Saturday, March 10, 2007

Session 10: Wrapping-up

Session 10: Wrap-up of this course

Etec 623 covers variety of topics which range from Management and Leadership through Professional Development. I realized that I am more technological literacy now in my educational field than I was when I started this course. These topics forced me to think, analyze, use, manage, assess, and understand the advantages and limitations of educational technologies on the manager and leader perspective.
Etec 623 leads me closer to the characteristics of a technological literacy person. It improves and brings the awareness in me on the “knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capability” characteristics in educational field. It endows me the self-confidence and erudition to continue on my career path.
On the “knowledge” characteristic, I learn to recognize the pervasiveness and availability of educational technologies which I can implement, utilize, or adopt to improve my teaching techniques, enhancing my program, and effectively help my students. I will spend time to understand basic concepts, terms, and trade-offs of the technology which I decide to espouse. I will carefully examine the trade-offs, limitation, and the balance of costs and benefits before I make final decision because some of the technologies can be anticipated and some that cannot. In addition, the knowledge of technology helps me to appreciate the development and use of technology involved in my profession.
On the “ways of thinking and acting” characteristic, I will seek information about new technologies. I will consider and ask pertinent questions regarding the benefits and risk of technologies which I or we decide to adopt. I am also conscious and aware that participating in decisions about the development, adaptation, and use of technology are one of the most important factors.
On the “capabilities” characteristic, I learn many of hand-on skills, such as blog and website building, using the software for planning and organizing training sessions, technique and process of writing proposals. I am also learning the skill of evaluating and making informed judgments about technological risks and benefits on the new technology. The capability of management and leadership skills will certainly places me in a better position to expand my ability to serve more effectively.
Those above skills enable me to be technologically literate and to better evaluate technology choices by asking the right questions, examples are as follows:
What is the short-term and long-term risk of developing or using the educational
technology which I choose?
What are the costs of not developing or adapting these technologies?
Who will have access to these technologies?
Who will control it?
Who will benefit and who will lose by these educational technologies?
What will the impact of these technologies be on my classroom, my programs, and me?
Etec 623 provides me with the tools to make well-informed decisions in the selection of choosing new techniques, planning, leadership role and more. Better yet, Etec 623 turns me into a technologically literate person. A technologically literate person must know how each new technology, plan, or program works. Its advantages and disadvantages, how to operate it, and so on. The topics in this course widen my “knowing” about my job and help me to make wiser and more educated decisions. For example, If anything I need for my classroom, program, or plan, I must request or propose it. If I do not do ask for what I need, 100% that I will not have it or get approved. If I request, I start of with 50% chance of getting it. Sometimes when I really need some things, I must be a little bit aggressive to get it. I said "a little bit aggressive", not greedy. It is very important to get "support" for what I need from colleagues and co-workers. Without their support, my chance will begin from 0%. This means I must get long with everyone at work , and try to be supportive and helpful to everyone.

Week of March 12, 2007 to March 18, 2007
Saturday March 10, 2007

Post the last topic for Etec 623.
Continue to work on improving my website.
Organizing my lessons plans and lab. sheets for the courses that I teach.
Will spend next week to make comments on other scholars' postings.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have to agree that this course gave me the knowledge to make decisions about technology and it's uses. I will definitely be more technology minded.

Edgar Chabolla said...

I agree, this course was great in allowing us to develop better skills in regards to technology in education, but not only on the technological part of it, but on the decision making process that is very important in order for technology in education to be successfull.

Edgar

RFLORES said...

Hello De,

Indeed, this was a very edifying course. There were many useful things about it; chief among them, I felt the projects were a great way to learn, practice and demonstrate our ability to use technology.
Technology projects are a very useful way to create challenging assignments that the scholar can then use within the educational context. Personally, I liked the latitude the course offered, as well as the opportunity to use our creative talents and produce a unique project that could then be presented to the scholars in the course for constructive criticism and evaluation. As far as what got out of this course goes, I really liked the concepts of the differences between management and leadership; I believe this is the part of the course I found more enlightening, for it opened my mind and allowed me to "see" something I believe I have been overlooking for some time now.

James said...

I agree with your posting that this course has given the class a great perspective in the area of leadership in technology. We now have the tools to make educated decisions of how technology can help us in our fields in the future.

James

Jennie O'Kelley said...

Hi,
Great posts. I had the same questions running through my mind. I wish that schools would stop thinking that technology will raise test scores. It will help, but if there is no one there to work it, then it is just a waste of money. It was great working with you in the class and I wish you well on your next courses. Great posts all quarter long.

Rosa said...

Hi De,

I also liked this course very much. It has given me a broader perspective about technology and education. I know by your website and your blog that you really got into the projects. Your website looks great.