Nicole Meade-Franklin

MEDT 8463

Reflection on Learning: Application to Professional

Practice
Introduction
As I reflect on Issues in Instructional Technology the one perspective that stays on
my mind is my own objectives. It is my job as an Instructional Technology Specialist
to integrate the greatest and latest technology into the classroom. I work with
teachers every day to implement technology into their curriculum. Some of the
teachers are reluctant to the new applications and theories because they feel that it
takes away from their lesson planning. I try to relate my knowledge of automation,
sometimes it works sometimes it does not, but the teachers are all willing to take
my workshop at their school to receive the required Professional Learning Unit
credit.
Taking MEDT 8463 changed the direction of my career. I was satisfied with being an
Instructional Technology Specialist and even satisfied in obtaining a Specialist
degree in Instructional Technology, but now I would like to try something new. What
I plan to do and what I actually do is yet to be seen. The reason why I would like to
change my position is because I am a visionary and can see that soon there will not
be a demand for Professional Development personnel. Teachers and staff will be
able to watch a FREE video tutorial to learn how to apply technology to their
lessons. Currently, I am preparing my resume to obtain a position as an
Instructional Designer or a position that will create a student-centered curriculum.

This a feat that will take more of a research approach rather than answering an
advertisement. My plan is to correspond with Chairs of Departments regarding the
pedagogy of their school. Becoming a designer is only a step in the right direction,
like I became a teacher nine years ago, or even became a Coordinator of
Administrative Computing at St. Josephs College twelve years ago. I believe that all
of my positions will finally lead me to a leadership position that will change the way
technology is infused in the classrooms to customize learning for each student.

Review of Learning
After reading all of the articles and textual contents of this course I realized that
standardization clashes with the need for customization in learning.

The most

significant lesson for me was student-centered pedagogy. Teachers, administrators,

students and parents seem to be taking notice that students can be taught at
different levels at the same time. Schools tried to use the inclusion method, but
was unsuccessful because the technology was not there to support the students
individual needs. Now that technology has introduce Learning Management
Systems to schools they are realizing that it is possible to teach thirty children in
one class different levels of math, science or any other subject. This task is going to
need dedicated personnel to design curriculums for each student from the results of
standardized test. After a while the application will be able to design the curriculum
and once again I will probably have to change my job to a position that only humans
can deliver.
Implications

After evaluating the needs of the student and teachers in the classroom I was asked
to write a grant. I attended the ISTE 2012 conference and believed in the
itsLearning LMS platform so much that my job asked me to work with a school
district for the Reach To The Top Technology grant. This course inspired me to write
the grant because of the information that I learned about the innovative disruptions
of the school systems. The masses have recently spoken and passed the Charter
School Amendment for the 2012 elections. This means that the students and
parents will have more options on how their children learn. This also means that
the city, state and federal funds will be used to finance these institutions. I agree
that Congress should create a New Schools America Fund to encourage state
legislatures to create these specialized organizations that are autonomous from the
management of traditional schools. ii.
Conclusion
Taking this course was an eye opening experience. I never knew that there was so
much opposition in the way students are delivered information. This course made
me research the current monolithic instruction to a more student-centric approach
using software as an important delivery vehicle. iii. Taking a course in Technology is
the easy part of implementation. The teachers applying the innovation into the
curriculum is the evaluating part of the position. Depending on their understanding
of what theyve learned will determine whether they will use the technology to
benefit themselves and students in their class. The disruption of Technology into
the curriculum will soon be an innovative asset once students, teachers and parents
see the benefits.

As I move toward the future I look forward to working with Charter schools and
Online schools. I also feel a sense of urgency to work with Traditional Schools that
will forcibly or not be transformed into Student-Centric Schools. This goal is bigger
than I can imagine and will take a group of innovative thinkers to accomplish one
byte at a time.

Reference

i Clayton M. Christensen, Curtis W. Johnson, and Michael B. Horn, Disrupting Class: How Disruptive
Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (New York, New York: McGraw Hill, 2008)

ii Ted Kolderie and Tim McDonald, How Information Technology Can Enable 21st Century Schools
(July 2009)

iii Clayton M. Christensen, Curtis W. Johnson, and Michael B. Horn, Disrupting Class: How
Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (New York, New York: McGraw Hill,
2008)