Rebecca Wright-Washington

Technology Support Specialist

October 22, 2011

 

Introduction

Technology has been a part of my life for over fifteen years. I started my career as a Computer Programmer Analyst but later transitioned into a role that helps educators and students use technology effectively and efficiently. Currently I’m the Technology Support Specialist at a high school that is designated as a magnet school. The school gives the students the opportunity to obtain an Associate’s Degree or certificate through the local technical college while still attending high school. I am fortunate to serve in an environment that embraces my knowledge of technology and welcomes new ideas that I’ve learned in the M.E.T. program at Boise State University. Unlike most, I’m not a teacher but my position at this school encourages daily technical interventions with students. Just last year Whale Branch Early College High school received a $100,000 grant from a global company to create a high-tech center to enhance science and technology education. The RM “Reimagining Education and Learning” classroom is the first center in the United States. With this technology center in place and my knowledge of integrating technology I feel confident in my career goals to help successfully educate the students of Beaufort County in the world of technology.   

The portfolio is designed to showcase my coursework at Boise State University in the Master’s of Technology Program. The culminating assignments will reflect my personal growth and personal learning experiences in this program.

This rationale paper is categorized based on artifacts that are linked to the five AECT Standards. The artifacts demonstrate my knowledge, skills, and dispositions to integrating technology within an organization.

 

AECT Standards and Rationale

1.1       Instructional Systems Design

According to Smith and Ragan (2005), the term instructional design refers to the systematic and reflective process of translating principles of learning and instruction into plans for instructional materials, activities, information resources, and evaluation.

The final project that I completed for EDTECH 503-Instructional Design, integrated the major aspects of the systematic and reflective process of principles of learning. I implemented instructional materials, activities and informational resources to create a Microsoft Photo Story course for high school learners. The goal and rationale of this course encouraged learners to work in partnership with the photography students to use digital photos to create a three-minute, picture slideshow presentation of their family and friends. In the process of creating this course I used both the A.D.D.I.E and Blooms’ models of practice to develop and categorize my objectives of what the learners will be able to do once they complete the course successfully.

I also created another project in EDTECH 503-Instructional Design that enforced identifying learning theory. The ID Postcard PowerPoint presentation, consisted of a series of slides, gave viable information about learning theories such as the definition as well as the history of instructional design. The project also incorporated the use of graphics to identify six instructional design models and classify them according to how they would be used.

Although I feel confident that my final project and postcard PowerPoint presentation was well developed, I personally did not implement these projects in a classroom setting because I’m not a teacher. Classroom teachers have viewed my Microsoft Photo Story YouTube video and was able to create their own slideshows using my instructions.

1.2 Message Design

Message design involves planning for the manipulation of the physical form of the message.

EDTECH 506-Instructional Message Design introduced me to the application of learning theory, principles of visual literacy, and graphic design techniques to deliver instructional media development courses. Although graphics can serve as an aide to human learning, understanding, and reasoning, it is clear that all graphics are not equally effective (Clark & Lyons, 2004). With that said, I used a combination of audio, visual and text representation to effectively communicate a social studies lesson for middle and high school learners. The Concepts project engaged the learners with visuals of African American Jazz and Blues musicians, gave a description of who they are and an audio variation of what type of music they played. The use of both audio and visual images made this assignment effective because it accommodated all types of learners.

This course was very challenging and time-consuming in regards to providing learners with images that supported my lesson structure. In the end I really enjoyed creating the webpages. I used Fireworks to create rollover images and Dreamweaver to design the majority of the lesson. By the end of the course I was using more of the enhanced features of Fireworks and assisted others with their classroom webpages.

1.3 Instructional Strategies

Instructional strategies are specifications for selecting and sequencing events and activities within a lesson.

For this subdomain, the coursework that I completed for EDTECH 502 Internet for Educators helped me to translate principles of learning and instruction into plans that were used to design and produce an instructional website for learners. The Jigsaw activity introduced middle school learners to the world of computer programming. It incorporated a group activity for the learners to explore what they already knew about programming and forced others to discover and learn the programming language.

The second assignment that I created in EDTECH 502-Internet for Educators was a virtual tour of Mexico. All over the country school budgets and funding are being cut. Virtual tours and field trips are a way to minimize funding of fields trips as well as giving students the opportunities to travel to places that they may never get the opportunity to visit. The tour gave the learners the opportunity to study abroad without leaving their current destination. Creating this tour broaden my knowledge of using the Dreamweaver software and linking YouTube videos. I have not shared this tour with learners but in the future I will create other tours to promote a vacation website.

1.4 Learner Characteristics

Learner characteristics are those facets of the learner's experiential background that impact the effectiveness of a learning process (Seels & Richey, 1994). 

For this subdomain, I mapped EDTECH 506 Instructional Message Design lesson plans to this standard. The lessons are intended for middle and high school learners. Each lesson included information on the history and cultures of African Americans. A combination of instructional procedures were incorporate. The learners were instructed to identify different characteristics of each of African American and discuss in detail specific facts about what they learned as well as what they already knew about the African American Heritage.

2.1 Print Technologies

Print technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials, such as books and static visual materials, primarily through mechanical or photographic printing processes.

Many of my artifacts can be used to map to this sub domain. I choose EDTECH 504- Theoretical Foundations of Educational Technology lesson plans that I created to give instructions to learners of how to use Visual Basics. The lesson plans were designed using Blooms Taxonomy and can be used printed as reference materials.

EDTECH 512-Online Course Design syllabus can also be mapped to this standard. The syllabus provides a printable outline for learners to refer to as a guide to what is expected in the course. This is valuable for many especially if an electronic copy is unavailable for viewing.

2.2 Audiovisual Technologies

Audiovisual technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials by using mechanical devices or electronic machines to present auditory and visual messages.

Several artifacts of EDTECH-513 Multimedia demonstrated the use of audio and visual to create instructional materials for learners. The first activity, I created in this course was a digital photo story. I used Audacity to record my voice for the narration and used Google images to create a digital showcase of the history of Beaufort County. The second activity I created was screen casting using Camtasia. This activity also used video and audio to deliver a Microsoft Photo Story lesson to new users.  The Third activity created in this course was a podcast. The podcast provided and audio lesson of how to use Microsoft Access to track and report data.

I really enjoyed creating all three of these activities. This was the first activity that I gained experience using Audacity and creating a YouTube. I have not implemented this in a classroom but many of my friends and family found it fascinating to view a video detailing the history of Beaufort County.

2.3 Computer-Based Technologies

Computer-based technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials using microprocessor-based resources.

EDTECH 521-Teaching Online in the K-12 Environment introduced me to the theory and practice of delivering learning materials online. For an assignment I created an interactive Microsoft Word 2007 quiz for learners using Adobe Presenter. This hands-on activity successfully engaged learners with the use of a computer-based assignment.

The Phases of Engagement model (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004) provides a framework within which activities are planned to assist a novice learner in becoming an engaged online participant. 

2.4 Integrated Technologies

Integrated technologies are ways to produce and deliver materials, which encompass several forms of media under the control of a computer.

EDTECH 513-Multimedia fits this sub domain in many ways. In this course I developed several multimedia-learning principles with specific conditions of learning. The first assignment I created was a multimedia instruction slide show in Slideshare that gave detailed instructions of how to create a database in Microsoft Access 2007. The second assignment was a podcast that created to inform learners how to track and report data in Microsoft Access 2007. For the third assignment I created a digital story of historical Beaufort, South Carolina. The next assignment was the creation of baby screens of multimedia principles that gave the definition of each of the principles using Audacity a voice recording software tool. The final assignment was screen castingof how to create a digital photo story in Microsoft Photo Story. I must admit this was an awesome course. I always wanted to learn how to implement and design websites. Now I know how to integrate educational materials.

EDTECH 521-Online Teaching K12 is another course that fits this standard. In this course I created an interactive Microsoft 2007 quiz for learners. Learners were able to answer and submit the quiz online.

Again, I’m not a teacher so these lessons have not been implemented in a classroom but I have used this feature to create quizzes for my children as a learning tool for studying for a test. They find the interaction of answering questions online to be better than just writing down the answer on a piece of paper.

3.1 Media Utilization

Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning.

In EDTECH 521 I used Adobe Presenter to create a PowerPoint presentation to inform learners of how to interact within an online environment. With the use of media utilization, I was able to create an interactive presentation for learners that displayed graphics and an audio representation of the stated rules. Once the learners view all five of the classroom expectations they were then able to complete the attached scavenger hunt assignment.

The artifacts listed in 2.4 can also be mapped to this standard.

3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

Diffusion of innovations is the process of communicating through planned strategies for the purpose of gaining adoption.

EDTECH 501 Technology Use Plan Presentation is best suited for this sub domain standard. A Technology plan is a written plan of how technolgoy is implementated within an organization. I worked in technology for many years but I’ve never experience working on a committee to create a technology plan. I’ve only been involved in the process of documenting the data that pertains to the schools use of technology.

3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization

Implementation is using instructional materials or strategies in real (not simulated) settings. Institutionalization is the continuing, routine use of the instructional innovation in the structure and culture of an organization.

EDTECH 521-Online Teaching K12 can also be mapped here to this standard. The course was designed online used a series of YouTube videos to give instruction to learners. A Microsoft 2007 quiz is rendered at the then of the course as verification that the assignment was mastered.

3.4 Policies and Regulations

Policies and regulations are the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the diffusion and use of Instructional Technology.

How should a user participate in an online community. It is very important to inform learners of rules and regulations for posting information online. In EDTECH 502-Internet for Educators, I completed two assignments that embraced this sub domain standard. The Netiquette website defined the term netiquette and informed online learners of five useful tips that prepared them for posting in an online environment. The Scavenger Hunt assignment was designed to inform Web Designers of copyright laws that protected the owners of materials document online.

In EDTECH 521-Online Teaching K-12, I also created a presentation to inform learners of the policy of communicating in a respectful manner in an online course. This assignment was created with better design and graphics quality than the presentating I presented in EDTECH 502-Online Course. This is solely because I’ve increased my knowledge in presenting materials online for all types of learners. I give a lot of thanks to my instructors and Lynda.com for the tutorials. 

4.1 Project Management

Project management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and development projects.

I choose EDTECH 505-Evaluation Project for this subdomain. The Endeavor Literacy Program that I evaluated provided additional educational time for student’s afterschool that performed below the state required guidelines in math and reading. The project was managed by monitoring the efficiency of the program as to how many students where actually selected for this program and the amount that attended regularly.

4.2 Resource Management

Resource management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling resource support systems and services.

EDTECH 512- Online Course Design Implementation Plan is an outline of how the Access 2007 course will be implemented. The time and budget allocations table lists the duties and the time line of each person’s duties that is involved with implementing the course. This resource is used to keep track of how long the course will take to implement and the actual cost of the implementing the course.

EDTECH 505-Evaluation Project can also be mapped to the subdomain. The artifact was listed in 4.1 subdomain.

4.3 Delivery System Management

Delivery system management involves planning, monitoring and controlling 'the method by which distribution of instructional materials is organized' . . . [It is] a combination of medium and method of usage that is employed to present instructional information to a learner.

The subdomain involves delivery of organized instructional materials. The artifacts created in EDTECH 521 Online Teaching K-12 supports this standard. In this course I created a Microsoft Word 2007 online course to introduce learners to the basics of word processing. Learners were provided with several YouTube videos that taught them how to maneuver around the interface of Words. In the second lesson, learners received a written and audio version of what was expected in the lesson. An interactive quiz was also assigned to learners. This quiz was created with Adobe Presenter quiz features. This tool documented how many times the learners attempt to take the quiz, what answers were incorrect and generated a pass or failed score.

4.4 Information Management

Information management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling the storage, transfer, or processing of information in order to provide resources for learning.

The course I created in EDTECH 521-Integrated Business Applications – Microsoft Word 2007 demonstrates information management as it pertains to providing learning materials online.

5.1 Problem Analysis

Problem analysis involves determining the nature and parameters of the problem by using information-gathering and decision-making strategies.

EDTECH 501-Introduction to Technology synthesis paper researched information on student centered learning environments. I choose this area of research because currently worldwide a lot of high school students suffer from credit deficiency causing them not to graduate on time with their peers.

5.2 Criterion-Referenced Measurement

Criterion-referenced measurement involves techniques for determining learner mastery of pre-specified content.

I selected two assignments to represent this sub domain. The first assignment is EDTECH 502-Internet for Educators Webquest Evaluation Rubric. I created a four category-scoring guide to evaluate how each student mastered the assignment. The second assignment was EDTECH 503- Instructional Design Needs Analysis survey. I used this survey to determine to get a feel for what the students already knew so I could adjust the learning objectives and the pace of the course. The use of both of these methods helps to identify what learners know, what they need to learn and how they need to receive the information. I find it to be an easier task to helping my children to access their assignment when a rubric is presented. When a rubric is used all a person have to do is ask themselves the necessary questions to verify that they understood the assignment and have included all the necessary facts.

5.3 Formative and Summative Evaluation

Formative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using this information as a basis for further development. Summative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using this information to make decisions about utilization.

EDTECH 503-Instructional Design project provided a formative evaluation that was conducted by experts to review and to provide feedback on how to improve the program. According to Boulmetis and Dutwin, (2005), If the evaluation design does not include a formative component allowing for interim data to be used to alter program processes if necessary, but instead calls for waiting until the end of the program cycle for a summative evaluation to make these determinations, the program may have serious problem.

In EDTECH 512-Online Course Design my summative evaluation details how information will be gathered from the Microsoft Access course to determine the adequacy and what type of decision will be made for utilization. I determined that it would be best to use evaluation methods and tools such as providing a learners pretest, interview process for current and previous learners, and surveys to evaluate the instructor, and mentoring staff. The information received, would then be used to provide developmental recommendations and feedback as to how to enhance the curriculum.

5.4 Long-Range Planning

Long-range planning focuses on the organization, as a whole is strategic planning. Long-range is usually defined as a future period of about three to five years or longer. During strategic planning, managers are trying to decide in the present what must be done to ensure organizational success in the future. Therefore, I selected EDTECH 501 Technology Use Plan assignment for this sub domain. This presentation provides an audio and visual synopsis of how technology is implemented in an organization using long-range plan.

Conclusion

The artifacts that I mapped to the ACET standards were created during my coursework at Boise State University in the Master’s of Technology Program. The journey through this program educated me on how to implement technology in a traditional and online classroom. Currently I’m not a teacher but hope to adventure out into the online teaching world in the future. Until then I will use my fifteen years of experience in information systems and my educational technology knowledge at Boise State University to help teachers to improve their delivery of technology to learners in the classroom.

 

Reference:

Boulmetis, J. & Dutwitn, P. (2005). The abcs of evaluation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Clark, R. C. & Lyons, C. (2004). Instructional Message Design. Graphics for Learning: Proven Guidelines for Planning, Designing, and Evaluating Visuals in Training Materials. San Francisco, CA: Pfieffer.

Conrad, R. & Donaldson, J. A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Smith, P. L. & Ragan, T. J. (2005). Instructional design (3^rd Ed.). John, Wiley & Sons.

Seels, B. B. & Richley, R. C. (1994): The definition and domains of the field. Bloomington, IN: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.