STRUCTURED
Field Experience Log & Reflection

Instructional Technology Department

Candidate:
Lydia Hordges / Mentor/Title:
Mindy Ramon
Inst. Tech. Coordinator / School/District:
Fulton County
Field Experience/Assignment:
Engaged Learning Project / Course:
ITEC 7400– 21st Century Teaching & Learning / Professor/Semester:
Dr. K. Matthews

Part I: Log

Date(s) / Activity/Time / STATE Standards
PSC / NATIONAL Standards
ISTE NETS-C
6/29/14 / Reviewed ideas, technology tools used, and content/topic for EL Project Idea [4 hours] / PSC 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 / ISTE 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f
7/2/14 / Completed the template for the EL Project Idea [3 hours] / PSC 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7 / ISTE 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3d, 3e, 3g
7/3/14 / Revised the EL Project Idea [3 hours] / PSC 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 / ISTE 5a, 5b, 5c
7/6/14 / Completed the template for the EL Project Draft [4 hours] / PSC 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 / ISTE 6a, 6b, 6c
7/10/14 / Revised the EL Project Draft [8 hours] / PSC 2, 3, 4, 6 / ISTE 2, 3, 5, 6
7/16/4 / Developed the Student Survey and Rubric for the Final EL Project and Revised the Process Section [8 hours] / PSC 2, 3, 4, 6 / ISTE 2, 3, 5, 6
Total Hours: [30 hours ]
DIVERSITY
(Place an X in the box representing the race/ethnicity and subgroups involved in this field experience.)
Ethnicity / P-12 Faculty/Staff / P-12 Students
P-2 / 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12 / P-2 / 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
Race/Ethnicity:
Asian
Black / x
Hispanic
Native American/Alaskan Native
White
Multiracial / x
Subgroups:
Students with Disabilities / x
Limited English Proficiency
Eligible for Free/Reduced Meals / x

Part II: Reflection

CANDIDATE REFLECTIONS:
(Minimum of 3-4 sentences per question)
1. Briefly describe the field experience. What did you learn about technology facilitation and leadership from completing this field experience?
I created an Engaged Learning Project for students that achieved a high LoTi score and utilized many Indicators of Engaged Learning. My project is about students investigating the concept of becoming foreign exchange students. It is not easy to incorporate all indicators of engaged learning, however, the product that is developed has a deeper meaning and level of inquiry, it is more challenging, and students remember the content/topic for a longer period of time. There are so many technology tools available today that by the time you learn some of them, thiy’re superseded by new ones. This fear of learning new technology requires technology leadership and how to approach teachers, students, administrators, and parents about technology. I have to be willing to take the lead and understand that there is a learning curve, but we shall persevere and remain flexible. Change is happening regardless of what we choose to do. We adapt to the change or we become obsolete. Either way it is best change with the times. I must constantly search for new ways to approach technology and deliver that technology for people to use it. I have to be willing to accept that I will not have an answer for every technology question, but I do have the ability to be a co-learner with my colleagues. My enthusiasm must be contagious for the subject, topic, tool, or software and is dependent on the success of the product/tool. I have to set the example; I must be the example.
2. How did this learning relate to the knowledge (what must you know), skills (what must you be able to do) and dispositions (attitudes, beliefs, enthusiasm) required of a technology facilitator or technology leader? (Refer to the standards you selected in Part I. Use the language of the PSC standards in your answer and reflect on all 3—knowledge, skills, and dispositions.)
As a technology leader, I must know the content in order to help maximize learning and student achievement through the use of technology. I must understand best-practices and instructional strategies for all types of learners. It is required for me to be seen as a leader to have a basic working knowledge of common technology tools such as word processing tools, presentation tools, audio and visual tools, collaboration tools, blogs, and websites. I should be viewed as a teachers’ muse, used to inspire creativity and higher-order thinking, and help incorporate those ideas into classroom practice for more authentic learning to take place. I must be able to facilitate the collaboration and management of an online/digital learning environment and explain to teachers how to create this technology-rich environment and maintain the controlled chaos that is called learning. I must protect and teach students about the legal and ethical parameters of the online world, while allowing them to be creative and responsible for their own learning. I must facilitate the learning of all students including students needing assistive technology to fully participate in learning and performing the same tasks as peers. I need to ensure equitable access of content and technology for all students and understanding the need for adaptive and/or assistive technology that may be necessary for a student to accomplish the same goals. Evaluation of a product is essential to learning about instructional design and assessment. How do you know if students are learning? How will the learning be assessed? Are you using learner-centered strategies? When a teacher is questioned about their project, many will become defensive and rightfully so, but it is my job to remind them that I am here to help you reach all students in the learning process. I must provide suggestions and offer examples or ways to help incorporate more indicators of engaged learning. With any situation, student or teacher, I must remain calm and professional, yet willing to sympathize and understand their frustration and help them continue to push forward until success is reached. Ultimately, my disposition will determine my own success in the field of technology instruction.
3. Describe how this field experience impacted school improvement, faculty development or student learning at your school. How can the impact be assessed?
The TKES evaluation system required teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. By having content meetings with my team-mates it allows us the opportunity to share ideas and resources. As we develop our lesson plans, we can collaborate to integrate technology in our lessons and afterwards come back together to discuss what worked and didn’t so we can modify if necessary. By allowing students the creative choice of their products during this assignment it gives each student the chance to express themselves, their interests, their culture, and utilize their strengths to accomplish a challenging yet meaningful way to learn. As a technology leader, I want to be the voice that says “There’s always more than one way to learn, so let’s see what works today!”