Shannan
Muskopf
Master's Degree in Educational Technology
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Professional
studies in educational computing and technology combine leadership skills
and concepts with knowledge about use of computers and related technologies
in schools. Advanced programs preparing educators for a specialty in educational
computing and technology require studies of and experiences with leadership,
staff development, and supervisory concepts and skills as they relate
to use of technology-based systems in K12 education.
Reflection: This
competency reflects a body of knowledge about effective leadership
and implementing strategies for reform. I have worked with my school's
technology committee to develop a set of goals for the integration
of technology into school curriculum. I have also experienced firsthand
the trials and tribulations of enacting reform and value changes among
the staff. The School Improvement Plan also requires my district to
improve the area of technology and learning, so my job is twofold
- analyzing state requirements and implementing the school improvement
plan in my own curriculum, and also work with the technology committee
to improve the overall state of technology resources in the district
and how they are used. |
| 5.1
| 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.4
|5.5 | 5.6 |
5.1 Instructional Program Development.
Candidates
will develop curricular plans based on local, state, and national standards
for the use of computers and other associated technologies.
5.1.1
describe and analyze accepted principles of strategic planning to facilitate
curriculum design for teaching with computers and related technologies.
The School Improvement
Plan in my district included full day workshops to analyze the Illinois
State Standards and develop strategies for including technology in the
science curriculum. I was on the committee to analyze standards related
to biology and discuss ways of incorporating technology into the established
curriculum.
Biology
Curriculum Revision (sample page)
5.1.2
identify and use national, state, and local guidelines to develop curriculum
plans for integrating technology in the K12 environment.
I have participated
in workshop developments to improve the use of technology within the
science curriculum. I have designed technology related curriculum that
follow state standards as a part of my the School Improvement Plan for
my district. The science curriculum was changed as a result of state
standards and a need to include technology in the curriculum. As a part
of this process, I developed a set of lesson plans related to biology
which was submitted to the state to show our efforts in the School Improvement
Project. The lesson plan listed is a worksheet students use to coincide
with a virtual mouse breeding program. The students manipulate characteristics
of mice and breed them to determine how traits are inherited in the
mouse population. This lesson as well as others for each science class
are on file at the district.
Lesson
Plan: Virtual Mouse House
5.2
Teaching Methodology.
Candidates
will apply effective methods and strategies for teaching the use of technology
tools.
5.2.1
demonstrate methods for teaching hypermedia development, scripting, and/or
computer programming in a problem solving context in K12 schools.
I have worked
closely with my school's technology director to improve the functionality
of the school's network and web site. I have suggested that a student
dropbox (folder) be included on the network so that students can submit
assignments to teachers withough having to print them out. I have also
suggested that the school's announcements be scripted to the website
using a javascript application that writes to the webpage independently
of ftp access so that the student office workers can type announcements
into a form and have them posted onto the school's website. These suggestions
were in response to specific problems the district was having regarding
printer sharing and communication.
5.2.2
demonstrate methods for teaching at least one modern authoring tool to
colleagues and students.
I am in the process
of developing a web-based tutorial that will help teachers create web
sites for their classes. In addition to this work in progress, I have
taught specific skills to my students on how to create word publishing
documents to present projects and assignments, such as power point and
microsoft word.
Create
a Webpage for Your Class (.doc format)
5.2.3
demonstrate methods for teaching uses of media-based tools such as television,
audio, print media, and graphics.
I have informally
instructed other teachers in the use of technology tools such as microsoft
word, and image editors. Science teachers seem to have an interest in
creating their own images and graphics to support lessons. Usually,
I speak with teachers one-on-one about the type of graphics they are
interested in and provide them with tips and techniques for accomplishing
their goals.
5.2.4
demonstrate methods for teaching social, ethical, and legal issues and
responsible use of technology.
I
speak to my students at the beginning of the year about legal and ethical
uses of computers. The first trip to the computer lab with my freshman
includes a lesson on acceptable and non acceptable uses of the technology.
Students are required to follow district guidelines set for them and
my class guidelines about copying articles, images and other media.
5.3 Staff development.
Candidates
will demonstrate knowledge of issues and models related to leadership
in staff development. Candidates will plan and design staff development
activities for educational settings.
5.3.1
plan and design staff development programs.
I have designed
staff developed programs that relate to science and the internet. The
technology committee is currently working on a staff development workshop
that will train staff members in the use of the school's internet library.
I am currently working on this project with the technology committee.
As a part of my class requiremens for Q471, I planned and implemented
a staff development workshop to improve science teachers' abilities
to use the world wide web to create lesson plans to supplement their
curriculum.
Using
the World Wid Web to Enhance Science Instruction (evaluation report)
5.3.2
describe and identify resources for staff development.
I find the internet
to be a valuable resource in designing documents for staff development.
I have used various websites to train others in effective searching
and analyzing the validity of web sites. I have also a large library
of technology related books and program guides.
My
library
5.3.3
plan and customize staff development based on differing audiences including
school and district decision makers.
I
have created staff development plans for a wide variety of audiences,
for instance, I have a internet workshop designed for science teaching
staff. I also have workshop scheduled that invites teachers from the
county to learn how to use the Qx3 microscope. Projects I have also
worked on are freshman orientation presenations and general student
body presentations.
5.4
Facilities and Resource Management.
Candidates
will demonstrate knowledge of issues related to facilities and resource
management.
5.4.1
describe and use budget planning and management procedures related to
educational computing and technology facilities and resources.
I have surveyed
the school's facilities and make recommendations to the technology director
regarding the acquirment of new resourrces such as hardware, software
and peripheral devices. I am also aware of grant oppurtunities in the
area of science and technology and routinely write grant proposals to
help offset the costs of technology on the school district.
5.4.2
identify funding sources available at local, state, or national levels
and collaborate on development of a grant proposal.
I have written
grants for my coursework at the Univeristy of Missouri. I have also
written grants to acquire new equipment for the science department and
for my classroom.
Rivers
Project Grant Proposal
5.4.3
plan, develop, implement, and evaluate strategies and procedures for resource
acquisition and management of technology-based systems including hardware
and software.
I visit various
technology resource sites on the web and watch for grant opportunities.
I have also completed a facilities survey of my district so I have a
fair idea of what kinds of software and hardwara are needed. In addition
to that, I also take requests from teachers in the science department
for software and help them fill out the proper forms to request the
software.
5.4.4
identify, describe, and analyze procedures related to basic trouble shooting,
preventive maintenance, and procurement of system-wide maintenance services.
I am mostly self
taught in trouble shooting and preventative maintenance due to having
a computer network in my own home long before the school ever got theirs.
I am always reminding students and teachers to keep back-ups of their
documents and helping teachers fix minor computer problems. When the
problem is beyond my skill, I fill out the form to request the technology
director address the problem
5.4.5
describe and maintain current information involving facilities planning
issues related to computers and related technologies.
I read articles
related to the development of new technology and have discussed with
the technology committe ways of managing the current resources and sharing
resources among the staff and students. As a tech team member, we spend
a lot of time organizing information on what technology we have, and
what technology is needed.
5.4.6
design and develop policies and procedures concerning staffing, scheduling,
and security for managing computers and technology in a variety of instructional
and administrative school settings.
I
have developed a technology plan for my district, which was later built
upon and rrevised by the technology committee. We also developed the
school's Acceptable Use Policy and meet regularly to discuss issues
related to technology. Issues such as staff development and security
have all been discussed in the school's technology committee meetings.
5.5
Managing the Change Process.
Candidate
will demonstrate knowledge of strategies for and issues related to managing
the change process in schools.
5.5.1
evaluate school and district technology plans and recommend improvements.
I have evaluated
school technology plans of other schools in order to revise and improve
my districts own technology plan. I have reviewed guides and resources
related to the development of technology plans and have analyzed other
districts technology plans listed at netc.org
and determined what elements could be improved in my own district's
plan.
Technology
Plan Review of Hawthorne School District | Staff
Development Plan for Granite City High School
5.5.2
discuss issues relating to building collaborations, alliances, and partnerships
involving educational technology initiatives.
I have participated
in discussions that address the role of the community in educational
technology. One aspect of my school's technology plan is to include
local businesses in technology planning and resource acquisition.
5.5.3
demonstrate knowledge of effective group process skills.
A large amount
of my distance learning experience has involved group projects and discussions.
I have worked collaboratively to create grant proposals, staff development
plans, and analyze various aspects of educational technology.
Staff
Development Plan for Salam R80 School District - group project
5.5.4 use evaluation
findings to recommend modifications in technology implementations.
I
have performed various summative and formative evaluations of technology
plans and proposals. I have distributed surveys and gathered data on
technology use and attitudes, the data then being uses to plan and revise
the district's technology plan
Technology
Staffing Plan | Staff
Survey
5.6
Field Experiences.
Candidates
will participate in field experiences that allow them to
(1) observe the use of technology to support instruction, the management
of technology resources in educational settings, and the evaluation of
effectiveness of technology resources for teaching and learning; and (2)
apply technology resources to support instruction in classroom settings.
5.6.1
observe and compare methods and strategies used in educational technology
in a variety of authentic educational settings (e.g., elementary, middle,
secondary, adaptive assistive classrooms, labs).
Because I am
a classroom teacher working on a master's degree in educational technology,
I gain the insights and experiences of applying what I learn to real
classroom settings. I have designed and implemented web based lessons
in my own classes and revised them according to these student trials.
5.6.2
develop and teach a series of lessons that apply technology resources
to support instruction.
I have developed
lessons that apply technology both for the educational technology classes
and for my school's improvement plan. Most of these lessons are on file
in the the school's science office, though some are located online on
my classroom website.
5.6.3
document and assess a significant field-based activity involving experiences
in instructional program development, staff development, facilities and
resource management, or managing change related to technology use in schools.
I have experienced
and participated in many field-based activities that develop technology
plans, staff training and resource management. Most of my experience
comes from working as a classroom teacher and a member of the school's
technology committee.
Human
Genetics Web Project
5.6.4
document and assess experiences in implementing a WAN or LAN with Internet
connectivity.
I assisted the
technology coordinator with the wiring and connectivity of a new lab
in the school district. The lab was equipped with 30 computers each
connected to a router which was then connected to the school's backbone
server. I also am the technical liason in the science department and
assist with connectivity problems with the lab computers and the functionality
of the printers. Usually, this assistance requires the checking of wires
and setting computers to act as servers for the peripheral devices.
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