EDLD+5368+Reflection

Professionally I see myself using the course to a much higher degree next year. I am glad we were able to take this class when we did. I have been able to test out the course and online element with my current students to see if it will work in the future. I definitely plan to further explore the online course aspect with my class next year. I think it will also be a great addition to my Independent Study in Technology Applications course next year. The students will be able to utilize the discussion board and blog features to discuss and reflect on course objectives and assignments. As mentioned in the Horizon Report, “by practicing critical thinking in a more or less public forum, students can benefit from seeing what their peers have to say and from critiquing each other’s work” (Johnson, 2009). I think students enjoy using an online component in this manner and definitely look forward to using it with my students. From a student perspective, I do not have very many questions left about online learning. I received part of my education through online programs. We had a lot of classes online and met once a month to go over items from the courses. The process has not changed much in that time with the exception of more audio and video components in some of the classes. As a teacher or instructional technology facilitator, I would like to know if there is an online platform that has all of the features I am looking for. An additional question I have is where online learning is going. There are a lot of options for interactivity within an online course through blogs, discussion boards, and web conferences. Students would also be able to utilize podcasts, vlogs, and other options besides written text only. So many options have been added in the six years since I was in an online course. I am curious to see what will come next.
 * Reflection**
 * __Self – Assessment__**

Yes, I believe I will continue to utilize and integrate online learning as both a teacher and an instructional technology facilitator. As discussed before, I see great promise in using online learning with my students as a teacher. As a staff developer, I believe integrating online components is very important. Teaching and supporting teachers in an online environment will allow teachers to see online learning from a student’s point of view and allow more teachers to participate in learning that otherwise may not happen due to time constraints. Teachers would be able to learn at their own pace. Interaction in the course would also open them up to possibility of them integrating it into their own classes. Our Internship course textbook had a good quote about this topic, “as teacher gain confidence and skill, they can increase the number of students using the program until all students have access” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2010). This rings very true in as both a teacher and staff developer. Once teachers become more comfortable with the platform, they will increase the use with their own students. I know I will be utilizing many of the new items learned during this course. The backward design model from Understanding by Design is something new that I did not have much experience with. As discussed in the text, a large amount of teachers “spend most of their time thinking, first about what they will do rather than first considering what the learner will need in order to accomplish the learning goals” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). I know this is how I usually plan lessons. However, I think that this process will benefit me greatly as I begin to plan for next year. The online aspect is also something I will continue to explore and refine for my students to utilize in the years to come. I know the students are excited and interested in adding an online dimension to the traditional classroom.
 * __Learn as a Learner__**

All educators must know how to design and implement online learning. I believe the future of education is through online education. Teachers that are able to teach both in a traditional and online environment will be the most high in demand. The trend started with colleges and universities and is slowly becoming a main focus in secondary and elementary education as well as for professional development and training. The benefit of knowing how to design and implement online learning will make an educator much more attractive to administrators. Not only will they be able to use these skills in the classroom, but they will be able to assist co-workers with online coursework. In order to get all educators to actually use the online platform, we must scale back which “helps teachers learn how to use the software well without being overwhelmed” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2010). Usually teachers get very inundated with all the new technology, lessons, or ideas being thrown at them and end up not implementing any of them. Slowly showing teachers different techniques will give them time to be absorbed.
 * __Lifelong Learning Skills__**

International Society for Technology in Education. (2010). ISTE: > Technology Facilitation Endorsement. > http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTechnology > FacilitatorsandLeaders/Technology_Facilitation_Standards.htm Johnson, L. L. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. > Austin: The New Media Consortium. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design > (Expanded Second Edition). Alexandria: Association for Supervision > & Curriculum Development.
 * __Bibliography__**