AmySimon

1stGradeTeacher,KnappElementarySchool,RacineUnifiedSchoolDistrict
February2015
INTRODUCTION
ThepurposeofthispaperistoshowmasteryoftheAssociationforEducationalCommunicationsand
Technology(AECT)standardsthroughmycourseworkintheMasterofEducationalTechnology
(M.E.T.)programatBoiseStateUniversity.ThepaperincludesasectionforeachoftheAECT
standards:ContentKnowledge,ContentPedagogy,LearningEnvironments,ProfessionalKnowledge
andSkills,andResearch.Withineachofthefivestandardsareindicators,orsubstandards.Samplesof
myworkareprovidedalongwithadescriptionofeachartifactandanexplanationofhowtheartifact
showsmasterofthestandard.
STANDARD1CONTENTKNOWLEDGE
Candidatesdemonstratetheknowledgenecessarytocreate,use,assess,andmanagetheoreticaland
practicalapplicationsofeducationaltechnologiesandprocesses.
EDTECH502:VirtualFieldTrip
TheVirtualFieldTripisavirtualtouroffourNationalLandmarksintheUnitedStates.Studentsvisit
theWhiteHouse,StatueofLiberty,MountRushmore,andtheGatewayArch.Itisdesignedfor
studentsingrades13whoarelearningbasicinformationabouttheUnitedStates.Ateachstopalong
thetour,studentsareexpectedtofindbasicinformationandrecorditintheirtravellog.This
assignmentshowcasesmyabilitytouseHTML5andCSS.EachpageofthisVirtualTripwascreated
inDreamweaver.
EDTECH502:JigsawActivity
TheJigsawActivityiscreatedforprimarystudentstolearnmoreaboutcommunityhelpers.Students
workcollaborativelyingroupstoresearchacommunityhelper.Eachcommunityhelperhasasetof

websiteslinkedforstudentstouseintheirresearch.Avideoisalsoembeddedintothesitefor
additionalinformation.Thenallgroupsreportouttotheclasssothatallstudentslearnaboutfive
differentcommunityhelpers:policeofficer,teacher,doctor,firefighter,andlibrarian.Thisassignment
wascreatedinDreamweaverusingHTML5andCSS.
EDTECH541:Math&ScienceSimulationsandResources
Thisassignmentisacombinationof4simulationsand20resourcesfocusedaroundelementarymath
andsciencecontent.Eachsimulationincludesadescriptionoftheeducationalvalue,easeofuse,
appropriateagelevel,applicabilitytotheprojecttheme,andmypersonalopinion.Eachresource
includesabriefdescriptionofthesiteaswellasideasforhowteacherscanintegratethesiteintothe
classroom.
EDTECH505:RequestforProposal
FarWestLaboratoryforEducationalandResearchDevelopment(FWL)hassubmittedarequestfor
proposalstoevaluateitsDeterminingInstructionalPurposestrainingprogram.Thisassignmentisa
responsefortheRequestforProposalinwhichamadeupevaluator,RateExpectations,laysouthow
theevaluationcompanywouldcompleteanevaluationofthetrainingprogramdevelopedbyFWLand
makerecommendationsforfuturemarketingofthetrainingmodules.
EDTECH597:CreativeCommons
ThispageshowstheCreativeCommonsLicensingfortheblogsitecreatedinEDTECH597:Blogging
intheClassroom.ThiswasmyfirstexperiencewithCreativeCommonsLicensingandintroducedme
toCreativeCommons.
EDTECH502:NetiquettePage

Inthisassignment,IcreatedawebpagewithNetiquetterulesthatshouldbefollowedbyallelementary
studentsbasedonrecommendationsandexpectationssetforthbymyschooldistrict.Thesiteincludesa
NetiquetteQuickReferenceinanasidethatIwasabletocode.
EDTECH502:CopyrightScavengerHunt
Thisassignmentisdesignedtoteachelementarystudentsaboutcopyrightlawsandwhyitisimportant
forstudentsofanyagetoknowandunderstandcopyright.
Indicators
CreatingCandidatesdemonstratetheabilitytocreateinstructionalmaterialsandlearning
environmentsusingavarietyofsystemsapproaches.(p.81)
TheVirtualFieldTripdemonstratesmyabilitytocreatelearningmaterialsandlearning
environments.Thisactivityincorporatesstudentstudentandstudentteachercollaboration.All
necessarystudentmaterialsareincluded.
TheJigsawActivitydisplaysthatIamabletoorganizeandpresentcontenttomystudentsina
waythatengagesthemincollaborativediscussionandcollaborativeresearch.Inaconstructivist
classroom,studentsmustbeinvolvedandengagedintheirlearningandbecomeactiveparticipantsin
theirlearning.Cooperativeteacherstudentandstudentstudentrelationsshareresponsibilityofthe
classroomculture.Studentsareexpectedtoparticipateinactivitiesthatallowthetheopportunityto
learndifferentperspectivesfromtheirown(DeVries,2002,p.610).Studentsarepresented
opportunitiestodothosethingsintheVirtualFieldTripandJigsawActivity.Havingtheknowledgeof
developingtheseactivitiesallowsformanyadditionalopportunitiestocreatesimilarengagingunitsof
study.
UsingCandidatesdemonstratetheabilitytoselectandusetechnologicalresourcesand
processestosupportstudentlearningandtoenhancetheirpedagogy.(p.141)

InmyMathandScienceSimulationsandResourcesPage,Ihadtosearchandfindnumerous
simulationsandresourcesthatcouldsupportandenhancestudentlearningandengagementinthe
classroom.TheMathandScienceSimulationsandResourcespagehasproventobeaveryusefultool.
Ioftenrefertotheresourcesfoundonthepagewhenplanningformathinstructionandscience
integration.Thisallowsmetoprovidemystudentswithavarietyofresourcesandactivities.In
EDTECH541,IwasintroducedtoawebtoolcalledSymbaloothatallowsmetocreateavisualmenu
ofresourcesformystudents.Thisisespeciallyusefulwithyoungstudents,andIhavereceivedpositive
feedbackfromstudentfamiliesthatprovidessafe,educationaloptionsfortheirchildsscreentimeat
home.
Assessing/EvaluatingCandidatesdemonstratetheabilitytoassessandevaluatetheeffective
integrationofappropriatetechnologiesandinstructionalmaterials.
IntheMathandScienceSimulationsandResourcespage,Ihadtosearchandfindnumerous
simulationsandresourcesthatcouldsupportandenhancestudentlearningandengagementinthe
classroom.Resourcesarevast,butnotallresourceshelptosupportstudentlearning.Ihadtoexplore
theresourcesandfindwhichactivitiesandsimulationswouldmakethemostimpactonstudent
learningratherthanjustbeashinynewpackagingofthesamematerials.Whilechoosingmath
resourcestouseformystudents,IconsiderwhatwillhelptheminVandeWallesConcrete
RepresentationalAbstract(CRA)developmentalprocess(VandeWalle).Itendtochooseresources
thathavearepresentationalmodelandanabstractapproachtoprovidesomedifferentiationformy
studentswhoareatdifferentdevelopmentallevelswitheachskill.
ManagingCandidatesdemonstratetheabilitytoeffectivelymanagepeople,processes,physical
infrastructures,andfinancialresourcestoachievepredeterminedgoals.(p.178)
IntheRequestforProposal,IhadtopresentmyselfasanEvaluatoranddeterminetheprocess,
personnel,andresourcesneededtoconductanevaluationforFarWestLaboratory.Ihadtodetermine
howmanystaffmemberswouldbeneededfortheevaluation,howmanydaysonsitewouldbeneeded,

andtravelaccommodationsformystaff.Ialsohadtodeterminethemosteffectivewaytocollectdata
fromparticipantsincludingthoseadministeringthetrainingprogramandthoseparticipatinginthe
modules.Thisproposalshowswhenandhowdatawouldbecollectedandanalyzedtoprovideafull
evaluationofFWLsDeterminingInstructionalPurposestrainingprogram.
EthicsCandidatesdemonstratethecontemporaryprofessionalethicsofthefieldasdefinedand
developedbytheAssociationforEducationalCommunicationsandTechnology.(p.284)
Inallofmyassignments,IbelieveIhavehonoredtheAssociationforEducational
CommunicationsandTechnologyethicsstandards.Inmyfirstsemesterintheprogram,Ilearnedabout
theCreativeCommonsLicensinginEDTECH597BloggingintheClassroom,andinEDTECH502I
createdaCopyrightScavengerHuntandaNetiquettePage.Intheseexamplesfrommyfirstsemester
oftheprogramallthewaythroughthefinalcourses,Ihavebeenexpectedtonotonlyfollowbut
promotecurrentandsoundprofessionalpracticesintheuseoftechnologyineducation(Association
forEducationalCommunication&Technology).
STANDARD2CONTENTPEDAGOGY
Candidatesdevelopasreflectivepractitionersabletodemonstrateeffectiveimplementationof
educationaltechnologiesandprocessesbasedoncontemporarycontentandpedagogy.
EDTECH513:WorkedExampleScreencast
ThisisascreencasttutorialthatshowselementarystudentshowtouseGaragebandtorecordabook
talkthatcanbeusedinapodcast.IusedJingtorecordandpublishthescreencast.
EDTECH503:InstructionalDesignFinalProject
MyInstructionalDesignProjectwasdesignedfor1stgradestudents,butcouldbeadjustedforany
elementaryschoolclassroom.StudentscreateapodcastusingGaragebandwheretheyrecordabook
talkforabooktheyhaverecentlyread.TheunitwasdesignedusingtheADDIEinstructionaldesign
process.Indesigningthisproject,IconsideredallfiveaspectsoftheADDIEprocess:analysis,design,

development,implementation,andevaluation.Ialsoconsultedwithasubjectmatterexpert(SME)for
adjustmentsandconsiderations.
EDTECH542:ProjectBasedLearningFinalProject
Thisassignmentwascompletedasawholecourseproject.MyProjectBasedLearningunit,Healthy
Bodies,HealthyMinds,focusesonnutritionandphysicalactivity.Studentsworkcollaborativelyto
developaweeklongmenuofhealthymealoptionsandtocreateaphysicalactivityguidethatgives
kidschoicesofhowtomeettheirdailyphysicalactivityrecommendations.Studentspresenttheirmenu
andguidetoschoolleadersandparentsinanefforttostartaschoolwideandcommunitychange
towardhealthyliving.IcreatedthisprojectusingGoogleSites.
EDTECH501:TechTrends
Thisassignmentlooksatoneofthetrendsintechnology,mobilelearning.Itlooksathowmobile
learningcanbeusedinelementaryclassrooms.Theassignmentgivesideasofhowstudentsand
teacherscangobeyondsimplyincorporatingtechnology,butactuallyutilizetechnologythroughthe
useofthingssuchasvirtualmanipulatives,tutorials,andvideos.
EDTECH501:DigitalDivide/Inequality
Thispresentationshowsthreemainissueswithdigitalinequalityinmycommunity.Thethreemain
issuesIresearchedare:access,socioeconomicstatus,andeducationalimplications.Iwasabletolearn
moreaboutthefamiliesinmyschoolcommunityaswellasinmyschooldistrict.Thisalsoshowed
somesignificantimplicationsoneducationandurgencyinincreasingaccesstoallregardlessof
socioeconomicstatus.Thefinalslidethepresentationgivessomeideastolookforfundingsourcesto
increaseaccessinacommunity.
Indicators

CreatingCandidatesapplycontentpedagogytocreateappropriateapplicationsofprocesses
andtechnologiestoimprovelearningandperformanceoutcomes.(p.1)
InmyWorkedExampleScreencastofhowtorecordabooktalk,Ishowmystudents
stepbystepwhatapplicationtouse,howtoaccesstheapplication,andhowtorecordtheirbooktalk.
Thisvideousesastudentlaptop,sowhatstudentsseeontheirscreenisthesame.Italsoallowsfor
studentstopauseandreviewthevideoastheyworkalongwithit.Thistakestheguessworkoutof
usinganewapplicationandfocusesstudentsontheobjectivesoftheirwork.
TheInstructionalDesign(ID)Projectcontainschecklists,anchorcharts,andrubricsfor
studentstouseastheyarecreatingtheirbooktalks.Thesecanbeusedbyindividualstudents,orcould
beusedinpeerreviews.Again,theseresourcesareprovidedforstudentstouseastoolstoproducethe
bestqualitywork.
UsingCandidatesimplementappropriateeducationaltechnologiesandprocessesbasedon
appropriatecontentpedagogy.(p.141)
ResearchonProjectBasedLearning(PBL)showsthatPBLcanincreasestudentretentionof
content,canimproveproblemsolvingandcollaborationskills,andcanimprovestudents'attitudes
towardslearning(
http://www.edutopia.org/projectlearning
outcomes).MyPBLunitengagesstudents
inreflectionoftheirownnutritionandphysicalactivitylevels.Theyaregivenseveralstepstoscaffold
astheyreachtheultimategoalofcreatingamenuandaphysicalactivityguideforstudentsinour
school.Thisgivesstudentsareallifesituationtoimmediatelyapplyknowledgegainedthrough
collaborativeresearchaswellasapublicaudiencefortheirfinalproducts.
Assessing/EvaluatingCandidatesdemonstrateaninquiryprocessthatassessestheadequacyof
learningandevaluatestheinstructionandimplementationofeducationaltechnologiesand
processes(p.116117)groundedinreflectivepractice.
InstructionalDesign(ID)ProjectusedtheADDIEmodel:Analysis,Design,Develop,
Implement,andEvaluate.Thismodelofdesignrequirestheinstructionaldesignerstoanalyzestudent
needsindesigninganddevelopingtheinstruction,tobereflectiveandevaluatetheinstructionorunit,

andtomakerevisionstoaddressthechangingstudentneeds.InstructionaldesignwiththeADDIE
modeliscyclicalandneverstops.
ManagingCandidatesmanageappropriatetechnologicalprocessesandresourcestoprovide
supportivelearningcommunities,createflexibleanddiverselearningenvironments,anddevelop
anddemonstrateappropriatecontentpedagogy.(p.175193)
InmyInstructionalDesign(ID)Project,wefollowedtheADDIEmodel:Analysis,Design,
Develop,Implement,andEvaluate.TheADDIEmodelisaprocessthatcontinuouslyanalyzesstudent
needs,designanddevelopinstructiontoaddressthoseneeds,andevaluatehowwellthestudentneeds
weremetandwhatneedsarestillevident.Instructorsmusthaveflexibilityinaddressingthechanging
studentneeds,andmakingadjustmentstobettermeettheneedsastheinstructionisimplementedinthe
future.
EthicsCandidatesdesignandselectmedia,technology,andprocessesthatemphasizethe
diversityofoursocietyasamulticulturalcommunity.(p.296)
TheDigitalDivideresearchprojectallowedmetolookatmycommunityandmyschool
throughacoupleoflenses.First,Iwasabletoseethedemographicsofmycity,andmyneighborhood
schoolcommunity.Second,Ilookedtofindsocioeconomicstatus,andwhatimpactthathadonaccess
totechnology.InlookingatPewResearchCentersdata,Ifoundthatthegapbetweenracialgroups
havingaccesstotheinternetisclosing,butthetypesofdevicesthatpeoplehaveaccesstoshowssome
inequality.Forexample,justoverhalfofAfricanAmericanadultsownadesktopcomputer,but65%of
whiteadultsownone.70%ofAfricanAmericansandLatinosusetheircellphonesfortextmessaging,
whichisatarate20%higherthanwhites.Thisleadsmetobelievethatwhiteshaveamoretraditional
internetconnection,andtheminoritygroupsrelymostlyonacellphoneconnection.Iwasnot
surprisedwithmyfindings,butallowingmetoseethatinformationandunderstandmoreaboutmy
familiesandresourcesthattheyhaveisimportanttobeingsensitivetotheirsituation.Sharingthis
informationencouragedtheschooltoputcomputersinourParentResourceRoominourschoolfor

parentstousetolookupgrades,attendance,andtocompletejobapplications,paybills,orallowaccess
forotherneedsthattheyhave.
STANDARD3LEARNINGENVIRONMENTS
Candidatesfacilitatelearningbycreating,using,evaluating,andmanagingeffectivelearning
environments.
EDTECH503:InstructionalDesignFinalProject
MyInstructionalDesignProjectwasdesignedfor1stgradestudents,butcouldbeadjustedforany
elementaryschoolclassroom.StudentscreateapodcastusingGaragebandwheretheyrecordabook
talkforabooktheyhaverecentlyread.TheunitwasdesignedusingtheADDIEinstructionaldesign
process.Indesigningthisproject,IconsideredallfiveaspectsoftheADDIEprocess:analysis,design,
development,implementation,andevaluation.Ialsoconsultedwithasubjectmatterexpert(SME)for
adjustmentsandconsiderations.
EDTECH542:ProjectBasedLearning
Thisassignmentwascompletedasawholecourseproject.MyProjectBasedLearningunit,Healthy
Bodies,HealthyMinds,focusesonnutritionandphysicalactivity.Studentsworkcollaborativelyto
developaweeklongmenuofhealthymealoptionsandtocreateaphysicalactivityguidethatgives
kidschoicesofhowtomeettheirdailyphysicalactivityrecommendations.Studentspresenttheirmenu
andguidetoschoolleadersandparentsinanefforttostartaschoolwideandcommunitychange
towardhealthyliving.IcreatedthisprojectusingGoogleSites.
EDTECH505:EvaluationReport
ThisevaluationreportisintendedtoshowwhetherornotWordsTheirWayiseffectiveinmeetingthe
objectivesoftheprogram.Theobjectivesincludegainingknowledgeofspelling,learningnewword
meaning,andincreasingreadingperformance.Datawascollectedfromteachersandstudentsusingthe

programthroughsurveys,interviews,observations,andassessmentperformance.Whilethetimingof
thisevaluationwaslessthanideal,itwasagreatexperiencegoingthroughthestagesofaformal
evaluationofaneducationalprogramorresource.Ilearnedagreatdealfromthiscourseandthis
assignmentaboutacrucialpieceofinstructionaldesignandacquisition.
EDTECH551:GrantApplication
Thisgrantapplicationisintendedtoincreasestudentaccesstotechnologyintheclassroom.The
applicationincludesaneedsassessment,goalandobjectives,budget,andevaluationplan.
EDTECH502:NetiquettePage
Inthisassignment,IcreatedawebpagewithNetiquetterulesthatshouldbefollowedbyallelementary
studentsbasedonrecommendationsandexpectationssetforthbymyschooldistrict.Thesiteincludesa
NetiquetteQuickReferenceinanasidethatIwasabletocode.
EDTECH502:CopyrightScavengerHunt
Thisassignmentisdesignedtoteachelementarystudentsaboutcopyrightlawsandwhyitisimportant
forstudentsofanyagetoknowandunderstandcopyright.
EDTECH501:TechTrends
Thisassignmentlooksatoneofthetrendsintechnology,mobilelearning.Itlooksathowmobile
learningcanbeusedinelementaryclassrooms.Theassignmentgivesideasofhowstudentsand
teacherscangobeyondsimplyincorporatingtechnology,butactuallyutilizetechnologythroughthe
useofthingssuchasvirtualmanipulatives,tutorials,andvideos.
EDTECH597:ClassroomBloggingActivity

Inthisassignmentdesignedfor1stgradestudents,theclassworkscollaborativelytocreateand
maintainaclassroomsitedevotedtosharingaboutbookstheyhaveread.Thiswillbeacollaborative
readinglogwherestudentscangivetheirreactionstobookstheyhaveenjoyedordisliked.Studentscan
giverecommendationstootherstudentsintheclassaboutbookstheymaybeinterestedin.Thisalso
allowsstudentstogivereactionstoclassmaterecommendations,orsharehowanotherclassmate
encouragedthemtoreadsomethingtheymaynothavechosenindependently.Thisyearlongactivity
showshowbloggingcanbeusedasacollaborativetooltoaddressmanyofthe1stgradeELA
CommonCoreStateStandards.
Indicators
CreatingCandidatescreateinstructionaldesignproductsbasedonlearningprinciplesand
researchbasedbestpractices.(pp.8,243245,246)
TheInstructionalDesign(ID)FinalProjectdemonstrateshowIappliedtheADDIEModel.I
designedaunitofstudyforearlyelementarystudentswherestudentsdemonstratemasteryofCommon
CoreStateStandardsforanumberofEnglishLanguageArtsstandards.Theunituseseachofthefive
aspectsoftheADDIEModel:Analyze,Design,Develop,Implement,Evaluate.
MyProjectBasedLearningUnitisanotherexampleofhowIwasabletocreatelearning
experiencesformystudents.ProjectBasedLearningisaresearchbasedapproachtoinstructionthat
engagesstudentsintheirlearningthroughcollaborationandproblemsolving(Hallermann&Larmer,
2011,pp.89).Teachingmodelsthatallowstudentstobuildtheirthinkingskillsenabletheworkforce
toquicklyadapttochangingconditions(Clark&Mayer,2011,p.339).IbelievePRojectBased
Learninghelpstobuildcriticalthinkingskillsinstudents,whichwillenablethemtoadapttoother
challengesinthefuture.
UsingCandidatesmakeprofessionallysounddecisionsinselectingappropriateprocessesand
resourcestoprovideoptimalconditionsforlearning(pp.122,169)basedonprinciples,theories,
andeffectivepractices.(pp.89,168169,246)

InProjectBasedLearning,theprojectsarethecentralpartofthecurriculum.Theprojectsare
focusedonquestionsorproblemsthatdrivethestudentstoconstructanddiscovernewknowledge.
Studentsengageinprocessesthatmayincludeinquiry,design,decisionmaking,discovery,and
problemsolving.StudentsdrivethelearninginPBL,andproblemsarereal.PBLisconnectedtothe
constructivisttheoryoflearning.Constructivismisbasedontheideathatlearningisproblemsolving
basedonpersonaldiscovery,andthelearnerisintrinsicallymotivated(Cooper,1993,p.17).
Providingopportunitiesforstudentstobeengagedinconstructingtheirownknowledge,andapplying
theirlearningtoreallifesituationsisacentralbenefittoProjectBasedLearning.
Assessing/EvaluatingCandidatesusemultipleassessmentstrategies(p.53)tocollectdatafor
informingdecisionstoimproveinstructionalpractice,learneroutcomes,andthelearning
environment.(pp.56)
InmyEvaluationReport,Iuseseveralmethodsofassessmenttoevaluatetheeffectivenessof
thephonicsbasedprogramWordsTheirWay.Formsofassessmentincludetests,interviews,scales,
andsentencecompletion(Boulmetis&Dutwin,2011,pp.119145).Ichosetocollectdatafromstudent
testdata,studentfeedbackfromasurvey,teacherfeedbackfrominterviews,andteacherfeedbackfrom
surveys.Notonlydidthisdataallowmetoseetheeffectivenessoftheprogram,butitalsoallowedme
toseesomevarianceinhowteachershadimplementedintheirclassroom.Thestudentsurveys
providedusefulinformationaboutwhichaspectsoftheprogramtheylikedandsuggestionstheyhadto
keepitengagingforthem.
ManagingCandidatesestablishmechanisms(p.190)formaintainingthetechnology
infrastructure(p.234)toimprovelearningandperformance.(p.238)
MyGrantApplicationseekstoacquiredevicesforK2classrooms.Partofthegrantplansfor
professionaldevelopmentaswellasmaintenanceofthedevices.Thegoalofthisgrantistoincreasethe
opportunitiesforstudentsatmyschooltousetechnologytoproducequalityworkthatshowshowthey
areapplyingtheirknowledge.

EthicsCandidatesfosteralearningenvironmentinwhichethicsguidepracticethatpromotes
health,safety,bestpractice(p.246),andrespectforcopyright,FairUse,andappropriateopen
accesstoresources.(p.3)
TheNetiquettePageisaguidecreatedforstudents,colleagues,andfamiliestoserveasa
resourcetopromotesafety,respect,andappropriateusageoftechnology.Thispageincorporatesthe
threeprinciplesofourdistrictsPBIScodeofconductsothatitisfamiliartostudents:beresponsible,
berespectful,besafe.Italsoincorporatesmuchofmydistrictsuseragreementinabrief,
studentfriendlysixguidelineresource.
TheCopyrightScavengerHuntisastudentfriendlyactivitythatallowsstudentstolearnand
exploreexpectationsforcopyrightandFairUse.Thisactivitywouldmakeagoodintroductionor
refresherforstudentsregardingtheirresponsibilitieswithappropriatetechnologyuse.
DiversityofLearnersCandidatesfosteralearningcommunitythatempowerslearnerswith
diversebackgrounds,characteristics,andabilities.(p.10)
TechTrendsdiscussesanemergingtechnologyofmobilelearning.Withthenewgenerationof
learners,instructionalapproachesneedtochangetomakelearningrelevanttoourstudents.This
includesengagingstudentswithtechnologythatmanyalreadyhave,butempoweringstudentstouse
thosedevicesforlearning.
TheClassroomBloggingActivityallowsstudentstohaveapublicplatformtosharetheir
thinkingandlearningwithothersinasafe,controlledenvironment.Manystudentsalreadyusesocial
media,soincorporatingthatintoclassroominstructioncanbeapowerfultool.
STANDARD4PROFESSIONALKNOWLEDGEANDSKILLS
Candidatesdesign,develop,implement,andevaluatetechnologyrichlearningenvironmentswithina
supportivecommunityofpractice.
EDTECH503:InstructionalDesignFinalProject

MyInstructionalDesignProjectwasdesignedfor1stgradestudents,butcouldbeadjustedforany
elementaryschoolclassroom.StudentscreateapodcastusingGaragebandwheretheyrecordabook
talkforabooktheyhaverecentlyread.TheunitwasdesignedusingtheADDIEinstructionaldesign
process.Indesigningthisproject,IconsideredallfiveaspectsoftheADDIEprocess:analysis,design,
development,implementation,andevaluation.Ialsoconsultedwithasubjectmatterexpert(SME)for
adjustmentsandconsiderations.
EDTECH542:ProjectBasedLearning
Thisassignmentwascompletedasawholecourseproject.MyProjectBasedLearningunit,Healthy
Bodies,HealthyMinds,focusesonnutritionandphysicalactivity.Studentsworkcollaborativelyto
developaweeklongmenuofhealthymealoptionsandtocreateaphysicalactivityguidethatgives
kidschoicesofhowtomeettheirdailyphysicalactivityrecommendations.Studentspresenttheirmenu
andguidetoschoolleadersandparentsinanefforttostartaschoolwideandcommunitychange
towardhealthyliving.IcreatedthisprojectusingGoogleSites.
EDTECH597:ClassroomBloggingActivity
Inthisassignmentdesignedfor1stgradestudents,theclassworkscollaborativelytocreateand
maintainaclassroomsitedevotedtosharingaboutbookstheyhaveread.Thiswillbeacollaborative
readinglogwherestudentscangivetheirreactionstobookstheyhaveenjoyedordisliked.Studentscan
giverecommendationstootherstudentsintheclassaboutbookstheymaybeinterestedin.Thisalso
allowsstudentstogivereactionstoclassmaterecommendations,orsharehowanotherclassmate
encouragedthemtoreadsomethingtheymaynothavechosenindependently.Thisyearlongactivity
showshowbloggingcanbeusedasacollaborativetooltoaddressmanyofthe1stgradeELA
CommonCoreStateStandards.

EDTECH541:Accessibility/AdaptiveTechnologies
ThissitewascreatedusingDreamweaver,andIwrotealloftheHTML5andCSScoding.Thesite
offersalistofresourcesforstudentswithcognitive,physical,andsensorydisabilities.Italsooffers
resourcesforatriskstudentsandgiftedandtalentedstudents.Eachresourcehasabriefdescriptionof
thetechnologyaswellasthetargetedgroupthatcouldbenefitfromfromtheresource.
Indicators
CollaborativePracticeCandidatescollaboratewiththeirpeersandsubjectmatterexpertsto
analyzelearners,developanddesigninstruction,andevaluateitsimpactonlearners.
InmyInstructionalDesignProject,IhadtheopportunitytoaskaSubjectMatterExpertreview
myliteracyplan.ThiswasthefirsttimeIhadformallyaskedforareviewofmywork.Iapproacheda
Title1Literacyteacheratmyschooltoreviewmyunit,andsheofferedsomefeedbackand
suggestions.Sheofferedtocomeintheclassroomandhelpwiththeproject,too.Wehavebeen
workingcloselytogethertoplanandimplementinterventionsforstrugglingstudentsthatsheworks
withsincethatproject.Itwasagreatopportunityformetobuildaconnectionwithaninvaluable
resourcerightinmyownbuilding.
ProjectBasedLearning(PBL)isaninstructionalapproachwherestudentsgainknowledgeand
skillsbyworkingcollaborativelytoinvestigateandrespondtoacomplexquestion,problem,or
challenge(
http://bie.org/about/what_pbl
).PBLiscollaborativeinnature.Studentsmustcollaborateto
completetheproject.Teachersareencouragedtocollaborateindesigningeachunitinordertocreate
thebestunit.Thisinstructionalapproachprovidesopportunityforstudentstocollaboratewith
professionalsandotherexpertsthrough
LeadershipCandidatesleadtheirpeersindesigningandimplementingtechnologysupported
learning.

NoneofmycolleaguesparticipateinProjectBasedLearning(PBL)atmyschool.Allowing
teacherstounderstandwhatitisandhowitcanbeincorporatedintotheirclassroom.Manycolleagues
feartheuseofsocialmediawithelementarystudents.Iintroducedmyideaofcreatingaclassroom
bloggingsiteforstudentstodiscussandevaluatebookstheyhavereadhascaughtoninacoupleof
gradelevels.
MyClassroomBloggingActivityshowsonewaysocialmediacanbeincorporatedinto
classroomlearningandcanincreasestudentcollaboration.Thistoolisalsonewinmyschool.Ihave
triedtoincorporatebloggingintomyclassroomthroughtheuseofKidblog.Studentscaninteractwith
eachotherandleavefeedbackforpeers.Ihaveusedthisinsolvingmathproblemswherestudentshave
todefendtheirsolutions,andIhaveusedthiswithreadingwherestudentscanpresentbookreviewsto
theirpeers,orrespondtotexttheyhaveread.
ReflectiononPracticeCandidatesanalyzeandinterpretdataandartifactsandreflectonthe
effectivenessofthedesign,developmentandimplementationoftechnologysupportedinstruction
andlearningtoenhancetheirprofessionalgrowth.
TheInstructionalDesignProjectwascreatedbasedontheADDIEModel.Thismodelfollows
acycleofanalysis,designanddevelopment,andevaluationtoconstantlytakestudentneedsinto
consideration.Therewasanemphasisondevelopinginstructionwithaparticularaudienceinmind,
ratherthandevelopinginstructionaroundcontentandfindinganappropriateaudience(Smith&Ragan,
2005,p.58).AportionofthisassignmentwastheInformationProcessingAnalysisandthePrerequisite
Analysis.Thesecomponentsofthedesignhelptoensurethatstudentsareprovidedwiththe
opportunitytolearneverythingtheymustlearntoachievethatgoal(Smith&Ragan,2005,p.83).The
evaluationpieceprovidesvaluabledatainmakingrevisionstoimprovefutureinstruction.
Assessing/EvaluatingCandidatesdesignandimplementassessmentandevaluationplansthat
alignwithlearninggoalsandinstructionalactivities.

InmyProjectBasedLearningunit,studentsareprovidedwithchecklistsandrubricsfor
selfreviewandpeerreviewthroughouttheprocess.Theyalsohaveseveralopportunitiestosharewhat
theyhavelearned.Theycreatetwoartifacts,buthaveoptionsonhowtocreate.Theyalsopresenttoa
publicaudience,againwithoptionsofpresentingviaapreparedvideo,orwithanoralpresentationin
frontoftheiraudience.
EthicsCandidatesdemonstrateethicalbehaviorwithintheapplicableculturalcontextduring
allaspectsoftheirworkandwithrespectforthediversityoflearnersineachsetting.
InmyAccessibility/AdaptiveTechnologiespage,Ilistresourcestoaddresstheneedsofdiverse
learnersintheclassroom.Iwasabletocompilealistofresourcestoaddresstheneedsofstudentswith
cognitive,physical,andsensorydisabilitiesaswellasatriskandgiftedstudents.Educatorsneedtobe
preparedtoaddresstheneedsofeachstudentinhisorherclassroom,andbeingawareofsome
resourcesavailableisaprofessionalresponsibilityofaneducator.
STANDARD5RESEARCH
Candidatesexplore,evaluate,synthesize,andapplymethodsofinquirytoenhancelearningand
improveperformance.
EDTECH504:FinalSynthesisPaper
Thispaperfocusesontherelationshipbetweentheconstructivisttheoryoflearning,connectivism,and
theuseofeducationaltechnologyintheclassroom.Thiswasacourselongprojectthatevolvedfrom
considerableresearchoflearningtheories.Thepaperoffersadefinitionofconstructivismandprovides
adescriptionoftheoristsandtheirbeliefsaroundconstructivism.Thepaperthenshiftstoshowinghow
technologyfitsintoaconstructivistclassroom.
EDTECH505:EvaluationReport
ThisevaluationreportisintendedtoshowwhetherornotWordsTheirWayiseffectiveinmeetingthe
objectivesoftheprogram.Theobjectivesincludegainingknowledgeofspelling,learningnewword

meaning,andincreasingreadingperformance.Datawascollectedfromteachersandstudentsusingthe
programthroughsurveys,interviews,observations,andassessmentperformance.Whilethetimingof
thisevaluationwaslessthanideal,itwasagreatexperiencegoingthroughthestagesofaformal
evaluationofaneducationalprogramorresource.Ilearnedagreatdealfromthiscourseandthis
assignmentaboutacrucialpieceofinstructionaldesignandacquisition.
EDTECH501:EvaluationSummary
IntheEvaluationSummary,Ianalyzethedistrictsadministrative,curricular,support,connectivity,
andinnovativeuseandaccesstotechnology.
EDTECH504:AnnotatedBibliography
Thisassignmentchallengedmetocreatealistofpeerreviewedresourcesfocusedonlearningtheories,
andtoprovideabriefannotationforeachresource.Thisbibliographywasusedtocompleteresearch
formyFinalSynthesisPaper.AllcitationsfollowAPAguidelines.
Indicators
TheoreticalFoundationsCandidatesdemonstratefoundationalknowledgeofthecontributionof
researchtothepastandcurrenttheoryofeducationalcommunicationsandtechnology.(p.242)
InmyFinalSynthesisPaper,IcompletedresearchtoshowhowConstructivismand
ConnectivismsupportEducationalTechnologyintheclassroom.Ifounditinterestingtoseehowthe
foundationallearningtheoriesarestillprevalentinour21stcenturyclassroomstoday.Inmyresearch,I
foundthatdespitebarrierstointegratingeducationaltechnology,incorporatingmultimediatechnology
intoaconstructivistlearningenvironmentcanleadtoinnovativeteachingandlearningmethodsforthe
improvementofclassroomlearning,(Neo&Neo,2009,p.256).
MethodCandidatesapplyresearchmethodologiestosolveproblemsandenhancepractice.(p.
243)

IntheFinalSynthesisPaper,IaddresssomechallengesofintegratingEducationalTechnology
intotheclassroom.Inmyresearch,Ioffersomesuggestionsofhowtoovercomethebarriersteachers
andschoolsface.
InmyEvaluationSummary,Icollectdataandanalyzeaprogramusedatmyschool.Thegoal
oftheevaluationistodeterminewhetherWordsTheirWayiseffectiveforourstudents.This
evaluationprovidesdataincludingstudentthoughtsandacademicgrowth.
Assessing/EvaluatingCandidatesapplyformalinquirystrategiesinassessingandevaluating
processesandresourcesforlearningandperformance.(p.203)5.1ProblemAnalysis
IcompletedanEvaluationSummaryoftechnologicalresourcesinmyschool.IntheEvaluation
Summary,Ianalyzethedistrictsadministrative,curricular,support,connectivity,andinnovativeuse
andaccesstotechnology.Thisreportshowswherethedistrictisadequate,andwherethedistricthas
roomforimprovementinitstechnologyuse.
EthicsCandidatesconductresearchandpracticeusingacceptedprofessional(p.296)and
institutional(p.297)guidelinesandprocedures.
Inmyallofmyassignments,theFinalSynthesisPaperandAnnotatedBibliographyin
particular,IfollowedallAPAguidelinesgivingaccuratecredittothosewhoseworkandideasare
associatedwithpublishinginanyform
(
http://aect.siteym.com/members/group_content_view.asp?group=91131&id=309963
).Ialso
conducetedall
research using professionally accepted guidelines and procedures
(
http://aect.siteym.com/members/group_content_view.asp?group=91131&id=309963
).
CONCLUSION
IncompilingtheartifactsinmyportfolioandaligningtheassignmentstothesenewAECT
standards,itisevidenthowmuchIhavelearnedthroughoutthisprogram.Inotonlyhaveamuch

greaterknowledgebase,butIamabletoincorporatetechnologymoreconfidentlyinmyclassroom
knowingthatIhavetheresearchtodefendmydecisions.
Ilikehowthisprogramisdesignedtogiveabroadviewofeducationaltechnology,andithas
definitelysparkedinterestinareasIfeltincompetentbeforetheprogram,suchasblogginginEDTECH
597,orHTML5andCSSinEDTECH502.AlloftheresearchinEDTECH501,EDTECH503,and
EDTECH504hasbuiltagoodbasefordefendingmydecisionsinhowIintegratetechnologyintomy
classroomandhasgainedagreatdealofconfidenceinmyeducationalpractices.Ihavemoreoptionsin
creatinganddevelopingunitsthatwillbemoreengagingformystudents,andthatwillresultina
productthatmystudentscanbeproudtosharewithabroadaudience,suchasEDTECH541,EDTECH
542andEDTECH513.MyworkinEDTECH505andEDTECH551haveallowedmetogain
confidenceincontributingtotechnologyplanningcommitteesandinacquiringnewtechnologyformy
students.Iamhopefulformyfutureasaneducatortobringinsomeinnovativeteachingstrategiesto
mystudentsandmycolleagues.
Myultimatecareergoalistobecomeaninstructionalcoachinhelpingstudentstoeffectively
integratetechnologyintotheireverydayteachingpractices.Ithinktechnologyisstillusedasshinynew
packagingforthesameoldinstruction.Itismygoaltoseetechnologyusedasatoolratherthanjusta
strategytoengagestudents.Ithinkcollaborationplaysahugepieceinmakingthishappen.Ihopeto
somedaymakealargeimpactforstudentsandteachersalikeintransforminghoweducationis
deliveredtomeetthedemandsof21stcenturylearning.

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Boulmetis,J.,&Dutwin,P.(2000).
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Clark,R.,&Mayer,R.(2003).
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Januszewski,A.&Molenda,M.,Eds.(2008).
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Jonassen,D.(2000).
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