Week 5 assignment

What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?

I was very excited to take this course, because there is such a need to implement more technology into classrooms. I had envisioned walking away from this course with more tools, websites, and knowhow to be able to upgrade the school I work to become a 21st century digital school. I did achieve many of these outcomes, especially in the area of more ideas. The course outcomes did align with what I had envisioned. Everything that was listed in the syllabus was covered. It was a lot of information crammed into five weeks, but also very necessary. I feel the area of technology is limitless and the instructors did a good job sorting through and selecting appropriate material for the course.



To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?

The outcomes I achieved from this course are very relevant to the work I do in the school. The main thing I wanted to achieve from this course was to walk away with much more information about implementing technology into the school where I work. It was a bonus for me to learn so much about the safety issues regarding internet use and the pros and cons of using different types of technology in the classroom. I was very happy with the information we learned about how to implement blogs in the classroom. I would have liked more specific tips on how to integrate other types of technology in the classroom.



What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?

I don’t think there were any outcomes that I did not achieve during the course. When the course was beginning I expected there to be more specific tips or activities that had to do with students involving technology. We learned a lot about blogs, podcast, word processing, power point, excel, websites, rss feeds, and wikis. I was thinking I would like to learn even more about using technology with the students. However I realized that even with all of the technological advances there is still only so much you can do with a class of 25 who are sharing one or two classroom computers or reserving time in a shared computer lab.


· Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?

I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. I was able to set up my blog and post all the assignments. I had a little bit of difficulty posting my power point presentation to the blog. However, after switching to the second recommended program, it worked out without any major difficulties. I did have quite a bit of problems with the course software (Brighten). The internal dates were messed up and it didn’t allow me to post assignments. The software later did not allow me because it said I was no longer actively enrolled. After contacting tech support they instructed me to post the assignment online, which took care of the problem.



What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?

I learned quite a bit from this course. What I learned about myself is that technology is something that I am very interested in. I also learned that although I am not starting from zero, I have an incredible amount to learn. To be able to learn more about technology one must dedicate time. My technology (at the school and my home) is not a complete dinosaur, but should go through constant upgrading. As a leader of technology I feel like I still have a lot to learn, before I am an example for others. I feel like I have a very positive attitude about technology. It is not something I am afraid of, but something I am intrigued by.



What is the educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner?

Blogging has become a huge part of academic and social world of today’s society. Blogging has taken over what could only be found 15 years ago in certain trade magazines or specialized newsletters. This has allowed information to be so much more widespread and instantaneous. The education world is no exception. Educators can now use blogs to exchange ideas and information with each other. They can also use blogs to communicate with parents- write daily homework, up-coming events, information about projects and general classroom news. They can also use blogs to communicate and interact with students- post homework, read student responses, post quizzes, post power point presentations, podcast, videos etc. I think blogs are here to stay and huge support device for using technology to work with students.




What are the concerns of blogs and blogging in education?

As I have mentioned, blogs are a great benefit to education. However, there are certain security concerns one must keep in mind when using blogs. Unfortunately, sexual predators often use blogs and chat-rooms to find their victims. Cyber-bullies also use blogs and chat-rooms to find out information about their victims. We must educate children on proper safety measures when using blogs and chat-rooms. Children and Adolescence should never post too much personal information. They should use screen names and avoid using their address, name of school, age, etc. Parents and schools need to communicate and work with children and adolescence so they understand the proper safety procedures when blogging or chatting



How can you use blogging to communicate with school stakeholders?

Blogging can be used to communicate with school stakeholders in many different ways. Administrators can use blogs to communicate with teachers, parents, students, board members, and the community where they are located. These stakeholders can be kept abreast of current school events and school related issues and have a place to provide feedback. One of the benefits of the blog is that it allows users to give information as well as receive feedback from readers. It basically provides a forum when participants can bounce back school related ideas that is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; so participants can post information/feedback on their own schedules.