EDLD+5370+Week+Four+Assignments

Click on the above file link to view the original Word version of the Lamar EDLD 5370 Week 4 Assignment Document for Allen David Bordelon ET8012 Cohort 5 as submitted on November 1, 2010.

Week 4 Assignment 4.1 - [|Click here] to view my blog posting on the Week 4 Videoconference.

Week 4 Assignment 4.2 - Click here to view my Comprehensive Exam Week 4 Assignment wiki page.

Week 4 Assignment 4.3.doc Click on the above file link to view my original Word version of the APA-formatted Assignment 4.3 document.


 * Reflections on Embedded Assignments for EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology**

My EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology was a highlight for me, as it was the class I enjoyed most out of all my classes. I am creative by nature, so I really let loose and poured my heart and soul into the personal digital story and Public Service Announcement (PSA) assignments; the script writing and story telling really meshed with my love of expressive writing. I learned valuable lessons during these assignments regarding the subtleties of narration and its relationship to on-screen imagery; as Lindenmeyer (1995) points out, “…there must be a connection between what is to be shown and what is said, without being too specific or obvious…” (p. 1).

Reflecting specifically upon the PSA assignment, the knowledge I gained from this assignment heightened my mastery of several essential ISTE Technology Facilitator (TF) Standards. In particular, locating resources that complied with copyright and fair use guidelines improved my practice under Performance Indicator TF-VI.A, which calls for technology facilitators to model and teach both legal and ethical practices as they relate to technology use.

The topic my group chose for our PSA, cyberbullying, afforded a great opportunity to directly address both Performance Indicator TF-V.D, using technology to communicate and collaborate with my peers, parents and community members so as to nurture student learning, and Performance Indicator TF-VI.D, promoting safe and healthy use of all technology resources. I gained experience in editing and compiling audio recorded by multiple narrators located in different cities, and also learned to use a new Web 2.0 tool, Dropbox.com, used by our group for storing and transferring large audio and video files. Dropbox.com has already improved my practice as a technology leader, and I have shared and modeled this tool with my La Vernia ISD colleagues.

New information I gained through this assignment includes a working knowledge of transformativeness, a legal concept dealing with fair use and derivative works; transformativeness basically states that you can use another’s work without needing permission or violating fair use if you are using it in such a way that you completely transform the purpose, emotion and/or setting of the original work to the extent that you have derived a new purpose for the work, unrelated to the original intent, purpose and/or emotion. This runs contrary to my previous knowledge; I thought that copyright and fair use prohibited one from using another’s complete work without their permission, regardless of how it was used or modified.

While this knowledge of transformativeness and the relationship between the old and new information did not affect my execution of any field-based activities, it will affect my practice of Standard TF-VI, as my understanding of the social, ethical, legal and human issues surrounding the use of technology in schools, and my ability to assist teachers in applying this understanding in their practice, has changed. Fair and ethical use is more complex than I realized, and I will devote further research and study to this topic.

Although I had used the technology tools required to produce the PSA extensively, including both Audacity for audio editing and Windows Movie Maker, I had never used them in a group project with collaborators that are geographically non-contiguous, so I had to develop new strategies in my role as an editor. My primary strategy consisted of using Web 2.0 tools rather than rounds of email to brainstorm and share files, and the strategy worked well. The use of Web 2.0 online tools, including Google Docs to document the script, storyboard and shot list worked well, as it was asynchronous and allowed each member to brainstorm on their own schedule; the use of Dropbox.com to hold the large raw Audacity sound files facilitated the transfer and editing of clean, uncompressed audio.

As a learner, I had to learn to accept different levels of professionalism and experience from each group member, while working to iron out minor incompatibilities induced by member access to various types and grades of equipment. I believe I performed well, and managed to take the best elements available and mix them in such a way that it made the other group members look good.

The interaction with my colleagues, both through the discussion board, email and especially Google Docs improved my performance; the sharing of ideas and experiences helped set the project in a more appropriate context, and the brainstorming and critical analysis was an essential element of product improvement. This interaction and the connectivity experience provides an ideal model for the type of experiences that we as educators need to be affording our students to improve their learning; Williamson and Redish (2009) state that “…schools are not providing digital-age learners with the types of environments that parallel the connectivity and social interaction patterns that they are accustomed to outside of school” (p.57).

My future learning has been impacted by my experience of producing the group PSA; I learned that I must not be critical of others, but rather nurture and support them. Instead of being frustrated or negative when a teammate hands me a product that I consider inferior, I must find a way to improve and add value to the product, making my colleague shine by amplifying their effort.

My past interactions and collaborations with colleagues through this project and the entire Multimedia and Video Technology class changed the way I look at collaboration; before this class, I always tried to group myself with teammates of similar drive, skill and attention levels, but I will now be more open to accepting anyone as a collaborator so that I can focus on building them up and improving the capabilities of the team and in turn the entire organization.

As a lifelong learner, I will continue to research the legal doctrine of transformativeness; I still have difficultly understanding how any unauthorized use of another’s work and intellectual property can be permitted without permission; I must develop a better understanding of this concept if I am to lead my teachers and students in appropriate, legal and ethical use of multimedia technology and resources.

Multimedia and Video Technology is a class that will serve me well as I mentor my teachers, as I learned firsthand the value of embedding media production activities in instruction. As Garrison (1999) explains, “Media production engages and excites; it leads to unexpected discoveries, increased self-awareness and esteem, sharpened critical thinking, analytical skills, group work skills, and ability to communicate ideas” (p. 1).

References:

Lindenmeyer, H. (1995). Writing Voice-over Narration for Video. Retrieved from [|http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1306/is_n9_v61/ai_17461871/]

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able To Do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Garrison, A. (1999). Video Basics and Production Projects for the Classroom. Retrieved from [|http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html]

Week 4 Assignment 4.4.doc Click on the above file link to view my original Word version of the APA-formatted Assignment 4.4 document.


 * Reflections on Embedded Assignments for EDLD 5365/5388 Web Design and Development**

During my EDLD 5365/5388 Web Design course, I gained knowledge of many helpful procedures and practices that will facilitate overseeing La Vernia ISD’s website; that is one of my charges as Director of Technology. Although all the assignments in this course were helpful and assisted me in mastering several essential ISTE Technology Facilitator (TF) Standards, one of the most helpful assignments concerned using Google Docs to create a School Web Policy for my District that addressed the security, legal and ethical issues raised in our lectures, readings and discussions. I will focus specifically on this web policy assignment during this reflection.

The web policy that I developed during this assignment covered all facets of web design and development; concerns to be addressed included defining acceptable posting behaviors, types of web pages such as static or portal-driven, content standards, usability standards and design goals. Much of this was new information to me; I would previously have focused on acceptable usage and posting policies and types of web pages and assumed that the other concerns would have fallen in line based upon the good intentions of our web contributors. The realization that I needed to craft such detailed standards and design mechanisms to control so many different aspects of the web site changed my personal experience with the assignment, as I realized this issue required true educational leadership and not just direction.

My approach to learning was to keep in mind the requirement for true leadership and the essential communicative role played by our school and District websites. Every educational leader creates plans that must be efficiently communicated to others; as Williamson and Redish (2009) note, “Once leaders create… the plan, they must disseminate it to others and explain how to use it” (p. 66). School and district websites have become the de facto standard for disseminating plans, instructions and information in our digital, networked world, so this learning strategy set the tone and reminded me of the import of my learning to the performance of my duties as an educational leader.

As a learner, this assignment helped me master Technology Facilitator Standard TF-V, requiring technology facilitators to design, develop, evaluate, and model products created using technology resources that are designed to improve and enhance productivity and professional practice. High-quality web policies are critical to support this requirement; as Williamson and Redish (2009) state, “…leaders are responsible for structuring local websites and influencing Web-based communication for the district and beyond” (p. 111). I believe, based on the quality of the School Web Policy I crafted, that during this assignment I improved my mastery of Performance Indicator TF-V.D, requiring technology facilitators to use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the community at large to nurture and support learning.

My interaction with colleagues and my professor through the discussion boards and during the assignment helped me to understand that I have a responsibility as Director of Technology to also act as a facilitator to help my colleagues understand web policies; as Williamson and Redish explain, “…the facilitator’s role is to disseminate and explain the policies to building-level educators” (p. 111).

Having learned that I must fill a dual role as both a technology leader and a technology facilitator on this task shaped my learning in Web Design and my following classes as I realized that I must work side-by-side with my peers, listening to them and supporting them as often as I lead them. Consequently, I believe that I have become more balanced as a leader.

My past interactions and collaborations with colleagues helped me develop previous technology and Internet policies, and shaped my development of this School Web Policy. I learned that when you are defining what is acceptable, you must first clearly define what is unacceptable; in this manner, if you omit an acceptable practice, at least you have specified what is unacceptable, keeping users from inadvertently straying into inappropriate territory. These past interactions and experiences continue to influence all future policy development work.

As a lifelong learner, the challenge I am left with is to find better methods to meet Performance Indicator TF-VI.A, modeling and teaching legal and ethical practice related to technology use. This Indicator is particularly pertinent to web design and development tasks, and I will continue to research better methods to accomplish this essential endeavor and convey these critical concepts without embedding a lot of boring reading and legalese in my policy documents.

References:

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able To Do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Week 4 Assignment 4.5.doc Click on the above file link to view my original Word version of the APA-formatted Assignment 4.5 document.


 * Reflections on Technology Facilitator Standard VII: Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments**

Our first assigned reading during Week Four of my Lamar EDLD 5370 Internship class covered Technology Facilitator Standard VII: Procedures, Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments. I gained much knowledge from this reading, as Standard VII delineates the ways that technology facilitators must support and develop technology infrastructure, procedures, policies, plans and budgets. Williamson and Redish (2009) highlight the importance of Standard TF-VII as they note that “…it is critical that technologists establish a stable technological infrastructure to support the effective use of technology in schools” (p. 147).

Although I have been performing these tasks as Director of Technology for some time, I focused during the assignment on the new information offered by the text regarding the critical task of supporting and implementing classroom instruction as a true educational leader.

While the new information regarding the instructional support components of these tasks did not contradict any of my previous knowledge, it leads me to see these tasks in a new light and realize that everything I do while maintaining and expanding infrastructure, planning the budget and crafting policies must always be done with an eye towards supporting instructional goals and furthering campus and District improvement initiatives.

The relationship between this new information and my previous knowledge impacted my field-based experiences during my Internship project as I work to expand virtualization to the servers and desktops serving our special needs students; I am now keenly aware that the target of these efforts is to improve instruction and not just to expand infrastructure. Therefore, my approach and the strategies I have used involved investigating the instructional needs of the students in order to determine the best course of action as this project progressed, and I made sure to put the needs of students above any other consideration including difficulty of technical implementation. So far, I feel this strategy has been successful (though more time consuming), and it will result in a new paradigm of learning for our special needs students that may ultimately serve as a template for all future student technology initiatives.

As a learner, I have had to reassess my views of technology deficits in relation to those perceived by my teachers. During surveys and discussions early in the project, I was confronted with the fact that despite having access to sufficient levels of technology for their identified learning activities, many of my teachers perceived a lack of available technology; I had to learn to address perceived problems with the same level of effort with which I address documented deficits. This issue is not peculiar to La Vernia ISD; Williamson and Redish (2009) observe that “It is unclear why teachers perceive a lack of access to technology when student-to-computer ratios are at an all-time low and high-speed Internet access is pervasive in schools and classrooms” (p. 148).

My learning and interaction with colleagues via the discussion boards helped me understand that these perceptions need to be addressed in order to move forward, and that this is a prime example of the difference between an educator and a “techie”; an educator always factors the current context into the equation when attempting to address a problem. This becomes especially clear in light of Williamson and Redish’s (2009) observation that “Selecting appropriate technologies requires the ability to understand the instructional context in which the technologies will be utilized and thorough knowledge of available educational technology best suited to those contexts. It is possible that technologies may be available, but teachers do not see the application of these technologies for learning” (p. 150).

As a learner, this need to help educators better see the applications for their available technologies in their current instructional context will drive my future efforts; I must work to ensure my teachers are making maximum use of all their technology resources if I am to increase my mastery of Performance Indicator TF-VII.A, using school technology facilities and resources to implement instruction in the classroom.

My past interaction and collaboration with colleagues will shape my future learning experiences as I apply knowledge passed on to me before I began my degree program. My Superintendent and Internship Mentor, Dr. Tom Harvey, always had us evaluate our annual performance in light of our current context; before this course of studies, I never grasped the importance of this task, but now realize it speaks volumes regarding how we perceive our current situation, and left unchanged, how our perception influences our reality.

As a lifelong learner, I continue to be challenged regarding the best methodologies to help change people’s perceptions without implying that they are wrong or inept. This is a task I must master, as I cannot consider myself to be a responsible steward of taxpayer funding, or a responsible educational leader, if I do not make every effort to ensure that all technology resources are being utilized to the fullest extent possible.

References:

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able To Do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Week 4 Assignment 4.6.doc Click on the above file link to view my original Word version of the APA-formatted Assignment 4.6 document.


 * Reflections on Technology Facilitator Standard VIII: Leadership and Vision**

The second assigned reading for Week Four of my Lamar EDLD 5370 Internship class covered Technology Facilitator Standard VIII: Leadership and Vision. Williamson and Redish (2009) denote the importance of this Standard to educational technology leaders; “…Standard VIII describes how technologists lead others in creating a research-based vision and developing a long-range strategic plan moving the vision into reality” (p. 177). This was the knowledge I gained from this assignment; to paraphrase Standard TF-VIII, as an educational technology leader, it is my personal responsibility to support the shared vision for the integration of technology, and to create an environment conducive to the realization of the vision.

The relationship between my new knowledge and what I previously held to be true is summarized by Performance Indicator TF-VII.B, calling for me to apply strategies for and knowledge of issues related to managing the change process in my schools; I am not just responsible for changing the technologies we use, I am responsible for managing the process of change, and to a great extent, for the ultimate success or failure of that change process.

This revelation impacted my field-based Internship activities as I realized that I must constantly support and articulate the District’s educational technology vision if I am to have any chance at managing the process of change; change must be justified, and consistent with known goals, if it is to be accepted. Williamson and Redish (2009) demonstrate the long-term need for technologists to articulate and evangelize the educational technology vision as they observe that “In addition to helping the school community develop an appropriate, research-based vision for technology use, leaders must sustain the community’s focus on this vision until it becomes entrenched in the local culture” (p. 179).

With this knowledge in hand, I began to take the approach that support for an initiative comes through determination and hard work; people do not just magically jump on the band wagon, particularly when we as technologists are changing the way they teach and perform tasks in the classroom. One of my Internship projects is acting as facilitator for our new Instructional Software Committee (ISC), affording me a great opportunity to meet Performance Indicator TF-VIII.C, specifying that I must apply effective group process skills. One of my strategies has been to employ the Delphi Method, a consensus-building tool I learned about in my Research class; using tools such as this will help me successfully apply group process skills to orchestrate change in support of the District vision and campus and District improvement initiatives.

So far, I believe I have been successful in implementing the Performance Indicators and Performance Tasks for Standard VIII. I am applying the learning I acquired through my degree program in group management, including applying collaboration tools and consensus building tactics and tools, and have had success thus far. I will continue to assess my performance and adjust my practices based on feedback from my colleagues and superiors.

My interaction with colleagues through the discussion board and on past assignments led me to redouble my efforts to lead as an educator in the development and evaluation of District technology planning and implementation, with a critical eye towards supporting the District vision while improving learning. The need to improve student learning in support of district and campus improvement initiatives is articulated by Williamson and Redish (2009) as they state that “…more recent state and national guidelines have directed planners to ensure that student learning – especially in areas of low performance – is a central, organizing feature of the plan. As a result, exemplary plans explicitly describe how technologies will be implemented and how student learning will increase” (p. 182).

As a learner, I will take these lessons to heart during my upcoming revision of the La Vernia ISD Long-Range Technology Plan, insuring that the plan’s strategies more clearly articulate how technologies will be implemented as well as how this implementation will increase student learning. I will also focus on future professional development opportunities geared at modifying technology plans to be more in alignment with the articulated instructional vision of the District. I gained the knowledge that planning has many levels, and I must endeavor to bring the infrastructure and technology levels into better conformance with the instructional and vision levels.

My past interactions with my colleagues and peers at Lamar will continue to influence my future learning experiences as I am reminded of their viewpoints as teachers and instructional technologists; coming from a classroom background, their perceptions and observations regarding technology leadership and vision originate from a different perspective than mine as Director of Technology, and I have learned that they often question initiatives and directions that I understand and accept because I previously viewed the situation only from a management perspective.

As a lifelong learner, I will continue to seek more experiences in fulfillment of Performance Indicator TF-VIII.E, engaging in supervised field-based experiences with accomplished technology facilitators and directors. Before beginning my degree program, I thought I was at the top of the ladder in La Vernia ISD as far as technology leadership goes; I have since learned through my Internship activities and my study of the ISTE Standards that I have a long way to go to become the educational leader that I want to be. I can learn much from my Internship Mentor, Superintendent Dr. Tom Harvey, regarding how to lead as an educator and how to better implement instructional technology to support our District vision.

References:

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able To Do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.