As soon as I realized the course addressed technology, I was both nervous and relieved. I was nervous that I didn’t know enough technology to be successful in the course and relieved that I would finally learn enough to feel confident in addressing technology as an administrator. Because I was unaware of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, I began the course believing the entire course would focus on instructional use of technology in the classroom. I believe the class achieved the outcomes I had hoped and surpassed my expectations. The course truly provided a strong overview of technology applications. The course not only informed me of state expectations and instructional use ideas, it also provided ideas for better security, upcoming trends and how to utilize several forms of data to make informed decisions regarding technology. The course also provided extensive opportunities to read and accumulate reading material that will be useful as I move into an administrator role.
I felt the course work was extremely relevant for current work in school. It has been nice to discuss current issues facing other school administrators as they utilize technology. The course work provided a strong framework for seeing technology applications from several vantage points. As my district is currently providing laptops for teachers, laptop carts for classrooms and placed projectors in every room, course topics have been useful in understanding how to better utilize technology in the classroom. As I sat down with our Technology director for our campus and our principal, I felt the assignments helped me to keep current with conversation and discuss issues our campus is facing while trying to integrate technology into the classroom. The questions provided also helped the principal jot some quick notes for follow-up and consideration. The course also provided fantastic articles giving even more updated information especially considering internet safety and use.
I would have liked to have spent a little more time learning instructional techniques for the classroom. The course provided excellent resources and information however I would have also enjoyed knowing new information that would be useful for teachers trying to be more creative and successful with technology applications. I would have also liked to see how technology is transforming the way administration conducts daily business. Being aware of updated strategies for discipline, observation and community connections would be beneficial for administrators. There was no real problem. There was just a lot of information for one course. I would have liked to have known more. I do have some great avenues for additional study.
Some weeks I would read the assignments and just shut down the program and feel sure there would be no way to be successful. I felt worried when I first read I would need to create a blog. I was worried about the time it would take and how I could be successful in creating one. It took just a few minutes and I was ready to go! It really increased my confidence. I was again nervous when I was assigned a power point. I have not had to create many slide shows and I first I was overwhelmed. I was surprised at how easy it was. It was actually fun after a while and I enjoyed trying different techniques to make my power point more inventive. It was the joy of learning. I loved it. I enjoyed utilizing more of the discussion board. I was overwhelmed at first, but after a while I found I was so much more aware of the information in the articles and enjoyed what others had to say about their campuses.
I felt I learned something new each week in the course. I enjoyed the action plan. Technology is such a bear to people, and being a digital immigrant can be intimidating when desiring to lead a campus. Creating the action planned assured me that I could gather useful information, create goals and make decisions that could lead a campus to success. I also enjoyed creating a blog and power point. I believe I will be much more willing to use those in the future. I also learned the relevance of a STaR chart and what our scores mean. I also know how the state is moving in regards to technology application.
Blogs are of great educational value to the 21st century learner. Students can read a teacher’s blog for greater insight into a subject or to be updated on assignments. Students can also react to a blog and keep an interaction going with a teacher. Teachers may also utilize blogs as part of instruction. They might have blogs set up for students to discuss characters in a novel, a challenging math problem or science problems. Students can also read the Blogs of great leaders, thinkers and innovators. Blogs are essentially communication. That communication can be used in many ways to help support and build student engagement and connection to the content of course.
There are two main concerns for blogs. First would be the educational quality of a blog. Because it is just a forum for communicating, there is no watch dog or security in place for making sure information is accurate. Blogs are generally people’s opinions and experience. They are not always valid or educations. Secondly, allowing student to communicate online increases the risk for negative encounters online. There are a lot of predators hoping to draw students in for the wrong reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to set clear boundaries, take precautions to keep students safe.
Blogging can be used to communicate to students and parents about assignments. Blogs might provide parents with insights as to how to best meet the needs of students. Blogs can also help the community stay informed about events and happenings on campus. Currently Santa Fe High School is undergoing quite an extensive building project. A blog can keep stakeholders informed about the process and progress of construction. Administrators can also use blogs to celebrate performance, wins and other great things happening in a district. Blogs can also be used to help influence and inform stakeholders about major issues facing the campus. Administration can communicate purpose and plans to gain responses and support. Blogs can also be used by students to respond to work they are doing in school or use it for a creative writing experience. The avenues are endless. It will be exciting to watch how schools utilize blogs in the near future.
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