The final assignment of this course has given me the opportunity to being developing strong, research-based arguments in defense of technological inclusion in the classroom. One of the many pitfalls educators face, when trying to incorporate new technology in classes, is a general overwhelming apprehension to include emerging tools. This apprehension prevents educational experimentation and limits implementation of tools that could be incredibly influential on a child’s academic development. However, after working to develop a cohesive, technologically-inclusive lesson plan, as well as a report detailing the research justifying uses of such technology, I feel that I can adequately defend against any foundational apprehension found within my school and district and influence policy to include more experimentation and implementation of technological goals. This assignment also demonstrates my understanding of the research, both technological and learning, and how it fundamentally determines the usefulness of various technological tools with students.

            Through completing this course of study, I now know that I am prepared to be a strong and literate voice within my school for technological change and implementation.  No longer will I sit and merely observe the heated conversations between those that want more technology and those that resist change. I will use the resources at my disposal, stay up-to-date on the most recent educational/technology research, and remain active on discussion boards, websites, and other digital forums to continually educate myself on the uses of new technology and their researched justifications.  Further, next academic year, I am forming a new technology committee in my school. This committee’s sole purpose will be to explore a new technology each month, evaluate its usefulness, and design sample lesson plans for each course of study to help the other teachers in my building more easily acclimate to the new tool.  Within this committee I will share research that I have read throughout this course, as well as new research I discover, suggest new and emerging technological tools for study and implementation, and move the discussion within my school to center on 21^st century skills to ensure that future success of all of our students.

            Overall, I feel that this final class in my Master’s studies has greatly enhanced my understanding of the new technologies right over the horizon.  Through the various discussions with equally interested classmates, guidance from an engaged instructor, and a diligence to stretch my own understanding of, sometimes complicated, subjects, I feel incredibly prepared to begin the next academic year with a clear goal of including technology in classrooms that transform the learning experience, prepares students, and promotes a greater sense of creativity in all.

http://voicethread.com/share/1183735/

Beyond these sites, many of my colleagues also pointed out various independently constructed digital resources from teachers around the country. The wiki, http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/ and personal blog, http://teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2007/05/04/5-ways-teachers-can-use-educational-technology-to-engage-students/ are both excellent resources for any teacher. Unlike the previous resources, these personal websites are from a teacher’s perspective and do not delve as deeply into the research origins of UDL or DI. Both the wiki and the blog provide common sense steps and solutions to challenges teachers face day-to-day.  The tools presented do not necessarily require multiple technology tools to implement and guide the reader through the process, pointing out possible pitfalls and how to avoid them. These sites will become regular nightly reading as I continue to transform my teaching style and explore new instructional strategies.

Each of the various resources compiled by my colleagues will prove to be invaluable as I work to move my classroom into the 21^st century.  Starting now, there are many concrete steps that I can take to implement UDL and DI into my classroom.  First, I will begin to adapt my lessons to meet the needs of all the students in my class. In the past, and even recently, I have pushed forward with lesson plans that had been moderately successful in the past. Now I will modify each lesson by focusing more on a student centered learning environment with instructional stations throughout the classroom. Each station will incorporate various technological tools (software and hardware) to ensure that every student can access the material in a way that is comfortable.  Also, I will continue, more heartily, to lobby my school administrators to bring more technological tools into the classroom. With more tools, such as a mobile laptop cart, wireless internet, and web based software that promote creative thinking (Webspiration, VoiceThread, etc) my students will have a multitude of ways to demonstrate their understanding of concepts discussed in class. Not only will these technological tools promote creative thinking within my students, but they will also allow me to expand my instructional repertoire and include new techniques, outlined through various Walden courses, for the benefit of each child.

          Over the course of the past seven weeks, I have dedicated myself to reaching towards two specific goals while following the GAME plan outlined in week one of my Masters in Technology Integration course.  Although I did struggle to continue to work towards my specific goals, particularly when it seemed as though I was not progressing as quickly as I would have hoped, at the end I have found the entire process to be enlightening and helpful, not only in my own life, but in the lives of my students as well. By following the GAME plan I was given a template of steps to follow. This template served as my guidepost and ensured that I reflected upon my various actions and changed course, when necessary, to reach my goals. Even though I am still working towards these goals after seven weeks, the overall experience has been positive and I have learned a lot about myself and the way that I approach a challenge. The reflective exercises within the GAME plan are a must for any individual seeking to create real change in their professional life and, particularly, for any educator, this plan can not only assist in reaching professional goals but also help students to reach curriculum and classroom goals as well. The GAME plan, in a modified form, allows students to monitor their own behavior, self-select academic goals to accomplish, and provides a framework, with the educators, of support and guidance.

              More so than the GAME plan, I feel that the technological tools and techniques presented within this course have given me a plethora or resources that I can rely upon to assist my students in meeting curriculum expectations. From the various multimedia tools that can engage students with interactive learning and digital creation to the technologies that assist educators in gathering important data and using said data for instruction, my students will be presented with the most up-to-date technological tools to help them learn and grow. One of the most influential changes that this class will have on my professional life is a dedication to seeing these technologies, not only in my own classroom, but in classrooms throughout my school. The real benefit of technology is its ability to connect students from diverse populations and allow them to collaborate, learn, and grow.  Overall, this class has shown me even greater benefits to technological integrations than I had ever realized before and will assist me through the upcoming years of my professional life in helping students and ensuring their individual and group success.

     Finally, as I finish my time in this class, I find that I am more invigorated and energized to experiment, using data-driven decision-making processes, with new technologies in an effort to assist all of my students. With all of the support this class has offered, combined with the GAME plan’s model of goal setting and monitoring, I feel much more comfortable using technological tools to allow my students to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts creatively. With the inclusion of new technologies and my guidance as a facilitator of learning, my students can explore their unique learning styles, develop creative representations of their understandings and reach, even perhaps surpass, the curriculum’s goals as well as their own.  I look forward to the final weeks of this school year and the beginning of the next and all of the new, unique lessons that my students will be exposed to. Hopefully, with all that I have learned and come to understand over these past eight weeks, my students will leave their 8th grade Language Arts classes prepared for the academically challenging future that awaits them.

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

Working towards reaching both of my goals has given me greater perspective on the possible positive aspects of online collaboration between my students and other classrooms from around the country and the world. My various communications with other educators in my local and national community has provided me with many ideas of how to enhance my current lessons with greater collaboration as well as more meaningful communicative experiences between my own students and others. From this I have already begun to modify lessons and develop a collaborative writing unit between my students and others.

What goals are you still working toward?

I still continue to work toward enhancing the level of technology within my own school. I have received an unintended amount of push-back from other educators as well as educational leaders within my school and district. I attribute some of this to the poor economic conditions currently as well as a hesitation to see technology as the learning tool that it can truly be. I am still dedicated to working toward this goal; however, I feel that I must double-down on my efforts in order to see any real change take place.

Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?

Currently, given my previously outlined goals that I have been working toward, I am dedicating my self to learning as much as I can about collaborative learning and writing. I find this to be a fascinating technological tool that has the possibility of greatly impacting my students and allowing them to discover the great writer that lies within each of them. Starting this week I have begun researching how effectively this tool has been used in other language arts classrooms and am learning about the process of beginning implementation.

What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

In order to improve my learning I am going to focus less on peer-reviewed research studies and focus more on interpersonal communication with my educational peers within my physical and online community. I feel that I will benefit greatly from speaking one-on-one with fellow educators who have either been in the same position I find myself now or have faced similar challenges and obstacles and have developed new and unique methods to overcome them.

How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals? 

-The communication lines that I have set up between myself and educational leaders at other schools have been very effective. I have begun to coordinate with other English teachers and have started to, roughly, design what a cross-school, diversity-centered, technologically driven lesson would look like and how it would function within the confines of the technology available at both schools.

-I have continued to read and acquire research articles with peer-reviewed findings showing the effects of technology in the classroom. I have also acquired the assistance of the staff development teacher at my school to assist me in the endeavor of sharing this research with the staff.

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice? 

-Instructionally, I have learned that various forms of technology, no matter the set up or format, cannot be placed in a classroom at random. Technology only has the research-based benefits on school-aged children when the technology is infused within the lesson and therefore allows students to express their creativity and mastery. As I continue to develop lessons for my own classroom I will work diligently on creating learning experiences that enhance my students understanding through the beneficial uses of technology.

What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?

- While my acquisition of various research studies has been helpful, I still need to learn how to best convey this information to educational leaders and staff within my district. Unfortunately, there tends to be a technological numbness that sets in when the same people hear about the same types of benefits that technology can offer in the classroom. I need to seek out new ways in which to communicate my understanding of the situation effectively.

-How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?

- Given the preceding information, I will adjust my plan by focusing less time and energy on seeking out new research showing the benefits of technology and now dedicate that time to develop a presentation that will not only engage leaders within my school, but also develop a proactive motivation within them to assist me in this effort.

Are you finding the information and resources you need?

Overall I am very happy with the amount of information that I have been able to find throughout my research. The internet has provided vast amounts of research-based data with which I can use to continue to work towards my goals. Also, I have been in communication with co-workers as well with other educational professionals within my district who have provided me with a plethora of information and ideas to help me reach my goals. Many of the professionals that I have spoken with have been helpful and more than willing to assist in my endeavor.

Do you need to modify your action plan?

As of right now, I feel that my action plan is on-track and acceptable. Although initially, after designing my plan, I felt as though I would not have much success towards reaching my goals, I have discovered, over the past two weeks, that there are a multitude of resources for professional educators and all it takes is time to sort through the information and patience to develop the human connections to make progress.

What have you learned so far?

Thus far I have learned a great deal about the benefits of technology in the classroom. Many research studies that I have read expound upon the positive affects that technology can have on student motivation, student product development and student engagement within the classroom. I have begun to share this research at monthly staff meetings and weekly department meetings to attempt to influence the decision making with my school. Also, through the communication that I have begun to have with other educators at various schools throughout the country, I have begun to understand just how important inter-cultural communication can be. Although my goal is to help my students connect with students of other diverse cultures, using technology, the discussions I have had with other educators regarding the development of such communication has led to great idea sharing and greater lesson development within my own classroom. I have started to incorporate more diverse texts into my curriculum, upon recommendation, and have been working to develop projects that expose my students to various other cultures.

What new questions have arisen?

As of now, the new questions that have arisen are research-based. As I look over the various scholarly journals and research studies that debate the impact of technology within the classroom, I am forced to seek out alternative points of view, particularly if the data used within the study does not appear sufficient. Since the topic of technology in the classroom is so highly-debated, I have found myself reading similar studies that come to wildly different conclusions. Through the reading of such studies, I have been forced to research even deeper to better understand the various affects technology has had on other students to better inform my school leadership and co-workers.

Resources Needed

Initially, to complete my plan I will need to communicate with experts in the fields of 21^st century technologies, Web 2.0 systems, 1-to-1 laptop program directors, as well as scholarly researchers within each of these fields that can provide me with the data necessary to bring to meetings to influence the decision-making processes within my school. I will also have to confer with my direct colleagues within my building as well as other colleagues with my district, state, and regional school systems. Each of these experts will provide invaluable resources and information as I work to convince my school that 21^st century technologies are necessary in today’s educational environment. Also, each of these resources can provide me with tools and techniques to help the others within my school to become more technologically literate and begin to include more technology into their lessons and outcomes. Finally, I will need to contact various Language Arts department heads from around my region to begin to establish relationships and develop an idea bank for how to creative culturally-relevant connections between my own students and others.

Information Needed

Beyond the resources of the various types mentioned above, I will also require scholarly information to ensure that each decision I make and action I take is data-driven and research based. Such information will come from research studies detailed in the most-recent educational research journals. Also, staying up-to-date on the newest technologies coming into the classroom will allow me to remain ahead-of-the-curve when lobbying for new technologies with my school.

Steps Taken

Although it has only been a few days since I first outlined my GAME plan I have already been able to take comprehensive steps toward reaching my goals. I have become a member of various educational technology related websites such as; eschoolnews, fno.org (From Now On), Educationweek.com, and edutopia.com. Websites such as these provide an invaluable resource basis for educators looking to strengthen their technological prowess as well as provide weekly e-newsletters with links to the latest research articles and real-life stories of teachers using technology effectively to promote student engagement and understanding. I have also been contacting various principals and assistant principals from various neighboring schools that are more culturally-diverse than my own to establish relationships and begin communication with other middle school Language Arts teachers. Finally, I have been keeping a log of all my contacts and information gathered that has allowed me to reflect on what I have done and make decisions for how to move forward. Although this is a long process, it has been enjoyable so far and I look forward to seeing how much I can accomplish in the coming weeks.

GOALS

1. I desire to become a more outspoken and confident leader in technology integration within the curriculum and the classroom within my school and cluster group.

2. I desire to more effectively use digital-age communication technology to create learning experiences for my students that incorporate diverse cultural groups and experiences.

ACTIONS

                In order to become a more effective technology leader with my school, I need to begin by speaking out more, particularly administrative meetings, about he importance of effectively training teachers in Web 2.0 systems such as, social networking, wikis, blogging, classroom websites, digital story-telling, etc, and providing them with technologies, such as interactive whiteboards, laptops in the classroom, digital interactive devices (voting/texting). To promote these technologies, I will attend meetings and provide scholarly data that displays the benefits and cost-analysis of such technologies. I will also research other school districts that have incorporated similar innovations and even invite other teachers or educational leaders to come speak about the benefits of such technology and professional development within my own school.  Through attending meetings and researching the real life implications of 21^st century technology within the classroom I can begin to influence decisions being made about financial allocations and teacher training using said technologies.

                Within my own classroom, in order to more effectively develop educational environments that incorporate cross-cultural communication between my students and other students, I need to build relationships, either in person or digitally, and make connections with other educators from various, diverse locales ranging from neighboring school districts to other schools from around the world. By developing such relationships and establishing long-term communication with my cohorts within other schools as well as the administrations within said schools, I will be able to create socio-educational connections between my own students and other students. These connections will allow for digital collaboration between students and educators.

MONITOR

                To ensure that I continually move toward my two goals, I will monitor my progress by keeping a detailed log of events and times, as well as outcomes. This detailed log will provide a source of insight as to how much I am accomplishing and how fast I am moving towards my goal. This log will also indicated meeting times of various staff and administration so as to ensure that I attend each meeting possible and describe the benefits of technological integration in the classroom.  Also, by detailing meetings, and social networking, either digital or face-to-face, that occurs between myself and others at local, regional, national, and international schools, I will be better able to develop engaging, student-centered, cross-cultural, lessons and activities for my students.

EVALUATE

                After some time dedicated to reaching towards my goals and monitoring my progress, I hope to be able to see that I have had positive impact on my school community by influencing the administration to lobby for more funds to be allocated toward technological investment and infrastructure. If this has not been the case, I will reevaluate my communication strategy as well any need for additional support for my goal from other professionals within the building.  I will also look to see that I have made, at a minimum, one valuable connection with another teacher/classroom at a school with a predominantly different culture population than my own.  If I have been unable to complete these tasks within the time frame set out for reaching these goals, I will need to reevaluate how I am communicating with my colleagues and the community as well as devise more actions that will better allow for each goal to be met.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

ISTE. (2008). National Education Technology Standards. Retrieved January 13, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf