CET 720: Leading Evaluation & Change in Ed Tech
Week One (January 9 - 15)
What do you want to get out of this course?
John Dewey powerfully stated, “We don’t learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on our experience.” As I reflect on where I am currently at in the MSET program, having recently finished my undergraduate degrees, I can see growth from the beginning of my higher education journey. I can see experiences of making hard decisions, persevering when faced with tough semesters of coursework, and many joys of learning inside and outside of the classroom. These experiences from the past five years of my university career have greatly shaped who I am as a person today. One of the most important lessons I have learned from reflecting on any experience is how I am always a student. Within every aspect of my life I am continuously able to learn from experiences I have and the people I am surrounded by, including each of the students I teach.
Looking ahead to this semester course of Leading Evaluation and Change in the Ed Tech Environment I want to foster a reflective mindset with the use of educational technology in the classroom. I find it easy for educators to come across a new tech tool and immediately desire to implement the tool into their classroom. I myself have done this throughout different classroom experiences. The excitement of bringing something new to the learning environment is great, but it important to consider the relationship between the purpose of the tech tool and the student learning outcome for the given content. Throughout this course I want to gain a deeper understanding of how to evaluate instructional technology tools and their use in student learning. I also want to further understand how to share this knowledge of instructional tech evaluation and lead change with future colleges and school communities.
Looking ahead to this semester course of Leading Evaluation and Change in the Ed Tech Environment I want to foster a reflective mindset with the use of educational technology in the classroom. I find it easy for educators to come across a new tech tool and immediately desire to implement the tool into their classroom. I myself have done this throughout different classroom experiences. The excitement of bringing something new to the learning environment is great, but it important to consider the relationship between the purpose of the tech tool and the student learning outcome for the given content. Throughout this course I want to gain a deeper understanding of how to evaluate instructional technology tools and their use in student learning. I also want to further understand how to share this knowledge of instructional tech evaluation and lead change with future colleges and school communities.
Week Two (January 16 - 22)
What did you learn from the reading and videos?
How does it change your thinking moving forward?
Albert Einstein stated, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” This quote in the introduction of The Innovator’s Mindset encompasses the need for innovation within our field of education. As we aim to foster growth in our students, we need to genuinely model the mindset of a continuing learner. We are always students first. As educators, we need to model the joy of growth and change within our environment.
As I read part one of The Innovator’s Mindset and watched the EdPuzzle videos that extended on the reading topics, I found myself questioning my own perspectives towards change, experiences I have created or failed to create for students, and how to further empower students to foster creativity and instill learner agency. As I learned more about innovation in education, I would like to process my thoughts about what I learned and how it changes my thinking through a few key takeaways
“Innovation is a way of thinking that creates something new and better.” Innovation can be the incorporation of something completely new or a transformation of something that already exists. Innovation is not merely including technology to provide a different experience for students. Innovation can include the use of technology, but it is much less about the tech tool and instead how we use the tool to transform student experiences.
As innovation is a part of every field, innovation in the context of teaching is our focus. Innovation within teaching continually returns to the question of “why.” Why did we choose the education field? Why do we have education? Why am I teaching this content? After asking the question of “why” we can move onto “what” and “how.” The next step involves what we will be doing in our classrooms and how we will be following through. This has changed my thinking because it can be so easy to get caught in the rush of hitting all the standards and achieving high test scores. Education is about so much more because we are able to provide experiences to shape young minds who will lead our communities.
Through the information on fixed, growth and innovator’s mindset, I found myself questioning my perspectives through the example of “How to Get a Job at Google.” Education can so easily be procedures, checklists, and routines for ourselves and our students, but Thomas Fiedman’s quote “The world only cares about – and pays off on – what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it)” provides a deconstruction of our focus in education. An innovator’s mindset focuses on the essential target for our students. We need to recognize what our students need and create experiences to foster resilience and grit in order to initiate an innovator’s mindset. Moving forward, I want to keep the “critical questions for the innovative educator” near in order to return to my purpose as an educator. These questions include:
Lastly, an innovative educator is empathetic, a problem finder/solver, a risk taker, well networked, observant, a creator, resilient, and reflective. I have attached the image below to provide a quick review of each characteristic. As each trait is important to embody, it is our goal to model each attribute in order for our students to see and foster these characteristics in themselves.
As I read part one of The Innovator’s Mindset and watched the EdPuzzle videos that extended on the reading topics, I found myself questioning my own perspectives towards change, experiences I have created or failed to create for students, and how to further empower students to foster creativity and instill learner agency. As I learned more about innovation in education, I would like to process my thoughts about what I learned and how it changes my thinking through a few key takeaways
“Innovation is a way of thinking that creates something new and better.” Innovation can be the incorporation of something completely new or a transformation of something that already exists. Innovation is not merely including technology to provide a different experience for students. Innovation can include the use of technology, but it is much less about the tech tool and instead how we use the tool to transform student experiences.
As innovation is a part of every field, innovation in the context of teaching is our focus. Innovation within teaching continually returns to the question of “why.” Why did we choose the education field? Why do we have education? Why am I teaching this content? After asking the question of “why” we can move onto “what” and “how.” The next step involves what we will be doing in our classrooms and how we will be following through. This has changed my thinking because it can be so easy to get caught in the rush of hitting all the standards and achieving high test scores. Education is about so much more because we are able to provide experiences to shape young minds who will lead our communities.
Through the information on fixed, growth and innovator’s mindset, I found myself questioning my perspectives through the example of “How to Get a Job at Google.” Education can so easily be procedures, checklists, and routines for ourselves and our students, but Thomas Fiedman’s quote “The world only cares about – and pays off on – what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it)” provides a deconstruction of our focus in education. An innovator’s mindset focuses on the essential target for our students. We need to recognize what our students need and create experiences to foster resilience and grit in order to initiate an innovator’s mindset. Moving forward, I want to keep the “critical questions for the innovative educator” near in order to return to my purpose as an educator. These questions include:
- Would I want to be a learner in my own classroom?
- What is best for this student?
- What is this student’s passion?
- What are some ways we can create a true learning community?
- How did this work for students?
Lastly, an innovative educator is empathetic, a problem finder/solver, a risk taker, well networked, observant, a creator, resilient, and reflective. I have attached the image below to provide a quick review of each characteristic. As each trait is important to embody, it is our goal to model each attribute in order for our students to see and foster these characteristics in themselves.
Week Three (January 23 - 29)
What are 3 key takeaways from the book thus far?
As I have been reading The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros, I have enjoyed reflecting on the insight through personal thoughts and class discussions. In this book, George discusses instilling an innovator’s mindset, laying the groundwork for a culture of innovation, and innovation in action. While reading and reflecting on part one and two I have found three main takeaways. They include:
First, an innovator’s mindset is “a way of thinking that creates something new and better” (Couros, 2015). Therefore, innovation can be either an new invention or an alteration to something that already exists. This has shaped my thinking as I used to think of innovation as solely a task, technology, or invention. Instead fostering an innovator’s mindset focuses on the processes of creativity and empowerment within our environment. In order to begin establishing this mindset it is important to ask thought-provoking questions. “Questioning what we do and why we do it is essential for innovation.” (Couros, 2015). Another question I have helpful is “Would I want to be a student in my own classroom?” This question dives into the classroom environment one is creating through learning experiences.
Second, relationships need to be foundation for all other experiences to build upon. Trustworthy and genuine relationships with students and school faculty are essential to establishing a culture of innovation and empowerment. The culture is built through one-on-one relationships. I also loved how George talked about considering all of students in the school as your personal students. This creates a sincere care and connection with those who are in your school. George states, “If we want meaningful change, we have to make a connection to the heart before we can make a connection to the mind.” Instilling an innovator’s mindset and empowering students will not happen without foundational relationships.
Third, engagement is useful in getting kids excited about learning, but empowerment “gives kids the knowledge and skills to pursue their passions, interests, and future” (Couros, 2015). As an educator, I need to equip my students with the skills to learn not simply engage them in the content to keep their attention. I can do this through creating experiences for students “to be self-directed and guide their own learning” (Couros, 2015). I found the ideas of school versus learning insightful in questioning what the school experience is like for students.
Lastly as Friedman stated, “In an age when innovation is increasingly a group endeavor, it also cares about a lot of soft skills – leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability, and loving to learn and re-learn. This will be true no matter where you work.” Innovation can only grow alongside authentic human characteristics.
- Fostering an innovator’s mindset
- Creating meaningful relationships
- Empowering students
First, an innovator’s mindset is “a way of thinking that creates something new and better” (Couros, 2015). Therefore, innovation can be either an new invention or an alteration to something that already exists. This has shaped my thinking as I used to think of innovation as solely a task, technology, or invention. Instead fostering an innovator’s mindset focuses on the processes of creativity and empowerment within our environment. In order to begin establishing this mindset it is important to ask thought-provoking questions. “Questioning what we do and why we do it is essential for innovation.” (Couros, 2015). Another question I have helpful is “Would I want to be a student in my own classroom?” This question dives into the classroom environment one is creating through learning experiences.
Second, relationships need to be foundation for all other experiences to build upon. Trustworthy and genuine relationships with students and school faculty are essential to establishing a culture of innovation and empowerment. The culture is built through one-on-one relationships. I also loved how George talked about considering all of students in the school as your personal students. This creates a sincere care and connection with those who are in your school. George states, “If we want meaningful change, we have to make a connection to the heart before we can make a connection to the mind.” Instilling an innovator’s mindset and empowering students will not happen without foundational relationships.
Third, engagement is useful in getting kids excited about learning, but empowerment “gives kids the knowledge and skills to pursue their passions, interests, and future” (Couros, 2015). As an educator, I need to equip my students with the skills to learn not simply engage them in the content to keep their attention. I can do this through creating experiences for students “to be self-directed and guide their own learning” (Couros, 2015). I found the ideas of school versus learning insightful in questioning what the school experience is like for students.
Lastly as Friedman stated, “In an age when innovation is increasingly a group endeavor, it also cares about a lot of soft skills – leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability, and loving to learn and re-learn. This will be true no matter where you work.” Innovation can only grow alongside authentic human characteristics.
Week Four (January 30 - February 5)
What did you learn from the book this week?
What did you learn from the videos this week?
This week I read Part III: Unleashing Talent of The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros and watched three Ted Talk videos that included “How Web Video Powers Global Innovation” by Chris Anderson, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” by Simon Sinek, and “Reimagining Classrooms: Teachers as Learners and Students as Leaders” by Kayla Delze. Through these learning opportunities, I reflected on leadership and technology in education. I contemplated what it means to be a leader, what it means to use technology with purpose, and together what it means to lead with technology.
What does it mean to be a leader? Being a leader in a school setting does not mean one needs to be a principal or hold an administrative position. In fact, many of the leaders I have been fortunate enough to learn alongside have been classroom educators. One prime role model is my cooperating teacher from my student teaching experience in a middle school math classroom. This educator leads through providing meaningful learning experiences for her students in her classroom and through her attitude and actions within the school community. This educator considers each of the students in the school as her own. She considers what is best for the kids and follows through by advocating for their needs. As Simon Sinek discussed what it means to lead in any community, he stated how leaders are those that look after the people to the left and to the right. They sacrifice comfort by their willingness to take risks for the greater good of the community. For example, this teacher advocated for the good of the community by not only discussing schedule options with administration, but by also taking on the task of recreating the schedule. Through advocating, she was able to provide more effective learning experiences for students and allow opportunities for teachers to teach within their passions. Her guidance throughout my student teaching experience genuinely demonstrated what it looks like to take action in doing what is best for kids.
What does it mean to use technology with purpose? As I have explored this question throughout this course, Couros says it well when stating, “Technology can actually be transformational, and it provides opportunities that didn’t exist before” (2015). Technology should not be used simply because it exists. Kayla Delze explains how a math worksheet on paper or on an iPad is not transforming the learning experience for students. Technology within education has the power to provide innovative learning experiences along with a broader audience that would not be possible in a classroom.
As I reflected on leadership and technology, what does it mean to lead within technology? As technology has significantly changed the education field, I have noticed that many educators can feel overwhelmed with the numerous technologies available. I found Couros’ insight on sticking with a few technologies as a school to be very useful. This is useful in moving the technology use from literate and adaptive to transformative. When a technology tool becomes transformative it provides opportunity for creation and innovation. As a leader in technology, it is wise to focus on quality and not quantity in order to provide accessibility and ease of anxiety when sharing, teaching, and integrating technology.
Lastly, as leaders within a community and technology, we have access to an immeasurable amount of ideas through social media. Social media provides “access to great ideas and forward-thinking teachers” (Couros, 2015). We are not only able to view and experience others ideas, but we are able to share our own. What may be obvious to you can be amazing to others as Derek Sivers expresses in his book “Anything You Want.” This week’s reading and Ted Talk videos have inspired me to be more conscious of my thoughts and actions regarding leadership through community, technology, and creativity.
What does it mean to be a leader? Being a leader in a school setting does not mean one needs to be a principal or hold an administrative position. In fact, many of the leaders I have been fortunate enough to learn alongside have been classroom educators. One prime role model is my cooperating teacher from my student teaching experience in a middle school math classroom. This educator leads through providing meaningful learning experiences for her students in her classroom and through her attitude and actions within the school community. This educator considers each of the students in the school as her own. She considers what is best for the kids and follows through by advocating for their needs. As Simon Sinek discussed what it means to lead in any community, he stated how leaders are those that look after the people to the left and to the right. They sacrifice comfort by their willingness to take risks for the greater good of the community. For example, this teacher advocated for the good of the community by not only discussing schedule options with administration, but by also taking on the task of recreating the schedule. Through advocating, she was able to provide more effective learning experiences for students and allow opportunities for teachers to teach within their passions. Her guidance throughout my student teaching experience genuinely demonstrated what it looks like to take action in doing what is best for kids.
What does it mean to use technology with purpose? As I have explored this question throughout this course, Couros says it well when stating, “Technology can actually be transformational, and it provides opportunities that didn’t exist before” (2015). Technology should not be used simply because it exists. Kayla Delze explains how a math worksheet on paper or on an iPad is not transforming the learning experience for students. Technology within education has the power to provide innovative learning experiences along with a broader audience that would not be possible in a classroom.
As I reflected on leadership and technology, what does it mean to lead within technology? As technology has significantly changed the education field, I have noticed that many educators can feel overwhelmed with the numerous technologies available. I found Couros’ insight on sticking with a few technologies as a school to be very useful. This is useful in moving the technology use from literate and adaptive to transformative. When a technology tool becomes transformative it provides opportunity for creation and innovation. As a leader in technology, it is wise to focus on quality and not quantity in order to provide accessibility and ease of anxiety when sharing, teaching, and integrating technology.
Lastly, as leaders within a community and technology, we have access to an immeasurable amount of ideas through social media. Social media provides “access to great ideas and forward-thinking teachers” (Couros, 2015). We are not only able to view and experience others ideas, but we are able to share our own. What may be obvious to you can be amazing to others as Derek Sivers expresses in his book “Anything You Want.” This week’s reading and Ted Talk videos have inspired me to be more conscious of my thoughts and actions regarding leadership through community, technology, and creativity.
Week Five (February 6 - 12)
Create a visual to summarize the key ideas from the book.
In this reflection I consider the following questions:
As I finished reading "The Innovator's Mindset" by George Couros this week, I reflected on the key ideas from the book and how I can implement what I have learned as an educator. I came up with three action items which include fostering an innovator's mindset, creating meaningful relationships and empowering students with experience. With these three takeaways, I wanted to create a visual that was simple and concise. After reading the articles on design and reflecting on what I find appealing, it was necessary to create a visual with well chosen content, layout, font, icons, and color. I chose the online design software of Canva. Although I have not used Canva, this design tool provided efficient usability and clean examples. I chose this layout because I wanted to include three traits of a great innovator and this layout provided sufficient space. I also chose the color theme because it added excitement with the background and consistency in the text and icon choices. The icons were difficult to decide on as I wanted the balance of black and white to be consistent, yet there weren't numerous options with similar design. I find that the icons provide a quick reference to the three takeaways. |
Week Six (February 13 - 19)
Leadership & Innovation Project
Week Seven (February 20-26)
How does technology improve teaching and learning in your school?
What are some areas in which this could be improved?
How do you go about making decisions about what technology to use in your classroom or school?
As I am not currently teaching in a school, I will reflect upon my student teaching experience in a middle school setting. Technology improves teaching and learning in this school environment through the use of a one-to-one Chrome books, Google Classroom as a Learning Management System, online texts and curriculum, digital content delivery, and NWEA assessments. Each of these technology tools supports student learning through the three teaching modalities of whole-class lessons and discussions, independent work, and small group activities. Within my classroom, technology was utilized in all three modalities. First, I was able to provide digital content to the whole class for discussions and activities such as a class Quizizz. Second, technology supported individual work as students utilized a math curriculum (Accelerated Math) that differentiated based upon student assessment. Additionally, technology provided activities for students to practice and explore concepts. Third, small group work utilized technology in order to collaborate with math concepts.
Within the entire middle school, technology use could be improved with integration in all classrooms, opportunities to learn through project or problem based activities, and development of a community extending beyond the classroom walls. Through conversation, observation, and substitution in other classrooms I noticed that technology was not utilized consistently across the school. This difference could be caused by not understanding how to use or integrate the technology successfully. Additionally, technology was not always implemented in order to create a new or better learning experience for students. In some instances, the use of technology was simply an alternative on a computer. Lastly, technology has the power to connect students across the globe. Connection with others outside of the school creates an audience for student work.
Making decisions about what technology to use in the classroom and school can be difficult due to the numerous possibilities and access to appropriate funding. I have noticed that many schools tend to make the decisions about technology choices within administration. This decision is then brought to the teachers to implement with the students. A change I see fit for this school would include informing the teachers about what is possible, deciding on approaches and practices with teacher input, and then acquiring devices and infrastructure. Having the teachers at the foundation of the decision making creates transparency in allowing the teachers to share what they see fit for technology use in their classroom. Furthermore, this puts the focus on the way that teachers transform the learning experience for the students in their school setting.
Within the entire middle school, technology use could be improved with integration in all classrooms, opportunities to learn through project or problem based activities, and development of a community extending beyond the classroom walls. Through conversation, observation, and substitution in other classrooms I noticed that technology was not utilized consistently across the school. This difference could be caused by not understanding how to use or integrate the technology successfully. Additionally, technology was not always implemented in order to create a new or better learning experience for students. In some instances, the use of technology was simply an alternative on a computer. Lastly, technology has the power to connect students across the globe. Connection with others outside of the school creates an audience for student work.
Making decisions about what technology to use in the classroom and school can be difficult due to the numerous possibilities and access to appropriate funding. I have noticed that many schools tend to make the decisions about technology choices within administration. This decision is then brought to the teachers to implement with the students. A change I see fit for this school would include informing the teachers about what is possible, deciding on approaches and practices with teacher input, and then acquiring devices and infrastructure. Having the teachers at the foundation of the decision making creates transparency in allowing the teachers to share what they see fit for technology use in their classroom. Furthermore, this puts the focus on the way that teachers transform the learning experience for the students in their school setting.
Week Eight (February 27 - March 12)
Select one of the frameworks/models you learned about and reflect on what you liked about it and how you think it could have an impact on your work.
The SAMR model focuses on the way teachers and students use technology while teaching and learning. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. This model has different levels with two categories. The two categories are the use of technology to enhance a task (substitution and augmentation) and the use of technology to transform a task (modification and redefinition). The SAMR framework builds in order to allow for the creation of new and better tasks.
I chose the SAMR model because it focuses specifically on the use of technology from the perspective of teachers and students. This framework provides simplicity through the concise language and purpose. Substitution is when technology is used a direct tool substitute and no functional change. Augmentation acts as a substitute with functional improvement. Modification redesigns the task. Redefinition creates a new task or something better. The four levels exemplify how technology changes the experience for teachers and students.
Furthermore, the SAMR framework will have an impact on my work as I can easily ask myself how the technology use is acting in each student experience. My goal is to use technology to allow for significant revamp of the task or a new creation of a task. For example, completing a fractions worksheet on the computer instead of on a paper worksheet is simply a substitution. On the other hand, having students make a story problem using fractions on a comic creator app and then sharing it with the class provides a new and better learning experience.
I chose the SAMR model because it focuses specifically on the use of technology from the perspective of teachers and students. This framework provides simplicity through the concise language and purpose. Substitution is when technology is used a direct tool substitute and no functional change. Augmentation acts as a substitute with functional improvement. Modification redesigns the task. Redefinition creates a new task or something better. The four levels exemplify how technology changes the experience for teachers and students.
Furthermore, the SAMR framework will have an impact on my work as I can easily ask myself how the technology use is acting in each student experience. My goal is to use technology to allow for significant revamp of the task or a new creation of a task. For example, completing a fractions worksheet on the computer instead of on a paper worksheet is simply a substitution. On the other hand, having students make a story problem using fractions on a comic creator app and then sharing it with the class provides a new and better learning experience.
Week Nine (March 13 - 19)
What did you learn from Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 of our textbook?
As I read chapters 5 and 6 of The Edtech Advocate's Guide to Leading Change in Schools by Mark Gura, I reflected on how the vision and action with the vision applies to the role of a teacher. Last week we focused on the multiple roles of a digital change agent. The change within educational technology can change efficiently when there is a big picture vision with actionable steps. It is important for the big picture of technology within education to be shared and understood by all members of the school, not simply the technology department. Through a common understanding with a vision statement, the school can begin to move toward masterful and effective technology use in the school.
With a purposeful and relevant vision statement, it is important to ask, "Where is the school going and how will it get there?" These two questions provide examination of how the equipment and devices will be used while focusing on how this reflects the school culture and aspirations. Additionally, this statement examines how technology use is applicable to the community, student and parent support, teaching, and student learning. A vision statement establishes an understanding of the role of technology in learning, but without actionable steps the vision statement is not effective. A school's vision statement should include the insight of many members. Though this community, the members can share the vision and goals with the community, invite input, welcome all insight, and report planning and progress.
Through my experiences in several schools, I have noticed that teachers are not always aware of the technology that is available to them. Sending out a quick online questionnaire about the technology available, how it is used and how often it is used can provide important feedback about awareness of technology use. Furthermore, technology tools may be available, but teachers may not have an extensive understanding of how technology can be used for new practices. In order to evoke interest, it is important to begin with a welcoming and helpful community foundation. Teachers want to find technology that is useful to their situation and not simply use a technology tool because it has been chosen for them from administration. This leads to the use of professional development and support that is applicable to the teacher. Through a sense of community, the teachers can be asked what they will find beneficial to their current situation and provided with a variety of options to extend their learning and follow through with integration.
With a purposeful and relevant vision statement, it is important to ask, "Where is the school going and how will it get there?" These two questions provide examination of how the equipment and devices will be used while focusing on how this reflects the school culture and aspirations. Additionally, this statement examines how technology use is applicable to the community, student and parent support, teaching, and student learning. A vision statement establishes an understanding of the role of technology in learning, but without actionable steps the vision statement is not effective. A school's vision statement should include the insight of many members. Though this community, the members can share the vision and goals with the community, invite input, welcome all insight, and report planning and progress.
Through my experiences in several schools, I have noticed that teachers are not always aware of the technology that is available to them. Sending out a quick online questionnaire about the technology available, how it is used and how often it is used can provide important feedback about awareness of technology use. Furthermore, technology tools may be available, but teachers may not have an extensive understanding of how technology can be used for new practices. In order to evoke interest, it is important to begin with a welcoming and helpful community foundation. Teachers want to find technology that is useful to their situation and not simply use a technology tool because it has been chosen for them from administration. This leads to the use of professional development and support that is applicable to the teacher. Through a sense of community, the teachers can be asked what they will find beneficial to their current situation and provided with a variety of options to extend their learning and follow through with integration.
Week Ten (March 20 - March 26)
Create a "Big Picture" representation of The Ed Tech's Advocate.
Creating a "Big Picture" representation allows one to analyze what ed tech resources and practices are available and currently in use with a purpose of forming a holistic perspective to share with the community. I began this activity by brainstorming with the book's suggested categories of resources, approaches and practices. I jotted down my initial thoughts within these broad categories and then placed them within more specific classifications. As many of the resources can fall under several categories, I chose a single category based on my experience with using the resource and how I have seen it used within different school environments.