Technology Autobiography Revisited Dec 2007

Here I am at the final week of Technology across the Curriculum, EDUC 602, and in looking back over the short span of this course, I am extremely pleased to say that I have had my technological horizon broadened immensely and have been able to incorporate various technologies into my work with students and teachers. I have gained enormously from the professionally expanding experience of interacting with other teachers and professionals involved in educational technology, and I know I will learn so much more as I review my classmates’ portfolios in the next few weeks. Their insights and feedback have helped me become significantly more relaxed with technology itself and with using it for teaching and learning. I am still overwhelmed by the many technological options to improve educational excursions, but I now know I will become comfortable with them.
It is invigorating to know that in this relatively short span of time, I have not only acquired innumerable technological skills, but have had my appetite whetted for so much more. I have learned to "blog" and know when and why to use one with students and I have actually created one that is an extremely useful tool for me. I also created a movie for families and professionals to more easily understand Early Intervention in North Carolina and an online bookmark page that has been used in various classrooms. I can create and add to "wikis". I understand and use RSS feeds. I have taught digital imagery technology to specific students, including the use of emailing photos from a cell phone. I have used online videos and web publishing with students, with confidence, as I can now address reliability of information with them, and instruct them on internet safety and copyright protections. I have learned more about web hosting, webquests, YouTube, TeacherTube, and more, to broaden our online and actual social network. I have initiated and executed a webconference, and continue to improve my agency’s web presence with the possibility of moderating a discussion board or hosting a webcast.
David Warlick’s book, Classroom Blogging, provided details that have enabled me to embrace the concept of being a “citizen journalist” in the global conversation. He and his Landmark Project have provided incredibly concrete information on reasserting myself as an expert on education and clarified the need to take leadership in improving schools for all learners. I expect to use his book and website often. His teacher tools, such as Rubric Builder, and his handouts on Ethics and Teaching in a New Information Landscape have already been quite helpful to me. I have found many other thought provoking materials on http://www.citejournal.org/ Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, and ideas about worldwide student exchanges via think.com, epals.com, and Global Nomads (to name a few). I continue to explore ideas for collaboration in schools using Google Docs and spreadsheets . I regularly check for important educational tips on edutopia.org, iste.org, ESchoolNews and their new Spanish eScuela Americana. EduWikis http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/ offers useful articles and resources, such as a list of existing educational wikis, and a place to post and discuss ideas. All in all, using technology just doesn’t seem as hard for me to do as it did before!
The concept of teachers having personal responsibility for creating change has become much more real and do-able for me. For many years, I have applied Dewey’s principles of student-centered learning and constructivist principles of hands-on learning, but I now see more clearly how I can incorporate Freire’s important aspect of social activism. For me it includes promoting, justifying and enhancing the use of technology in all aspects of education. There are many issues of equity and the digital divide, and more study of http://www.digitaldivide.net/ is constantly required to remain current on resources on this subject. It is not a matter of giving out more computers, it is a matter of developing the VISION for their effective use that is SO important. With a cohesive curriculum that is fully infused with technology, I believe we will see technology help level the playing field for students with disabilities, improve differentiated instruction for all students, and meet the needs of culturally diverse populations.
Although qualitative research on technology in education is being questioned by those who want quantitative results, I believe that I, and other educators like me, can play a part in designing and implementing quantitative research that substantiates the important place that technology holds in improving educational outcomes. I plan to further explore the evaluation results of North Carolina IMPACT model schools, examining their data on how technology positively impacted student math and reading achievement and teacher retention, and how it impacted teachers’ leadership perceptions. I hope to help prove that schools using technology can be more successful in student learning, more connected to their communities, and serve a strong leadership role for advancing technology and enhancing the satisfaction and retention rates of teachers.
I know that this is just the start of a long process, set off in a wonderful forward gear heading me toward continual learning and growth by actually being capable of implementing technological applications with students, as well as helping teachers, principals and parents become more comfortable with the technological tools in their midst. Aside from becoming significantly more adept at using technology, I have broadened my understanding regarding some of the implications technology may have for meeting future teacher and educational leadership training needs. As an innovator interested in promoting the use of technology in schools, I have the background to construct meaningful programs to train teachers and other school professionals in utilizing technological tools for educational purposes. I believe that technology can improve the educational outcomes of schools in North Carolina, while helping to improve teacher accountability and satisfaction. Although various educators have indicated that applying technology in the classroom places additional strain on an already overworked group, I believe it is possible to document that there are multiple long term benefits to schools and students that far outweigh the difficulties of the initial work required to become familiar with using technology in the classroom. I believe that technology has the potential to make the whole learning/teaching experience more exciting and engaging, and in the long run will help individual teachers and school systems alleviate many of the disruptive, and time-consuming distractions that take place in today’s schools due to boredom, lack of creativity and lack of authentic learning opportunities.
I am extremely grateful for having pushed myself to stretch and meet the rigors of this program and know that the information and skills I have acquired will improve all of my educational endeavors. I believe that I am off to an excellent start in my personal quest to become computer literate. I now know that I will become proficient in using technology for whatever aspect of the teaching/learning spectrum I chose. What I have learned in this course will be beneficial to myself and others, in this country or anywhere in the world, whether I continue tutoring, become an educational researcher, an administrator, a technology facilitator, or apply my knowledge to professional development. I have certainly become a far stronger believer that technology will improve learning and positively impact the field of education.