Goals for the Course:

• To experiment and evaluate different technological solutions designed for education
• To refine my understanding of instructional design to include the ability to seamlessly and meaningfully incorporate technology into the learning
• To apply the skills, techniques, and knowledge obtained int his course to my personal and professional practice

Skills to Improve:

• Critical evaluation skills regarding tool selection, evaluation, and succession planning regarding aging technologies
• To gain familiarity with the structures and functionalities of different Learning Management Systems (LMS) so that I may select better LMS for the desired application

Tools I Plan to Start Using

• Moodle, while I have used Moodle in the past, I have not used it since 2011 and would like to become familiar with new features.
• Google Classroom
• Schoology

My Experience and Professional Context

After completing my B. Ed. in 2006, I got a job in a small rural school (in fact, the school at which I have stayed for the past 9 years).  I came on to an older staff, many of whom had been teaching in that school for 20 years or more.  I soon realized that change in general would not happen quickly, and change regarding technology would happen even slower.  It took until 2009 for every teacher to have a computer on their desk and for some it was more of a paperweight than a tool.

My first real foray into educational technology use came in 2008 when my school division obtained 10 small (48 inch) SMART Boards.  I was one of the teachers who was given a SMART Board to experiment with and report back on its value in terms of instructional design, classroom engagement, and a host of other criteria.  In my first year of using it, I thought it was a “cool tool” but did not see how a SMART Board made teaching and learning any better than through older technologies.

In 2009 I was seconded into my division online school, teaching 3 math classes per year.  At this point I was able to see a need for the SMART Board, I would teach a synchronous course to both my in-house students and my distance students.  The SMART Board became necessary to successful teaching and learning.

Fast forward to today, where I am no longer teaching online (it became too much work on top of my in-school responsibilities and taking MET courses!) but am actively seeking out tools to make teaching and learning easier for myself and my students.  My current Professional Growth Plan contains an end goal of a paperless classroom by 2020.  To achieve this I am experimenting with different tools that allow students to take notes, receive hand-outs, and submit work electronically.  As yet, I have not found a single system that meets all of these goals, but I am hopeful that through this course I will be able to more critically look at technology tools before implementation so that both my and my students’ time will not be wasted on something that doesn’t meet our needs.