAISD utilizes is called iTCCS. I have learned that it basically functions in the same manner as RSCCC and of course provides the same type of information. The knowledge I gained through this course assignment truly acted as a springboard of information from which I have continued to learn from and build upon.

As for the the remaining assignments, I really feel they were closely connected in that both dealt with the development of a technology plan. As I created my vision of a model classroom and then provided an overview of my district’s current technology plan, I of course compared and related all of my ideals and information to the Horizon Report 2009 K-12 Edition. The Horizon report examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative expression within the environment of pre-college education (Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Smythe, 2009, p. 3).

As explained in the report, “each edition of the Horizon Report introduces six emerging technologies or practices that are likely to enter mainstream use in the educational community within three adoption horizons over the next one to five years. To identify these areas, the project has drawn on an ongoing conversation among knowledgeable persons in the fields of business, industry, and education; on published resources, current research, and practice; and on the expertise of both the NMC community and the communities of the members of the Horizon Project’s K-12 Advisory Board, an international body of experts in education, technology, and other fields” (Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Smythe, 2009, p. 3).

The six emerging technology or practices discussed in the report are: Collaborative Environments, Online Communication Tools, Mobiles, Cloud Computing, Smart Objects, and the Personal Web. The reports further discusses Key Trends and the Critical Challenges facing schools as they seek to integrate new technologies into the established structures of teaching and learning environments.

It was very interesting to see just how my district technology plan aligned to the information and predicitions found in the Horizon Report. I was quite please to learn that our plan was in fact very well aligned to the report’s findings.

As I developed my vision of a model classroom, I found myself aligning my plan to the projections and information provided in the report. I mean, why wouldn’t I or any other technology leader not align our plan with what the field of experts have gone to great efforts to research and share with others. I view the Horizon Report to be a highly valuable resource to use when it comes to planning and developing a technology plan. I feel certain that if the time were to come, that I was ask to help develop a technology plan for my district, I would undoubtedly refer to the findings within this report. It is an ideal place to start.

**References** Education Service Center, Region 20. (2008). Texas Computer Cooperative RSCCC. Retrieved January 31, 2010, from RSCCC: http://portal.esc20.net/portal/page/portal/TCC/RSCCC

Jones, E. (2007). Strategies to put instruction ahead of technology. Principal Leadership, 7(6), 35-38.

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.