Reflections on Educational Technology

The Growth of an Educator

Justin Raisner

English and Journalism Teacher

Carlmont High School

Belmont, California

October 2012

INTRODUCTION

I am Justin Raisner, and English and Journalism teacher in California, and I have

long been an advocate for the use of technology in educational settings. I decided to

pursue my Masters degree in this field so that I could not only justify my feelings about

EDTECH, but also so that I could learn and apply new skills to my teaching. Over the

past three years of my coursework, I feel that I have accomplished that and become a

more dynamic teacher in the process.

This paper is a discussion of the artifacts I have used to display the work I have

done while working towards my Masters of Educational Technology at Boise State

University.

The paper is organized by each AECT standard with links to the associated

content and explanations of how the evidence meets the standard.

STANDARD 1: DESIGN

1.1 Instructional Systems Design

During my EDTECH 503 course, I was given the task of designing a full lesson

that applied research based theory to my design. My completed project is located at

this link: Instructional Design Paper EDTECH 503. I have used this lesson twice now

since designing it, and it has worked well (albeit with modifications made each time).

This project demonstrates learner needs assessment and analysis, lesson

design around that analysis, development of the lesson and skills, implementation of

the skills into a project, and an evaluation of the learning as well as the lesson. One

great thing I took out of that project was One item that I found very useful, was a

statement that seems very simple and obvious. The classroom text included a section

on analyzing the learning task, and it was interesting to think that “...in order to ascertain

what learners have learned, we must determine what kind of evidence of learning we

will accept as an indication that learning has occurred” (Smith and Regan p. 97). It

seems obvious that assessment should be connected to the learning task, but often in

high school, tests are given that don’t specifically relate to learning goals.

1.2 Message Design

During my EDTECH 506 class, we learned to design graphics that would

effectively convey information to students. The graphics and explanation of the

principles applied can be found in the following paper: Lesson design justification

EDTECH 506

During my EDTECH 513 course, I learned about how to best craft presentations

for classes using research-based techniques. I was so impressed with what I learned

that I created a presentation for my own students using those principles about how

to apply those principles. You can view that presentation here: Presentation on

Presentations EDTECH513

This presentation demonstrates and explains the coherence principle. The

coherence principle suggests that educators need to limit the amount of extraneous

materials as they design their instruction. This means that lessons should avoid extra

graphics, words, animation, and sounds that are not supporting the actual intent of the

lesson.

Specifically, as an educator, “you should avoid adding and material that does

not support the instructional goal” (Clark & Mayer, 2008, p. 151). By including extra

items, the learning goal can become muddied and unclear to those receiving the lesson.

Furthermore, extra input can distract the learners or overload their ability to process the

important information. Also of note is the research suggesting that low-ability learners

are more susceptible to these distractions, so it is even more important to consider the

coherence principle with this type of learner.

Interestingly enough, one of the most effective examples of the coherence

principle in action that worked well was done by my own ninth grade students. The

task of the small group was to present background information on a specific myth. This

group created a very clean, simple-looking presentation of images that they narrated

for the class. There were no words on the slides, and there was no music or other

extraneous information. It was brief, clear, and to the point. The class loved it and

seemed to retain the information well.

This worked well because the students developed a presentation that fully

(serendipitously) incorporated not only the coherence principle, but also the modality

principle. “Rather than fully embellished textual or narrative descriptions, [the students

were able to] stick to basic and concise descriptions of the content. It also helps

implement the modality principle effectively” (Clark & Mayer, 2008, p. 167).

The coherence principle is in-line with the ideas presented by the modality

and redundancy principles. Basically, it boils down to the idea of less (albeit highly

focused and relevant) being more when it comes to presenting information. Too

much information is overwhelming. “When processing capacity is used to process

the music and sounds, there is less capacity available for processing the narration,

organizing it into a coherent cause-and-effect chain, and linking it with the incoming

visual information. Based on this theory, we can predict that adding interesting music

and sounds to a multimedia presentation will hurt students' learning.” (Moreno & Mayer,

2000).

What is interesting about the coherence principle is that it is somewhat counter-

intuitive to some people’s schools of thought regarding student engagement. One

such example is arousal theory which suggests that students will be more engaged

in learning if they are provided more interesting effects and sounds (Clark & Mayer,

2008, p. 156). However, the cognitive theory of multimedia learning “assumes that

working memory capacity is highly limited” (Clark & Mayer, 2008, p. 156 ). Although

students might get more excited about a learning task if it is “spiced up” with effects, the

ability of them to focus on the intended learning outcomes becomes compromised and

diminished.

Furthermore, the auditory split-attention principle suggests that learners are more likely

to make appropriate connections between animations and narrations when there is not

much additional auditory information presented, such as environmental sounds and

background music. (Mayer, 1999) Once again, effective learning happens when less

information is presented.

1.3 Instructional Strategies

Two of my projects that demonstrate effective sequencing of events and activities

for lessons are highlighted here:

Design unit: EDTECH 506 was created to teach journalism students the basics of

design over the course of several lessons. Each step of the lesson builds upon the

previous one and includes activities that both assess and lead to new knowledge.

I also designed this webquest that allows and directs students through several

links towards discovering knowledge about what protections and limitations they will

have: WebQuest: EDTECH 502

The WebQuest is an effective self-directed learning activity where the teacher

pre-selects materials for students to explore online and allows students to interact

with these materials. “The popular Webquest concept utilizes a template designed

to provide students with the opportunity to access and work with a range of online

resources to explore and answer meaningful and significant questions” (Doolittle &

Hicks, 2003, p. 87). Because these activities have open areas for student exploration,

they are able to focus on materials that are of interest to them and direct their own

learning. Although the teacher will have provided a learning outcome, the teacher also

provides several avenues for students to arrive at that outcome.

To design an editorial policy, students need to have an understanding of issues

that have occurred in the past. By researching this information, students will be able to

make an informed judgement about what to include in an editorial policy.

1.4 Learner Characteristics

It is important to understand the needs of each individual learner while designing

a lesson. I have examples of the work I did here:

Needs Assessment results: EDTECH 503 (from my Instructional Design Project)

While designing my Adobe InDesign lesson, I included a formal needs

assessment. This is an important part of any lesson that includes technology because

assuming a learner can do something he or she cannot can easily derail even the most

effective designs. The result of this survey was that I modified my lesson to include

more vocabulary development of the skills they were learning. The lesson worked very

well in practice, and I have delivered it three times now to students with positive results.

I also created a Relative Advantage Chart: EDTECH 541 of challenges that

can be addressed and overcome with technology. There are many resources that

can be used to assist students excel. For example, By setting up a social network for

students to use, they can be tasked with blogging. One effective assignment is asking

students to assume the role or point of view of one character from story and create a

blog. These blogs (or microblogs) are visible to other class members who can comment

on it and gain insights by reading what others have written. They are interactive,

Constructivist, and they allow students to check for understanding before class the next

day.

STANDARD 2: DEVELOPMENT

2.1 Print Technologies

During my coursework for EDTECH 506, I created several materials for students

to use during instruction. The Graphic Organizer: EDTECH 506 is designed for students

to take notes during instruction so they can match each area of the newspaper with the

proper jargon as it is introduced. When I used this with my students, they were all able

to complete the handout with 100% accuracy and were able to use proper newspaper-

speak during class.

Scaffolding with graphic organizers is a powerful instructional strategy that

supports student learning. One study done on 9th grade writing reported that “[a]s a

result of scaffolding the process of writing a research paper, students developed a

better understanding of what it means to locate and to integrate scholarly. They also

learned how to organize their time and resources. Overall, most students were able to

complete the assignment successfully. Approximately ninety-six percent of participants

(43 of 45) completed the process of writing a research paper. Based on reflections of

previous semesters, this represented an increase” (Huggins & Edwards 2011, p. 34).

This Handout: EDTECH 506 was used with a lecture to supplement a discussion in

class and introduce graphic design criticism. The importance of this was that students

had a reference that went beyond the few moments of class time to remind them of

what they saw in class.

2.2 Audiovisual Technologies

I created a video during EDTECH 513 that explained the second set of

prophecies received in Macbeth. The video was created following the guidelines of the

personalization principle as well as the redundancy and coherence principles. To make

this story, I began with an outline of a script. Then, I compiled images that could be

used to convey the ideas and complement the narration.

I used Windows sound recorder to create several short audio clips of the

narration. I used Windows Movie Maker to compile all the story elements and export to

YouTube.

During EDTECH 521, I created another video (Inverted Pyramid Video: EDTECH

521) in Camtasia that introduced the “Inverted Pyramid” style of news writing. When I

used this with my class, they were riveted to the smartboard and they all scored 80% or

above on the assessment after watching. Using the videos to supplement instruction is

an effective way to deliver short bursts of content for students.

Both of the videos were designed with the Modality and Redundancy Principles

as guiding design factors. The Modality Principle suggests that overwhelming use of

text along with narration actually hinders learning. This is because words on screen

combined with narration overloads the visual channel and reduces learning.

Furthermore, the Redundancy Principle states that people learn better from animation

and narration than from animation, narration, and on-screen text. When you say the

same thing as what a presentation states, you are violating the redundancy principle.

The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning is that learners have separate

information processing channels – one for visual and one for auditory processing.

However, the capacity of these channels is limited. Graphics and on-screen text

compete for bandwidth of the visual channel.

Therefore, the assumption that adding more improves learning may not be

accurate. Research suggests that achieving the proper balance of information for

each input channel (auditory and visual) will yield the best results. It also suggests that

overloading the channels by adding text to match what the narration says is likely to

overload the input capacity and lessen learning outcomes.

2.3 Computer-Based Technologies

One of the first activities I did with the Educational Technology program at BSU

was to create a learning log on Wordpress. This was a really simple but powerful

activity for making a website to showcase my work. For my portfolio, I am including my

EDTECH 542 learning log as an example.

According to research done by McCrindle, A. R.; C.A. Christensen (1995)

journals and learning logs are “likely to increase metacognition through students

becoming more aware of their own thought processes.” Not only has this helped me

as a learner, but as I have introduced blogging to my students, they have become more

aware of what they are learning and how they are doing. Blogging has become a big

part of my teaching now, and I foresee that it will continue to be so in the future.

Wordpress has been very easy to use, and it has enough features to look like a

professionally coded website. After creating my learning log, I then had my journalism

students set up the school news website through Wordpress. They "Add Posts"

to put in new content, and the categories tell the content where to appear (Sports,

Entertainment, Featured News, etc.). The website can be found here.

One nice thing about Wordpress is that it does allow the inclusion of html code,

so you can customize the look of the website more. In a lot of ways, it seems easier to

use Wordpress to quickly throw together a website than to use Dreamweaver. This is

especially true if there is a lot of content that needs to be updated fairly regularly. And it

is even more useful when there are multiple contributors. The blogging platform is very

robust for website creation.

Another benefit of the blogging platform is the ability to easily embed content into

posts. In one of my class blogs for my students, mrraisner.com, I embedded a Google

calendar for students to access. I also have embedded a twitter feed so I can give

quick updates. It is a really easy way to have a class resource page through the blog.

Not only does this demonstrate how materials are produced online, but it also is

a way for delivering content. In addition to collecting a portfolio through a learning log,

materials can easily be delivered via blogging software to update students on lessons

and ideas. This can include not only text-based information, but also video, audio, and

dynamic presentations.

Additionally, I created a lesson for using spreadsheets (Spreadsheet Lesson:

EDTECH 541) . By using the spreadsheet to track this information, students can easily

refer to and find information that they read early in the book. Also, the students can

use the spreadsheet to create charts to visually represent the degree to which each

character displays a trait. Since the reading of the novel occurs over a five week span,

the use of the spreadsheet helps students organize data. When I used it with my

students, they had a much easier time of finding information that earlier students.

2.4 Integrated Technologies

During EDTECH 513, I created a podcast that provides quick tips for teaching

journalism to students, and quick tips for students hoping to improve their craft. The

focus of this podcast was story ideas, the use of jargon, and helping kids figure out how

to write better.

The ideas included are easy to understand and easy to implement. Easy,

effective tips will make teaching this subject much easier. Here is a link to the podcast.

This podcast is an example of actually using technology to deliver content. This meets

the AECT standards 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4 as it demonstrates not only competence in using

the computer hardware and software to create this, but it also demonstrates that as an

instructor, I could utilize these skills and technologies.

Online communication is a key element of online teaching. According to Rice

(2012), online discussion can be “divided into two main groups: (1) those used primarily

for asynchronous, or delayed-time, communications, and (2) those used primarily

for synchronous, or real-time, communications” (Rice, 2012, p. 48). Any sort of time-

delayed communication or interaction then is considered asynchronous. The first

requirement of this communication is that the instructor needs to be very clear with

directions so that the readers can easily understand. A clear advantage of this type of

communication is that it allows students the chance to pause and review items that they

may have missed.

STANDARD 3: UTILIZATION

3.1 Media Utilization

I created a Virtual Field Trip to Scotland that highlights key locations in

Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Virtual Fieldtrip: EDTECH 502. By completing this activity,

students get a sense of the setting as well as multimedia that provides a much more

immersive experience for introducing the play.

For my final project in Edtech 513, I created a worked example screencast

called "MLA Format instructions" that demonstrates to students how to set up their

papers properly for English class. This is an important thing that students struggle with.

Not only is it one of the California Content Standards that they need to master in 9th

through 12th grade, but it is a skill that is expected by colleges.

In my experience, students often struggle with how to do these things when

they are at home in front of their computers in spite of having taken notes of how to

set up their papers. By having this visual guide available to them, they will be able to

replicate the steps and correctly format their papers. The video is here: MLA Format

instructions: (I recommend you set it to 1080p and view full screen). This turned

out to be a great resource for students. Rice (2011) wrote of the benefits of “[v]isual

demonstrations of course tools and/or content when students need direct instruction:

..., the teacher used the video feature to demonstrate the respiratory process with a

press-and-seal bag. In this case, the lesson replicated what takes place in a traditional

classroom demonstration, so the video component was essential” (Rice, 2011, p.55). In

the case of my students, the video was a replica of what had been demonstrated in the

classroom, but they were able to see it again at home when they were in front of their

computers and could apply the lessons.

I chose Adobe Captivate to create this video. It was very intuitive, and it was

easy to make edits to the audio or video. I recommend that for anyone who is going to

making worked examples consistently.

3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

During EDTECH 541, I developed presentations that could be used in my school

to help promote adoption of Educational Technology. The examples explain the relative

advantages of using Education Technology and can be delivered at any time.

● English

● Social Studies

● Art

● English Language Learners

Teachers often resist transitional changes to their areas of expertise. It is no

different with English Language Arts teachers. This is one of the biggest challenges with

integrating technology into the curriculum. Teachers focus on what they have done for

years - mainly teaching old school writing and literacy.

However, the definition of literacy has changed dramatically over the years

already. Whereas once literacy meant a person being able to "sign your name"

(Roblyer & Doering 2010, p.279), it has evolved throughout the last century and into this

one.

Teachers need to be convinced to accept this new literacy concept. The argument

must be made that it is as important to teach students to use 21st century literacy

skills like the Internet and social media as it is to analyze the themes in 18th century

novels. Roblyer and Doering (2010) even state "It is critical that students learn how to

learn new literacy technologies" (Roblyer & Doering 2010, p. 279). They also suggest

that "Traditional definitions of . . . instruction . . . will be insufficient" (p. 279).

Another issue with technology use in English is the need for students to be able

to type effectively. Since it is generally not a skill that is taught in schools, keyboarding

can affect how well a student can complete assignments with a computer. Although it is

an important skill, keyboarding should not be a barrier to preventing technology use.

There is no denying the need for the skill, and Roblyer and Doering (2010) suggest that

teachers provide ". . . keyboarding instruction if it is available and needed" but not to

prevent "students from using the computer if they do not yet have good keyboarding

skills" (p. 280).

During my first course in the program, I investigated several professional

development models that could be used. The link to that research is here: Professional

Development Models EDTECH501.

3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization

In Project Based Learning (PBL), students go through an extended process

of inquiry in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. (Buck Institute

for Education 2012). These are done through challenging projects that are heavily

planned by instructors. The main goal for students is that they ask questions, look for

answers, and figure out answers that lead to new ideas.

This is different from Problem Based learning where students are focused

on “Working in groups, students identify what they already know, what they need to

know, and how and where to access new information that may lead to resolution of the

problem” (Wikipedia 2012). Essentially, Problem Based Learning is focused on using

what students know, whereas Project Based Learning is focused on how to figure out

what they don’t know.

I created this project https://sites.google.com/site/raisnerinfographic/home during

my EDTECH 542 class. I actually delivered this lesson to my students during the first

week of school this year, and I was amazed not only by the quality of the products they

completed, but also by the engagement.

Teachers should use Project Based Learning because it is better for the

students. Not only are students able to “gain a deeper understanding of the concepts

and standards” (Buck Institute for Education 2012), but they also learn skills that are

important for the modern workplace. Essentially, this learning style allows students to

take more control of their learning and of learning how to learn.

According to the Buck Institute for Education, the essential components of

instruction are collaboration, communication & critical thinking. Students “need to use

higher-order thinking skills and learn to work as a team. They must listen to others and

make their own ideas clear when speaking, be able to read a variety of material, write

or otherwise express themselves in various modes, and make effective presentations.”

The PBL approach focuses on multiple skills to complete assignments, and does so in a

genuine, authentic way.

Furthermore, Larmer and Mergendollar (2010), identified seven essential

components of Project Based Learning:

● A need to know. With a compelling student project, the reason for learning

relevant material becomes clear.

● A driving question. A good driving question captures the heart of the project

in clear, compelling language, which gives students a sense of purpose and

challenge

● Student voice and choice. Students can decide what products they will create,

what resources they will use, and how they will structure their time.

● 21st century skills. A project build 21st century skills as collaboration,

communication, critical thinking.

● Inquiry and innovation. Students find project work more meaningful if they

conduct real inquiry … where they follow a trail that begins with their own

questions, leads to a search for resources and the discovery of answers, and ...

drawing their own conclusions.

● Feedback and revision. Students need to learn that most people’s first

attempts don’t result in high quality and that revision is a frequent feature of real

world work

● A publicly presented product. Giving students an authentic audience will

motivate them to create a product that will showcase what they have learned.

(Larmer and Mergendollar, 2010)

To effectively create a project that meets these criteria, a teacher must plan

effectively with a genuine question that will engage a student’s “need to know,” and it

must have an educational purpose.

I believe that because I designed a quality project that had the above

components, the students were very engaged in the work, and delivered very high

quality infographics for the school newspaper.

3.4 Policies and Regulations

It is important for students to be informed not only of rules for online behavior, but

also of legal issues that can affect them. I created Netiquette: EDTECH 502 to address

students’ needs to be informed of proper online behavior. To address legal issues, I

created Copyright Scavenger Hunt: EDTECH 502. By completing the Scavenger Hunt,

students become informed of their legal obligations while dealing with online sources.

STANDARD 4: MANAGEMENT

4.1 Project Management

Both Design unit: EDTECH 506 and Project Based Learning: EDTECH 542

demonstrate planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and development

projects.

The Design Unit is a self-contained web-based lesson that includes several

lessons for completing the project. During the PBL project, Students develop a

question based on a newsworthy topic and find polling data that answers that question.

Based on these data, students create a visually-appealing infographic that represents

that data graphically. This project takes place over a two week span, and both are

evidence of strong project management.

Barron & Darling-Hammon (2008) found that students who engage in this PBL

environment benefit from gains in factual learning that are equivalent or superior to

those of students who engage in more traditional approaches. I believe that PBL is a

perfect fit for my teaching style. I truly enjoy interacting with students, and that teaching

is about getting students to figure out things rather than memorize facts. I believe the

proverb “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish he eats for a

lifetime,” applies to my teaching philosophy. We are in the business of teaching

students how to figure out things for themselves.

4.2 Resource Management

To address questions of how technology works, I created a Virtual Field Trip of

a Computer network to help inform students. This can be found here: Networking Field

Trip EDTECH541. This was designed to inform students about the resources they will

be using. It also demonstrates my understanding of network management and the

ability to control and support these systems.

The process of creating a Tech Use Plan during EDTECH 501 really did open my

eyes to some of the issues that schools face when trying to integrate technology. Even

when trying to do the right thing, and providing a lot of funding and resources, a tech

plan can fail if not properly implemented.

For example, our school has provided Smartboards and fast Internet to each

classroom. However, having the tools does not automatically make a person a

carpenter. It is the same with technology - since our school failed to provide ongoing

support and training, only a few teachers have become proficient in the use of the

Smartboards.

Therefore, while creating a technology use plan, it is critically important to

plan for ongoing training, support, and evaluation of the users. Training needs to be

tailored and individualized so that all teachers become competent and comfortable

using new technology in the classroom. Providing support through “staff development,

training, and follow up assistance” will help teachers overcome their objections to using

technology and may help them excel at using it (Becker & Riel, 2000).

4.3 Delivery System Management

Evidence of controlling 'the method by which distribution of instructional materials

is organized' . . . is this lesson - Newswriting Asynchronous Lesson: EDTECH 521. I

designed it to be delivered asynchronously, and I had students complete this when was

away while a substitute ran the class. I was extremely pleased when I saw checked my

smartphone and saw students successfully completing tasks in the lesson while I was

not present as the teacher.

This also demonstrates the Constructivist approach of learning with a student-

centered approach of students working in group environments. The students build

upon knowledge they have learned in a realistic context and interact with one another

to help each other succeed. “Constructivism requires that teachers become facilitators

of knowledge, not conduits. Students, then, learn best when they are socially interacting

within an authentic situation that is relevant to their prior knowledge and goals, and that

fosters autonomous and self-directed functioning” (Doolittle & Hicks, 2003, p. 84).

4.4 Information Management

To help students learn how to better utilize the Internet as a resource for

learning, I designed this lesson for evaluating the credibility of the information they

find. This is Internet Integration EDTECH541. This demonstrates the importance of

checking sources on the Internet and processing the information found critically instead

of passively accepting what students read. I have used this lesson several times and

it has been a very useful tool with 9th graders to teach them the importance of critically

thinking about the information they receive.

Roblyer and Doering (2010) suggest that “Students need instruction in

processing information and sorting out bias and inaccuracies” (p. 280). This is one of

the most important reasons to teach students how to process information. Students

should be taught how to determine what is accurate for themselves.

STANDARD 5: EVALUATION

5.1 Problem Analysis

It is important to gather information about learners to help guide instruction. One

of the examples of this was during my Instructional Design Project: Needs Assessment

results: EDTECH 503. I used these data to modify my lesson and address the

shortcoming of my learners’ knowledge. This proved to be a very beneficial task as

students were more successful in completing the end product because of the additional

added instruction earlier in the lesson.

Conrad and Donaldson (2011) suggest that “reflection can provide insight for

instructors on their teaching and for students on their learning. Reflective feedback

allows instructors to evaluate the effectiveness of the students’ experiences in the

course. This information can be used to continually modify the course to better meet not

only the stated learning objectives but also the needs of learners. In addition, reflection

allows students to gain insight into their individual activity outcomes and apply that

knowledge to their learning experience” (loc. 1460)

5.2 Criterion-Referenced Measurement

I also make a habit of developing specific measurement tools for determining my

students’ learning of the skills being taught. Three examples are listed below:

● Newswriting Rubric: EDTECH 521

● Infographic Rubric: EDTECH 542

● Webquest Rubric: EDTECH 502

Rubrics can be extremely helpful so students have a roadmap of expectations for

an assignment. “The creation of activity rubrics can be time-consuming but is well worth

the effort, because both the learner and teacher expectations are better met when

evaluation criteria are provided at the time a task is assigned. A rubric clearly specifies

the expectations for the activity and the effort required by the student...” (Conrad &

Donaldson, 2011, loc 564). I attempt to create an easy-to-understand, but

comprehensive, rubric for each major assignment so students can be better informed

about the expectations.

5.3 Formative and Summative Evaluation

Formative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using

this information as a basis for further development. Summative evaluation involves

gathering information on adequacy and using this information to make decisions about

utilization. In both of the projects I developed this past summer, I included evaluation

plans that not only guide instruction, but also have measures of student learning:

● Evaluation Plan: EDTECH 542

● Evaluation Plan: EDTECH 521

Both of these include Peer Review as a component of the Formative Assessment.

According to researcher Shieh Ruey, “Peer review, which is the one way of eliciting

constructive feedback among learners, is considered not only to increase students’

critical thinking skills, but also to promote a higher-level grading function for the

instructor” (Ruey, 2010, p. 718).

5.4 Long-Range Planning

During EDTECH 505, I evaluated a program implemented by our school district.

DII Implementation Evaluation: EDTECH 505 is evidence of a critical look at a system

designed for long term improvement of CST scores. The report was not asked for

by the district, but I did present my findings. Although the report was dubious of the

effectiveness of the program, it did identify ways in which it could be effective. The

school district has since backed away from global implementation of these strategies

and instead asked that they be used on learners who need more direct support.

The findings of our research confirmed what David Jonassen suggests in

his research on Activity Theory against the backdrop of Student Centered Learning

Environments (SCLEs). He did this by describing the SCLE, the components and

assumptions of Activity Theory, and analyzing the learning environment to assess its

effectiveness.

Jonassen’s research focused on a SCLE of third-year operations management

students in a college of business. He found that “. . . the richer the context and the more

embedded the conscious thought processes are in that content, the more meaning that

learners will construct both for the activities and the thought processes” (Jonassen,

2000, p. 109). The implementation of Direct Interactive Instruction in our school district

is extremely teacher-centered.

Jonassen noted an interesting contradiction in his study that seems to apply

to what happened at our district. Although the activities are set up well, there is a

disconnect between intended learning results and the actual learning. Students forgot

things, seemed unwilling to try to solve problems, and have difficulty applying the skills

learned. He suggests that because students have been programmed that “. . . the real

object of learning is comprehension and memorization. . .” (Jonassen, 2000, p. 118), it

is difficult to push students to think critically and become better problem-solvers. This

is very similar to what is happening in our school district as we program students to

be better test takers instead of critical thinkers. Fortunately, the administrators at our

school district have been made aware of this disconnect between intent and results, and

they are slowly moving back towards embracing thinking skills as something important

for our students.

CONCLUSION

During my EDTECH 504 coursework, I wrote that Educational Technology is

an evolving field because both education and technology are evolving. What was

cutting edge five years ago may be obsolete today. As technology evolves, an effective

educator will evolve with it to deliver effective, relevant content to his or her learners.

The implementation of Educational Technology requires practitioners to decide

what technology fits in their classrooms and to explore best practices and change

elements that do not work. In doing so we can meet students’ needs as learners so that

they can find their own understanding and take ownership of the learning process.

The importance of using technology cannot be ignored. Research has proven

the benefits of technology use in the classroom, so it is up to the educators to continue

to evolve, experiment, and take chances so that the learners have the best possible

chance to interact with concepts and create the optimal learning outcomes.

I also discovered that “. . . students must develop the ability to use technology

as a tool in the pursuit of large, meaningful questions, providing resources, stimulating

thought, challenging ideas, and fostering understanding” (Doolittle & Hicks, 2003, p. 90).

Once students are able to do these things, they will be effectively constructing learning

for themselves using educational technology. It is important to note that this does

require the teacher to effectively understand and set up technology that creates a solid

constructivist environment for student learning.

I believe that I have learned how to create effective technology-based lessons

for my students that will allow me to be a more effective teacher now and in the future.

Even once I have completed my work here at Boise State University for my Masters of

Educational Technology, I will continue to adapt and evolve with technology and strive

to continue providing dynamic learning opportunities for my students.

REFERENCESBarron, B., & Darling-Hammon, L. (2008). Teaching for meaningful learning: A review

of research on inquiry-based and cooperative learning. San Francisco, CA:

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-

teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf

Becker, H. J., & Riel, M. M. (2000). Teacher professional engagement and constructive-

compatible computer usage (Report no. 7). Irvine, CA: Teaching, Learning, and

Computing. Retrieved August 26, 2012, from http://www.crito.uci.edu/tlc/findings/

report_7/

Buck Institute for Education. (2012). What is project based learning?. Retrieved from

http://www.bie.org/

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2008). E-learning and the science of instruction, 2nd

edition. Pfeiffer: San Francisco, CA.

Conrad, Rita-Marie & Donaldson, J. Ana (2011). Engaging the Online Learner: Activities

and Resources for Creative Instruction (Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching

and Learning). John Wiley and Sons. Kindle Edition.

Doolittle, P. E., & Hicks, D. (2003). Constructivism as a theoretical foundation for the

use of technology in social studies. Theory and Research in Social Education,

31(1), 72–104.

Earle, R. S. & Persichitte, K. A. (2005) (Eds.). Standards for the accreditation of school

media specialist and educational technology specialist programs. (4th ed.).

Bloomington, IN: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

Retrieved from http://aect.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/AECT_Documents/

AECTstandardsREV2005.pdf

Huggins, G & Edwards, R. (2011). Scaffolding to Improve Reading Comprehension and

to Write a Scholarly Research Paper. International Journal of Humanities and

Social Science, pp. 30-36. ISSN 2220-8488

Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Revisiting activity theory as a framework for designing student-

centered learning environments. In D. H. Jonassen & S. M. Land (Eds.),

Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments (pp. 89-121). Mahwah, NJ:

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. L. (2010). 7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning.

Educational Leadership, Vol. 68(1), 4 pages.

Mayer, R. E. (1999). Multimedia aids to problem-solving transfer. International Journal

of Educational Research, 31(7), 611-623.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. E. (2000). A learner-centered approach to multimedia

explanations: Deriving instructional design principles from cognitive theory.

Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal of Computer-Enhanced Learning, 2(2),

2004-07. Retrieved March 18, 2012 from http://imej.wfu.edu/articles/2000/2/05/

index.asp

McCrindle, A. R.; C.A. Christensen (1995). The Impact of Learning Journals on

Metacognitive and Cognitive Processes and Learning Performance, Vol 5. pp.

167–185.

Rice, Kerry (2012). Making the Move to K-12 Online Teaching: Research-Based

Strategies and Practices. Pearson. Kindle Edition.

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A. H. (2010) Integrating Educational Technology into

Teaching (5th Ed.). United States of America: Pearson Education, Inc.

Ruey, S. (2010). A case study of constructivist instructional strategies for adult

online learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41, pp. 706-720.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00965.x

Smith, P. L., Ragan, T. J. (2005). Instructional design: Third Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John

Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Wikipedia contributors. (2012, May 29). Problem-based learning. Wikipedia, the free

encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/

w/index.php?title=Problem-based_learning&oldid=494284721