EDLD+5398+WK3

This week’s web-conference delivered further insight into the necessary preparation for the course final exam and refined guidlenes for completing action research reflections. The instructional staff was able to alleviate some of the apprehension I was having toward the assignment. The online format is an innovative environment for learning, and adjusting to this new learning setting has been an enriching experience. The written rubrics embedded within assignments outline a very straightforward and specific set of instructions to follow to create accomplished work. However, the cyclical process of learning almost always contains a restating phase and the webconference was a good medium for the assignment structure and expectations to be readdressed.
 * WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENT** ** Part 3.1: Web Conference**
 * Part 3.2: Week Three Addition to Comprehensive Examination** [[image:http://cabstractions.wikispaces.com/site/embedthumbnail/placeholder?w=NaN&h=NaN caption="broken file"]]


 * Part 3.3 **

The process of completing principal certification coursework was arduous at times but it lead me to developing my own personal mantra for student learning and the role that parents should play in this process. In order for students to be successful in the classroom and in, any academic undertaking I believe they will need the support of their parent/guardian and any other available family members to help push them to reach academic achievement. Previously, I believed that parents could help at home but teachers were the main driving force in pushing students’ academic minds. I now believe that that assertion was incorrect and that parents must be proactive committed participants in children’s education in order to ensure success. I think that parents can teach students to be responsible and diligent in their academic pursuits and the input from these individuals means more than what any teacher, coach, or administrator could ever do or say. Unfortunately, those persons tasked with a child’s development are not always the strong figures that they should be in the student’s life. I believe that I if there is a deficiency in the composition of the students home life I may be able to make a difference by interacting with their parents to determine what areas that I could be of additional assistance to help them steer their children in the right direction. When I apply the new information that I learned i am able to experience a more productive school day. I enjoy working with the parents of my students because I understand the dramatic and meaningful role that good parents can have on fostering and instilling the fundamentals for academic success within children. The new amalgam created, based on the information I gleaned from this experience, has inspired me to prepare a letter at the beginning of next year that will go home to parents letting them know that I am available to assist them in whatever way that my professional capacity as an educator will allow.
 * __Self-Assessment__**

The vision of my action research project focused on the implementation of the most effective and current educational technology and multimedia resources available for integration into the Special Education classroom while also making sure that the tools and methods used were supported through best practices and research based methods. Shank (2005) says, “Well-designed multimedia helps learners build more accurate and effective mental models than they do from text alone” (p.4). The efficient design and utilization of multimedia elements will undoubtedly be as important if not more important, in some cases, than the actual content upon which the subject matter is derived from. When multimedia content is well planned and executed the resulting product can make the intended goals for the resource much more achievable while also delivering a refreshing user experience. The project was designed to meet the needs of students while also providing a platform to discuss new initiatives that were being put in place with parents. I have found that learn much better when I not only have hands-on learning opportunities but also, when I have an efficient mentor/teacher that facilitates an efficient information transmission process. I am able to then measure my progress not only through my own eyes but also through the pre-established milestones that the facilitator has established. It is in this same manner that parents should set academic goals for their children. According to Ashram (2002) sometimes, people forget that teachers are not knowledge repositories but rather skilled navigators that facilitate student learning. Conversely, parents should also take a skilled navigator approach toward guiding their children’s future.
 * __Learn as a Learner__**

I utilized the article //Technology and Special Education Students in the Classroom// (2009) as a research publication source. The information within the document outlined the necessity of the inclusion of technology in Special Education classrooms. The article included a case study of a student named Josh who is an autistic non-verbal student. The student was able to experience success in communicating by utilizing an assistive technology device that enabled him to actively participate in classroom lessons (//Technology and Special Education Students in the Classroom,// 2009). The technology gave him an opportunity to communicate and to articulate basic thoughts and words. My methodology for implementing and completing the project was based on the idea that technology can be a useful tool for all students. In keeping that in mind, I made sure to review several different types of technology that would benefit students who were learning disabled to those that had vision or speech problems that necessitated more intensive intervention and strategy application to aid students in their academic achievements. During the process of planning for the implementation of the best methods and practices relating to technology integration in the classroom I took into account how effective each individual component would be in assisting students with special needs to reach their educational objectives outlined in their individualized education plans. By using the student’s IEP’s as a defining indicator of the possible positive benefit of the types of resources reviewed, I ensured that each students learning and safety was fully addressed. Furthermore, according to Tschirgi, D. (2009), though technology can be an innovative addition to a classroom the utility of the resource should be fully addressed before a purchase takes place. I continually came back to this idea when deciding which piece of technology would be the most beneficial to students.

I communicated the vision of my action research project to other Special Education teachers through ongoing conversations of the effectiveness of the integration of technology into the special education classroom. I also developed a Power Point presentation that outlined the various types of technology that was distributed to these teachers as well. The projects main responsibilities were for me to move forward on preplanned objectives and timelines. The materials that were utilized were mostly electronic in nature i.e. Power point presentations and online surveys. The people that were involved were colleagues who utilized technology in the Special Education classroom. The strategy I utilized for the organizing the implementation of duties included my continued diligence in following up with teachers to obtain necessary action project data and to make sure that I adhered to the deadlines that were established for my action plan completion. By continuing to engender a positive professional relationship with my peers I was able to safeguard the success of my project by making sure that all ideas and comments were respected and that any input I received was evaluated for its efficacy for inclusion in my project design.

I have learned that documentation is the cornerstone of effective personnel management for an administrator. Documentation can take on a formal or informal structure but the important element is to make sure that the documentation fits the situation for which it is used to record behaviors. In other words, if a formal piece of documentation is given to an employee it is very strongly suggested that the signature of the employee is obtained to make the documentation formal. The preciseness of documentation is also applicable to the application in the classroom were teachers must ensure that parent teacher communications are documented. In a similar manner, during the construction of lesson’s a teacher should ensure that they take their ideas and commit them to a written format. In far too many instances, educators have good ideas for lesson design but these concepts never come to fruition. These tidbits of information will serve as a constant reminder that I need to make sure that I am following proper steps when I document in the classroom or in future educational roles. In the past, I did not think that documenting was that important but I now know that it is an effective tool to utilize.
 * __Lifelong Learning Skills__**

In addition, in instances in which documentation is required nearly always the employer has the burden of proof in asserting and substantiating claims. I believe that a principal who is ill equipped to provide detailed and accurate documentation may find their everyday tasks to be much more difficult if they do not maintain the necessary data to aid in personnel management issues. The information presented during the course will aid me in following the basic guidelines of an important duty of an administrator. Furthermore, the relationships that I have built while researching, planning, and implementing my project have shown me the importance of continuing to have positive professional relationships. The content regarding documentation presented in this course has afforded me the opportunity to increase my proficiency through reviewing applicable materials to increase my knowledge and skills. I think that by seeking out additional source material.

// Technology and special education students in the classroom. // (2009). Retrieved July 26, 2011, from [|__http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Technology_and_Special_Education_Students_in_the_Classroom__] Arsham, H. (2002, March). //Impact of the Internet on Learning and Teaching//. Retrieved April 14, 2011, from USDLA Journal: __http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/MAR02_Issue/article01.html__ Shank, P. (n.d.). The value of multimedia in learning. //Think Tank.// Retrieved May 5, 2009, from [] Tschirgi, D. (nd). What is the sustainable classroom? //Educational Technology Support Center.// Retrieved on November 17, 2009, from __http://www.esd112.org/edtech/sustainableclass.cfm__


 * Part 3.4 **

In regards to what I have learned from this course, I feel that I have benefited from the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the issues that face technology professionals in the field of Education. The budget constraints, outdated infrastructure, administrative and peer pushback that is experienced by these individuals has made me aware of the challenging nature of the job. Though the individual obstacles that are faced are not necessarily insurmountable, they do function as significant obstacles that require comprehensive planning when traversing. Personally, I believe that I have benefited from the compressed and fast-paced nature of the course because it has forced me to modify a tight and busy schedule to accommodate the completion of course assignments and readings in a thoughtful and scholastically acceptable manner. Whilst the scheduling and managing of time has been a concerted effort, I feel that I have been able to make sufficient gains in the area my technology skills. I have always been a techie and the coursework has helped me to get back to the process of exploring the digital innovations that are constantly being rolled out. The plethora of Web 2.0 technologies never ceases to amaze me in their design and relative ease in implementation, but there is always a learning curve involved when first encountering these new technologies and this course has simplified the process by providing a scaffold environment for me to investigate and learn about these resources. In order to complete this particular assignment I had to learn how to utilize the Microsoft Publishing software. The experience was refreshing in that I had previously used Photoshop and Fireworks for my graphical design undertakings and the Microsoft Publishing program was much easier to use. The tools were straightforward and I did not suffer from information overload as soon as I began using the program. The integration of design elements like the logo that I had created the week before in the course were easily embedded into the document and help to create a brand that I could incorporate into other documents and mediums in the future. I had an open mind when beginning to use the software and I believe that this attitude helped me to not be overwhelmed by the new interface. I usually learn better in hands –on settings and this assignment helped me to practice this method of learning first hand. Based on my unfamiliarity with the program and my final design product I think I was able to have a measured amount of success in this endeavor. I could have spent more time going through the tutorials that were contained within the program but I decided against it because of time constraints. I plan to revisit this tool for classroom use in the future and the tutorials will be a good resource to use while continuing my learning about the software. I displayed my final product with other teacher’s on my campus and they thought that it was designed well. They asked me about the ease of use of the software and if I would be able to design flyers for events they might have for class or if I could show them how to operate the software. I value this feedback because it helps me to make sure that I am traveling along the correct path for program completion. I was able to assess my performance through these informal interactions and I believe they benefitted me in a big way by providing outside prospective of the effectiveness of my design.
 * __Self –Assessment__**
 * __Learn as a Learner__**

Throughout the duration of the course, I have found myself challenged to utilize technologies that I do not commonly use like animation and I actually created a newsletter. I think the most benefit that I have received is through the exposure that I have received to varied methods of presenting technology in an educational setting. More specifically, how I will put these tools to use in my classroom. I had never given much thought to integrating a personal brand into the instructional setting but by creating my own brand and implementing it in my instructional design it has made me see the importance of students being given the opportunity to develop their own brand and using it in the classroom. I had previously been exposed to branding in my personal life and advertisements but never envisioned applying it in an educational setting but I am now confident and knowledgeable enough to implement it in my classroom. I now feel that I am able to take a component of study from the course and apply it to my actual everyday instruction in my classroom with ease. The use of varied strategies for teaching is essential to an educator to be able to implement in their classroom. During the course of the implementation of the project, I interacted with many of my colleagues to seek their input about my project. The positive experience that I was able to culminate with my fellow educators has made me less apprehensive about utilizing peers as a knowledgeable resource to assist in my project design.
 * __Lifelong Learning Skills__**

Differentiated instruction is key to a student centered learning curriculum, and the concepts presented in the course have presented tools that I can use throughout my teaching career to help reach my students. As Verde (2004) stated differentiated instruction is a model of instruction that revolves around the belief that students learn in many different ways. Learner centered instruction is an integral part of true education and it is true that technology is a powerful tool and it can be used to engage all learners (Northwest Regional Educational Library). More importantly, once an educator is able to master the tools that they have available to them like digital graphics they will become more effective educators. I enjoyed the process of making a newsletter immensely and I believe that it is possible for students to be productive when utilizing more modern methods of learning. Also when parents can see the physical manifestations of their children’s work they will most likely become more involved in their students’ academic work because projects like newsletters show parents that their children are productive (Lamb 2005). In the future, I will continue to use technology tools like Microsoft Publisher in my own classroom to create classroom materials. Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory. (n.d) Meeting the needs of diverse learners. Retrieved from [] Verde, Martha. “Comparing Layered Curriculum with 3 Others: Kagan Structures-Advanced Cooperative Learning, Differentiated Learning, Problem Based Learning.” N.D. 1 May 2004 [] Lamb, A. (2005). Evaluating newsletters. Retrieved from []

TF/TL Standard V covers productivity and professional practice. I was able to enact this particular standard into my instructional and professional responsibilities quite seamlessly. The number of options that educators have available to them for professional development is boundless however, according to Williamson & Redish (2009) the time that is necessary to master these tools often requires extend periods of learning. Fortunately, I did not experience any disenfranchisement with new professional development tools. I did fall victim to spending countless hours attempting to perfect my mastery of the programs and ended up embodying the extend periods of learning. Il earned that these tools can be very beneficial but that there is indeed a steep learning curve sometimes. Previously, I felt that I was familiar with teacher technology tools but I soon discovered that my knowledge was just the tip of the iceberg. The tools encompass everything from rubric makers to web authoring software the plethora of educational tools is staggering and I have been proactively seeking out new resources and using them on a trial basis to gauge their effectiveness in my instructional practice. During my field-based activities, I was able to integrate many of these new tools and educate my peers about the possible uses of the resources.
 * Part 3.5 **
 * __Self –Assessment__**

I was able to implement TF/TL Standard V into many of my internship activities because I was constantly interacting with new software and technology based learning mediums that required me to go back and relearn or learn how to appropriately operate the tools. Unfortunately, according to Nardi & Day (1999) many educators prefer to have others design technology tools for them rather than going out and investigating potentially beneficial resources on their own. I am a hands on learner and in order for me to get a true grasp of how the new tools worked I had to use them myself to get a true feel for the product. By choosing this method for practically applying TF/TL Standard V, I was able to find many uses for my newly discovered technology tools within my field-based internship activities. Once again, my positive interactions and discussions with colleagues going over the benefits or hindrance of a particular technology resource greatly affected my decision-making in choosing to incorporate a particular technology into my projects. Feedback would sometimes be very positive and in other instances, the opinions and ideas that were shared were very unpragmatic. In all instances, I did carefully consider this information and weighed it against the goals that I was attempting to achieve during my field-based activities.
 * __Learn as a Learner__**

I learned that when educators actively pursue new learning in structured settings a professional learning community is formed ( DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. 1998). These professional learning communities help to foster a transformational change within individuals who wholeheartedly went through the process. I feel that these cooperative groups can benefit educators because it allows us to learn with peers who may be experiencing similar difficulties with new information and aid each other in processing the new information. In the future, I intend to participate in more of these PLC’s because I was able to see the benefit of these mediums during this course. These interactions with my colleagues have helped me to see that I should strive to make good use of this learning tool whenever I can. The structure of this setting does focus on hands-on learning and will benefit me immensely. As a lifelong learner, I believe that the process of accessing and acquiring information in this setting is very effective. I would like to investigate the effectiveness of using these communities on campuses that are struggling to meet AYP. DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN: National Education Service Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 101- 146. Nardi, B. and O’Day, V. (1999). //[|Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart]//. Cambridge: [|MIT Press].
 * __Lifelong Learning Skills__**

According to Williamson & Redish (2009), TF Standard VI focuses on technology facilitator’s comprehension of social, ethical, legal, and human issues that coalesce around the use of technology in schools. Furthermore, a facilitator would have to make sure that they assist teachers in gaining this understanding and applying it in the dispatching of their daily duties. I was able to glean a great deal of background information as to why TF Standard VI is integral to a technology facilitator’s toolbox and why it is important for me to integrate this standard into my personal professional practice as well. In order to be an effective educator one must be able to balance the many divergent paths of social, ethical, legal, and human issues with the effective use of technology in schools. I have always believed this mantra to be true and the course work and this week’s readings helped to solidify this assertion. The relationship between my previously held beliefs and my current understanding are aligned in a harmonious fashion and I was able to amply apply them in my field-based internship activities.
 * Part 3.6 **
 * __Self –Assessment__**
 * __Learn as a Learner__** I always enjoy the opportunity to share new ideas and developments in the realm of educational technology with my peers and colleagues so that they can benefit from learning about these new advancements, and utilize these mediums within their classrooms so that students can learn in a more dynamic learning environment. I have had to stay abreast of educational technology research and emerging trends regarding the effective use of technology and how these technologies can help to shape the landscape for student learning and proficiency so that I can be a knowledgeable technology practitioner. I have found direct one-on-one interactions to be the best way to convey the foundational tenet of TF Standard VI. In some instances I have used the level of comprehension of the other party to assess my effectiveness in transmitting new information. I think that one of the most powerful actions that a school technology leader can undertake is to be the head learner who leads a purposeful movement for change on their campus to maximize the successful attainment of learning goals, and I have noticed that I do try to affect change in this manner by appropriately using technology and media rich resources within my classroom and through my sharing of my technology experiences with my peers. Typical leaders use a top down approach to affect change which is not always effective. Ross (2002) states, “ True education comes from dialogue, not silence” (p. 183). I believe that by taking a moment to share my experiences and gain insight from the daily practitioners of the craft of teaching, it becomes easier to determine the best methods for integrating technology into today’s classrooms that are filled with complex social, ethical, legal, and human issues.
 * __Lifelong Learning Skills__** I gained a newfound understanding of the precarious situation that technology leaders might find themselves in if they are not fully aware of the applicable social, ethical, legal, and human issues that are related to many new technologies that are utilized on campuses. Previously, I believed that the integration of technology was soley dependant on budget and resource allocation issues but I now understand that the process is much more comprehensive than this.In my interactions with my colleages I found that they were also in large part unaware of the importance of maintaining a balance between new technology and social, ethical, legal, and human issues that may arise after technology implementation. It is difficult to determine the full impact of a new technology prior to its dissemination, luckily the TF/TL Standards did a good job of describing the landscape that technology facilitators may find themselves in. The most memorable portion of this new knowledge is the fact that existing structures for dealing with new technologies social, ethical, legal, and human issues are not static. I have learned that the dynamic nature of these issues requires a professional educator to always be on the look out for new developments or changes in education law and the way that technology facilitators assist teachers in becoming familiar with these concepts. The goal of ensuring teacher’s stay current is a behomth sized expectation that necessitates keeping abreast of a number of different isssues. The most prominent of these goals is monitoring the access and resources available to students and teachers in low income settings to determine if they have access to any new technology initiatives that may be targeted for both home and campus use (Ronnkvist, Dexter, & Anderson, 2000). In the future I would like to investigate the possibility of creating an online database that list any changes to federal or state education law that affects the integration of technology on campuses.

Ross, S.D. (2002). Silenced students: The uncertain but extensive power of school officials to control student expression. //Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly//, 79 (1), 172 – 187 Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 101- 146. Ronnkvist, A., Dexter, S., & Anderson, R. (2000). //Technology support: Its depth, breadth and impact in America's schools// (Teaching, Learning, and Computing: 1998 National Survey, Report # 5). Irvine, CA: Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations.