“Children and teenagers are the main target of the powerful mass media and their messages. We act, think, live and dream depending on what others think about us, so we create this imaginary world where we present ourselves as the reflection of a media constructed image” (Christensen, 2000).

As I contemplate what my focus was at the beginning of this course, I have come to realize that my flight path was very detailed and ambitious in every sense of the word. I was searching for a very broad set of accomplishments and looking for lots of inspiration but relying on the ETEC 565A family to provide that for me. Having a final perspective on everything I have come to realize that achieving my goals was up to me and had a lot to do with how much work I put into it. That being said, I can attest that there are many other additional learning outcomes that I have also achieved giving me the opportunity to broaden my flight path even further. Some of my initial goals included in my flight path were:

Goal #1:
“…to gain critical experience in the design and development of Learning Management Systems, social software, and multimedia so I may have the ability to supplement my teaching curriculum with rich interactive software, online blogging expertise, and knowledge of how to design and develop a complete Moodle course site..”

Goal #2:
“…I look forward to learning more about becoming an effective technology teacher by studying the ‘NETS-S’ model discovering how facilitate, design, and model digital age teaching and learning…”

Goal #3:
“…I am also curious to know how Moodle, WebCT, and Vista all stack up together and look forward to finding out which LMS is right for online learning..”

Goal #4:
“The design and development of rubrics has always been a weakness of mine and I’m looking forward to developing that skill as I work together in groups to create a Delivery Platform Evaluation Rubric.”

Goal #5:
“…to understand how people learn in order to develop an effective interactive online and tablet-based curriculum and using the techniques taught in ETEC 565A”.

Goal #6:
“..learning about the trending social media will keep me in check and provide me the opportunity to create assignments that are in tune with how students use online websites and social media in their lives.”

Goal #7:
“Learning about flash, creating audio via the open source program Audacity, discovering PalTalk and VoIP alternatives will help provide the necessary tools I need to master multimedia in the classroom.”

Goal #8:
“..maximize my potential as an educator…”

Throughout ETEC 565A I explored a variety of theories that I found very useful and applicable helping me achieve many of my initial goals as a teacher of 21st century learning. I am encouraged to state that studying various theories in ETECA 565A and applying them immediately to realistic problems made me refocus on the learner and less on the latest technologies. Understanding Anderson’s (2004) Towards a Theory of Online Learning, Bates & Poole’s (2003) SECTIONS framework and Chickering & Ehrmann’s (1996) Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever has strongly and positively influenced my approach to integrating educational technology. I now find the process less intimidating, more interesting, and very manageable.

As well, Bates and Poole’s (2003) SECTIONS framework model would also further develop goal #8, giving me important knowledge about their learning model which helped me to start to think about the important issues relating to decisions around learning technologies and how this will impact the different stakeholder groups within a learning environment. Next was my learning experience with Moodle as I now have a better understanding of what an LMS entails and can now fully appreciate how much work it is to develop and facilitate online learning environments for schools/classes. I can now say with some degree of certainty that LMS design, development, and facilitation is much more work than the traditional teaching and learning environments.

Even though it was not a direct part of my initial flight path goals, my newly found understanding of synchronous and asynchronous learning environments later became part of my list. Anderson’s “Towards a Theory of Online Learning” and Gibbs’ “Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning” were very convincing and presented many powerful ideas on how to support many different learning environments. After we completed this module, I always seem to reflect back on the benefits and drawbacks for a particular online activity and whether it supports one-way or two-way communication.

With respect to my primary goal of developing the skill set to design and develop a complete Moodle LMS, I am now at a point that I can now develop, with some sort of competence, a Moodle learning management systems (LMS), choose applications, themes, and plugins that support chat and assessment functions. Following my goals stated above has directed me to learn about the “latest” applications, but more importantly, I have learned how to analyze available tools and organize a course to make the most of them. Related to my new understanding of these concepts is my knowledge of available support systems, the strength of networking and the value of a professional blog. Without the networking opportunities available in my learning community, I would not have understood the entire LMS Moodle design process. My original flight plan only made brief statements about using external web sites for support but in retrospect I now consider my ETEC 565A learning community as an essential source of help and support.

The e-learning toolkit is a unique resource that also played an integral part of guiding me to my final goals. It proved to be an invaluable resource that supplemented my learning path. When I first started the course I thought I would not spend much time exploring the toolkit as the course requirements seemed fairly straightforward. However as I started to explore the toolkit and began to understand what was expected of me and the activities, I decided that I needed to ensure I spent as much time as possible using it as a important tool for research and learning.

In retrospect, my eLearning toolkit experience was challenging but well worth the effort. I explored blogging, wikis, social networking, terms of service, privacy policies, DVD publishing, synchronous communication and digital images. The activities led me down different paths and they helped me overcome some minor technology weaknesses. I feel by participating in the toolkit, I have satisfied several areas of Bates & Poole’s (2003) SECTIONS model. Specifically, participation in the toolkit activities made me focus on how my students (S in SECTIONS) would benefit from the technology and how they can protect themselves online. Social networking toolkit activities (blogs, wikis…etc) involved learning about terms of service, and I now understand the importance lecturing students to be familiar with privacy policies and intellectual property rights.

I found the threads and active discussions to be an excellent resource when I was working through issues with RSS feeds, broken links and Moodle concerns. Fortunately, I can take the experience away with me with the full intention of participating fully in any future learning communities. In addition to my experience above I have also listed other memorable experiences below that I would like to highlight which would reflect my overall experience with the eLearning toolkit:

A) The design of a UBC blog:
The activity confirmed my interest in this powerful tool. Not only does it allow the presentation of student research and accomplishments; it is also available for future references and for collaborative work.

B) Assessment on Moodle:
The production of a quiz in Moodle was a new experience for me. I found the possibilities worthy of note and intend to continue experimenting with these tools in the future.

C) Wiki activity:
Wikipedia has become such an important web-based tool that it seems justifiable to explore the way it is collectively shaped.  On the one hand, cooperation with this type of medium can be complex due to the quantity of information that it can store and the number of people that can participate. On the other hand, HTML authoring is an essential part of digital literacy. The wiki activity allowed students to further practice this useful code.

D) Web-based storytelling using the following:
– Vimeo
– Animoto
– Photopeach
– Pixton
– Poll Daddy
– EducaPlay

Digital Storytelling is a wonderful way to enhance curriculum across subject areas. There are many Web 2.0 tools to choose from.  That being said, it is wise to evaluate the tool to be sure that it will enhance student learning by providing students with a learner-centered approach.  I am very excited to teach in a time that has technology as one means for the facilitation of student learning. From online gaming to video chatting and all the myriad of web 2.0 tools online at the moment, all teachers need is accessibility to the internet and the learning possibilities are endless.

Using the SECTIONS model (Bates & Poole, 2003) to analyze this social medium I have come to the conclusion that:

– it will appeal to students
– it is easy of use
– there are no costs involved for the students (the structure is paid by the school: web access)
– the teacher becomes a facilitator and the students becomes in charge of their own learning
– it is interactive
– organizing the activity is simple and relates well to the course objectives
– the novelty is enticing and can be linked with other social media tools
– the speed of production and delivery is adequate.

Below is a list my overall learning experience in this course:

– Introduction to, the value of and application of the SECTIONS Framework by Bates and Poole (2003) to educational technology
– Introduction to and the use of Rubrics in education
– The many different ways of presenting content and some of the implementation issues
– The value of digital storytelling and how to do it
– The importance and value of assessment in education
– The importance of copyright and how easy it is to infringe
– The amount of time and effort the goes into designing and developing an online course
– The value and importance of reflection and journaling in education, especially when supported with technology such as our e-portfolio’s in Word Press

I would also be remiss if I did not highlight how the assessment section provided for me how critical assessment is as a motivator for students including the value of student feedback through assessment. From a technology perspective, it is fairly easy to build automated feedback into quizzes in an LMS. It was interesting to learn how the type of assessment can influence the longevity of the knowledge and skills learned by students. This certainly has parked several conversations that I have initiated recently around the differences between courses with large component midterm and final exams and those with a lower emphasis on exams and more emphasis on graded course work. This makes me wonder about the value of grade 12 diploma exams and how the impact of this approach to learning flows through entrance requirements to a student’s performance in post-secondary studies.

In terms of my practice in educational technology, I am planning to advance my understanding of LMS, increase my knowledge of html authoring, archive my online open-source learning resources and work toward a stronger understanding of applying the frameworks and techniques I’ve learned when selecting educational technology tools.

In the new year, it is my intention to finish developing a Moodle LMS for the school I’m currently teaching with. I have plans to facilitation workshops for teachers in the prepration of rolling out the LMS for next school year. With that in mind, I will take with me lessons from SECTIONS (Bates & Poole, 2003), 7 Principles of Good Practice (Chickering & Ehrmann, 1996) and studying about theories of online learning (Anderson, 2004, 2008).  In addition, I will take valuable lessons from the ETEC 565A learning community that helped me select materials and choose technologies for my own LMS and e-portfolio.

I intend to take my next steps in my flight path as outlined below. I have organized them into four broad categories.

1. Develop a strategy to remain updated on relevant and effective educational technology developments.

I plan to keep a profession e-portfolio and subscribe to a variety of RSS feeds that are related to the development of educational technology applications. I also plan to schedule time to search and network for new information through blogs, social networking sites (Ning, Facebook, Twitter…etc) and through colleagues (MET included) for a minimum of one hour per week.

2. Improve on my ability to apply educational technologies.

I have saved ETEC 565A toolkit activities that I did not complete during this term. I plan to return to these activities and explore areas that are new to me. I feel I must model life-long learning to students and work harder to utilize relevant and effective technologies. An excellent example is my inability to write html. I enjoyed the html quiz in our course and basic html editing I came across, but I would love to learn more about programming languages. As I complete activities, I will find more areas to explore. It is my intention to continue adding to my repertoire.

3. Educate other colleagues about educational technology selection and application.

I plan to share my knowledge with others and to encourage a culture of educational technology in my school. I have often worked with colleagues who resist educational technology due to the time and effort involved in learning new applications. I strongly feel I can minimize frustration and share the benefits of carefully selected applications with them.

4. Select and use educational technologies in my own classes on a regular basis.

It is my intention to carefully implement technologies based on SECTIONS (Bates & Poole, 2003) to enhance my lessons. I also look forward to teaching students about various applications that can be sustained throughout the year (if not longer). For example, I feel very strongly that managing an e-portfolio is an excellent skill and resource to develop. I plan to integrate e-portfolios into my students’ education as well. In addition, I plan to teach students how to select technologies carefully and how to prioritize their own safety. I will educate them on terms of service and privacy issues as well as intellectual property rights and copy right clearance protocols.

For me technology is a powerful tool for collaborating and learning. Classroom learning activities can follow different pedagogical approaches and didactic concepts depending on the educator. It is important to realize that without a complete understanding (a clear Flight Path) of how to implement technology with student learning I will not be able to maximize my potential as an educator. ETEC 565A has given me the tools to make my goals a reality. It has allowed me the opportunity to focus my efforts on design and development of a Learning Management Systems, social software, and multimedia so I may have the opportunity to supplement my teaching curriculum with intuitive knowledge for 21st century learning and teaching.

References:

Anderson, T. (2008). Towards a theory of online learning.  In: Anderson, T. & Ellioumi, F. Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Athabasca University. Accessed online 15, Nov, 2012, from http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch2.html

Bates A. W. & Poole, G. (2003). A Frameword for Selecting and Using Technology. In A.W. Bates & G. Poole, Effective teaching with Technology in Higher Educaiton (pp. 75-108). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chickering, A.W., & Ehrmann, S. C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39 (7), 3-7.  Available online 10, Nov, 2012, from http://www.tltgroup.org/programs/seven.html

Christensen, L. (2000). Unlearning the Myths that bind us: Critiquing Cartoons and Society. In reading, writing and rising up: Teaching about social justice and the power of the written word (pp. 40-47) A Rethinking Schools Publication.

Gibbs, G. & Simpson, C. (2005).  Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1(1), 3-31.  Accessed online 11 November 2012. http://www.open.ac.uk/fast/pdfs/Gibbs%20and%20Simpson%202004-05.pdf