Wrap Up

In what ways have you grown as a professional while taking this course? How can you use the knowledge gained to increase your leadership within the corporation?


This course has opened my eyes to many different things.  Most importantly, I have learned that the majority of people in education want to use technology.  It doesn't matter the ability level, people want it.  As I have gone through my career it is easy to believe the opposite.  Teachers and Administrators may seem leery about trying new things, but it's not because they don't want to, it's because they are worried about the students.  

Throughout this course, I have been given many resources that I can use to help ease the transition into new technologies.  Starting with making sure a good plan is in place and not rushing into using new equipment is very important.  It is easy to not think about this step, but the consequences from rushing can linger for a long time.  Making sure that proper training is available not only at the beginning, but on going for the life of the device is important as well.

Perhaps the number one piece of knowledge that I am going to take away from this course is this; listen to everyone.  Yes, I have the degrees in the field and the experience to set up, fix and use all the equipment.  Will I be using these devices in the classroom with students, no.  I need to go to the buildings, offices and classrooms where the devices will be used and get input from the people working there.  Collaboration is key.

All of the resources that I have gained through this course will be put into use at some point.  Websites, articles and new contacts will be a vital piece of how I work from now on.

Curating

The curated resources that I have compiled over the years are something that I use on a regular basis.  This is mainly because the majority of my job is in the IT field, and if I tried to remember everything I need to, I would lose my mind.  A few examples.

Pieces of technology break on a daily basis, as I'm sure most of you know this personally.  There are many, many different ways to repair equipment that isn't working as it should.  To remember how I fixed the Lenovo Edge laptop that broke two months ago is something I'm not capable of.  However, I do have the resources I looked up and used to get me there available to me at all times.

Working on servers can be a frustrating and very time consuming task.  There are so many different operations and processes going on at once, that it is easy to get confused.  Trying to remember every step in every process that needs to be done on any server is impossible.  Once again, having websites bookmarked, files saved, or videos filed away are the easiest way for me to remind myself how I have solved certain problems.

While using this type of system is easy for me because I am basically forced into using on a daily basis, this can be different for teachers.  Units are taught once a year, then filed away until the following school year.  My advice would be to use the same system for every different topic if possible.  If you have every topic you need to use on the same website, or saved in the same folder, you will never forget where to look for things.

With all of the things that people, no matter their profession, have to deal with on a daily basis, it is not possible to remember everything you need without some kind of system.  Take advantage of what is out there, you might find yourself using it for personal reasons as well.

Daniel Pink on Motivation

I'm a big fan of Daniel Pink.  A conference I went to spoke about him a lot, so I purchased one of his books and it was well worth the read.  It's amazing how even though he is talking about business, most of it can be transferred over to the education world.

Autonomy, mastery and purpose are often overlooked in my field of I.T.  Luckily, those three traits are incorporated in everything I do, mainly because my current position allows it.  Past employments have not been the same, as there were set guidelines for anything and everything.  I have a certain freedom to do things that a lot of other I.T. departments may not have, such as different software choices, setting up group policies, and so on.  What I would like to talk about here is giving the staff that I work the chance to feel the same.

I want the staff at each school I work for to feel like they have a say in what they use in the classroom, as well as how they use it.  In the past, it felt as if the I.T. department would roll into a classroom, tell them what pieces of equipment they can use, and then proceed to explain how they have to use it.  That was something I never enjoyed doing.  Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy teaching people how to use equipment, but it is much more enjoyable teaching someone how to use something they are excited about.  When a teacher comes to me with ideas of how they want to use a device, I love it.

Getting around what is actually available to staff is a little more difficult.  Business decisions and what money is actually available causes problems in this area, so I'm not going to go into it.

What I would like to do is set up a professional development session that will only be over ideas that the staff comes up with.  Topics will be turned in ahead of time, so I will be able to prepare.  I see this as a different form of the 20% time idea, which we all know is a tough thing to work out in education.  This way the staff, as well as myself, will be excited to take part in professional development.  It won't be the same old things that I love to do, even though those are good choices as well, but we all learn together.

Technology Integration Matrix

This blog post was a little difficult for me to decide on what I should write about.  The problem was that I teach Technology, and that wasn't one of the choices to select from.  I decided that this post would be about what I can do as a Technology Manager to make sure growth happens in the teachers.

First and foremost, my ability to work with many different types of technologies is extremely important.  If there is not someone proficient in this area, growth can't happen.  Training has to come from somewhere, and that's where I step in.  This is easy for me because I love a new toy.  Whether it be an iPad or simply a new website, it excites me, and I can't wait to figure it out and spread the knowledge.

Next, this training needs to be compiled and presented in a way that doesn't come across as boring or impossible.  I have trouble with this from time to time because I fail to realize the level of ability that everyone brings to the table.  Early in my career, this was very noticeable and I have worked hard to overcome this weakness and feel I have done pretty well at it.  Training needs to include several examples of ways the new technology can be integrated into their classroom to reinforce what they are already teaching.  If I were to simply hand a teacher an iPad and say "have fun", I am failing at my job.  If I hand a teacher an iPad along with a list of recommended apps and schedule some one-on-one time for training, that device will become a very useful tool for their classroom.

Finally, the last step is simply being available.  People won't retain every piece of information given to them during a training session and will need continuous support.  One-on-one sessions for further, more individualized training is essential.

Working together will ensure that growth happens, and continues to happen year after year.  Teachers need tech support and tech support need teachers.  Without the ideas sent to tech support from teachers actually using the technology in classroom, nobody will be able to grow.

Moving Mindset

How could you adapt or change one of your current class/course policies to reflect a moving mindset? Is this a change you are willing to make? Why or Why not?

This is a very interesting question, and originally I was looking at it from an I.T. Professional view instead of from my classroom view.

Once I started thinking of how I run my lab, and what we do during our schedule technology time each week, I had a couple thoughts.  First, I honestly feel that I am, and have been, willing to use any piece of technology that will enhance a students learning experience.  Then I realized that I don't do this, especially with cell phones.  I do not believe cell phones have a place in the classroom right now, this might change, but it is something I am firmly against.  Texting, taking pics or videos, and surfing the web via data packages are just a few nightmares that teachers and I.T. departments have to deal with.  Beyond cell phones, I am open to whatever is out there, and we consistently use desktops, laptops, iPads, ELMOs, smart TV's, etc....

Using these devices has come easier to me than others, mainly because I love to use them.  Things like research, creating videos, or mixing songs with video can be much more entertaining on other devices.

Next, I have fallen into a rotation of topics to cover in the lab that I know work and that students enjoy.  This is good, but it can be better.  I would be willing to introduce new technologies, but get leery of doing so due to certain struggles we have at our school.  I have come to the realization after this module that I can't let that stop me from introducing new things to my students.

Finally, I wanted to add a little to this post about my thoughts from the technology administration side of my job.  Encouraging teachers, and other staff to use technology and explore new ways of getting information across to their students is something I do everyday.  This has become much easier after we upgraded the schools infrastructure and have become 100% wireless throughout the buildings.  A few of the schools I work for are still waiting to be upgraded, so it is more of a struggle in those buildings.  The idea of waiting for a year to research and think about what you really want at your school is a brilliant idea, but in this day and age where we want everything now it is a little more difficult to play the waiting game.

If your school is able to sit back and slow things down, it will pay off big.  The planning stage can be sped through at times, and that causes nothing but mistakes.  I realize that everyone wants the best that there is, but that might be different from school to school.

Module 1 Reflection

My experience with online courses is not minimal, but hasn't been extensive either.  I feel pretty comfortable staying on task within the deadlines and engaging in communication with peers.  With that said, there is always room to grow, so I would grade my interaction in Module 1 as follows:

The majority of my communications would fall under evolving, with a few areas creeping into the effective column.  I feel that I have a strong understanding of the topics we have discussed so far, but not so strong that I'm not excited about taking part in this class.  Pulling from experience and sharing those with others will be another strength because of the wide range of responsibilities that come with my job.  I struggle with putting my thoughts into words at times and I often get frustrated when I can't get them from my brain to my fingertips.  Clearly explaining what I am thinking is an area that falls under evolving, and possibly emerging at some points.  Collaborating with others by expanding on topics is another area I can improve, evolving is the column I would put myself in.  My main issue there is rushing through the process at times.  If I sit back for a few minutes and think, everything comes out a little clearer and more in depth.

Overall, I believe I would fall under the evolving column, but not too far away from being effective.