ISTE Standard III: Model digital age work and learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
Standards•T © 2008 International Society for Technology in Education. |
REFLECTION:
Transfer. Collaborate. Communicate. Analyze. Evaluate. Teachers in all subject areas have a responsibility to incorporate digital technologies into their curriculum and teaching methods. This responsibility is even more significant for those teachers--like me--who teach technology classes such as Graphic Design and Web Page Design. Not only are new and different technologies being frequently introduced, but existing technologies are constantly evolving; I have lost count of the number of different software programs I have had to learn over the course of my professional career. Many technologies are meant to do the same thing--nearly any word processing software will allow you to key and format a report, for example--yet a new software is considered better or more state of the art, or an existing software has been revised and updated such that its tools and functions are nearly unrecognizable. Luckily, I have learned through hard-won experience, more than by formal instruction, how to look for similarities so as to transfer my existing knowledge to whatever new hardware, software, or web-based tool I am asked to use. My goal as a technology teacher is as much to teach this skill of transfer to my students as to teach them the commands and keystrokes needed to utilize the tools.
Teaching often seems a very solitary existence, at least in my experience. I have my classes, during which communications with others is typically more a bother than a benefit. My planning period is crammed with emails, phone calls, and paper pushing. I communicate with, well, everyone in a variety of means, but these communications are typically to address a problem, resolve an issue, or answer a question. Too seldom do I have the opportunity to collaborate deeply with other professionals, rather, collaboration happens in bits and bytes of time. I find it interesting that, in my opinion, although we have so many ways to communicate, our communications seem scattered and shallow as though having these communication tools so readily at our fingertips negates the need to fully articulate our thoughts. I have all too often fielded multiple emails in resolving a situation, when one or two would have sufficed if the originator had only taken the time to fully describe the situation.
The next section contains icons for five artifacts linking to works I created and/or participated in the creation of and which I believe are superior examples of just what this standard defines. You may click on any image to have that artifact open in a new window. In the list below I have justified my choices and you may click on the heading for each to open the artifact in a new window; any words shown in bold will open a website relating to that item in a new window.
Transfer. Collaborate. Communicate. Analyze. Evaluate. Teachers in all subject areas have a responsibility to incorporate digital technologies into their curriculum and teaching methods. This responsibility is even more significant for those teachers--like me--who teach technology classes such as Graphic Design and Web Page Design. Not only are new and different technologies being frequently introduced, but existing technologies are constantly evolving; I have lost count of the number of different software programs I have had to learn over the course of my professional career. Many technologies are meant to do the same thing--nearly any word processing software will allow you to key and format a report, for example--yet a new software is considered better or more state of the art, or an existing software has been revised and updated such that its tools and functions are nearly unrecognizable. Luckily, I have learned through hard-won experience, more than by formal instruction, how to look for similarities so as to transfer my existing knowledge to whatever new hardware, software, or web-based tool I am asked to use. My goal as a technology teacher is as much to teach this skill of transfer to my students as to teach them the commands and keystrokes needed to utilize the tools.
Teaching often seems a very solitary existence, at least in my experience. I have my classes, during which communications with others is typically more a bother than a benefit. My planning period is crammed with emails, phone calls, and paper pushing. I communicate with, well, everyone in a variety of means, but these communications are typically to address a problem, resolve an issue, or answer a question. Too seldom do I have the opportunity to collaborate deeply with other professionals, rather, collaboration happens in bits and bytes of time. I find it interesting that, in my opinion, although we have so many ways to communicate, our communications seem scattered and shallow as though having these communication tools so readily at our fingertips negates the need to fully articulate our thoughts. I have all too often fielded multiple emails in resolving a situation, when one or two would have sufficed if the originator had only taken the time to fully describe the situation.
The next section contains icons for five artifacts linking to works I created and/or participated in the creation of and which I believe are superior examples of just what this standard defines. You may click on any image to have that artifact open in a new window. In the list below I have justified my choices and you may click on the heading for each to open the artifact in a new window; any words shown in bold will open a website relating to that item in a new window.
- IT569 Pixlr (Transfer): While far from being expert, I have been using Photoshop for a couple of years now in my Graphic Design and Digital Media classes, so when I was introduced to Pixlr in the IT569 Multimedia class, I was able to transfer much of what I had learned about Photoshop and apply that knowledge to using the web-based Pixlr photo editing software. I introduced Pixlr to my students as a method of practicing some of the same skills found in Photoshop, as only one of my students had access to Photoshop from home. Click on the image below, or on this bullet's heading, to see an example of my work with Pixlr.
- IT648 BlackBoard Collaborate (Collaborate): My first collaborative project in the MSIT program occurred during the IT648 Telecommunications in Education class. The project's objective was to utilize, analyze, and evaluate the communication tools found in the BlackBoard Learning Management System. The other group members and I met virtually using BlackBoard's Collaborate tool and we communicated using the voice and text messaging components of Collaborate. Following our use of the tools, we collaborated further on a paper discussing our activities and our findings. Click on the image below, or on this bullet's heading, to see the report of our findings
- IT645 Google Groups (Communicate): Along with the Blackboard communication tools, I have used Google Groups for communication with fellow students. As a student, I have communicated with peers, professors, and others using the Google email account provided by USM. As a teacher, I use the Outlook email account provided by my school district. In addition, teachers at my school are encouraged to use a free digital communication tool called Remind (click here for more information)
- IT648 BlackBoard Collaborate Communication Tools (Analyze): The primary focus of the collaborative assignment in IT648 was to analyze the functionality of the different communication tools available in BlackBoard Collaborate. As part of this analysis, each group member tested the different tools and reflected on their experiences. click on the image shown below or this bullet's header to see my own analysis of these tools.
- IT648 Edmodo Learning Management System (Evaluate): As an independent project in IT648, I was to find a free, web-based tool that could be used for communication. The Edmodo Learning Management System is certainly a great deal more than just a communications tool, but it was the tool I chose to research and evaluate. Additionally, I was to create an exploration website to introduce and describe this tool. The thumbnail image shown below is a snippit from the homepage of the website I created. Clicking on the image or on this bullet's header will take you to my reflection on this tool; within the reflection you will find a link to the website I created.
FUTURE LEARNING GOALS:
The tools and practices I have learned through the MSIT program have made--and I believe will continue to made--me a better teacher. I will continue to expand upon my knowledge of new technologies and methodologies so as to continue growing as an instructor. For example, my next educational endeavor will be an online course on using the Canvass Learning Management System software; this course is required by the Mississippi Department of Education for partial fulfillment of requirements to upgrade my teaching license endorsements. Once I complete the course, I will be assigned a Canvas shell and will be able to use the LMS with my own classes. Canvas is a very similar program to BlackBoard and Edmodo. I am very excited about the opportunity to learn this new program and to be able to use the program in my classes.
The tools and practices I have learned through the MSIT program have made--and I believe will continue to made--me a better teacher. I will continue to expand upon my knowledge of new technologies and methodologies so as to continue growing as an instructor. For example, my next educational endeavor will be an online course on using the Canvass Learning Management System software; this course is required by the Mississippi Department of Education for partial fulfillment of requirements to upgrade my teaching license endorsements. Once I complete the course, I will be assigned a Canvas shell and will be able to use the LMS with my own classes. Canvas is a very similar program to BlackBoard and Edmodo. I am very excited about the opportunity to learn this new program and to be able to use the program in my classes.
Copyright ©2015 Ms. Rhonda J. Reid. Last updated July 12, 2015. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express
written permission of Ms. Rhonda J. Reid is prohibited.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express
written permission of Ms. Rhonda J. Reid is prohibited.