Course Reflection EDLD 5352

I feel that successful technology integration is changing schools and education throughout the world. In fact, I think a sea change is happening. Students no longer learn in the same way that their parents and grandparents did. The time when the teacher lectured for hours and directed the learning has come and gone. In this course my goal was to learn ways that, as an administrator, I can encourage and support this change that is coming. Several of the readings and lectures helped me in that regard. I do feel that an administrator has to be an agent of change. Earlier coursework has covered ideas on how to bring successful change to your campus and campus culture. I feel that I am on my way to achieving the goal I set for myself at the beginning of the class. Obviously, this goal is applicable to my current position. I think all educators who want to be relevant in the 21st century have to be ready for change and willing to encourage their faculty and staff to change as well. I did find a few obstacles in reaching my objectives, however. Quite a few of the readings were several years old. Although I always enjoy reading and hearing things from technology gurus such as David Warlick and Will Richardson, I felt that much of the reading was older and maybe not as current as it could be. It is so important to stay current with technology tools, and it is important to stay current with how those tools are used in education as well. Blogs are such a great tool, but so are wikis, google docs, social bookmarking etc. There are an endless number of tools that can help teachers and students in the classroom.
All in all I felt I was successful carrying out the course assignments. I have previously had a blog, so adding another one was not an issue for me. Inserting the slide show on the blog was easy to do and the instructions were well written. I like using the discussion board as a collaboration tool and I think we can learn a great deal from our fellow students. However, given the subject matter, maybe the number of readings or responses could have been limited. The readings were interesting, but occasionally were repetitive. This made responding to previous comments with a new and interesting response somewhat problematic. I did enjoy being able to read comments from teachers in different situations throughout the state, however. It really let me see things from a more global perspective.
I learned that I still need to work on ways to encourage teachers to change and embrace technology. I would like to be more proficient at mentoring my teachers and guiding them to develop lessons that are student learner-centered. I need to support them as they create classroom-management strategies that will address learning experiences for all students. If teachers are able to use technology to engage all learners, better learning experiences and student success will be the result. My attitudes about technology integration are very positive; I just need to find ways to guide reluctant teachers to accept the changes that technology integration can require.
Blogs and blogging can be very important tools for the 21st century learner. Blogs allow you to collaborate and communicate with people across time and space. You no longer have to be in the same room to have a “conversation” about important topics. It is also a great way to publish your reflections. If we write about what we learn, our experiences, and our beliefs, we have to think more deeply about them. This puts the learning in context and context can powerfully impact learning. Blogging is a great tool for teachers. Teachers can use blogs and rss feeds to stay current with educational trends and create a personal learning network. This can help guide them as they continue to be lifelong learners. Blogs can also help students internalize lessons and thoughts as they investigate, learn and reflect. Although blogs are a great tool, some precautions need to be considered. Students need to be taught and reminded about privacy issues. Cyber safety needs to be stressed at all grade levels. We must keep our students safe and remind them of the consequences of sharing too much information on the Internet, both in the short or long term.
Blogging can be a great way for administrators and teachers to communicate with parents and other stakeholders in the school district environment. Blogs can encourage parental involvement. By publishing your thoughts or updating parents on what is going on at your campus, an administrator can keep all interested parties more aware of what is happening at their student’s school. The comment feature allows parents to be able to continue the conversation and add input for the administrator to consider. Administrators can use blogs to connect with parents, community, and students. The district stakeholders can be more a part of the school and district happenings. By using 21st century technology tools and strategies, schools and parents can collaborate to bring innovation to the learning community.