Running

head: GROWTH ASSESSMENT

Growth Assessment Paper

Christina Urmanski
Azusa Pacific University

GROWTH ASSESSMENT

2
History of Coursework

Term
Fall 2
2015

Course
EDTC 511 Foundations
in Educational
Technology

Professor
Dr.
Kathleen
Bacer

Fall 2
2015

EDTC 571 Curriculum

Foundations

Valerie
Suffern

Spring 1
2016

EDTC 517 Digital

Communications

Joe
Bruzzese

Spring 1
2016

EDTC 527 Special

Topics in Educational
Technology

Barry
Bettger

Spring 2
2016

EDTC 518 Global

Learning/CrossCultural Classroom

Barbara
McMillan

Kathryn

Price

Doyle Potter

Spring 2
2016

EDTC 524
Instructional Design
and Development

Summer
2016

EDTC 521 Digital

Imagery for Learning
Environments

Summer
2016

EDTC 523 Educational

Application of
Information Design and
Hypermedia

Kathryn
Price

Fall 1
2016

EDTC 515 Emerging

Trends in Technology

Dr. James
Brown

Fall 1
2016

EDTC 520 Managing

Technology Supported
Curricular Tools

Elisabeth
Silver

Fall 2
2016

EDTC 526 Practicum

in Educational
Applications of
Technology
EDTC 572 Advanced
Educational
Psychology

Dr.
Kathleen
Bacer

Fall 2
2016

Dr. James
Brown

Key Learnings
Adobe Acrobat
Social Bookmarking
Google Communications (gmail, Hangouts)
APA format
Exploring learning theories
Creating curriculum in PDF
Multiple Intelligences (learning styles)
Powerful Paragraph
Website building
Telecommunications (Hangouts, Twitter and
Blogging)
Personal Learning Networks
Identifying inaccurate information on the Web
Online resources for education
Global Learning Projects (start planning and
research)
Telecollaborative Structures
Importance of Digital Citizenship
Create advertisement for GLP
Backwards Design Plan
Deconstruct lesson plans
Photoshop
Video Editing with iMovie
Camera Techniques
Creating videos for the classroom (PSA, how to
videos)
Create Trust Monitor Policy
Apply information design principles to a
website
Apply visual design techniques to website
Explore a Massive Open Online Course
Create a Ted Talk
Research digital citizenship and the dark side of
the web
Research District Plan
Create an Implementation Plan
Collaborate on a School Improvement Plan
Complete GLP and eNotebook
Reflect on our growth
Build an ePortfolio
Research the 12 ways the brain works and how
we can apply it to student learning

GROWTH ASSESSMENT

3
Personal Growth

I started this program unsure of what to expect. I had a positive outlook but was
apprehensive about starting an online Masters program. I chose a Masters degree in Educational
Technology (EDTC) because it seemed interesting. Little did I know, it would prove to be the
most useful masters I would need in the 21st century classroom. With the support of my
Professors, I made it through each term stronger and with more confidence than before. Over the
last year, I have experienced a great deal of personal growth including: my relationship with
God, learning to become a life-long learner, and confidence with my technology skills.
Entering into this program, my relationship with God was not strong. Now, I do not think
I could have made it through this program without God. Joshua 1:9, Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
go (Muck, 2005). Knowing God was with me every step of the way is what comforted me and
provided me the strength to keep going. Every term we reflected on our faith and every term I
learned something new about God and the Bible. I feel as though I have rediscovered my faith
and love in the Lord. I cannot thank Dr. Bacer and the rest of the staff enough for helping me
find my way and help me strengthen my ties with God.
As educators, we are considered life-long learners. We stay current on trends and best
practices in education. Entering this program, I felt like I had gaps when it came to life-long
learning and technology. I have learned over the course of this program how to effectively
update myself on technology trends. Multiple ways I can do this is through communicating with
the Technology Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA), collaborating with my personal
learning network (PLN) and checking my Feedly feed. One tool I really valued was the Massive
Open Online Courses (MOOC) because we can enroll in any type of class for free (Brown,

GROWTH ASSESSMENT

2016). MOOCs give people a chance to extend their knowledge in multiple areas. I have learned
many tools to become a better life-long learner.
I have gained confidence in my technology skills. I feel ready to integrate technology
effectively into my classroom and my personal life. Personally, I have grown with photo editing
and video editing (Potter, 2016). I am currently using these newly acquired skills for my
wedding. I am recording clips over the course of the next year, which I will edit and put together
into a video for our wedding day. I have also learned how to use spreadsheets which is helping
me keep track of my personal finances. The technology we have learned in these classes
improved my confidence with technology.
This masters program has helped me to develop in many aspects of my life. I have
reconnected with my faith and feel a stronger connection to God. I have discovered new ways to
continue my life-long learning. Lastly, I have learned many new technologies that will enhance
my lesson plans but also improve my everyday life.
Professional Growth
Professionally, I have witnessed my growth at my school site. I am now asked more
questions regarding technology and asked, by other teachers, to help them implement new
technologies. I have felt more confidence in my technology skills and volunteered for the
Technology Team Lead (TTL) position. A few of the tasks we performed, over the year, have
contributed to my professional growth they are: lesson plan designs, implementation, and
collaboration.
Professor Price (2016) introduced to us the importance of backward designs (BWD).
Effective curriculum is planned backward from long-term desired results through a threestaged design process (Wiggins & McTighe, 2011, p. 4). Using The Understanding by Design

GROWTH ASSESSMENT

Guide to Creative High-Quality Units, I was able to learn a new effective way to lesson plan. I
like to use BWD when I plan project based learning (PBL) activities. Planning with the end in
mind provides a clear goal when creating activities.
EDTC 520 with Professor Silver (2016) introduced me to our school and our district
implementation plans. Viewing the district plan was helpful because it allowed me to see where
my school district was and where we should be. The software rubric was also helpful because
are school looks at purchasing new software all the time. Now I can use the rubric we created to
see if the software is worth purchasing. The project that provided the most growth was the
school implementation plan (SIP). Every year we look at the SIP and see how we can implement
technology. Now I can be an active participant when we review our plan and talk about
purchasing software.
I have grown as a collaborator through global learning and networking. This year I
implemented Global Learning Projects (GLP) into my curriculum. My students loved the GLPs
because they felt like they were participating in something bigger then themselves. I also learned
how PLNs work and how to benefit from collaborating with others. I built my PLNs by joining
EdModo, Twitter, and Pinterest. These resources have helped me to stay current and become a
better professional.
For it being my third year teaching, I feel like I have blossomed into a teacher others seek
for advice. I have learned so much throughout this program that I have taken back to my school
site and shared with other teachers. The amount of information I know now has allowed me to
take on more responsibilities and feel comfortable with the actions.
Technology Growth

GROWTH ASSESSMENT

Entering this program, I feel like I was unsure of how to implement technology in my
classroom. Now I am exiting the program, excited to use technology and have my students
explore the opportunities technology brings to them. I have grown with technology by learning
about websites, video editing/presentations, and digital citizenship.
When creating websites I am reminded of Steven Krug (2014, p. 9) who said, A person
of average ability and experience can figure out how to use the thing to accomplish something
without it being more trouble than its worth. I create my websites with this in mind. My goal
is to make the layout easy for anyone to use. Professor Kathryn Price (n.d.) wrote, Information
Architecture is comprised of Information Design, Interaction Design and Interface Design
(lesson 1). These components played a huge part when I began building my websites. Now
every time I create a website, I think about the content, experience, and the look and feel of my
website.
Video editing and presentations tools were challenging to learn but now I use them in my
personal and professional life. Videos and presentations are a great tool to use in the classroom.
I began creating videos of each math lesson so students can go back and watch the videos on
their own. I have learned to use presentation and video tools like screen casting, Powtoons,
Animoto, iMovie, and VideoScribe. Professor Potter (2016) really pushed me to learn more and
now I am thankful I know how to do use these tools because they enhance my life both
professionally and personally.
Digital Citizenship is important to teach our students. Digital Citizenship is essential
with todays 21st century learners because so much of what they do is communicate online.
Teaching digital citizenship keeps our students responsible and safe when they communicate,

GROWTH ASSESSMENT

connect, and work with others online. It was important for me to learn about appropriate
behaviors in a digital society and how to teach them to our 21st century students.
I have grown so much with technology. I am no longer afraid of technology but I
embrace it. I created a website for my students and their parents. My website is easy to
maneuver and contains only important information. I have also added a tab of all the videos we
created for each math lesson. All of this is possible because I now feel confident with
technology.
Life Long Learning Plan
I started my journey of life long learning at APU. Technology was not one of my
strengths. Now leaving APU, I can say I embrace technology and what it has to offer my
students and me. Even though my time at APU is coming to an end, my education is just
starting. I will have the rest of my life to continue learning and advancing my skills. My plan is
to keep up with current trends by reading the articles in my RSS feed, taking classes through
MOOCs, and collaborating with my PLN.
My PLN is getting stronger everyday. I am learning how to use Twitter to communicate
and share information. I get updates from WIRED, TechCrunch, and Dreambox Learning. All
of these users provide information on technology and classroom activities. I am becoming more
familiar with EdModo. It is a great tool because it allows educators to connect and communicate
with similar interests. I follow groups on EdModo like Project Based Learning, Computer-Using
Educators (CUE), Digital Citizenship, and Middle School. These groups have created
conversations threads that bring up so many great questions and suggestions. I have also built a
strong PLN with my cadre. The people I have met and worked with over the last 13 months have
helped make me a better educator and I look forward to communicating with them in the future.

GROWTH ASSESSMENT

My goals for the future are to continue my growth and never become intimidated by
technology. I want to stay on the cutting edge and help other teachers accept and enjoy
technology as much as I do. My plan is to apply for a Technology Subject Authorization through
Commission on Teaching Credentialing (CTC). I would love to teach more technology classes at
my school and teach students what technology has to offer. Who knows where Gods plan will
lead me, but I know I am thankful for what he has put on my path so far. Technology integration
is definitely something I will continue to pursue.
Conclusion
Even though is feels like my journey is coming to an end, it is really only the beginning. I
have been able to apply my key learnings to my personal and professional life. In my spare time,
I have taken on many personal projects. I am editing photos, creating movies, starting websites,
and researching new technologies to enhance my life. I have grown as a professional and now I
can better teach the 21st century learners. The growth I have experienced with technology has
given me more confidence to take on roles within my school site. My principal has asked me to
implement the global learning resources he found so we can expand global learning to the rest of
the school. I am excited for the upcoming projects I am in charge of and I could not have done it
without my experiences at APU. When I thought about technology before I started this program,
I was overwhelmed with the constantly changing trends. Now when I think about technology, I
get excited to see where technology is headed and how it will change. I am thankful for my time
at APU and all of the experience I have gained.

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9
References

Brown, J. (2016). EDTC515: Emerging trends in technology. Online Master of Arts in

Educational Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa, CA.
Retrieved from http://sakai.apu.edu
Krug, S. (2014). Dont make me think revisited. San Francisco, CA: New Riders.
Potter, D. (2015). EDTC521: Info design/hypermedia. Online Master of Arts in Educational
Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa CA. Retrieved from
http://sakai.apu.edu
Price, K. (2016). EDTC523: Instructional design and development. [Lesson 1]. Online Master of
Arts in Educational Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa
CA. Retrieved from http://sakai.apu.edu
Price, K. (2016). EDTC524: Instructional design and development. Online Master of Arts in
Educational Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa CA.
Retrieved from http://sakai.apu.edu
Silver, E. (2016). EDTC520: Managing tech-supported curricular tools. Online Master of Arts
in Educational Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa CA.
Retrieved from http://sakai.apu.edu
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2011). The understanding be design guide to creating high-quality
units. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Muck, T. (2005). Faith in Action Study Bible: Living God's Word in a Changing World
NIV. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan