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=**Course Reflection Prompts**=

1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?

At the outset of this course, I had envisioned gaining experience with specific technology tools to be used across subject areas and grade levels. I thought we would be exposed to specific software, websites, hardware, and techniques for integrating them successfully in the classroom. I was even expecting that at some point we would be asked to try some material out with our students or create a lesson plan that could be used in the near future. Through the coursework in EDLD 5364 I did experience some of what I had envisioned; specifically the CAST Bookbuilder online and iknowthat.com which was referenced in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski. I have already done an “on-the-fly” training on the CAST Bookbuilder tool with the reading specialist at my campus as well as the GT specialist. After reviewing the iknowthat.com website, I signed up for an account that I will definitely use later this year. The strong focus on the UDL lesson design was not what I had envisioned for this course. We spent much of the five weeks working with this single tool and, while I understand the importance of getting appropriate design down before embarking on technology integration, I had anticipated spending more time with a wider variety of tools and experiences.

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

Because I have dual roles at my school (music specialist and campus technologist) all information that I gather regarding technology is useful. As mentioned in question number 1, I have already exposed two teachers to the CAST Bookbuilder tool and plan to include that tool in an upcoming training that will be campus-wide. Having the research, books, and online videos at my disposal will also help lead teachers and administrators at my campus to understand ways the use of technology tools will reinvent the way instruction is delivered and, ultimately, yield more engaged and successful students. While the team project we developed is not specific to my content area, knowledge of the process is valuable. Because I took part in a completely electronic collaboration I can show teachers at my school and in my district how group development of lessons is possible whether you are developing the learning design in a face-to-face fashion or collaborating with teachers across the district or even the world can yield valuable learning experiences for students.

3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

The UDL lessons developed by my group were valuable in helping me experience the process but did not produce a final product that I could implement directly. The group project was agreed upon by consensus and is not specific to the grade levels that I teach and is not in a subject for which I am responsible. The large amount of time in the course dedicated to creating this project subtracted from the amount of time that could have been spent practicing with new tools and developing products that I could implement immediately or in the near future in my own classroom. The extensive study and experience with the UDL process did not allow for a broader experience with a variety of technology tools. I have a great interest in the concept of learning via games and I would have liked to experience more of this – perhaps learning something completely new from a variety of choices of subject-related games.

4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?

I was successful in completing the course assignments. Having assignment rubrics imbedded in each assignment document was very useful. It is helpful when a student is asking “What does the teacher want and expect?” to have the expectations clearly lined out for review. Initially, our group was a bit “lost in the wilderness” when developing the UDL project. After studying the rubric more closely, the proverbial light bulb turned on and we were able to move forward with more confidence. The use of free online tools from Google, personal wikis, and blogs during this course was understandable in that we needed to gain deeper experience with these tools. By going through the use of these tools in an ongoing basis provided me with the understanding necessary to share their use with others and incorporate them more meaningfully in my own lessons. However, the use of so many tools at once did cause some confusion at times. Maintaining a mental clarity on the difference between our Google site (sometimes referred to in the lectures as our “Google wiki”), our Google docs, our personal wiki, and our personal blog got confusing. This may not have been a negative, however, because it helped me understand the confusion that could result with students if too many tools are implemented simultaneously.

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

This course taught me several things about myself. First, it was a reaffirmation of experiences I have had throughout my teaching career. Of particular interest was one of our first readings that mentioned “The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury” in the book //How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School// by Bransford, Brown, and Cocking. I actually have experience teaching with “Jasper” from my days in the REAL Initiative (Reinventing Education for Active Learning). We used the Jasper Woodbury series in our thinking skills class (or course, it was using some bygone technology – the video disc). I had attended specific workshops on Gardner’s multiple intelligences and it was interesting to see Howard Gardner “in person” on one of our videos. Secondly, I did have to push myself regarding my technology skills. I have limited experience with my webcam and I knew about embedding video on a wiki or website but never practiced. The posting of some video reflection on our group page took me from the somewhat uncomfortable to the “oh that’s easy” stage. I knew about Google docs but had limited experience with setting up documents for sharing with individuals or with everyone. Finally, while I was not the leader of my group, I learned the value of being a good follower and when to assert my leadership skills and when to sit back and allow others to take control. While our team had a unanimously elected leader, I felt that there was no real hierarchy of power. We worked well together with the leader being responsible for logistics of submissions, setting up our site organization, and managing our meetings. Perhaps “manager” would have been a more appropriate term for our leader. Many people working together truly yields a better final product.

