ITEC 7305 Reflection

I have really enjoyed digging deeper into data analysis and data teams during ITEC 7305, Data Analysis & School
Improvement. While I learned so much during the course, there are a few things that stand out as most important.
First and foremost, I enjoyed learning how to drill down in data analysis and use that analysis to alter instruction and
impact student achievement. This will be applicable to my teaching on a daily basis. The use of formative and
summative assessment data to alter instruction is so vital for student achievement. I also found the information on
forming a data team and establishing norms to be extremely important and essential to the data team process. While
I was familiar with the idea of teams evaluating data, I had never heard of establishing norms. It makes such sense
and seems so important to the overall process. Finally, I learned that analysis for subgroups and minority groups is
essential.

The most valuable field experience in this course was the Data Overview presentation. I enjoyed working on this
assignment because it was about my school. I was able to learn more about the achievement of the students within
my school, while discovering strengths and weaknesses that I never would have known otherwise. Sharing this
presentation with the faculty is at the top of my list of to-do's when I return to school. From there, I'd like to begin to
establish a data team that analyzes data for the good of the school. I anticipate that teacher resistance will be a
challenge that I very well might face. I am hopeful that the elevator speech gave me the practice at presenting this
idea in a way that motivates the staff toward this process...instead of creating resistance and negativity from the start.

I look forward to continuing to implement what I have learned during this course as I move forward in my career.

ITEC 7400 Reflection

The ITEC 7400 Course, 21st Century Teaching and Learning has been an outstanding course. I have learned a great
deal that will assist me both currently as I continue as a classroom teacher and in the future when I pursue a position
as a technology coach or leader. First and foremost, I was introduced to the LoTi levels and learned how to assess
the LoTi level of various projects incorporating technology. I also learned how to increase the LoTi level and
indicators of engaged learning in projects that I was creating for my students. Knowledge of these two indicators will
help me identify when technology is being used in a way that is benefiting students by providing rigor, collaboration,
authenticity, and engagement. The textbook for the course also included great ideas for evaluating online resources
including rubrics and links to other rubrics online. I plan to share this information with the teachers at my school.

In addition to determining the LoTi level, I was also introduced in this course to numerous resources that would be
beneficial in my classroom. The textbook contained countless project ideas, online projects, publishing opportunities,
websites, apps, etc. I found myself highlighting, flagging, and making notes for future reference throughout the
course. What I liked most about the course was that almost all of the information presented was relevant to my
classroom. I was able to collaboratively discuss and give/receive feedback with peers that teach a similar grade level,
which allowed me to learn even more from my peers.

The creation of the Engaged Learning Project allowed me to practice creating projects that would have a high LoTi
level while also containing high indicators of engaged learning. This process allowed me to practice many ISTE
standards including standard 3f, Selecting and Evaluating Online Tools & Resources. I also was able to see that truly
good projects are student-centered and authentic (ISTE 2c). I designed my project to fit the needs of 21st century
learners. The needs of these learners is not quite evident at the conclusion of this course. Students need engaging
learning experiences that relate to the real world. They need time for collaboration during student-centered projects
and activities that naturally bring higher level thinking. Students also need consistent access to technology, both for
productivity uses and learning/collaboration.

I really enjoyed this course and look forward to the rest of the technology courses throughout my Specialist program.

ITEC 7460 Reflection

I found ITEC 7430, PL & Tech Innovation very helpful towards my ultimate goal of becoming an Instructional
Technology Coach. All previous courses had dealt with the actual technology that would be utilized by teachers within
the classrooms. This was the first course that was focused on the actual coaching and how to be an effective coach. I
will admit that before beginning this course, I felt that technology coaching would not be difficult. While working
through the course modules and reading the text by Jim Knight, I found that technology coaching is far more complex
than I had previously thought.

What I found most helpful when reading the required text was the vignettes that show real-world coaching scenarios.
Seeing what happened in another setting similar to mine, with follow-up by the author to discuss areas of weakness
and areas of strength was extremely helpful to me. I also enjoyed reading about the different forms of coaching, as I
was previously unaware of the differences between the types.

One tool that was discussed during the course and in the textbook that I will definitely utilize moving forward as an
instructional coach is the observation form. The idea of co-constructing an observation form before observing a model
lesson, was eye opening. I tried this practice with the teacher that I coached for my coaching journal, it made the
observation highly more effective.

ITEC 7430 Reflection

I have really enjoyed expanding my knowledge of Web 2.0 tools over the course of the last semester in ITEC 7430.
Before taking this class, I thought of Web 2.0 as mostly resources for student research, blog, and participate in online
assessment systems. One of the most beneficial results of taking this course was learning about countless Web 2.0
tools that I could easily implement into the classroom. In addition to finding tools that can enhance learning and
engage my students during class, I also learned about virtual environments, which was completely new to me.

One of my favorite parts of the course was the blogging requirement and the format of those posts. I liked that each
week I was offered an opportunity to reflect on the information presented within the module. I was then able to find 2-
3 tools that would be applicable with the students and contents that I teach. I enjoyed that this made me personally
invested in my own learning. I was also able to go back into my classroom immediately and try out the amazing new
tools I had located and experimented with during the course.

I also enjoyed the element of blogging so much, that I especially enjoyed looking through the chapter in the book on
blogging. This was something that I had experimented with previously, but wanted to bring back into my classroom.
Having the opportunity to practice screencasting will also help me to be a better teacher. I had never realized how
easy it was to create a screencast and embed it in onto a blog or website. I plan to utilize this tool to create
instructional videos for my students that will scaffold, support, and extend learning.

Lesson Plan

My lesson plan is designed for a 4th grade Science class. Students will be placed in 5 different groups. Each group
will be assigned a weather instrument that 4th graders must know according to the Georgia Student Performance
Standards. Each group will be researching their assigned instrument online and creating an interactive presentation
on their assigned instrument. These presentations/interactive lessons will be used with all other 4th grade classes in
the grade level, as well as other 4th grade classes in the county.

Once each group teaches other 4th grade students about their assigned weather instrument, they will create an
interactive/digital review for students to complete to demonstrate understanding. They will view the results and write a
reflection about the process, what their students learned from their teaching, and what they might do differently in
the future.

All presentations will be done via OfficeMix or Sway. They will all be uploaded to docs.com so that they are housed in
one location for sharing with other classrooms outside of our school. Students will have many options for the digital
review they can utilize EdPuzzle, Quizziz, Kahoot, or Spiral. They may also create and embed Voki recordings
within their presentations.
Internet Safety and Tools of the Future

Part 1:
The Internet has revolutionized education - it extends learning beyond the four walls of the classroom and allows
students to experience content in a new way. It also provides instant access to information, literally putting knowledge
at the fingertips of students. As educators, it has enhanced our lessons, increased engagement in our classrooms,
and made locating information a breeze. All teachers though, should be thinking about how to keep students safe
while on the Internet. I think often the knowledge that our districts have a multitude of filters and firewalls makes us
feel that we do not need to concern ourselves with teaching Internet safety. Students are safe while utilizing the
Internet at school. The problem is that students don't experience this same level of protection while away from the
school building. It is imperative that we, as educators, take on the responsibility of keeping our students safe while
online.

Even though teachers have so many content standards to cover in a year and it never seems there is enough time to
do it all, it is important for teachers to directly instruct students on safe Internet practices. Students are receiving cell
phones at younger and younger ages - giving them free access to the Internet. According to the Scholastic website
linked below, "One out of every five kids gets sexual solicitations online. Strangers, predators, and cyber-bullies all
target children, and their work is simplified when screen names reveal age, gender, or hometown. If posts aren't
marked as private, personal information can be displayed to an unrestricted audience of readers." It is important for
teachers to teach students about cyber-bullying, sharing of personal information, etc.

While looking online, I found a great resource for teachers. The Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) offers
valuable resources to teachers and parents. According to the website, "Through this network of support, iKeepSafe
tracks global trends and issues surrounding digitally connected products and their effect on children. This research
drives the continuous creation of positive resources for parents, educators and policymakers who teach youths how
to use new media devices and platforms in safe and healthy ways." (About us) What I found most beneficial was the
elementary curriculum offered which includes videos on a variety of topics. They are animated and designed to be
engaging yet informative for kids. There is also a Middle/High school curriculum available as well.

As educators, I also feel it is important to support parents that may be unaware of the dangers their child may face on
the Internet and Social Media. While looking at the website ConnectSafely, I found a wonderful resource that
teachers can share with parents. They have created a parent guide that includes information about many popular
social media apps such as Instagram Facebook, and Snapchat, as well as guides on topics like cyberbullying and
student data privacy.

Websites explored included:

http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/your-child-technology/keeping-kids-safe-online
http://kids.ikeepsafe.org/
http://www.connectsafely.org/guides-2/

While looking around at Internet safety resources, I found many strategies for keeping students safe while online. I
think the most important one is involving parents. The resources above can be an excellent starting point for
educating parents about the importance of Internet safety. Second, it is important to have students sign an Internet
safety pledge after discussions and teaching has occurred. This would be similar to drug free pledges that students
sign during Red Ribbon Week. Finally, I think it is a great idea to create scenarios and have students discuss what
the student should do in each scenario. This would allow discussions over real life situations that students may very
well encounter.

Part 2:
When selecting a tool to explore, I was drawn to Lino. This was something that I had not previously heard of - though
I could see easily how it could be utilized within my classroom immediately. Lino is a free service that allows students
to create online sticky notes. The sticky notes generated are posted to a web-based canvas. The sharing options are
what I found interesting. Teachers can share the link of the entire canvas of sticky notes, or to one particular sticky
note. This would be a great way to share exemplary work with students.

The platform is extremely easy to use, both as a teacher and a student. It would encourage participation as students
would be able to share thoughts electronically rather than orally in class. This might appeal to shy students that may
otherwise stay quiet and not share ideas. I also like the ideas presented in Chapter 11 that mentions using it for a
collaborative discussion, brainstorming, or as a means of formative assessment to check understanding.

I think the future of Web 2.0 in schools is moving more toward personalized learning and online assessment systems.
I think one of the major challenges that schools will face is resistance by parents. Blended and online learning is not
something that parents experienced as a child, therefore making it seem scary and unknown. It will also be a
continued issue to keep up with the maintenance on the technology used in classrooms. I think that the classrooms of
the future will consistently evolve and change as technology advances. The Internet and Web 2.0 tools will become
increasingly more important to day to day education. This type of learning could provide students with more individual
attention and a curriculum path better suited to meet their individual needs.

References

Delaney, M. (2012). What is web 3.0, really, and what does It mean for education? Retrieved from
http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2012/10/what-web-30-really-and-what-does-it-mean-education

Powers, K. (2014). What is web 3.0 and how might it affect education? Retrieved from
https://ed4online.com/blog/what-web-30-and-how-might-it-affect-education

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2014). Web 2.0: How-to for educators (2nd ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society for
Technology in Education.

Faux Paw the Techno Cat. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2016, from http://kids.ikeepsafe.org/

Keeping Kids Safe Online. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2016, from
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/your-child-technology/keeping-kids-safe-online

Lucas, R. (2015). The Teacher's Guide to Keeping Students Safe Online. Retrieved November 10, 2016, from
https://elearningindustry.com/the-teacher-guide-to-keeping-students-safe-online

ITEC 7430 Tools that Make a Difference & Assessing Students

Part 1:
This week was my favorite week for exploring tools and resources that I would be able to utilize within my classroom
and with my students. There were many tools in chapter 11 that I was familiar with along with countless new tools
that I was not familiar with previously. I gravitated towards tools that I felt would help to motivate and engage my
students with technology or tools that would help me to gather ideas for classroom lessons and activities.

The first tool that I investigated was Padlet. I had heard of Padlet, but had not explored how to use it with my
students. Padlet is essentially an online bulletin board or sheet of paper where students can express ideas on a
provided topic. The best part is that students can add images, videos, text, or documents onto the Padlet. Collecting
ideas in class would require students to take turns and result in lag time where students are not actively engaged.
With Padlet, however, there is not a limit to the number of students that can post at the same time.

I plan to have students collaboratively respond to a question about a read-a-loud that we just finished - The Tiger
Rising by Kate DiCamillo. The most challenging part of using the tool would be ensuring that either all students have
Internet access at the same time (perhaps in a computer lab or with iPad labs) or developing a schedule to rotate
students through the technology that is available for students to utilize to post to the Padlet.

Students with diverse learning needs would be able to utilize multiple modes of posting information to the Padlet. If
utilizing an iPad, the speech to text feature could be utilized to post ideas to the Padlet. This would eliminate the
written expression barrier for some special education students in my classroom.

The next tool that I investigated was Boomwriter. This was a new tool that I had not heard of previously. Being
primarily a reading/writing teacher, I was intrigued by its prospect. My students have always been extremely engaged
when working collaboratively on a story. They love to discuss and talk about ideas and then bring those to life on
paper. Boomwriter allows them to collaborate digitally to produce a class story. The idea sounded so fun and
engaging, I had to check it out!

Boomwriter is easy to use and allows students to join a school and class quickly. In addition to creating new prompts
for students to respond to, teachers can view lesson plans on a variety subjects and topics. While looking through
them, I found multiple lessons that would work with the 4th grade standards that I already teach. Since students take
turns adding to the collaborative story, access to technology would not be a large issue. I most liked that this tool
gave students an authentic audience for their writing - it no longer was just written for themselves or the teacher. This
takes our favorite part of writing workshop, sharing, to a digital and 21st century level. It would also be fun to explore
collaborating with students outside of our classroom - perhaps others in the school or district.

The last tool/app that I explored was Pinterest. I have used Pinterest for recipes for years, but had not explored how it
could be utilized for my classroom.

Part 2:
Screencasting was something that I was slightly familiar with. Last year I served on the LearnZillion Dream Team.
Part of our task was to create a completely digital math curriculum which included videos created using Screencast-o-
matic. That experience helped me to get over the fear of needing to say the entire video without error. I learned that it
is easy to rewind and go back and restart if a mistake was made. When thinking of using it with students, I don't think
it ever needs to be perfect.

I like the idea of using it with students when technology will be used in the classroom. Students seem to have the
same questions over and over again when utilizing a new piece of technology for a classroom assignment. If students
had access to a screen recording of directions, they would be able to be independent and allow the teacher to use
his/her time to assist students with content related questions instead of technology questions. I also see great uses
for this type of technology in math classes. It would be wonderful to present students with a screencast recording of
the teacher explaining each new skill introduced to students so that it could be reviewed when students begin to
struggle.

Resources:
Liu, M., Scordino, R., Geurtz, R., Navarrete, C., Ko, Y. & Lim, M. (2014). A look at research on mobile learning in K-
12 education from 2007 to the present. Journal of Research on Technology in Education 46(4), 325-372.
BYOD Classroom Management https://byodmasd.wordpress.com/byod-classroom-management/

ITEC 7430 Podcasting & Differentiation

Part 1:
I looked through multiple podcasts on TeacherCast Educational Network and found numerous podcasts that I found
beneficial. Our school and district is requiring the use of Microsoft OneNote this year. One episode of the
TechEducator Podcast discussed Microsoft OneNote with special guest Ari Schorr. This podcast, along with others I
found on the topic of OneNote, will help me to utilize the tool to its fullest potential.

I also was interested in podcasts centered around the Microsoft Innovative Educator program. This became a district-
wide initiative this year with a goal of all teachers and certified staff members becoming certified. Having gone
through the program just last year, I was extremely interested in ideas that I might find on utilizing the skills that I
gained in the training. One episode of the TechEducator Podcast welcomed 3 MIE (Microsoft Innovative Educator)
teachers onto the program in a roundtable format. It was very helpful to hear their ideas for bringing innovative
technology use into the classroom.

The first visual learning tool that I explored was Bubbl.us (www.bubbl.us). This tool allows students to create mind
maps and colorful brainstorming maps online. These also can be shared, allowing for collaboration amongst their
peers. I was interested in this tool for my 4th grade students. After exploring it, I can see many uses within the
classroom. It is very easy to use and can be organized easily based on color. In science, it could be used to show a
food web, something we study in our science curriculum. I also can see uses in other content areas. Students could
create a mind map showing the different native American tribes studied in 4th grade. They would be able to show
connections between the tribes and organize the information about what they ate, how they created shelters, and
resources they used. Finally, in reading students could use this tool to create character maps for the main characters
in the books they are reading. As I explored the tool, the possibilities seemed endless.
I also explored Prezi and am very interested in using it with my students for presentations in both science and social
studies, as well as for book reports. I like how students can determine the path to display and be imaginative in the
way they place text, images, and videos. It removes the focus on animation and sound in PowerPoint and adds a
focus on the content being displayed. I also like how it allows for student creativity.

All of these tools can be used to support the needs of diverse learners. Having a class that includes students that
receive special education services, the visual format of the Bubbl.us mind mapping would help them to see
connections presented in a visual way. Students that learn best in an auditory manner would benefit from the use of
Podcasting within the classroom.

Part 2:
Throughout this class so far, we have explored so many Internet and Web 2.0 tools that have practical uses within
the classroom. In addition to enhancing learning, these tools help students develop an understanding of and a
respect for diversity. These tools allow students to interact with students of different races, religions, and
socioeconomic statuses in a variety of formats. Many of the tools help to expand the walls of the classroom and allow
students to learn in ways they never would have expected. Skype was mentioned in the readings from this week - this
tool definitely has the ability to help students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity as they explore
different cultures and regions through mystery skypes, virtual field trips, etc.

References:
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2014). Web 2.0: How-to for educators (Second ed.). International Society for Technology
in Education.

Harris, A. visual Support for Students with Autism. Western Washington University.

ITEC 7430 Using Productivity Tools and Other Collaboration Tools to Support Student Learning

Exploring Educational Wikis

I have always heard about the use of Wikis in education at technology conferences and was always interested in
attempting to use them in my classroom. I never seemed to find the time at the conclusion of the conferences and
then would forget about the idea. I was very excited to explore some established educational Wikis and determine
ideas for how I might be able to utilize one within my classroom.

The first wiki I explored was Mr. Lindsay's wiki. I selected this wiki because the teacher teaches similar content and
the same grade level as I do. It was very detailed and thorough in its organization of material. I could see it being an
extremely valuable resource for both parents and students. Detailed information about each content area and unit
was listed as well as information for parents to understand what is expected of their children by the end of the school
year. What I wish it contained was student work and contributions to the wiki. I am interested in creating something
similar to what Mr. Lindsay has done, but with added content from students as they create digital portfolios on a wiki.
http://community.saugususd.org/dlindsay/page/

The second wiki that I investigated was Primary Math at http://primarymath.wikifoundry.com/. I loved how organized it
was (by math concept). I also was drawn to the idea of creating an authentic audience for students that extends far
beyond the four walls of the classroom. This concept could be applied to share learning in any subject and grade
level with those across the country. It was also interesting how multiple classes were contributing to the wiki - making
learning a collaborative experience for students.

The final wiki that I looked extensively at was Go West at http://gowest.wikispaces.com/. This caught my eye because
I had previously taught this same content to both 3rd and 5th graders. The wiki was extremely organized and covered
a great deal of information in a very visually appealing format. What I liked most was that the content was created by
students - as it listed the author at the top of each page. This would be a great way for my students to demonstrate
understanding and work collaboratively with their peers. It would also be a wonderful way to document learning.

Tools to Support Student Learning

One of the first tools that I immediately thought I could utilize to support student learning in a collaborative way was
not actually listed in the text. The idea came from looking at the resources listed in chapter 12 and noticing Google
Drive. Students in my county do not have access to Google accounts, but do have individual logons to Office365 and
Microsoft Word Online. This would allow the same level of collaboration that Google Drive would afford us. I would
like to have students work collaboratively to give constructive feedback to a peer using the comments feature of
Microsoft Word Online. They would also be able to utilize their internal email to share the writing and discuss it. It
would be an added bonus if we were able to collaborate with peers outside of our school building. We could then
skype with our writing partners to discuss and share our final pieces once the revision process is complete.

Another tool I would love to utilize to support student learning is Evernote. I participate in social media groups for the
Units of Study in writing that my school implements. Evernote is mentioned quite frequently as a place to collect notes
on individual student writing conferences. The ability to search by keyword, titles, and tags would be helpful in
forming groups of students with similar instructional needs.

Tools to Support Students With Diverse Needs

The tool that I investigated that would support struggling students was Read the Words
(http://www.readthewords.com/Try.aspx) This tool converts text to speech, including words typed into the website,
uploaded files, and web pages. This would definitely support struggling students that need audio support when
reading. I also saw a benefit to utilizing it during writing instruction with students that would find errors if they heard
their writing read aloud to them.

Most of the tools that I investigated would fall under the Remember/Understand category on The Pedagogy Wheel
V4.1 http://designingoutcomes.com/moodle/padwheel/padwheelposter.pdf. The use of Office365 as a collaborative
tool to analyze writing would fall under the Evaluate category.

References:
Lets Go West! (2008). Retrieved September 29, 2016 from the Go West Wiki: http://gowest.wikispaces.com/

Reich, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (2012). The state of wiki usage in U.S. K-12 schools: Leveraging web 2.0
data warehouses to assess quality and equity in online learning environments. Educational
Researcher, 41(1), 7-15.

Mr. Lindsay's Wiki. (2014). Retrieved September 29, 2016 from the Mr. Lindsay's Wiki:
http://community.saugususd.org/dlindsay/page/

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2014). Web 2.0 how-to for educators. Eugene, Oregon: International Society for
Technology in
Education.

ITEC 7430 Social Networks, Virtual Environments, and Digital Divide

Tools Investigated:
I have had a Twitter account for several years, but never really utilized it much. I had heard many educators speaking
about the great benefit it posed for professional learning and interaction, though I had never utilized it in that capacity.
Twitter is one of those platforms that I find I learn something new every time I scroll through the feed. I'm amazed by
the resources available at the touch of a button. After building up my following through this course, I now find articles,
tweets, links, and more related to technology and education. I am excited to expand my use of Twitter to include
Twitter chats. I now see the massive potential in this social network for professional learning.

This week I investigated an additional social networking tool, Edmodo. Edmodo offers many benefits to educators
that utilize it within the classroom setting. Students would be drawn to the Facebook like feel of the platform. The
ability to group students and then push information (links, assignments, videos, posts, etc.) to specific groups of
students would greatly aid in the management of differentiated instruction. This tool would definitely aid students with
diverse learning needs. Information can be presented in a format that best appeals to the child's learning style. This
information can be delivered in different formats to various groups of children.

Teachers and students would very quickly see the benefits in using Edmodo. For teachers, it is relatively easy to
manage and use. Even though teachers would need to commit time to learning how to use the features within
Edmodo, it is solving a problem - managing differentiation. Students would be able to utilize the direct messaging
feature to ask the teacher questions and communicate concerns. This may open up an avenue of conversation for a
reserved student.

I also investigated two virtual world tools, The River City and Education Arcade. This type of tool was completely new
to me prior to this course. I definitely see how students would be extremely engaged utilizing this type of virtual tool.
River City is a tool for middle school science teachers. It seems like an amazing learning experience for students,
having the feel of a video game, but content developed from the National Science Standards. Since I currently teach
4th grade, this is not a tool that is applicable within my classroom currently. I will definitely keep it in mind if I move
back to middle school in the future. The second tool, Education Arcade, looks like a great tool to incorporate within
the classroom. Anytime play can be incorporated into learning, students are usually eager to participate.

Digital Divide:
Thankfully I work in a district that prides itself on consistently providing a great deal of up-to-date technology for
students. Students in every school have access to computer labs, classroom computers, Promethean or Smart
Boards, digital conferencing equipment, iPad labs, video cameras, etc. In addition, students in grades 3-12 participate
in the Bring Your Own Learning Device (BYLD) program. This program allows the district owned technology to be
placed in the hands of students possibly without home access. Even with all of this technology, a small digital divide
does exist within the school/district. The digital divide is definitely evident among children who are in class with a
teacher that does not incorporate technology. It is important to be sure that all students have access not only to
technology, but also to trained teachers that know how to utilize technology to enhance instruction.

ITEC 7430 Web 2.0 and Blogging with Students

Task 1:

Having been in the education field now for 16 years, I have noticed that things are always evolving and changing -
especially when it comes to technology integration within the classroom. Years ago it may have been revolutionary
enough to simply utilize the Internet to locate information. In today's classrooms, students are learning to manipulate
digital information, produce content, interact globally, and utilize cutting edge technology to both learn and
demonstrate understanding. Schechtman, DeBarger, Dornsife, Rosier, & Yarnell (2013) stated that "If students are to
achieve their full potential, they must have opportunities to engage and develop a much richer set of skills..."
(Schechtman, DeBarger, Dornsife, Rosier, & Yarnell, 2013 as cited in Solomon & Schrum, 2014, p.8). I completely
agree with this statement. Traditional skills of being able to read, write, and do arithmetic, do not seem to be enough
to compare our students for a global competitive job market centered around technology. In addition, the opportunity
to explore a richer set of skills may steer more girls into the science and technology fields (STEM).

I am very excited to learn about new and emerging Web 2.0 tools that I will be able to integrate into my classroom
instruction. While looking through Chapter 12 in Web 2.0 How-To For Educators, I became very excited about all of
the possibilities. Since I teach two sections of reading/writing, I am particularly excited about the multiple tools listed
under collaborative writing tools. Writing has been an area where I struggled to incorporate technology, so I am very
eager to learn about these possibilities. I also am interested in finding tools for online discussions as well. While I've
used a few of the Web 2.0 tools mentioned in my professional experiences (Google Hangout, SnapYap), I have yet to
explore incorporating this technology with my students.

Web 2.0 tools seem to have the potential to bring digital and interactive experiences into my reading and writing
classes. I am very excited about this prospect. Up until this point our reading and writing experiences have been
confined to within the four walls of our classroom. These tools would allow us to interact with students from around
the country and world, and expand our audience.

My initial thoughts of Web 2.0 prior to beginning this course focused solely on blogging. I have limited experience with
having my students blog in the past, though it was mostly an answering of teacher generated questions rather than a
creation of unique thoughts. I have now realized they can be utilized as a much more powerful tool. As Solomon and
Schrum (2014) state, "Blogs encourage writers and responders to develop thinking, analytical, and communication
skills." (p.28)

Web 2.0 tools will be very beneficial in supporting the education of students with diverse learning needs. Mind
mapping tools can be utilized for brainstorming, organization of materials, and visual thinking. Web 2.0 tools will also
allow students to present their learning in a variety of ways, perhaps with presentation and video-editing tools. The
possibilities seem endless for supporting the diverse needs of students within my current and future classrooms. I am
very excited to continue with the course and begin implementing the information learned about Web 2.0 tools.

Task 2:
When thinking about how to assess student responses on a blog, I knew it needed to be more than simply completion
as I had done in the past. I found a website about assessing student blogging that I found useful
https://blogagogy.wordpress.com/assessing-blogs/. I found it helpful that it listed areas for assessment and contained
links to sample rubrics. I also found this website useful in thinking about blogging assessment https://blogs-in-
k12.wikispaces.com/assessing+student+blogs. It contains information about what experts are saying about
assessment of student blogging. After looking through both of these resources and countless sample rubrics, I
decided on the following rubric.

References:
Solomon & Schrum (2014)

ITEC 7410 Reflection

I found ITEC 7410, Instructional Technology Leadership extremely beneficial toward my path to becoming an
instructional technology coach or school-level technology leader. In the past I had thought that a technology coach
position only involved being current on technology trends. Even though my RSS feed has helped me to stay current
on trends in technology which I can share with my school faculty and staff, I now know that there is far more involved
in being an instructional technology coach. This course allowed me to explore creating a shared vision for technology
integration. I believe this is a vital one of ISTE's Essential Conditions. Without a shared vision, there is no collective
plan for what technology will ideally look like within the building. With a shared vision, everyone is working toward a
common goal.

The technology planning project also allowed me to examine the effectiveness of my school's technology use and
implementation through the SWOT analysis. This process was completely new to me, but I immediately was able to
see the great value in it. I was able to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. This process of examining
how the school was performing while also identifying opportunities for improvement was very beneficial.

Finally, the action plan allowed me to take that next step and present it to my principal for review. I saw it as the
culmination of the shared vision and SWOT analysis. Throughout the course, my RSS feed assisted me in staying
aware of current technologies and research related to technology integration. I look forward to taking what I learned
and completed in this course back to my school.