• What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
I really envisioned learning a lot more about technological tools. We were able to learn how to blog and share blogs and there was an article teaching how to sign up for an RSS feed. However, other than that, there was not a lot of new technology to learn from. But in the process, we were able to learn much about the laws and restrictions that are present in education when using others’ work. I found that to be really interesting. I also appreciated the articles and learned much from them. Often as adults we assume that our students have been taught about online safety and this course really reiterated that we need to take that responsibility on as educators. While the course may not have been what I envisioned, it was still very beneficial and I learned a lot. I did not achieve the outcomes and they were not aligned, but the information I was able to learn was certainly helpful.
• 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 that were achieved were surely relevant to the work that I do. I am an administrator at my school. Coming from a technologically rich district into this one I have been able to compare the similarities and differences in the two. I have found that to be really interesting. I remember in my previous district we had to meet a technology standard and actually turn in projects to our technology specialists. They were always there to help if we needed them, but we were forced to go through a lot of technology training. I see that lacking in my current district. I also see that in my school, we have been put on a technology hold. The district will not pour any more money into technology for our school because we will be going through a rebuild within the next couple of years. My teachers need training now with the technology that we do have so they are able to use it to their fullest abilities.
• What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I would like more information on how to use things like blogs and podcasts for particular classes. I am not really sure how they could be used in a math or science class. And how do you make sure that all students have available technology to view them? We are in a low SES school and although many students do have iPods, they are not all video and not all students even have them. I think a lot of the ideas presented were really fun and would be engaging to the students, but I would like to know how to make them work on my particular campus where we are lacking. I would also like to know how to progress an entire district forward though I am just one assistant principal. We have so many solid initiatives within our school that I would hate to throw another one at our teachers without taking something else away. We have a huge focus on the work of Dr. Marzano and I would hate to see any of that overshadowed.
• Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was able to finish all the course assignments. A couple of them I had to turn in after the initial deadline. The things that prevented me from getting them in on time involved personal issues and stresses at home. I am currently going through a divorce with two little children and working full time as an Assistant Principal. It was actually nice not to have to do the exams though. It made it much easier that we were able to work at our own pace to meet the deadline without a smaller deadline and window of taking an exam.
• What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
I learned a lot about myself from this particular course. I learned that I have a lot way to go to be a true technologically based instructional leader. I thought I was very well prepared to do this, but there is so much I don’t know. It is a little overwhelming how much is out there and available and teachers have so little time for discovery of that material. At least now, from this course, I am more equipped to find out where to go to find answers. I need to find all the opportunities I can to help teachers learn it easier. If it is simply left up to teachers to go and find it themselves, they will have way too many time restraints to be able to do that. I need to provide them with as much time as possible to collaborate and think of ways to incorporate technology into their content.
• What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?
The educational value of blogs for the 21st century learner is that they will be much more engaged. Millennial learners are a collaborative community. They may not read much in the way of books, but they read dozens of facebook pages daily. It is a different type of learner than the learner I was. These students crave technology and really, they need it to be equipped for the jobs of the future. Teachers that teach with a book, paper and pencil are doing their students a disservice.
• What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?
There are a few concerns I see in blogging. The first is that teachers are not equipped to teach how it is done. They could actually benefit from having students show them, but many are stuck in their ways and not interested in having the help. Another concern is that students are not knowledgeable on how to safely navigate the waters of the Internet while protecting themselves. Again, teachers also do not all have that knowledge so they are not equipped to teach the students how. Some professional development and giving time for teachers to play around with the idea could help greatly though.
• How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?
As the 11th grade Assistant Principal, I could blog to update my parents and students on changes made throughout the school. I could post important dates and even the great things I am seeing happening in the classroom. I am sure parents would like an inside eye into the school and have those kinds of updates. We have a website that is updated often, but it is not as current as what a blog could be. If I want to make a change to the website I have to send that change to the teacher that controls it and then wait for her to make the post. If I were blogging and had parents subscribe to my blogs then the changes would be immediate.
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