The Importance of a Single Step:
My Walden Journey
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
--Chinese proverb
Submitted by Rochelle Henely
EDUC 6665: Technology, leadership, and a vision for the future
August 15, 2007
When the time finally came for me to further my education, there were many factors to consider. Some of my immediate concerns were time and money. Another very important issue was the content area that would be most beneficial to myself and my students. I researched many options; physically attending college once a week for a three hour class, a very intensive weekend program, and distance learning. Fortunately, I was able to contact a enrollment advisor at Walden University. His knowledge and patience for my many questions, helped me decide to complete my M.S. of Education through distance learning at Walden University. Walden University provides MS Degrees through distance learning. This forum is a perfect environment for working professionals. The deep relationships formed within the cohort provide for many scholarly discussions and insights. The commitment of time is fair for courses at this level. Using time management for research and sharing is an attribute well learned by Walden scholar-practitioners. Three key terms used often when progressing through this program are reflective thought, life-long learner, and scholar-practitioner. Each of these terms become a part of the learner as they grow, change, and learn through this program. Reflections of my journey through this program are discussed in detail in my final Reflective paper for Walden University.
As an educator I love knowledge, either as the recipient or the deliverer. Throughout my twenty years in the classroom I have taken every opportunity to continue to educate myself and stay abreast of current educational trends and their application in the classroom. These workshops, programs, and readings were educational and helpful, but I desired something more. My ultimate learning goal was to earn a Master’s Degree before my first born went to college. In the search to find the best program to fill the needs of my classroom, my family and myself, I chose Walden University (http://www.waldenu.edu/ ) to achieve my goal. The program that I chose, M.S. in Education with a specialization in Integrating Technology in the Classroom, provided classes in technology as well as core educational content
Technology has always had a huge impact on my teaching. In the beginning of my career I was the first in my school system to use Microsoft Excel for a grade book. The impact of technology has changed dramatically over the past two decades and even, as stated by Walden , over the course of this program (week 7 c10). Society today demands that individuals be proficient or better in technology skills than in the past. The job of today’s teacher has changed much due to this demand. Teachers are challenged to provide the technological needs for students to be successful in society. With the exponential growth of technology, these needs are constantly changing. ISTE (2000-2005) has provided an outline for both teachers and students to follow. In order that teachers teach to the best of their ability, they must endeavor to fulfill this criteria.
The goal of a Walden scholar-practitioner is to further advance the skills and knowledge needed to be a high-performing teacher. As a Walden student, I completed a survey on my growth in technology skills based on the International Society for Technology in Education Standards and the five core propositions from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the first, fourth, and eighth classes in the program (Walden University, 2004-2005) . In referencing the surveys completed in this program my studies have brought me from being adequate in quite a few standards to now considering myself proficient in the requirements as set forth by ISTE.
My journey into Walden’s MSITC began with EDUC 6610 Teacher as a Professional. This course began our exploration of who we were as teachers and opened our reflective thought process. One of the goals of the M.S. in Education program is for reflective practice in diverse roles and settings (Walden University, 2005b). Just in the first few weeks of learning, this program had us discuss, reflect, and apply the many skills of a high performing teacher to the classroom. As stated in the outcomes, “the Walden scholar- practitioner will adjust teaching strategies and techniques based on reflective thought.” (Walden University, nd.). This goal has definitely been addressed and utilized throughout these courses. One of the benefits of being a reflective teacher can be seen in the success of the student –teacher relationships. As with any student, my students thrive on one to one discussion, positive reinforcement, and building of their self-esteem through interactions with the teacher. As seen in our discussion boards, the needs of the learner do not differ a whole lot whether in New Jersey or California. The teachers and students face many of the same challenges all over the United States. With the support of our peers and the resources available for our personal and professional development (Walden University, nd), we can continue to service our learners and ourselves to the best of our ability.
The first of the technology requirements, EDUC 6661 Exploring New Technologies: The Impact on Society, Work, and Education led me through the development of technology as it pertained to schools. In this course we were asked to explore the impact of technology throughout the past and the future and the effect that technology has in our classrooms (Walden, 2005a). Some would like to believe that the integration of technology into education is the end of the school system as we know it. This is not necessarily a bad thing (Felder, R. and Brent, R., nd). Historically, disruptive technologies have dramatically changed the way things were done. The technological changes that we as educators are in the midst of are monumental in comparison to anything that has impacted society in the past. It is an exciting time to be involved in education and teaching.
The methods of how to effectively use the key tools of technology are presented in EDUC 6662 Multimedia Tools. This course began my education of becoming adept in the use of technology to support and enhance my curriculum. Curriculum infused with technology is the type of teaching that exemplifies the good teacher that I strive to be (Pierson, M., 2001). One resource that I was introduced to throughout this course was teacher created websites. The valuable communication available through the website opens the doors for all the influences on education to collaborate. My website is an ever growing, ever changing work and I have found it to be of great resource in my teaching.
Also in this course I have become more knowledgeable of copyright issues and the fair use guidelines. For teachers to teach in today’s technology rich world, they must demonstrate a sound understanding of concepts related to technology (ISTE NETS Project, 2000-2005, Standard 1A). We have a responsibility to create technology literate students to function in today’s technological society. One of the six Technology Foundation Standards for Students is “students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology” (ISTE NETS Project, 2000-2005). With this in mind, I have set a goal for myself to ensure that the students are presented skills in the use of copyright issues in regards to multimedia presentations and the internet. Through lessons, discussions and hands-on projects, the students will learn copyright issues relating to education. This is just one of the many areas needed to fulfill the standards as required by NETS for students.
The title of EDUC 6625 Habits of Mind: Thinking Skills to Promote Self-Directed Learning describes the course perfectly. Having the qualities of a high performing teacher includes knowing and using the Habits of Mind. The readings and videos in Habits of Mind have enabled me to realize the importance of the implementation of these traits throughout the curriculum, lessons, and life. A classroom that has the attributes of Habits of Mind allows the students to excel in and out of the school environment. Having the knowledge and skills to use these will enable me as a teacher to ensure that the students are presented with the best education possible in my classroom.
The Internet is only as useful as a persons’ understanding of its applications. In EDUC 6663 Integrating Technology in the Curriculum, Part 1 the teacher explores the use of technology with their students. Throughout this course we have studied the many different ways that the Internet might be used to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. We have read, discussed and used Dr. David Thornburg's four learning spaces (Thornburg, D. D., 1996). The many uses of technology in the classroom and the effect technology is playing on the role of the teacher have also been studied and discussed with our colleagues. We have also had the opportunity to view and critique instructional models; Internet Workshop, Internet Project, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuests. Understanding that learning takes place in many different forms is beneficial to both the teacher and the learner. Through reading and discussing these spaces in week one I was able to see the different aspects of my classroom environment that fulfilled these needs. I was also able to see the need for these spaces and instructional models to the different learning styles of the students. I have tried to ensure that my lessons leave room to utilize the Internet to support learning to meet needs of all the learners.
Nothing can have a bigger impact on learning than collaboration with peers and colleagues. In EDUC 6620 Collaborative Action we became actively involved in collegial research activities. Each teacher had the opportunity to focus on a research question and work through the task of presenting an answer to our cohort. Although this particular course did not have weekly due dates, the project did weigh on the mind of the researcher daily. In any day, moments in the classroom, with colleagues, or just teacher reflection, thoughts of the CAR project to mind. Using the research found in this project to better educate the students is the next action for the CAR project developed in this program. I found the results to be very interesting and hope that they will be useful in my future learning environments.
Towards the end of the MSITC program the different courses began coming together to create more exciting and interesting courses. Using technology to enable and empower all learners is one of the most valuable uses of this tool. Understanding that all students are not of equal ability (Rose, D. & Meyer, A., 2002) enables a teacher to recognize the importance of diverse learners. Technology is a tool to help us succeed with all learners. Walden EDUC 6664 Integrating Technology in the Curriculum, Part 2 continued the exploration into these valuable resources. I plan to continue to utilize technology to teach to the individual needs of the student. Whether moving from tribal to cybernetic learning (Thornburg, D.D., 1996) or addressing the different networks (Rose, D. & Meyer, A., 2002) of learners, I plan on continuing researching the resources of technology to enhance all my lessons. In order to reach all learners a teacher has to work long and hard to create multiple methods of instruction. Effective teachers provide these means of instruction in any good lesson. A good teacher will provide multiple samples, background information, emphasize important features, and use various mediums (CAST, 1996-2006). Along with all of this, the teacher has to consider the individual learning needs of each student as well as think on their feet throughout the lesson. Preparing a lesson to fulfill the needs of the classroom and the learners will facilitate the learning environment and the success of the learner. All the standards as put forth by ISTE are relevant and essential to the best use and teaching of technology in the classroom. These are but a few of the concepts as defined in NETS for Teachers.
Curriculums across the nation are similar in content and context. The one major difference in each classroom is the teaching method used. Teachers throughout the years; Plato, Aristotle, Skinner to name a few, all taught using varying methods of instruction (Silver, H. F., Hanson, J. R., Strong, R. W., & Schwartz, P. B., 2003). Students are also a diverse group. A teaching strategy used in one classroom may not work in another. Likewise, even in a single classroom, a lesson may not take all learners to the level of mastery needed for success. Along with this, each teacher has a unique teaching style. EDUC 6630 Instructional Models and Strategies presents several models that can be used to the benefit of all by creating foundations for meeting the needs of diverse learners. Using different strategies to teach lessons to the point of mastery and understanding will be a challenge to any teacher. In evaluating the different strategies presented in Instructional Models and Strategies, all are viable tools for teacher use. One of the challenges in having all these tools is to know when and where to use them. Instructional Models and Strategies provided sufficient video samples as well as written samples of appropriate use of the different strategies in the classroom. Using the resources of the many different strategies and models presented in this course, a teacher is prepared for any diverse population of students.
As I progressed through this Walden program not only was I expected to become a high-performing teacher in the classroom, but to become an agent beyond my classroom for technology and learning. EDUC 6665 Technology, Leadership and a Vision for the Future addresses the needs outside the classroom. Providing leadership in the teaching profession using the skills learned in Walden MSITC program will fulfill two needs. Not only will it continue my own learning experience, but it will influence others with my expertise. Integrating Technology into the Curriculum: Part Two provided many viable uses of technology in the classroom. As I continue my own growth in the use of Rubrics, WebQuests, and other technology tools my experience and knowledge will grow. With this skill and knowledge, I would like to take the opportunity to educate my colleagues. I would like to turnkey the abundance of material learned through peer discussion and workshops.
School systems are a place of constant learning and change. Learning and sharing ideas, experiences, questions and discussions with my peers throughout these studies have taught me the importance of professional development shared with my peers. As so aptly stated by a classmate, “Technology is the means not the goal of education (Marcin, M., 2007)”. Technology can provide so many means of educating the students in new and exciting ways. Technology will also allow educators to teach much more than in the past. Seventy-five percent of what we know did not even exist twenty-five years ago (Canter & Winberry, 2003). Technology is the only way to stay abreast of the ever expanding knowledge in the world. As an educator, I believe that I not only educate my students, but am constantly learning and adapting to their needs. Through the completion of MSITC I have become a more focused self-directed, life-long learner.
As I reflect on my journey through technology and learning I am excited about the different paths that have been opened for me. My reflections throughout these courses have allowed me to grow in that I not only am educated in my subject area, but more aware of the current resources to make my content area more exciting and engaging to my students. The following is my mission statement created in the beginning of this journey and it will stand as a roadmap in my teaching.
My mission is to encourage an interactive community of eager and active learners,
teaching in a way that raises
students' self-esteem and confidence.
I will empower students with the knowledge needed to make responsible choices
to become productive members of society.
I will continue to advance my knowledge in technology
to provide students with the skills needed in today's technological world.
Rochelle Henely
Walden Scholar-Practitioner-Teacher
References
Canter, L., & Winberry, K. (Directors). (2003). Program three: Technology tools for assessment, part one. [Motion picture]. In C. Arnold (Producer), Integrating Technology into the Curriculum Part Two. Los Angeles: Laureate Education, Inc.
Cast, Inc. (1996-2006). CAST universal design for learning. Retrieved March 27, 2007 from http://www.cast.org/index.html
Felder, R. & Brent, R., nd, Is technology a friend or foe of learning?, Tomorrow’s
Professor, Retrieved May 2, 2006 from
http://ctl.stanford.edu/Tomprof/postings/394.html
ISTE NETS. (2000-2005.) ISTE national educational technology standards for students. Retrieved April 6, 2007 from http://cnets.iste.org/students/s_stands.html
Marcin, Marisol, (march 2007) Integrating technology in the curriculum, part two-week 4 discussion. Retreived March 24, 2007 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=2592625&Survey=1&47=3174723&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Pierson, M. E. (2001, Summer). Technology integration practice as a function of pedagogical expertise. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 33(4), 413–430.
Rose, D. & Meyer A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: universal design for learning. Alexandria, Virginia: ACSD. Retrieved March 25, 2007 from http://www. cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter2_4.cfm
Silver, H. F., Hanson, J. R., Strong, R. W., & Schwartz, P. B. (2003). Teaching styles & strategies. Trenton, NJ: The Thoughtful Education Press.
Thornburg, D. D. (1996). Campfires in cyberspace. San Carlos, CA: Starsong Publications.
Walden University. (2005a). M.S. in Education. Integrating, technology in
the classroom specialization, Course Descriptions. Retrieved April 9, 2006 from http://www.waldenu.edu/c/Schools/Schools_6927.htm
Walden University. (2005b). M.S. in Education specializations and program outcomes.
Minneapolis, MN: Author
http://www.waldenu.edu/c/Students/CurrentStudents_2463.htm