Course Reflections

Course Reflections


What outcomes did you envision for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those you envisioned?

I have been an educator for several years and I have realized that an increasing number of school districts are fully embracing technology in order to prepare students for the rapidly changing global economy. I have also realized that teachers, most of whom are “digital immigrants,” are being required to implement technology that they are not quite adept at using. To satisfy this need in the classroom, I have decided to pursue a degree in instructional technology to assist teachers with planning and implementing 21st Century lessons for the classroom. Prior to the commencement of this course, therefore, I envisioned gaining insights and hands-on experiences on technology implementation in education, as well as gaining knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of a technology leader. The course fulfilled my expectations. As a result of taking this course I am fully informed about the duties of a technology instructional leader, the federal and state requirements for technology implementation in schools, the various tools available to teachers for reaching and teaching “digital natives,” and for protecting them on the Internet.


To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?

At Truitt, one of the administration’s goals for education is more technology infusion in the classroom. During our team meetings, for instance, my content coach frequently communicates the principal’s desire for students to be actively involved with technology in the classroom. As a result, more effort is being invested into outfitting each classroom with Smartboard in order for teachers to actively engage students during instruction. This is barely enough though as teachers frequently face problems in other technology areas. The information that I have gathered from this class has only reinforced what I have always embraced: technology implementation will not be effective if it is being done with minimal support. Ihave gathered from this course that technology implementation requires adequate funding for equipment, training and support. It also requires buy-in from everyone, including the administration who must model technology. Most importantly though, teachers who are set in their ways must be willing to adopt a more democratic style of teaching that transfers control of learning from the teacher to the student, and technology integration facilitates such learning.


What outcomes did you not achieve?

Prior to starting this course I had minimal knowledge about some of the laws and principles pertaining to technology implementation in schools. I also was not fully aware of the many tools and options that are available to teachers and school districts for effective and efficient technology implementation. The course was very informative;it outlined the principles that entail technology implementation and the expected outcomes were achieved. I gained a great dealof experience using wiki, blogs, RSS feed and so on and have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding the planning and implementation of technology in schools. The only shortcoming, I believe, is the inability to thoroughly apply some of the concepts and strategies learned throughout the course. I could have definitely benefited more from the course if I had more time to apply or even experiment with what I am being taught.

Were your successful in carrying out the course requirements? If not what prevented or discouraged you?

Pursuing a graduate degree is a major undertaking that requires an enormous amount of time and sacrifice and this only served to reinforced that belief. Before embarking on this journey at Lamar, I successfully completed an online course through educational institution, which I was able to complete with great success. My performance in that course conferred the confidence I needed to move forward with my graduate degree, and since I my previous experience was met with minimal challenge, I felt confident with pursuing a course with a condensed curriculum. The obligations of this course, however, require an enormous amount of time and energy that I was not prepared to invest. As a result, from early in the course I have had to rethink my strategies and reorganize priorities. My actions proved beneficial and with much discipline and sacrifice I was able to successfully carry out all the requirements outlined in the course. It has been a very demanding course, but I prevailed.


What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?

Hard worker, passion for learning, persistent, curious…these are some of the words that come to mind as I reflect on my performance in this course over the past few weeks. This course has demanded a vast amount of energy that I have never before exerted in a project, nonetheless I persisted. I attribute my motivation to the drive to discover more about content that I was learning, not to mention to gratification from completing the course. I have also discovered that I have many weaknesses in the areas of technology leadership and skills. The surveys that I took earlier in the course, as well as the completion of my curriculum vitae, was very insightful as they highlighted some areas of strengths but more importantly, they revealed those skills that are lacking or need improvement. My goal, therefore is that by end of this program I will ascertain as skills, knowledge and expertise in the areas that I am currently lacking.