Course Reflections

In all honesty I did not have any particular outcome in mind for this class. As a matter of fact I did not even try to get a clue from the course title (Instructional Leadership) either. I was just waiting for the starting date to get the ball rolling. What a pleasant surprise I got once we started the class! This course lead me to a much better understanding of the following: our state has a clear and well thought plan for technology (LRPT 2006-2020.) I can now see the purpose of the STaR Chart that I had filled out before a few times only because I was told to do so. Identifying social, legal, and ethical issues related to technology and teaching and learning was news to me. I am still almost in disbelief with my ignorance about copyright legalities. The topic of digital divide made me rethink about how our schools are providing equal access to technology to all student populations. I learned the benefits of analyzing different data sources that can be used to make informed decisions about technology. I did not know anything about Project Tomorrow and the other educational organizations that provide updated, relevant information that can be reviewed to integrate technology, teaching and learning.
I am glad to admit that although I did not have expectations for this course I did learn a great deal about technology being integrated with learning and teaching. The knowledge that I have gained in this course can be immediately applied in the classroom with short term tangible results. I would like to mention that the emphasis given to the learned-centered classroom approach has opened my eyes to endless possibilities to engage the students in meaningful lessons with the aid of technology. I have used my blog and the online discussion board as well with my class to show my students a couple of practical applications of technology. Another important outcome of taking this course is the better understanding that I have for the role of the principal in the school community. I agree with many of the authors when they suggest that the principal must use technology on a daily basis to lead by example. Besides, the best way the principal can effectively show faculty and staff the benefits of technology is by being a digital native himself.
I have to admit that this course was the most challenging of all. We were required to read a lot and discussions online were a common occurance. The discussion board was very enlightening this time because we replied to every single posting of at least two other students. I very much enjoyed that exchange of ideas and experiences with my colleagues. I learned a great deal from both the readings content and the opinions of others. In regard to the weekly assignments, they were challenging because they were time consuming, which meant a lot of hours in front of the computer screen. This was intriguing to me, because we are talking technology integration here. I am proud of my first blog ever which I created in the first week, and like one of the authors mentioned it is here to stay. I show my blog to my students almost on a daily basis because it is a meaningful creation of mine that I hope will spark their interest for technology applications. I also created a technology action plan for my campus which represented a very interesting experience because I had a really hard time getting it started, but once I drew the first lines there was no stopping. This task gave me a very good opportunity to appreciate what it really means to be the leader of the campus.
I would like to highlight the fact that I never saw technology like I do now after working countless hours on my assignments. I use technology every day in my life; however I had missed how it could be applied to education. It is kind of ironic because I have been a teacher for the last eight years. The bright side of the story is that I am now aware of the power of these tools and how they can be effectively integrated into instruction. I think that one of the remarkable benefits of the course is that we got our hands dirty and learned by engaging which is what we want for our children. I think that one of the main objectives of this course and the program is that we the teachers become learners so we can better teach the students. I am applying technology in my class with a different vision thanks to what I have seen in this class. I want my students to be proactive and work collaboratively with peers across the global world.
Speaking of using technology in the classroom I cannot overlook a wonderful tool. The blog is a very interesting creation. We can find blogs everywhere from newspapers to families sharing their vacation pictures. Despite the fact that I have known blogs for a long while I never realized the educational potential of them. Anybody can post content online these days without needing any technical background, which means that administrators, teachers, students, and parents can work together online. The school could definitely serve a great purpose allowing the students to work in order to create meaningful content and share their final product with a global audience. Administrators could use blogs to communicate with all stakeholders, specially parents and teachers, saving a significant amount of paper, time, money, etc. Teachers can post homework assignements, lessons, projects and keep parents informed about what is going on in the classroom. Teachers can share information with others within the campus and outside the campus. Blogs are definitely a great tool for the school community members to engage in reflective high order thinking activities 24/7.
We know that anything good or positive comes at a cost and blogs are not any exception to the rule. Safety concern is always a top priority for school districts. School officials believe that students may disclose personal information giving predators a chance to prey on them with terrible consequences. I totally agree with enforcing policies to keep our students safe, however the students must learn the skills that will allow them to become digital citizens. I do not mean to minimize the impact of students publishing personal information, but we can definitely keep our students safe while working with blogs. We can teach our children safety rules that they must follow while working online. Teachers must model by example and incorporate blogging into their instructional program to allow children to deal with blogs before going live to the real world. Parents should also be kept in the loop so they can supervise students at home while they work with blogs.
After reading the articles, watching the videos, and exchanging ideas with fellow teachers I believe that the principal should be blogger number one in the school. By leading by example he would encourage the rest of the community to get on board and democratize the exchange of information. The announcements, district news, events, etc, should be posted in the school blog for everyone to see them. With taking advantage of Real Simple Syndication (RSS) the administration can literally redefine how the school communicates with both outside the school and within the school. Blogs can be very easily updated, you only need Internet connection, and the possibility of posting information in such a wide variety of formats makes the site very appealing to all audiences. Teachers can share their work instantaneously with peers and students. Lesson plans, strategies, and professional development content can be posted for the benefit of the staff without the need of mobilizing the entire group at the same time. Students can also benefit from a two-way communication system that fosters an interactive reflective practice that can be documented. Finally, parents can also have a say on what is happening on campus.

Rockin around the Christmas tree!!!!

Hello fellow teachers and friends,

I hope this little token of Christmas-related technology bring you some fun and entertainment at this final stage of our class. It's another sample of how ordinary people can make the most of available tools and produce a fantastic product. These folks did a great job.
Have a wonderful and merry Christmas everybody!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=AUtPKbMwnRo&pop_ads=0#t=32