Reflection

For this course, I envisioned something entirely different than what I received. The course title is Instructional Leadership, but the course content was all about technology. I was looking forward to learning about the technology and how to integrate it in the classroom. I do not think the course actually taught me how to integrate the technology though. I enjoyed reading the articles and learning about the new technologies out there. From one article, I learned about a scanner that scans both sides of the page and saves it to your computer. I am now looking into this to use at home since our file cabinet is overflowing with saved bills and other paperwork. As far as the assignments go, I enjoyed creating the blog, the PowerPoint, and the flow chart. I liked actually being able to use the technology/software. I know many of my colleagues complained about the discussion. I didn’t think it was a big deal to respond to others’ quotes. I do think it was a mistake to ask us to use a different thread for each quote. That made the discussion board so large that it took forever for it to load.

I did find that the assignments I completed in this course are relevant to the work I do at school. I would like to set up a classroom blog at school. I am searching for grants to apply for to get laptop computers in the classroom. Our students are required to create PowerPoints throughout the year. I used a few of the websites listed in the readings to print out cyber safety information for my parents and students. We are preparing to begin our large G/T project after the holidays. As we begin, I will use some of these websites to show students how to properly use a search engine, and how to remain safe while working on the Internet.

I do not think that I learned anything new on how to integrate technology in the curriculum. I do not feel it was presented in this course. I learned that our Acceptable Use Policy needs to be updated, and I learned how to blog. I learned how to upload presentations into a blog. None of that necessarily shows me how to integrate technology with curriculum. The students already know how to use PowerPoint. I will share with them the tips on making a good PowerPoint presentation. I am now eager to discover how to better integrate technology into students’ learning, but I am figuring that out on my own. The interest came from this class, but not the learning.

Yes, I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. The first assignment was large and was during Thanksgiving week, but we were given an additional week to complete it. I enjoyed creating the blogs, the PowerPoint, and the flowchart more than I did summarizing the Campus Improvement Plan, District Improvement Plan, Long Range Plan, or StaR charts. I found that to be mostly busy work and very discouraging. The STaR chart was informative and relevant to me. Besides reviewing and discussing the other plans once a year, I do not use them much at school. There were several articles to read, but they were short and most of them were interesting.


From this course, I learned how to blog and how to upload presentations into a blog. I am fairly tech savvy. I would love to use more technology in the classroom daily, but we only have one student computer per classroom. That makes it difficult for students to complete assignments or create products using the computer. I do not feel that this course taught me anything about my leadership skills. It did not tie the technology in with leadership. I would like to set up a classroom blog, but know there is red tape that I need to go through first. My attitude has not changed much, but I am more motivated to find a way to get more technology here at my school.

I believe the value of blogging could be immense to the 21st century learner. Students love being able to “chat” with fellow students and to collaborate online about any subject, academic or otherwise. By creating a classroom blog, students would be able to collaborate on assignments, ask questions of each other and the teacher, share resources, and to provide assistance to others. Parents would be able to see what their child is working on and communicate any questions or concerns with the teacher. Student products could be shared via the blog. In order to do this, the district and principal need to give permission, our AUP needs to be updated, and a blog would need to be created within the firewall of our district.

One of the biggest concerns with blogs and blogging is the safety of the students. Teachers and parents need to teach cyber safety to all students. The blogs will need to be closely monitored. Another concern is the unreliability of information on the Web. Students need to learn how to use evaluation tools, and they need to use them when they are using the Internet. Students need to understand that anyone can blog, and blogs are often based on opinion rather than fact. Students also need to understand that a classroom blog is created for the classroom – it is not a social networking site. They should keep their posts related to the topic being discussed. There need to be consequences for those that do not.

Blogging can be used to communicate with stakeholders just as it is used with students. Parents and other stakeholders can follow the classroom blog to learn what is happening in the classroom. Teachers and students can ask questions of the stakeholders and answer any questions the stakeholders may have. The latest classroom resources could be posted for all to see. A classroom newsletter could be created by students and posted monthly. Teachers can post student achievements. Blogging can be a wonderful tool to keep all stakeholders communicating and collaborating. I am looking forward to the day that my district sets up a blog or allows me to create a classroom blog.