Blog Post #13: Technology Proposal Reflection #2

 Educational Technology Proposal Reflection #2

image source: bizjournals.com 

Educational Technology Proposal Process

Now nearing the end of the technology proposal process, I am beginning to reflect on my experience throughout this project. I really enjoyed working on a project with real world application and that will help me at the next level of my career. It was interesting to take an active lead to solve problems and fill needs at my school. This project made me more confident in stepping up and taking on more of a leadership role within the staff.

Challenges

Although I didn't run into too many challenges, there were a few things that made this process a little more difficult. First, the privacy policies at my school would not allow me to work with some of my original proposal ideas. I would have really liked to work with Google Suite or even use Google Forms to collect survey information, but instead I had to do it on paper. Although I understand why we are not able to use Google or some other programs, it did limit my options for what I could propose. 

Implementing my Proposal

Even though there were some challenges and I felt somewhat limited, I do still believe in my proposal to provide professional development in educational technology. This is something my school really needed and I'm looking forward to having more collaborative conversations about ed-tech topics with teachers and other staff members. When I first started designing the proposal, I thought that it might be too simple. However, it is a real need that needed to be addressed. It feels good to be the one to set up this professional development and see how it benefits the staff.

Learning Specialist and Instructional Designer Roles

Before taking this course, I didn't realize how expansive the role of a technology specialist could be. I was always interested in technology, but I'm now glad that I can merge that interest with working in education. I'm glad to see that so much knowledge of learning theories and curriculum design go into the role of a technology specialist. It will be great to work with teachers in a different role in order to provide them with the support that I once wished I had received. I think that these are critical roles in every school and hoping to see more of these staff members in schools and classrooms. I'm excited to be an active participant in the design and implementation of technology in the classroom.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog Post #1: Welcome to My Blog!

Image
         Welcome to my blog!        Image Source: Personal Photo              About Me My name is Kate (she/her) and I am in my 7th year as a special education teacher. Before teaching special education, I taught a technology class in a general education classroom for 4 years. I currently teach 6th and 7th grade at a therapeutic day school. I received my BA in Secondary English Education and a minor in Community Service Studies at DePaul University . The Community Service studies minor allowed me to work with a variety of non-profit organizations around Chicago. I earned my MS in Special Education LBS1 at Dominican University . I'm finally feeling ready to go back to school and excited to return to Dominican to work on my Education Technology Specialist Endorsement.     Image source: personal photo                             Non-profit Work Aside from teaching, I am a volunteer for a local non-profit organization, Girls Rock! Chicago.  I am a life-long Chicagoan, and feel like t
Read more

Blog Post #5: Active Learning: QR Codes

Image
  Active Learning: QR Codes image source: remark.com What is active learning?    It's no secret that the way students learn has changed over the years. Every generation is slightly different than the last, and it is important for educators to make content relevant to students. This week, I explored how active learning is beneficial in the classroom. Active learning is student-centered, interactive, and allows students to take ownership of their learning. According to the University of Minnesota Center for Educational Innovation, "Active learning is any approach to instruction in which all students are asked to engage in the learning process."  Active learning promotes 21st century skills, keeps students engaged in their work, and encourages problem solving and critical thinking skills. Some strategies for successfully implementing active learning include reciprocal questioning, group discussions, self-assessment, and peer-teaching activities ( Prodigy ). image source: t
Read more

My Relationship With Social Media: Introduction

Image
My Relationship With Social Media Facebook profile picture image source: personal photo     Welcome! My name is Kate. I teach middle school special education but have also taught high school special education and general education classes. I have been a teacher for 13 years and a lot has changed over the course of my career. When I started my first teaching job in 2011, people were somewhat resistant to students having their own devices to use in each class. At my first job, I taught a media and technology class to high school freshmen. It was a great introduction to how technology can be used as a tool in the classroom during a time when some teachers believed it to be a distraction. Today, especially after the pandemic, technology is talked about more than ever. The mindset regarding using apps, social media, and computers has changed to include these tools in our teaching.  I'm excited to learn more about social media and how to utilize it in the classroom. As a teacher, I have
Read more