6.2 Reflection
Candidates regularly evaluate and reflect on their professional practice and dispositions to improve and strengthen their ability to effectively model and facilitate technology-enhanced learning experiences. (PSC 6.2/ISTE 6c)
Artifact: Portfolio Blog
Reflection:
Throughout this entire degree program, I was required to maintain a blog within my Weebly portfolio to document my learning at each stage of the program. At the conclusion of each course in the program, I posted a reflection on that course and how it helped me grow as a technology leader and facilitator. In these blog posts, I often discussed the most memorable takeaways from the course and how they would affect my future attitudes as a technology leader and facilitator as well as how they would affect my own professional practice.
This artifact demonstrates my ability to regularly evaluate and reflect on my professional practice as I would regularly include a discussion of how the course had changed my own skills and knowledge. For example, in my end-of-course post at the conclusion of ITEC 7430 I reflected on how I came into the course with what I thought was an adequate idea of what "Web 2.0" meant, but realized upon conclusion of the course that my former definition was pretty insufficient. I discussed how I had in fact learned a great deal about the definition of Web 2.0 and, more importantly, its applications in the classroom. In this reflection, I was able to evaluate my own learning and discuss how I could then apply this learning to my own professional practice by incorporating Web 2.0 tools in my own classroom. This artifact also demonstrates my ability to evaluate and reflect on my dispositions as a technology leader and facilitator, as each blog post included a discussion on major takeaways and important lessons that had impacted what I valued as a technology leader and facilitator. For example, my end-of-course reflection at the conclusion of ITEC 7400, I discussed how the specific tools that I learned about were interesting, but learning about these frameworks, particularly the indicators of Engaged Learning, was more important as it put these tools into a context that provides for meaningful experiences for the students. I further reflected on my newfound appreciation and value of using technology for student-centered, higher-order thinking tasks and engaged learning as a result of this course.
Looking back now on all of my blog posts helps me appreciate how much I have learned about technology leadership and facilitation as a result of this degree program. Each and every course in the program was essential in this growth process. I will be able to use the blog as an artifact for years to come to continually reflect on my learning in this program, as well as any growth as a technology leader and facilitator I will have after I have completed this program. To improve my blog, I could have publicized or shared a link so that others could read and comment in order to initiate conversation that could further my own learning. The ability to comment on others’ blogs is one if the most powerful uses of blogs in general because it allows for feedback and constructive criticism, unlike a personal journal or other log.
If shared and discussed, my portfolio blog could have an impact on faculty development as it could be used for professional development on a number of technology-related issues. Although not an exhaustive resource, the blog could act as an easy and effective way to share my learning to spark an interest in others so that they may then further investigate these issues. One could assess the impact of this blog on faculty development by asking teachers to leave comments on the various blog postings to initiate conversation and showcase what the teachers learned from the blog posts.
Throughout this entire degree program, I was required to maintain a blog within my Weebly portfolio to document my learning at each stage of the program. At the conclusion of each course in the program, I posted a reflection on that course and how it helped me grow as a technology leader and facilitator. In these blog posts, I often discussed the most memorable takeaways from the course and how they would affect my future attitudes as a technology leader and facilitator as well as how they would affect my own professional practice.
This artifact demonstrates my ability to regularly evaluate and reflect on my professional practice as I would regularly include a discussion of how the course had changed my own skills and knowledge. For example, in my end-of-course post at the conclusion of ITEC 7430 I reflected on how I came into the course with what I thought was an adequate idea of what "Web 2.0" meant, but realized upon conclusion of the course that my former definition was pretty insufficient. I discussed how I had in fact learned a great deal about the definition of Web 2.0 and, more importantly, its applications in the classroom. In this reflection, I was able to evaluate my own learning and discuss how I could then apply this learning to my own professional practice by incorporating Web 2.0 tools in my own classroom. This artifact also demonstrates my ability to evaluate and reflect on my dispositions as a technology leader and facilitator, as each blog post included a discussion on major takeaways and important lessons that had impacted what I valued as a technology leader and facilitator. For example, my end-of-course reflection at the conclusion of ITEC 7400, I discussed how the specific tools that I learned about were interesting, but learning about these frameworks, particularly the indicators of Engaged Learning, was more important as it put these tools into a context that provides for meaningful experiences for the students. I further reflected on my newfound appreciation and value of using technology for student-centered, higher-order thinking tasks and engaged learning as a result of this course.
Looking back now on all of my blog posts helps me appreciate how much I have learned about technology leadership and facilitation as a result of this degree program. Each and every course in the program was essential in this growth process. I will be able to use the blog as an artifact for years to come to continually reflect on my learning in this program, as well as any growth as a technology leader and facilitator I will have after I have completed this program. To improve my blog, I could have publicized or shared a link so that others could read and comment in order to initiate conversation that could further my own learning. The ability to comment on others’ blogs is one if the most powerful uses of blogs in general because it allows for feedback and constructive criticism, unlike a personal journal or other log.
If shared and discussed, my portfolio blog could have an impact on faculty development as it could be used for professional development on a number of technology-related issues. Although not an exhaustive resource, the blog could act as an easy and effective way to share my learning to spark an interest in others so that they may then further investigate these issues. One could assess the impact of this blog on faculty development by asking teachers to leave comments on the various blog postings to initiate conversation and showcase what the teachers learned from the blog posts.