EDLD 5352 Instructional Leadership Week 5 Assignment:

While Reading the syllabus for this course, I was very nervous because technology in content mastery is not up to par with the other subject areas. It made me think about what I really knew about technology and how teachers integrate it into the classroom. Since I have been out of the classroom for the past five years, I really began to feel out of touch with the way students are taught in the classroom. Because of this class, I learned more about specific aspects of technology than I dreamed. I have heard of blogging, but never thought about the educational implications it can have. One of the elements of this course is the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, which must be in effect by 2020. I was in the dark about the Texas Long-Range Plan which was put into place by the SBEC. After taking this course I have a better understanding of how the STaR Chart information and the data is used and the purpose of completing the survey. I also learned how to assess the technology status of a campus. I feel that I have achieved the outcomes of this class, and I look forward to sharing my new found knowledge of blogging with my colleagues, so they too can begin incorporating new aspects of technology into the classroom.
The knowledge I have gained in this class will definitely be relevant to the work that I do. I have already looked at and subscribed to blogs regarding evaluation and assessment. The district provides several staff developments throughout the year on technology and now that I am a little more in touch with new gadgets out there, I will be more inclined to sign-up for these in-services. I feel that blogs would be a great way for all of us to share ideas and finalize a special education staff development agenda. It will also allow all stakeholders a voice and let the administration hear what our department needs. I also would like to share the concepts of blogging with other teachers and staff members. There are probably quite a few teachers that are unaware of these technology tools and the educational impact they can have on students. It would also allow me as a department head to communicate with staff and get feed back in real time with out having to hold a meeting.
Sadly, my blog did not look as good as I wanted it to. I wanted to add more graphics and photos to make it look more user-friendly, but I had some problems. The problems I encountered were posting information to the blog website. I found it difficult to add text and change the font, size, and color. The buttons on the tool bar were confusing and difficult to use. For example, when I tried to post pictures the size and the layout options were confusing. After several hours of frustration, I began to get more familiar with the program and was able to navigate it with a better success rate. I also found the organization chart to cause me more hours of frustration than I care to mention. I hate when you know exactly how you want the blog to look and cannot, for lack of knowledge, get the program to cooperate. Needless to say, if I would have had more experience with the program it would have been a lot easier. I definitely need to spend more time learning the finer details of blogging.
I feel that I was successful in carrying out the course assignments, even though I was as apprehensive at first. My plan was to take it one week at time and focus on each particular task. I quickly became frustrated with board discussions. Waiting for someone else to post so I could respond was stressful. I was discouraged with the repetitiveness of having to turn in the assignments in more than one place. I had heard of blogging before, but this was the first time that I had actually created one. I just took my time and took it step by step. I soon discovered that blogging could be enjoyable. I also began to see how blogging could provide an educational opportunity for students that can be both meaningful and fun. Collaborating with my colleagues was great and I am glad I have found some other students that also enjoy sharing ideas. I am looking forward to sharing my new found knowledge with my colleagues at my campus! Even though it took a lot of time getting things going in the right direction I still enjoyed this part of the course.
I definitely discovered that I am a “digital immigrant” (Prensky 2001) and did not know as much about technology as I thought I did. I have discovered that I do have the ability to learn and apply new technology concepts. It is easy for me to be afraid of the unknown, but with a positive attitude and perseverance, I can master new technological applications. Throughout this course, I learned how to create a blog and how it can be used for educational purposes. I also discovered what the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020 was all about. Technology and information systems such as AEIS, AYP, and STaR Charts, are used to identify campus curriculum, instructional needs, and professional development needs in a district. All three of the above documents assist administrators in making instructional and staff development decisions. I was able to share this information with a few of my colleagues and I look forward to sharing this information with more teachers in the near future. I have to acknowledge, that I am pleased with myself for stepping out on the edge and learning something new. All technology can be intimidating to the people known as “digital immigrants!”
Blogging can be used in countless ways in education. It would allow students from around the world to collaborate directly on assignments or to share information with each other about different topics. The students of today are not timid in using technology on a daily basis. It is up to us as instructional leaders to continue to meet the needs of our students to ensure they are prepared for the 21st century. There are some dangers on the internet like cyber bullies, adult predators, viruses, worms, etc. Personally, the risks are worth the rewards. Imagine teaching a German class and actually blogging or collaborating with students in Germany, or talking about Physics with a Noble Prize winner. The real world applications are endless. There will always be dangers, but if we educate students on the pitfalls, the rewards far outweigh the negatives. Students will make good choices if they have a solid background of information. Teachers can make a difference in the student’s ability to decipher what information is pertinent and what information should be discarded. Technology must be seen as a tool and not as something frightening. In order for this to work, school districts must have acceptable use policies in place so it can be used appropriately and safely. I already use the web to communicate with athletes, parents, administrators, and other members of the community. It is the job of educators to help students of the 21st century with this endeavor. Remember, "it takes a village to raise a child" and we must reach outside the traditional school setting to the community. In order to do this, technology will provide us the means to accomplish the endeavor.

“Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants: Part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

From "Proverb: It Takes a Whole Village to Raise a Child". H-Africa (a member of H-Net's consortium of scholarly lists). http://www.h-net.org/~africa/threads/village.html. Retrieved 2007-12-01.