I chose to include this artifact because it speaks to my interests and portfolio topics, even though it occurred in the first term of my M.Ed. The briefing note is an exercise in concise and organized writing meant to survey a real world problem and propose a research-supported solution. I chose to examine professional development in my school board because it was relevant at the time, though my interest has shifted from how to fix my school board to how adults can learn and teach better with technology. The skills required in this assignment, like presenting research in a convenient straight forward proposal for change are applicable to professional use in my life.
This artifact is a PowerPoint presentation created with a partner as part of a seminar presentation. The slideshow itself is not very impressive, but it represents my first exposure to learning principles in the M.Ed. A teachers college course introduced me to general learning theory, but it was not until this course that I found out there were other models specifically for understanding adult learning. As one of my first courses in the M.Ed program, not only did the content challenge my assumptions about adult learning, but the course itself acquainted me with synchronous adult learning environment from a student perspective. Not only did I present on andragogy, but I was forced to examine and re-evaluate my own tendencies as an adult learner.
This “artifact” consists of three separate blogs. The first blog was a place for me to respond individually to questions posed by the professor and engage in asynchronous discussion with classmates, Ely High Blog was a group seminar presentation completed asynchronously. We created an imaginary school in which an ipad program was being implemented. The goal was to write in character (I was the school principal) to allow our classmates to apply our assigned change theory (Ely’s Conditions of Change) to solve some of the implementation problems present at Ely High. The third blog is my final assignment for the course, a partner discussion about a case study of technology implementation.
I have included all three because they provide a “snap shot” of whole course discourse. Technology diffusion in education is crucial for each of my three portfolio topics, and blogs are of particular interest to me because of their use in blended and online learning, regardless of course delivery method, despite their asynchronous nature.
I have included all three because they provide a “snap shot” of whole course discourse. Technology diffusion in education is crucial for each of my three portfolio topics, and blogs are of particular interest to me because of their use in blended and online learning, regardless of course delivery method, despite their asynchronous nature.
My Leadership Plan is a synthesis of key ideas from my courses. The paper is my attempt to make sense of the many models for understanding innovative technology use and types/levels of learning. The paper answers the question “how can technology support teaching and learning” by arguing that technology makes information available to all stakeholders, and supports higher order or “deeper” levels of learning to prepare learners for a changing future. I use examples of models like Senge’s systems thinking, and Puentedura’s SAMR model to discuss and demonstrate the L3 (transformative learning) I am advocating. In short, I conclude that the type of learning required to prepare students for the future “goes beyond rote learning and reflection toward a space where the learner is constantly and actively engaged with the world as a system”, a goal achievable only by effective use of technology.