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These reflections are listed in the order that I completed the classes.

TIE 533 Application Tools for Inquiry Learning (I took TIE 510 Theories of Teaching and Learning, but this class is no longer offered), Summer 2002

This experience provided learning opportunities for me on several different topics.  This was my first attempt at creating a program in Access for a client.  I had used Word documents and Excel spreadsheets for my own purposes previously, but I had not worked with Access and I had not tried to create a program to someone else’s specifications. Through this process though, I became familiar with Access through manuals, online tutorials, and the help of my school tech coordinator; and I came to respect the amount of communication that must happen in order to facilitate any action.  My client, Ms. Dipinto, was a fourth grade teacher at my school whom I had never worked with before.  She and I had very different schedules and even though we worked in the same building, we often found ourselves relying on our technology coordinator as a go-between.  One of the most informative feedback sessions during this project, though, occurred in the technology lab.  I visited her students in the lab the second time they used the reading log.  At this point I asked the students to tell me what they liked about the log and what changes they would like to make.  They were able to show me exactly which aspects of the program were helpful, and where the form needed more detail to meet their needs.  I recorded their suggestions on paper and used them as an impetus for learning new aspects of Access.  My investigation into pull down menus, radio buttons, queries, and report design were directly related to my efforts to meet the clients’ demands.

When the project was ready to be implemented, Ms. Lobo, the technology coordinator, introduced the reading log on the online school newsletter.  This informed all teachers that the database had been created and that it was available for use in the computer lab.  Any teacher who chose to use the program was welcome to take it for a test-drive in the lab.  This was when I decided to create my Power Point presentation as a tutorial for teachers.  During its creation process I learned how to use screen shots, include digital pictures, and edit slides for clarity.  I figured that it could be viewed on an individual basis, or it could be used in a teacher training session.  The presentation gives insights into whom the log was created for, how it is accessed, what reports are available, and how the report information can be used in the classroom.  I believe that this informational component is an important link in introducing the benefits of this new program to other clients.

This project opened up a new area of investigation for me.  I would like to follow up on the uses of databases because I think that there is potential, beyond record keeping, for databases to be used in the math classroom.  It is a topic I will have to become more familiar with, though, before I will feel comfortable incorporating it into my role as an educator.  The Powerpoint presentation and the Access database meet the NETS goal of using technology to enhance teacher productivity and professional practice.  They are both uses of technology for communicating with peers in order to nurture student learning.

TIE 536 Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum (I took TIE 535 Teaching With Technology Across the Curriculum,but this class is no longer offered), Spring 2002

This project was one of my first attempts at creating a unit framework with an emphasis on incorporating technology.  This unit was designed to tackle one of the difficult topics in our 7th grade curriculum. Detailed plans for individual lessons are not given, but suggested opportunities for using technology with students are provided.  Digital cameras, Excel and Word, and CAD software are highlighted as possible technology tools that are available to maximize student learning.  Along with a framework for unit sequence, there is an assessment available for teachers.  The assessment is designed to be completed by the teacher him/herself and ideally it will help the teacher reflect on how the students interacted with, processed, and learned the material.  There are also unit guidelines that are aligned to both state and NETS learning standards. Core curriclum, real-world connections, extended time frame, student decision making, collaboration, assessment, and multimedia are essential components of creating project-based multimedia (Simkins, Cole, Tavalin, and Means, 2002). I have tried to include each of these components in my framework, but I feel that the finished product would benefit from having a student-produced cumulative multimedia project.

Since completing TIE 536 and this project I have completed unit frameworks that were more detailed.  I have added specific lesson plans,detailed timelines, and a wide variety of technology resources.  This project was a good introduction to the unit creation process.

TIE 544 Curriculum Applications of Hypermedia/Multimedia, Spring 2003

This project was my first attempt at using a systems approach to designing educational software.  It falls under the TIE Learning Outcome of planning and designing learning environments and experiences.  My goal was to create the plan for a program that could be used to supplement my sixth grade math lessons on the area of triangles and quadrilaterals.  At the time, I was teaching the lesson using paper manipulatives, but I felt these were inefficient and frustrating for many students.  There was a lot of waste paper generated and my students with low fine motor skills struggled with the activity to the extent that it hindered their understanding of the concepts being taught.  With this program I hoped to transfer the lesson with paper manipulatives to a computer supported format.  I felt that, in this case, computers would provide a stronger hands-on connections for learners and be in compliance with the NETS goal of using technology as a production tool to enhance learning.  I also believed that with this format I considered the importance of and incorporated some of the tools for making this software motivating to the learners.  Included in this entry are all the steps of the design and creation process.  Beginning with the flow chart and story boards, followed by actual screen shots, and finishing with the teacher’s manual, the step-by-step approach is reflected. 

This How Big Is It? program I designed has two components.  First is a tutorial that can be teacher led or student-centered.  I intended this section to be a review or reference section for many students.  The topic of finding area would already have been covered in class, but for students who may have missed the explanation or who need reminders, these step-by-step examples are available.  Some students may only view these examples when using the program for the first time, and some special needs or academically challenged students may refer to them repeatedly.  The second component is the interactive activity which can serve as practice with a new concept or as review.   The activity is meant to be completed individually.  The layout is very similar to the paper format we had used in the classroom previously.  There is a large grid on the screen similar to the paper and the icons accurately reflect the tools available for manipulation.  Students can cut, rotate, paste, and draw as they would have without the computer, but there is less room for error with this format. 

I did not find Hyperstudio to be a preferred medium for creating interactive lessons. Perhaps the actions did not feel intuitive because this was my first experience with the software and I am not primarily a Mac user.

TIE 547 Creating Web-Based Environments, Summer 2006

This was my first experience with Dreamweaver and the creation of a staff development project.   The curriculum web format provided the context for learning the Dreamweaver software.  I created a tutorial for learning about podcasting that is designed to be used by teachers. This curriculum web includes each of the elements that are listed in Table 1.1 on page 3 of our Cunningham and Billingsley textbook. Podcasting was a topic that was unfamiliar to me. I had heard the term on one of the radio station that I listen to and through a colleague who said that his students were creating podcasts in his class. After researching podcasts myself, I wanted to make other teachers in my building aware of opportunities they could create in a classroom.   I am now comfortable with creating, accessing, and maintaining a basic curriculum web website. 

As a result of this class, I designed a webpage that I used with my seventh grade math classes in the 2006-2007 school year. This website required me to continue to learn Dreamweaver beyond the scope of this class. Since I have been using the Smartboard interactive whiteboard technology, I had to figure out how to make my digital notes from class available to students through the website. After experimenting with a few options, I found PDF files to be the most universally accessible.

TIE 542 Learning Experiences on the Internet K-12, Fall 2006

Prior to completing this class and project I had not viewed or used very many webquests.  I did not know what constituted a well-designed and well-executed webquest.  I think one of the first activities we did in class, which was to list and define the characteristics of a well-crafted webquest, provided a strong foundation for me.  We identified tthe elements of basic webquests including: introduction, task, process, evaluation, credits, conclusion, and teaching guide (Cunningham & Billingsley, 2006). I was able to begin designing my webquest with a better knowledge of how this medium is supposed to be incorporated into the classroom, how it can support curriculum, and how it can be used to accurately assess learners. The most difficult part for me in this process was in writing a cohesive, motivating, inquiry-based essential question. I knew what topic I wanted my students to explore, but it took several revisions before I had a central question that required students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information beyond what could be found in their textbook.

The specific steps we followed to create the webquest were logical and practical.  I was able to enter into this project with a clear sense of what I should expect as an outcome and how exactly I could accomplish the task. I took this class in the same quarter that I took TIE 557 and in both of these classes I was working with Dreamweaver for the first time.  

Since completing this class, I have begun designing a new webquest that I will be using with my students for the first time this spring. For this project my students will be scaling insects up to human-size.

TIE 557 Understanding Networks in Schools, Fall 2006

These projects required my to collaborate with several different people.  I had started by interviewing the tech coordinator at school and that discussion led me to the district tech coordinator.  My original intent was to investigate the benefits of creating a virtual private network (vpn) and then to set up a vpn connection between a school computer and my home computer or my laptop.  My first artifact is the summary of my research into the benefits of setting up a vpn in a school environment.  Each of the two times that I set up a time to meet with the district tech coordinator, he had to postpone the meeting for other work-related reasons.  Since the time frame allowed for this project was shrinking, I used the basic vpn outline that the district coordinator provided me to set up a vpn on my own.   The vpn that I created ended up connecting my home computer to my brother's computer in his apartment in the city.  The process involved in setting up a vpn was completely new for me and I had to ask for help during several phases of completion.  I did succeed in securing a connection between the two computers though and we were able to share data through that link. 

TIE 592 Electronic Portfolio Seminar

This portfolio should accurately portray the unique experiences I encountered over the past five years that have significantly influenced my success in the program.

Compiling the artifacts, reflections, and rationales for this portfolio required me to alternately delve into the details of a specific project for a certain class, and to take a step back and look at my overall growth during the program. Each class project, discussion, and colleagial interaction has shaped my experience, and while I might not have realized the impact in the moment, it's particularly interesting for me to look back now and see what changes have precipitated in both my professional development and in my own seventh grade math classroom. When I started this program, the only technology I used on a regular basis in my classroom was the overhead projector. In recent years, I am proud to say, I challenged myself to put into practice what I was learning in this program and I have seen tremendous growth in my teaching and marked impact on my students. Now I am using an interactive whiteboard almost daily, maintaining a class website, and creating multimedia projects that engage students in meaningful learning. I feel more comfortable with my abilities and even with the risk-taking associated with trying new things. My students are using technology to motivate and facilitate their own learning beyond the scope of their textbooks and the four walls of the classroom. They are interacting with seventh grade math concepts, collaborating with peers, collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing data, and reflecting in ways that sustain meaningful learning.

Ideally, this portfolio shows me to be an increasingly knowledgeable teacher who has taken definite strides in her use of technology in practice. It is not enough to just know that there are various technologies available or to call upon them once in a blue moon. In order to ensure that there is meaningful learning with technology a teacher must have an understanding of the tools available and the knowledge of how to engage students in the content of the discipline. Melding pedagogy with technology seamlessly is the ambitious goal I will be striving for for the rest of my teaching career.

As a graduate of this program, I find that my ability to make the essential connection between pedagogy and technology has been enriched. My approach to learning about current technologies and the opportunities inherent in them has been greatly and postively impacted, and my portfolio of useful applications for engaging students in meaningful learning is continuously expanding (Ashburn & Floden, 2006). I have enjoyed the inherent process of reflection here, and I hope I have conveyed a true picture of my experiences for the reader.

TIE 593 Seminar in Technology in Education, Winter 2007

After talking with my tech coordinator and the district tech consultant about the history of technology in our building and then projections for the future, I decided to look into a tool that I was interested in using in my classroom. There was one interactive whiteboard in our building when I began my research, but within a couple of weeks a second IWB was introduced in another classroom. In order to get an up close and personal look at how IWBs could function in the classroom, I asked to have the Smartboard put in my room until the end of the year. Based on the research I found indicating the best-practice for interactive whiteboards in the classroom and my surveys with the staff currently using interactive whiteboard technology, I believe that the school and district should begin the purchasing IWBs for each of its classsrooms. Professional development should also be provided for all staff.