Educational Technology Graphic

To me, Educational Technology is made up of three main areas: Study, ethical practice, and facilitating learning and improving performance. Educational technology requires continuous research in order to come up with new ideas and improve processes.  However, it is also necessary to reflect on this research in order to decide whether the new ideas are actually making an improvement in educational outcomes.  An ethical stance is also an important aspect of educational technology.  One cannot work effectively without a code of conduct or basis for how technology should be used.  Finally, educational technology should facilitate learning and improve performance.  Technology should be used as a tool to support the learner using effective processes and proper resources.  The products created with the use of technology should demonstrate effective learning and learners should be able to apply what they have learned in real world settings.

I chose to use Prezi for my Educational Technology Graphic.  In the past, I have avoided Prezi due to the fact that when my students have used it for presentations, I have nearly gotten sick with the zoom in and out feature that they enjoy using.  What I like about Prezi is that it is web based so I do not have to worry about whether or not the viewer has the proper software to view my presentation.  I also wanted to be able to show the “big picture” of the breakdown of the definition of Educational Technology and Prezi seemed to be the best option.  I liked that the information would be presented in a non linear fashion and could better show how the concepts are interconnected.

View my Prezi.

 

School Evaluation Summary

Our recent module on technology use planning could not have come at a better time. Our school is in the middle of going through an accreditation year which requires a technology committee that develops a detailed technology plan.  A formal technology committee has not be formed or met as a group on a regular basis at my school probably since our last accreditation year which was 2010.  After reading through version 3.5 of the Guidebook for Developing an Effective Technology Plan prepared by the Graduate Students at Mississippi State for the National Center for Technology Planning (NCTP) and the articles and guidelines provided by the NCTP on developing an effective technology plan, I feel that I have a wealth of information to share with the technology committee that we will be forming within our school.   I have also studied the technology plans of the districts that surround my school to help shape our plan so that we remain competitive and current on technology use and standards in our area.

     In addition to studying how to develop a comprehensive technology plan, I also completed a survey sheet analyzing the technological maturity of my school.  This survey sheet used the maturity model benchmarks from the Technology Use Plan Primer created by Peter H.R. Sibley and Chip Kimball.  After completing the survey and analyzing the results, I did not really find anything too surprising.  I knew that our main areas of weakness were budget development, communication, and professional development for our teachers.  These are areas that I hope will be addressed as we form a technology committee and develop a more current technology plan.  I had hoped we would have fallen more solidly in the Integrated stage, but I am proud of our school and pleased with the progress we have made with the resources we have.  Many of the teachers use technology on a daily basis and are willing to try integrating technology into their curriculum on a more frequent basis.  With the right planning, leadership, and funding, it will be possible for MQH to make it to the Intelligent level of maturity.  It may take some time, but it is achievable.  

Below you will find links to my survey spreadsheet and summary:

Survey Spreadsheet

Summary