Rationale Paper

By Daniel Matthews Teacher at West Hall High School Graduate Learner at Boise State University
Introduction
I have always had a passion for technology. I remember the excitement when I was 6 waking up on Christmas morning with a brand new Nintendo from Santa Claus. I just wanted to play it, but about three days later I broke it when I took it apart to see how it worked. My parents were pretty upset about that, but they started giving me their old electronics so I could take them apart and see how they worked. The next time I got that excited was when I got a Motorola cell phone for my 16th birthday. It didnt have text messaging and sure didnt have the internet, but I could make a phone call from anywhere and I was really excited about that. My love for technology continued into college. The internet was just about everywhere when I was in college and we used it for everything from class to football to fun. When I graduated from Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN, I really didnt know what I wanted to do, so I floated between three jobs in less than two years before deciding to go into education. My family and I moved to North Carolina where I taught math for 4 years. While I was there, I was one of the first teachers in the school to get an interactive board, and I loved using the board. I could create so many excellent things using the board, the school system asked me to come and do an in-service with the technology committees across the county to teach them what I knew so they could share with their perspective schools. I also became the technology coordinator with our football program and was in charge of all things related to our video editing system. I love technology and I have for a long time, so when one of my colleagues told me about the Masters in Education Technology I perked right up and applied and started classes less than three weeks from the day he told me about it. I am currently a science teacher and football coach at West Hall High School in Gainesville, GA. Gainesville is a smaller city about an hour north of Atlanta just out of the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. I have been teaching for just over six years with four of them in North Caroline and the last two at West Hall. Since I did not go through a standard education degree program, I had a lot to learn about teaching. After 5 years of teaching I knew I needed to expand my knowledge of the field, but after researching about a dozen schools none of them had programs I was really excited about. Then one of my colleagues told me he received his Masters in Education Technology from Boise State and told me he uses things he learned in class every single day. He was so excited about the program, I went home, researched the program, told my wife about it, and we were off in less than three weeks. I am very thankful to say, I have not had any experiences or classes that have shaped my teaching style more than the courses and professors I have had from Boise State. This rationale paper will be a reflection of many of the things I have learned at Boise State. It is a culmination of many of the things I have learned. It will have resources I have created from papers to interactive websites and everywhere in between. The paper is part of a larger ePortfolio

of mine that is designed to show my growth as an individual and as an educator through the work I completed for my Master of Educational Technology degree. I have used the standards set by the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) in 2000 to link several artifacts completed through my process as a graduate student. This rationale paper will link artifacts to each standard from the AECT and explain how each selected artifact aligns to the standard showing mastery and complete understanding of the standard. In addition to showing mastery of the standards, I will relate theory to practice and explain how completing my masters directly impacted my teaching and coaching.

Standard 1: Design
1.1 Instructional Systems
According to the AECT Standards, the Instructional Systems Design is an organized procedure that includes the steps of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating instruction. During Ed Tech 503 Instructional Design, Dr. Freed had us explore many different instructional design models through readings and presentations. The Instructional Design Project is an artifact I created during this class that directly reflects sub-standard 1.1 and shows mastery of the standard. During the Instructional Design course we learned that through the design process the instructional designer will follow the steps of analyze, design, develop, and evaluate. My Instruction Design Project was a workshop designed to teach students in an after school video club at West Hall High School how to use Adobe Premier to create a highlight tape for prospective college athletes or clubs who were interested in having a promotional video. Since creating the project I have used it to train a small group of students at West Hall High School who can now help me create highlight films for some of the athletes and for other athletes in their perspective sports. I hope to eventually have enough computers in the school with the software installed I can make it a larger context where each sport or club sends one member to learn how to use the program. This year our school began doing video announcements and members who I have trained are doing the video editing for the announcements. The rationale for this training was that many students have the interest, but do not have the training or technology access to better their various programs. The instructional follows predominantly a supplantive instructional strategy. I felt his was the most appropriate to use based on the minimal knowledge the students had of Adobe Premier. According to Smith and Ragan, Supplantive instruction tends to conserve novice learners . . . for less knowledgeable learners, it may be more efficient than generative learning strategies: More material may be learned in a shorter period of time (Smith & Ragan, 2005, p.142). Through the design of this project I learned how to analyze learners and environment, design a training program, develop standards and objects, implement a program, and evaluate the effectiveness of the training.

1.2 Message Design

In Graphic Design for Educators, Ed Tech 506, we had to select and combine visual and text representations to effectively communicate instructional information. In order to create these images and messages, we used Adobe Fireworks to produce images throughout the semester. Standard 1.2 Message Design involves planning for the manipulation of the messages physical form. Throughout Ed Tech 506 we created several instructional messages to show mastery of message design principles, and all these instructional messages were created as part of a Unit of Instruction Plan. One of the images I created was the CARP Design Project which is one artifact I will use to demonstrate my mastery of message design. CARP stands for contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity. I used this design to convey the appropriate steps students needed to know in order to understand the process of mitosis. Linda Lohr explains, aligning images and words to create perceptual chunks helps reduce cognitive load (Lohr, 2002, p. 201). The process of cell division is so complex it can be represented in a design much more concisely than in text. I used pictures to represent each step of the process. The purpose of the pictures is to grab the learners attention and allow them to create a mental model of each step more easily. I then used another perceptual chunk in placing the description of each step of mitosis right next to the image it is related to. I also used other key message design components in this image. I used contrast in my color scheme effectively using black words and arrows against the white background and a white title in a black background for the header. I used alignment by aligning the images and words together. I used repetition by using the same font through the entire image, and proximity to show what things were together. All these elements together reduce the cognitive load on the students. Another artifact I created in Ed Tech 506 Graphic Design for Educators is my Justification Paper for my Unit of Instruction. The justification paper demonstrates mastery of message design by compiling eight different images and placing them each within a ten day unit of instruction. Each image is part of a very large chapter in Human Anatomy which covers the parts of the cell, types of tissues, cell division, and more. Each image is placed into a page on a website I created just for this project. I used this site last year when I completed this unit in class and it was a huge help for the students and for me. The students used it as a resource which helped reduce the instructional days in the unit from 16 days down to 10 days, and the students came out of the unit with a better understanding of each of the parts of it. I then added the website onto a shared webpage which is now available to all teachers teaching Human Anatomy in the county. One other teacher emailed me and thanked me for the unit plan and said she is planning to use it this year when she gets to the cells and body tissues unit. In the message I give students very strong images, videos, and questions to answer.

1.3 Instructional Strategies

An Instructional Strategy is a process or phase designed to deliver the content of a specific unit or a course. According to the AECT standards, sub-standard 1.3 is defined as specifications for selecting and sequencing events and activities within a lesson. Throughout Ed Tech 502, Internet for Educators, we learned about and how to produce several different artifacts using Adobe Dreamweaver and the Internet. Many of these artifacts demonstrate mastery of this substandard. At the beginning of the semester, I struggled mightily to write my own html code and CSS style sheets. This was one course I spent significantly more than the estimated weekly time on. As a result, though, I learned so much through the semester about using Dreamweaver to

design instruction. Towards the end of the semester one of our final projects was to design a Virtual Field Trip. My Virtual Field Trip is the artifact I will use to demonstrate mastery of the instructional strategies standard. The virtual field trip was intended to be a trip anywhere we would want to take a class. While I do not teach geography courses, I really wanted to create something I could use with the students in my class. I used the old cartoon The Magic School Bus as my inspiration and created a virtual tour of the human body. This virtual tour allowed students to learn about some of the major systems of the body using a multimodal approach. They would start with an introductory video about a topic, and then have some questions to answer about the video. Then they would have an activity to take them deeper. The field trip was not meant to be completely asynchronous so students were also expected to interact with each other and with the teacher through the process. Not only were the students learning many things about the human body, the students were also improving their 21stcentury skills related to technology that will better prepare them for the future.

1.4 Learner Characteristics

When designing an Instructional Program, several key factors must be addressed in order for the Instructional Program to be effective and for the school system to purchase the program. According to the AECT standards, Learner Characteristics can greatly impact how components of an instructional program are designed. In addition, Learner Characteristics play a very prominent role in the implementation of an instructional program. During Ed Tech 503 we had to design an in depth instructional design project, and my Instructional Design Project shows mastery of this sub-standard. This Instructional Design Project contains five main parts, I followed systems-oriented model by Smith and Ragan (2005). Smith and Ragans model has three phases: analysis, strategy, and evaluation. These three phases provide the conceptual framework for the eight steps that comprise their ID process (Gustafson & Branch, 2002). The Smith and Ragan model is based on the belief that if you provide a systematic problem-solving process, then effective instruction can occur. According to the Gustafson and Branch article, the Smith and Ragan model is also effective for developing specific instructional strategies. The most important phase of this model which shows mastery of sub-standard 1.4 is the analysis phase, more specifically, Part 2 the Learners Analysis. The first thing I did to create a learner assessment was to complete a needs assessment survey. The survey had questions related to the level of knowledge the students already had and what things I would need to supplement. Then I created a prerequisite skills chart so I could compare what skills the students would need compared to what they already had. Just because one method of instruction worked for one group does not mean it will work with another so we need to complete a needs assessment with each group we teach. The second artifact I chose to use for this standard is my Ed Tech 504 Constructivist Theory paper. In my paper I was challenged to look at how students are best able to take in knowledge and retain information, and how technology in the classroom has changed the way students process information and teachers can use different methods to coordinate the way information is distributed to the students in the room. Constructivists believe students best learn through experiences instead of simply sending information to them through lecture or taking tests. They need life-like experiences in order to truly understand what they are learning about. One way to do this is using resources available online and using electronic resources to allow students more

hands-on types of activities where they can learn about things they would never interact with. Learning about the theories of how students learn in the classroom helped me adjust my teaching methods based on what I believed. Before writing this paper my beliefs were strongly constructivist while my teaching methods were strongly behavioral. These did not match up because I was teaching the way it was demonstrated to me since I never had the benefit of a learning theory class in college or the benefit of student teaching and learning from a veteran teacher. Learning about how students learn has helped me connect with more students, and helped me connect more students to real life experiences while learning.

Standard 2: Development
2.1 Print Technologies
During Ed Tech 506 Instructional Message Design, we learned to use Adobe Fireworks to create visual images that conveyed specific messages. Throughout the entire course we built on our Fireworks skills and learned how to use these skills to create visual messages. All of the visual messages we created were related to design and followed specific guidelines explored by Linda Lohr (2008) in her book Creating Graphics for Learning and Performance. The images we created through the semester were related to a Unit of Instruction we were designing. My Unit of Instruction was for a unit in Human Anatomy & Physiology about cells, tissues, and their life cycles. The artifact I chose to show mastery of this sub-standard is the Cell City Analogy I created for my Unit of Instruction. According to the AECT standards, print technologies provide a foundation for the development and utilization of the majority of other instructional materials. The Cell City Analogy is something the students will use to demonstrate their knowledge of the parts of the cell. They will use this to learn about how the parts of the cell work like a small city, and then create their own metaphor using the parts of the cell. In her book, Lohr (2008) explains the use of white space is important in keeping sections separate. She also says that using a green background makes the words on the page easier to see (p. 270). I took this image from the original in white to the green one, I added in lines to separate the sections, and bolded the parts of the city. I also noticed many students overlooked the assignment at the bottom because it didnt stand out. I made it red which contrasted with the green to make the assignment stand out. When I used this in class two years ago many students forgot the last assignment and I had to have them redo it. This year only a small handful forgot to do it. I used the things I learned in this course to improve this and many other handouts I give the students with each unit.

2.2 Audio Visual Technologies

One of the main reasons I decided to get my masters in Educational Technology is my passion for video production. Deciding which electives to take throughout the program was difficult at times because so many of them looked interesting. One that I did not have to think twice about taking was Ed Tech 533, YouTube for Educators. In one of the first assignments for this class we were encouraged by Dr. Black to create a playlist of YouTube videos with a lesson plan attached to it. I am using my Playlist Lessons as my first artifact demonstrating mastery of this standard. In creating these lessons we had to create one playlist from each of three domains. I am using the one from the psychomotor domain for this video because it incorporates not only a

lesson plan, but it also includes physical activity. It really struck home for me because I used to coach track. I created a lesson plan teaching someone how to run the 100 meter dash properly. I can tell how many times kids have come in and said I already know how to run 100 meters. The video starts with Usain Bolt running his 100m world record run and then has him explain how he runs it. The AECT Standard states audiovisual technologies are used to produce or deliver materials by mechanical devices or electronic machines. We had athletes watching these YouTube videos at track meets before they ran so they could mentally focus on what they were supposed to do. This lesson demonstrates the use of electronic media do be delivered to students. A reason I got into teaching was so I could coach Football. I loved playing it in college and now coaching it is even more rewarding for me than playing ever was. I have been the technology expert at every school in every role I have been in throughout my career. This is why my next artifact hits very close to home with me. I created this Pregame Video using Adobe Premier, which is not specifically covered in the Ed Tech program, but was a huge reason why I started taking courses in Educational Technology. I created this video for students to watch in the moments before they take the field. The last three years I have created one of these every week of the football season to show before the game. I created this audio visual integrating video clips, audio tracks, pictures, slides, and tied it together with transitions and special effects. This video clearly demonstrates mastery of audiovisual technologies.

2.3 Computer-Based Technologies

Computer Based Technologies is a very broad category, and many of the artifacts I created could be applied under this category. I feel as if this program does a wonderful job using, as well as teaching M.E.T candidates to use, Computer Based Technologies. Almost all of the artifacts I created in Ed Tech 502 and 506 could be used under this sub-standard. One of the artifacts that I decided to use to show mastery of this sub-standard is the Interactive Concept Map. The Interactive Concept Map assignment required us to design a concept map about a particular topic and a web page that interactively uses the concept map. As a resource I found that students in Human Anatomy have typically struggled with remembering the 4 types of tissue. They can use this concept map to choose any of the types of tissue where they can see a video about the parts of the tissue, and some questions to check for understanding. Through these course I learned to find images that are non-copyrighted an can be used with attribution any time using the creative commons website.

2.4 Integrated Technologies

What are integrated technologies? This is also a pretty broad sub-standard but a very good one. I feel that if more teachers used integrated technologies with their lessons, the 21st Century student would be much more active and interested in their education. The AECT standard states that, Integrated technologies are ways to produce and deliver materials which encompass several forms of media under the control of a computer (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 40). There is no better way to show mastery of this standard than through the following two artifacts: The first artifact is my Ed Tech 502 WebQuest. The Web Quest is an unbelievable educational tool that I have used in my classroom every year with my Environmental Science classes since creating it. This interactive Web Quest provides the students with challenges faced in Africa

with water shortages and dirty water. Students are tasked into teams of 4 and told to come up with a solution to the water problem in Africa to present to the board at the United Nations. They may present in the form of a PowerPoint, a Prezi, or any other professional looking presentation tool available to them. Throughout the design process of the Web Quest, I learned how to apply many different design techniques to my website while showing mastery of the entire course Internet for Educators. Another artifact that I created that shows mastery of this sub-standard is my Ed Tech 501 Introduction Video. In my introduction video I used a video camera, and computer to do video editing. I also added in title slides and different scenes in the video. This was the very first project I had to do for any class at Boise State and it is still one of the projects I am proud of. I had students do an introductory video last year in class and the amount of time we spent on it was enormous, but I had some students produce excellent products. I was very proud of them. The video in conjunction with the Web Quest clearly demonstrate mastery of this standard.

References
Gustafson, K. L., & Branch, R. M. (2002). Survey of Instructional Development Models. Syracuse : ERIC Clearninghouse on Information and Technology. Lohr, Linda (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance: Lessons in visual literacy (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Seels, B., & Richey, R. (1994). Instructional technology: The definition and domains of the field. Washington, DC: Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Smith, P. L., & Ragan, T. J. (2005). Insuctional design. Danvers : John Wiley & Sons, Inc.