What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
When I enrolled in the Educational Technology Leadership program, I knew that I wanted to improve my technology teaching skills by learning better methods of design and delivery in an online environment. The content of this first course has far exceeded my expectations. I have been able to take the knowledge gained and already apply it to improve the learning at my campus as well as other campuses. My analysis of the Texas Long Range Plan gave me more clarity about how my campus could work with area school districts. I can now access data sources such as STaR charts for surrounding schools and take this information to my administration to create partnerships that will benefit all parties involved. The two online communities I built are already making progress due to the specific skills I learned through resources made accessible by this course. Even though I teach at a community college level and do not have the same accountability as elementary and secondary teachers, the course made me realize I still need to incorporate ethical and responsible decision making skills into my class material. I was skeptical at the beginning of this course because I did not really think there was any technical content, but now I am pleased with all I have accomplished through the coursework.
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?
I was not sure whether the course content would benefit me especially since I am at a community college level. After taking the self evaluation at the beginning of the class, I did not understand how the first four questions relating to the Texas Long Range Plan and the STaR charts would relate to my job; I scored a 28. I realize now that the more information I have about our elementary and secondary educational system and the goals that are in place to ensure student success, I can have more of an impact on the students that will eventually come into my classroom. The purpose of the entire educational process is to equip students for a “global” workforce where technology skills are crucial to be competitive. I have acquired information and skills in this course which I can use to improve my students’ learning environment as well as students in the districts that surround me through collaborative technology projects that will benefit everyone involved. I was pleasantly surprised to take the post-class self evaluation and score a 46.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
While I believe that I met all of the course outcomes, I would like to spend more time on the content so it is second nature to me. The timeline of the course is a blessing and a curse. Offering the Educational Technology Leadership program in an eighteen month period online affords me the opportunity to participate when I might not be able to otherwise. My work schedule and family life would not be conducive to any other type of delivery method.
This course has given me access to several sources of information and tools that I want to explore in more depth. I do not feel that I had adequate time within the framework of the course to incorporate all of the tools I have been exposed to. I plan on going back over the readings and researching the suggested websites in more depth, then compiling and sharing the information on my blog.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
Although I completed all of the course assignments, some were accomplished more easily than others. There was a wealth of useful information in the reading material and I enjoyed the interaction on the discussion boards. I am an analytical person by nature and found the study of the Texas Long Range Plan and STaR charts a good exercise. The assignments I found a little more challenging were the online collaborations where the input of other stakeholders was a key to the completion of the exercise within the time constraints involved. I had originally started my online community with a group that included other faculty members and business professionals within the industry my program trains for, but after creating the wiki and setting a timeline and agenda, I had a hard time soliciting a response. I created a new online community which was geared towards constructing games that would use technology to deliver content to students in the surrounding districts. I am excited because both communities are thriving and have many potential benefits in the future.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
I have always been an involved member of the faculty at my college. While some faculty “get by”, I have always prided myself on being one of the “20 percent” instead of the “80 percent”. Through this class I discovered that I could do even more and involve other faculty members in the process. I also learned that I am capable of doing this program after having doubts about my ability to be a “learner” after being a teacher for so long.
My entire career has been in jobs where technology was the main focus. I started this class with the belief that I knew everything about technology to do my job successfully but I needed the “paper” to prove it. I have been exposed to new tools and data that I will carry to my fellow colleagues to promote the use of technology within my campus as well as at other schools that feed into my campus. This class has definitely given me the confidence to be a leader in carrying the goal of our education system forward by providing me with the information and tools I did not have before.
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