Shannan
Muskopf
Master's Degree in Educational Technology
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4.0
Professional studies in educational computing and technology leadership
prepare candidates to exhibit leadership in the identification, selection,
installation, maintenance, and management of computing hardware and software
and the uses of computers and related technologies throughout the curriculum.
Reflection: This
competency covers research and specific knowledge about the use of
technology in schools. I have read articles and research studies related
to education technology and used that information to plan and implement
instructional goals. I have used technology to create lessons and
staff development programs and have used prior research to determine
what media would be best suited for the environment, audience and
instructional goals. The standard also reflects my ability to manipulate
various programs and devices to create a interactive and engaging
lessons. |
| 4.1
| 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4
| 4.5 |
4.1
Research and Theories.
Candidates
will identify and apply educational and technology-related research, the
psychology of learning, and instructional design principles in guiding
use of computers and technology in education.
4.1.1
summarize and apply principles and practices of educational research in
educational technology.
Q410, Research
in Educational Technology offered insight into research practices in
the field of educational technology. Various methods of research and
evalution were addressed and in the context of the researchers educational
philosophy. The class focused on paradigms of research, such as constructism,
emancipatory, and postpostivist and I explored my personal philosophies
in the context of how research can be conducted in the field of educational
technology.
Critique
of Research Article
Research Proposal
4.1.2
summarize major research findings and trends related to the use of technology
in education to support integration of technology in a K12 environment.
Many of the classes
in the Educational Technology program focus on the ongoing research
of technology in education. In order to effectively integrate technology
into a curriculum in such a way that it facilititates learning and is
not there "for technology's sake". The majority of the research
concludes that technology should be used as a tool, and not as a central
focus. I have reviewed many articles in the educational technology field
that focus on this ongoing research.
4.1.3
apply theories of learning, teaching, and instructional design and their
relationship to the use of technology to support learning.
I have applied
constructivist theories of learning in my own curriculum by creating
lessons that require students to solve problems and create their own
knowledge base. I have shifted my teaching strategies from a directed
instruction approach to a constructivist approach in order to facilitate
student-centered learning. My coursework at the University of Missouri
has given me insights into how a constructivist approach, coupled with
directed instruction can result in meaningful learning among students.
Philosophy
of Learning
4.1.4
describe social and historical foundations of education and how they relate
to the use of technology in schools.
I feel that I
have had the unique experience of being in a transition generation in
relation to technology. When I started teaching nine years ago, computers
were not that common, they weren't necessarily a household necessity.
I remember the surprise of the other teachers when they learned that
I had a home computer. Nine years ago, the internet was not what it
is today. Since then I've seen major changes in how technology has changed
education. I now have three home computers and a computer in my classroom.
I routinely use the internet to develop lessons and research scientific
topics. The district is planning on implementing a system that will
allow us to track attendance and grades through the computer's server,
rather than by hand. My experiences within the education system and
with emerging technology has provided me with an extensive background
in the historical foundations of education and technology.
4.1.5
identify research related to human and equity issues concerning the use
of computers and related technologies in education.
I have read many
articles relelated to human and equity issues. Articles that relate
to policies on technology and student use have influenced the integration
of technology into my own curriculum and into the development of the
school's technology plan.
4.1.6
design a research project that includes evaluating the use of a specific
technology in a K12 environment.
I
developed a research proposal to analyze the educuational value of computer
based lab simulations. This proposal included background research, an
analysis of the problem and research methodology for answering the research
question. The focus of the research is computer simulations for dissections
as it has a real world appllicaton to my teaching field. My school district
has considered replacing traditional laboratories with simulations in
order to cut costs and avoid ethical questions regarding dissections
and the use of animals in the classroom.
Research
Proposal
4.2 Instructional Design and Product Development.
Candidates
will evaluate authoring and programming environments for use in the classroom.
They will apply instructional design principles to develop, implement,
and test interactive multimedia instructional products using authoring
environments.
4.2.1
use and apply more than one computer authoring and/or programming environment.
I routinely use
authoring programs such as dreamweaver and frontpage. This document
was created with dreamweaver. I have also had experience with adobe
acrobat and flash.
4.2.2
describe the characteristics and uses of current authoring environments
and evaluate their appropriateness for classroom applications.
My experience
with various authoring programs provides me with a good foundation for
determining their appropriateness in a classroom setting. Some programs
are user friendly and can be easily taught to students without the program
being the central focuse. Other programs, such as director and flash
require such user training that they are not appropriate to the classroom,
unless the central focus of the class is to learn these applications.
4.2.3
describe the characteristics and uses of current programming and scripting
environments and evaluate their appropriateness for classroom use.
I have used various
scripts in creating online documents, such as javascript, PHP, and CGI.
I feel confident that my experience with these devices gives me insight
into which scripts and programs would best suit the goal of presenting
and authoring documents. I can determine the appropriateness of the
scripts for classroom use based on ease of use and the extent of which
the scripts require user-end expertise. Copy/paste free scripts are
more appropriate in a classroom setting than a lengthy instruction on
how to create unique scripts.
4.2.4
apply instructional design principles to the design of screens, text,
graphics, audio, and video in instructional products under development.
I have designed
many handouts for students and staff that have an instructional purpose.
I have also created graphics and other interacting documents for websites,
including image maps and interactive buttons.
4.2.5
describe and practice strategies for testing and evaluating instructional
products designed.
Evaluation was
a central focus of "Intructional Systems Design". I researched
various means of evaluating instructional products, and performed a
specific evaluations on an instructional workshop I developed and implemented
in my own school district. In addition to this, I routinely evaluate
workshops and inservices I attend to fulfill my requirements for recertification.
4.2.6
apply instructional design principles to develop substantive interactive
multimedia computer-based instructional products.
I have designed
workshops for peers that are desgned to improve their use of technology
and the world wide web. I am currently working on a mini-tutorial to
help teachers create classroom pages for the school's website. As I
manage the school's website, having some specific guidelines for creating
pages is important for the web sites overall design.
4.3 Information Access and Delivery.
Candidates
will implement information access and delivery resources in K12 schools
to support the curriculum.
4.3.1
identify and use information access and telecommunication tools to support
research and instruction throughout the curriculum.
I routinely use
telecommunication tools to access information for the science curriculum.
This includes web browsers, email clients (applications and web-based)
and require my students to use the class drop box to submit assignments.
4.3.2
use and implement distance learning delivery systems including computer,
audio, and video conferencing.
The entire program
of study through the University of Missouri is web-based. I have experience
with learning delivery systems such as blackboard and webct. I have
installed and used media to enable audio and video applications, such
as realplayer, windows media player, quicktime and shockwave. I have
also installed these features on the computer lab networks.
4.3.3
create multimedia presentations using advanced features of a presentation
tool and deliver them using computer projection systems.
I have used powerpoint
to create presentations for workshops. As a technology committee member,
we worked collaboratively to produce the powerpoint presentation used
for freshman orientation.
Power
Point Presentation - TechnologyPolicies (.ppt format, click to advance)
Microscope Instruction
(.ppt format, click to advance)
4.3.4
install, configure, and use local mass storage devices and media to store
and retrieve information and resources.
I have experience
with storing data onto floppies, zipdisks, and rewritable cd roms. I
have access to the school's server resources and also store class materials
in a public folder on the school's server for other teachers to access.
4.3.5
describe issues related to selecting, installing, and maintaining WANs
for school districts.
Though
I have little experience with the installing of hardware for WANs, I do
have experience with working with networks. The school is entirely networked,
and printers and other devices are shared among departments.
4.4
Operating Systems.
Candidates
will install, customize, and configure the operating systems of computers
and computer networks in school settings.
4.4.1
identify and describe the major operating systems associated with computing
platforms found in K12 schools.
I have experience
with windows and macintosh computers. My network at home has both computer
types and feel confident that I can navigate both systems. Because of
my unique home network, I also have the experience of creating a network
that can function for both platforms. Peripheral devices for my home
network, such as printers and a digital camera are compatible with both
systems and files can be transferred between the three computers.
4.4.2
identify and manipulate preferences, defaults, and other selectable features
of operating systems commonly found in K12 schools.
My personal experience
with computers gives me a good foundation in how to select specific
features on the operating systems of both macs and pc's. I can manipulate
preferences so that media are associated with applications, start pages
and layouts can be adjusted and even minor preferences such as background
color or images. I know how to create shortcuts (for pc's) and aliases
(for macs) to improve the ease of accessibility of programs. I know
how to organize applications and adjust memory to improve the overall
speed and reliability of the operating system
4.4.3
use and manipulate networking software to effectively manage the operation
of a LAN.
I
have installed software for peripheral devices that are located on my
home LAN. I also have experience with installing and configuring routers
so that my network shares an internet connection. Part of the process
for configuring a router is setting the preferences for the built-in
firewall.
4.4.4
evaluate, troubleshoot, install, and maintain computer operating systems
for classrooms and laboratories.
I
am in charge of the physics/biology lab network. My duties include installing
new software, upgrading software and fixing problems, such as printer
malfunction and network connection problems.
4.5
Software and Hardware Selection, Installation, and Maintenance.
Candidates
will identify and implement software in both classroom and administrative
environments. They will investigate issues related to school and site
planning, purchasing, and technology integration.
4.5.1
identify and describe software used in classroom and administrative settings
including productivity tools, information access telecommunications tools,
multimedia, hypermedia tools, school management tools, evaluation and
portfolio tools, and computer-based instruction.
I have experience
with a variety of software related to classroom management, general
productivity, and personal pleasure. I have compiled an extensive list
of my experience with these various applications and can determine which
application is best suited for a personal, professional, or classroom
goal.
Program
Experience
4.5.2
investigate and recommend purchasing strategies and procedures for acquiring
administrative and instructional software for educational settings.
I have personally
assisted in the process of software acquisition for my department. This
process includes evaluation and analysis of costs of upgrade and site
licensing.
4.5.3
describe evaluation criteria for software and identify reliable sources
of software evaluations.
My district requires
teachers to fill out technology proposals to acquire technology resources
such as software, hardware and peripheral devices. I have submitted
many of these proposals which often include a thorough summary of the
sofware, how it will be used in class and an evaluation of the trial
version. I've found that the better written proposals are the ones that
get approved, so I spend a good deal of time writing proposals and including
reviews from outside sources. To date, all of my technology proposals
have been approved.
4.5.4
identify and implement methods of installation, maintenance, inventory,
and management of software libraries.
I have installed
a multitude of software both at home and at work. The number of applications,
and the varying platforms I use make it a necessity to manage and organize
software. In addition, the necessity of reinstalling the operating system
when computers fail has prompted me to keep organized back-ups of these
programs so that they can be reinstalled also. I currently have a box
of zipdrives with back-up programs for the macinstoshes, a CD booklet
that contains back-ups for my PC and space on the school server to store
back-ups of documents. When a computer fails on the network, I have
a very specific system for repairing the computer and getting the computer
back to where it was before the failure.
4.5.5
develop and implement ethical and legal procedures for maintaining software
libraries.
I am very cognizant
of legal issues regarding software and copyrights. Because of my technology
expertise, many teachers ask me to install software onto their computers.
Before doing that, I ascertain the type of software (shareware, freeware,
licensed) and make sure that it is legal to put the software on the
computers.
4.5.6
identify and classify adaptive assistive hardware and software for students
and teachers with special needs and locate sources to assist in procurement
and implementation.
I am aware of
programs available for special needs students and have assisted in installing
these applications in classrooms where they are needed. I have also
recommended the purchase of software and hardware that will improve
the accessibility of the library computers for special needs students.
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