Concepts+of+Educational+Technology+Course+Reflection

//Concepts of Educational Technolog//y was the first course that I took online since completing my accelerated accreditation program. The structure of the program took a bit getting use to as well as getting back into the studying mindset. The course really exposed me to the true purpose of the school technology and readiness chart and what its true purpose is. I saw how vital the school technology and readiness chart is to the technological makeup of the campus and to the overall goals of the state of Texas. I also learned about the Long-Range Plan that has been established by the state in regards to where school campuses should be technology wise by the year 2020. In addition to the information that I learned about the school technology and readiness chart I also learned about Wikis and Blogs. Prior to taking this class I only knew about these things through reading but I never really had any personal interactions with these two Web 2.0 tools. After using them in this class, I incorporated them into the lessons that I taught at my high school. I found that my students were really receptive to using them and some even went as far as to add additional entries to their blog sites outside of the entries that I required. Using these tools I was able to show my students how to take as David Warlick put it, "information raw materials and assemble them into something that is personally pleasing." (Warlick, 2007, p. 21) This class has really changed how I view certain aspects of not only education but how technology ties into the education on a whole. The information that I was exposed to allowed me to ask more informed questions when talking to my peers and administrators. I was now able to interpret data in a different way and saw the impact that the data had on my campus. Every assignment that was completed in this class opened up a new way of thinking and many times led to discussions with teachers with more experience than I did. I found that those with more experience than I were willing to share their knowledge and to clarify any misunderstandings that I had. At the conclusion of this class I realized that while we have come a long way in regards to how technology is used in our classes, we still have a ways to go. The plan as outlined in //Vision 2020// are attainable but it will take the combine efforts of all stakeholders to bring the vision to fruition. It will require us to be flexible in what we use to teach and how we conduct instruction. I have learned that technology not only offers options on how we can teach our students but it also allows students a chance to "work with information to develop understanding, and demonstrate what they know". (Wahl & Duffield, 2005, p.2)

Wahl, L. & Duffield, J. (2005). Using Flexible Technology to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners. www.wested.org. Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/kn-05-01.pdf

Warlick, D. (2007). Literacy in the new information landscape. Library Media Connection. Vandalia, OH: Linworth Publishing,INC

Long-Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020. www.tea.state.tx.us. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082&menu_id=2147483665