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Rationale Paper
Denise Holder
Second Grade Teacher
Johnson Elementary School
Fort Collins, Colorado
February 2015
INTRODUCTION
Technology has always been an interest of mine. Prior to entering this program, I would spend
my free time visiting different technology websites and teacher blogs to keep up on the latest
technology integration ideas and information. Even though my primary responsibility is teaching
second grade, my peers would come to me to me for technology support and ideas for
technology integration. There are many more educational technology tools that I have discovered
in my journey that I am able to use in my own practice and share with my peers.
When a friend of mine suggested that I join her in getting a Master in Educational Technology
with her, I looked at the program that Boise State Universitys program and decided it was a
great idea. Increasing my knowledge and having the opportunity to share conversations with
other like-minded people about a topic that has interested me for years has been an enriching
experience. I have learned so much through the Master in Educational Technology program over
these past two years. The assignments and experiences have not always been easy, but I am so
proud of the products that I have completed in all of my EdTech courses.
This rationale paper examines the work I have completed in this program. This paper is divided
into five sections that represent the five AECT Standards - content knowledge, content pedagogy,
learning environments, professional knowledge and skills, and research. Each section contains
indicators, at least one artifact per indicator, and a rationale for selection of that artifact. The
artifacts have been selected and placed where evidence of mastery is evident. These artifacts
show that technology is a meaningful teaching tool in education.
Using - Candidates demonstrate the ability to select and use technological resources and
processes to support student learning and to enhance their pedagogy. (p. 141)
The EdTech 541 - Relative Advantage Chart was developed for teachers that are selecting
and including technological resources as instructional strategies to support student
learning in literacy. Roblyer and Doering (2013) believe that technology-based
strategies offer many unique benefits to teachers as they look for instructional solutions
(p.51). This literacy chart is evidence of understanding how the use of technology can be
advantageous for teachers and can enhance their pedagogy by including advantages of
each technology and its expected outcomes. Teachers may locate an area of student need
and select the technology that would assist students in reaching the desired outcome.
Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates demonstrate the ability to assess and evaluate the effective
integration of appropriate technologies and instructional materials.
In the EdTech 505 - Raz-Kids Evaluation Report, I demonstrated the ability to assess and
evaluate the program. Collecting data from various sources strengthened my evaluation
of the Raz-Kids program. As learner outcomes were analyzed through data, I was able to
determine effectiveness of the Raz-Kids program for second grade students. The data
revealed strengths of the program and modifications necessary to improve instructional
practice and the learning environment. Using the data presented in this report,
recommendations about the future of the Raz-Kids program were shared with
stakeholders.
Managing - Candidates demonstrate the ability to effectively manage people, processes, physical
infrastructures, and financial resources to achieve predetermined goals. (p. 178)
The EdTech 505 - Request for Proposal (RFP) required decisions to be made as if I was a
program evaluator called to submit a proposal for services. In this assignment, a fictional
company is seeking an evaluator to help determine the feasibility of implementing their
educational product to the market. Even though this proposal was for a fictitious
company, I took my role as the program evaluator seriously. This process required
selection of an evaluation method, creation of a task schedule, determining staffing needs
and selection of project personnel, and defining a reasonable project budget to evaluate
this product. After submission of the RFP, the course instructor commented that he
believed the acceptance of my proposal was feasible.
Ethics - Candidates demonstrate the contemporary professional ethics of the field as defined and
developed by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (p. 284)
It is important to make sure that proper credit is given to the creator of the work, whether
it be an image, song, or article. In the EdTech 541 - Summarizing for Second Graders
Slide Presentation artifact, great care was taken in making sure that each image in the
presentation has a corresponding source. A small link is included under each image,
which directs you to the source, and all images selected are labeled for non-commercial
use. As I continue to create public, informative presentations, this practice of citing
sources is evident in my final products.
Gary Bingham, Teri Holbrook, and Laura E. Meyers believe that self-assessment can
play a powerful role in the relationship between a childs motivation and academic
achievement. (p. 59) Hoping to increase student motivation and academic achievement,
student collaboration and self-reflection was built into the EdTech 542 Weather Project I
created. Evidence of this reflective practice can be found in the EdTech 542 - Weather
Reporter Rubric. Students are asked to work together on the project and then reflect and
evaluate themselves in each area before completing a peer evaluation.
Managing - Candidates manage appropriate technological processes and resources to provide
supportive learning communities, create flexible and diverse learning environments, and develop
and demonstrate appropriate content pedagogy. (p. 175-193)
EdTech 533 - YouTube playlists are an example of managing a technological resource
that will be used by teachers and students. Prior to taking EdTech 533, I was unaware that
playlists could be created. I have found that playlists are a great way to organize content
for different topics. They allow me to save and quickly locate videos that I know are
valuable to concept understanding. If students need a refresher on a topic, they can find
these videos easily through my YouTube channel. These playlists continue to be curated,
managed, and used in my current practice.
Ethics - Candidates design and select media, technology, and processes that emphasize the
diversity of our society as a multicultural community. (p. 296)
The EdTech 501 - Digital Inequality project identifies the diversity we have when
technology is used. The research opened my eyes to problems that occur because of
digital inequality. In this presentation, these problems are addressed as well as strategies
and processes that can be implemented to close the gaps that are found in access and
skills. I have implemented some of these suggestions, specifically including keyboarding
time and partnering up my students with fifth grade students to be tech buddies, to
close the digital gap in my own school.
STANDARD 3: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Indicators
Creating - Candidates create instructional design products based on learning principles and
research-based best practices. (pp. 8, 243-245, 246)
When developing the EdTech 503 - Instructional Design Project that focused on second
grade students creating a Google Slide to put in a shared Google presentation, a great deal
of time, thought, and research of best practices went into the planning of the project.
Because of the Instructional Design methods taught throughout this course, I was able to
design, develop, and implement instruction to all students on how best to teach the
process of creating a Google Slide to second grade students. Martin (2011) believes when
all of the steps in the instructional design process are being followed, focusing on critical
needs and conveying essential knowledge and skills is ensured. To make sure that my
process was appropriate, a subject matter expert was consulted. I used this project in my
classroom this year with great success. Students were able to complete the task using the
design that was created. As a result of my efforts, this project was chosen to stand as an
example for future students.
Using - Candidates make professionally sound decisions in selecting appropriate processes and
resources to provide optimal conditions for learning (pp. 122, 169) based on principles, theories,
and effective practices. (pp. 8-9, 168-169, 246)
Deciding on resources that will guide the learning of students is important. Based on best
practices, the activities listed in the EdTech 521- Weather Asynchronous Lesson Tools
and Resources assignment will aid student learning by providing resources that
encourage cooperation, literacy skills, and weather information in kid-friendly formats.
Students will be able to work independently on most of these resources, which will
encourage student confidence and build subject knowledge. This asynchronous
environment allows students to access educational materials at any time, at their own
pace, and as many times as they need to achieve understanding.
Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates use multiple assessment strategies (p. 53) to collect data for
informing decisions to improve instructional practice, learner outcomes, and the learning
environment. (pp. 5-6)
One artifact that shows evidence of mastery of this standard is the EdTech 542 - Weather
Assessments page from my weather project. A variety of assessment strategies were used
to determine student understanding. Formative assessments inform decisions about the
effects of our daily practice and guide the course of future instruction. Without these
quick checks for understanding, we would not know depth of learning until after the
project was completed. Summative assessments of students determine if learner outcomes
were achieved. When teaching this weather unit, the data collected via these assessments
guided my practice and identified areas of improvement to solidify learner outcomes
when the unit is taught in the future.
Managing - Candidates establish mechanisms (p. 190) for maintaining the technology
infrastructure (p. 234) to improve learning and performance. (p. 238)
Keeping all resources in one location for primary students is important for ease of
research. Content-specific websites were curated through the use of Symbaloo. The
Weather Symbaloo & Insect/butterfly Symbaloo were created to manage web-based
content that students can access easily. The simplicity of the Symbaloo layout makes use
use of these visually appealing resource easy for primary students. Each Symbaloo is
used for support as students research topics. As students work with these digital curation
tools, they enhance their learning through research, which increases their academic
performance on our second grade research projects.
Ethics - Candidates foster a learning environment in which ethics guide practice that promotes
health, safety, best practice (p. 246), and respect for copyright, Fair Use, and appropriate open
access to resources. (p. 3)
The US Department of Education (2010) reports that teachers or their students used
computers in the classroom during instructional time often (40 percent) or sometimes (29
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Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates design and implement assessment and evaluation plans that
align with learning goals and instructional activities.
Research by Hattie (2009) shows that self-reporting of grades has the most positive effect
on student achievement. Because I shared the EdTech 541 - Spreadsheet Integration in
Literacy project with teachers in my building, second grade students are able to input data
into spreadsheets instead of filling in paper graphs to report their grades in our weekly
programs such as Rocket Math, Accelerated Reader, Mastering Math, spelling tests, and
more. This graph or chart gives second graders a very clear picture as to their success and
progress throughout each quarter and also connects to a Common Core math standard for
second grade. These products are wonderful for self-reflection and ideal for use in
student/teacher conferences, parent/teacher conferences, and student/parent discussions.
Assessments, both formative and summative, are an important component in the Weather
Unit that was created for EdTech 542. The EdTech 542 Wild and Wonderful Weather!
Assessments were created to align with the learning goals, based on Common Core
standards, for this unit. Students view rubrics prior to the lessons and are given the
opportunity to reflect on their achievement and participation in groups after the lesson
using tools I created for this unit.
Ethics - Candidates demonstrate ethical behavior within the applicable cultural context during all
aspects of their work and with respect for the diversity of learners in each setting.
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be with the students, and improve student achievement (Shin et al., 2012; Strommen &
Lincoln, 1992; Hickey, Moore, & Pellegrino, 2001).
Method - Candidates apply research methodologies to solve problems and enhance practice. (p.
243)
Few students show automaticity in addition and subtraction math facts at the beginning of
second grade and do not achieve mastery of these facts by the end of second grade. To
combat this problem, I looked for solutions through the research for the EdTech 501 EdTech Research Assignment. The focus of the research was trying to decide if
educational technology used to practice math facts, in addition to the traditional method
of paper/pencil or repetitive practice with flash cards, would increase of math facts
automaticity. I found that using educational technology as an intervention is appropriate
for my students, and immediate feedback that students receive would be helpful and
motivating to them. Based on the positive results of using educational technology to
improve math fluency and math fact automaticity, I created a webpage on my grade level
website for my students to visit so that they may strengthen and improve their math skills.
Another artifact that can be used as evidence for mastery of this indicator is the EdTech
503 - Instructional Design Project. In Part 2- Analysis Report, students were administered
a two-part survey (Part 1 and Part 2). This research provided data that determined learner
attitudes and experience with technology. The results also informed and guided
instruction when creating the Learning Task Analysis, utilizing instructional design
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research to ensure that the content would be aligned with capabilities of the current group
of second graders.
Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates apply formal inquiry strategies in assessing and evaluating
processes and resources for learning and performance. (p. 203)
Using the EdTech 501 Maturity Benchmarks Survey Sheet, I was able to assess and
evaluate the technology processes and resources in my district and at my school. I
discovered that my district has quite a comprehensive technology plan. At school level, it
was discovered that we have to adhere to the district technology plan but we do not have
one of our own. The EdTech 501 School Evaluation Summary allowed me to make
recommendations to school administrators for improved student learning and
performance in each of the five areas listed in the summary.
Ethics - Candidates conduct research and practice using accepted professional (p. 296) and
institutional (p. 297) guidelines and procedures.
When you have read something and wish to share the information learned with others,
there is an ethical responsibility to give credit to the author. Research was conducted for
the EdTech 504 - Influences of Constructivism on Student Engagement and Learning in
the Elementary Classroom paper to define constructivism and demonstrate how a
constructivist approach, along with the use of educational technology in an elementary
classroom, can enhance student learning, increase student motivation, and positively
affect student achievement. American Psychological Association (APA) style was used
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when citing sources to make certain that the author(s) received the proper credit for the
information used to support the ideas in this artifact.
CONCLUSION
As I conclude this paper and this program, I am able to reflect back on the journey to receiving
this Master in Educational Technology degree. It has taken a great deal of my time, but I am so
thankful for the experience. Many quality projects were created due to the well-structured
assignments from my professors, and I have used the majority of the projects I created with my
second grade students. This experience has also allowed me the time to explore various webbased technologies that I might not have been exposed to if it were not for this program. I have
so many educational technology tools in my toolbox now, and I am so grateful for that. My
second graders have had the opportunity to be part of an enriching, blended learning classroom
because of my education at Boise State University. They have used Google Classroom,
Blendspace, Padlet, Wordle, and so many other tools that make their learning engaging and fun.
While I am still loving the experience of teaching second graders every day, I do feel much more
competent to expand my horizons with great thanks to this degree, as well as the Technology
Integration Specialist and Online Teaching K-12 certificates I have received. I look forward to
continuing to blend educational technology into my daily practice, whatever that practice may
be.
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REFERENCES
Bingham, G., Holbrook, T., and Meyers, L. (2010). Using self-assessments in elementary
classrooms. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(5), 59-61. doi:10.1177/003172171009100515
Hattie, J. (2013). Hattie ranking: Influences and effect sizes related to student achievement.
Retrieved from http://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learningachievement/
Hickey, D. T., Moore, A. L., & Pellegrino, J. W. (2001). The motivational and academic
consequences of elementary mathematics environments: Do constructivist innovations
and reforms make a difference? American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 611-652.
doi:10.3102/00028312038003611
Judge, S.L. (2000). Accessing and funding assistive technology for young children with
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Martin, F. (2011). Instructional design and the importance of instructional alignment. Community
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Roblyer, M.D. and Doerling, A.H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th
Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
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Shin, N., Sutherland, L. M., Norris, C. A., & Soloway, E. (2012). Effects of game technology on
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